Bloomberg Jewellery maker Alex and Ani LLC, which operates dozens of stores, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and put itself up for sale. The company said it entered into a restructuring agreement with debt and equity holders as it works to reorganise and boost its online and wholesale businesses. The retailer expects “little to no disruption” in operations. Alex …

Bloomberg The coronavirus pandemic real-estate boom has made some Canadians richer, while others languish. The net worth of the nation’s households increased by about C$770 billion ($633 billion) in the first three months of 2021, a record 6% gain, to C$13.7 trillion, Statistics Canada said in a report. Since the start of 2020, that figure has increased by more than …

Bloomberg Plans for the biggest corporate spending boom in more than a decade could be the next driver for stock markets trading at record highs. Last year’s prudence among companies is giving way to jubilant investment across a swath of industries, driven by economic reopenings, low interest rates and government support. Such a signal of confidence in the future is …

Bloomberg This time, it may be more than just another false dawn for European bank stocks. The worst performers among Europe’s equity markets in past decade have had occasional hot streaks, but with this year’s re-emergence of inflation promising an end to an era of near-zero interest rates, the sector is among the biggest gainers in 2021. The Stoxx 600 …

Bloomberg Global oil demand will recover to pre-pandemic levels late next year, the International Energy Agency (IEA) predicted, urging Opec and its allies to keep markets balanced by tapping their plentiful spare production capacity. World consumption will once again reach 100 million barrels a day in the second half of 2022 as developed economies bring the virus under control, the …

Bloomberg Group of Seven (G7) leaders debated how strongly to respond to China’s effort to win influence around the world and rebuke it over alleged forced labour practices — with US President Joe Biden taking a more hawkish stance and some other leaders wary of the risk the group is seen as an outright anti-China bloc. Saturday’s talks at the …

Bloomberg Europe’s biggest airlines are seeking to deflect moves to tighten carbon curbs by favouring a less robust offsetting program, according to climate watchdog InfluenceMap. Carriers are pushing to retain the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation over the European Union’s more rigorous Emissions Trading System, the think tank-said. While Corsia was developed by the United Nations-mandated International …

Bloomberg The aircraft that broke down the door to intercontinental flying for the masses has a new mission: lugging as many German tourists as possible on the short-haul hop to Mallorca. Deutsche Lufthansa AG will deploy 364-seat Boeing Co 747-8s on two-hour trips from Frankfurt after looser coronavirus curbs spurred bookings 25-fold since April, it said. The jet will ply …

Bloomberg South Africa agreed to sell a majority stake in the country’s grounded national carrier to a local jet-leasing company and private-equity firm, ridding the government of an entity that has long been a drain on state finances. A consortium comprised of Johannesburg-based Global Airways, which owns recently launched domestic airline Lift, and private-equity firm Harith General Partners will take …

Bloomberg McDonald’s Corp said hackers accessed some customer data in South Korea and Taiwan, adding the fast-food chain to the growing list of companies grappling with cyberattacks in recent weeks. After discovering unauthorised activity on its network, the company determined that “a small number of files were accessed, some of which contained personal data,” according to an emailed statement. The …