Bloomberg The Boeing Co. 737 Max crash in Ethiopia looks increasingly likely to hit the planemaker’s order book as mounting safety concerns prompt airlines to reconsider purchases worth about $57 billion. VietJet Aviation JSC, which doubled its order to 200 of the aircraft priced at about $25 billion only last month, said it will decide on its future plans once …

DUBAI / Emirates Business Dubai ranked first globally in attracting foreign direct investments (FDIs) for artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics; while the UAE ranked sixth in the global smart service index, surpassing the US, UK and South Korea. The emirate has attracted from 2015 to 2018 $21.6 billion worth of FDI in high-end technology transfers, with the most from the …

Bloomberg Crude rose for a third day after an industry report showed an unexpected drop in US stockpiles at a time when the world’s top producers are said to be looking at a plan to extend their output curbs. Futures in New York added as much as 0.7 percent, rising above $57 a barrel. US crude inventories declined 2.58 million …

Bloomberg US equities climbed as data showed better-than-expected demand for durable goods and modest pressure on inflation. The pound jumped before another Brexit vote and the dollar dipped. The S&P 500 Index gained for a third day, with industrial stocks among the best performers. European shares also advanced, and the pound rallied before the next major Brexit vote. Crude oil …

Bloomberg Hong Kong equity investors must be looking enviously across the border this year. The city’s two main benchmarks are hardly doing badly, but gauges on the mainland — after a grim 2018 — are eclipsing them and just about every other worldwide. The ChiNext in Shenzhen has led the charge with a 35 percent rally. While onshore shares slid …

Bloomberg India’s stocks advanced with the benchmark equity index rising to its highest level in six months, led by financial services companies. The S&P BSE Sensex climbed for a third session, increasing 0.6 percent to 37,752.17 in Mumbai, bringing its gain for this year to 4.7 percent. The NSE Nifty 50 Index increased 0.4 percent. Both indexes are headed for …

Bloomberg Deutsche Bank AG faces stiff resistance from some supervisory board members to a merger with German competitor Commerzbank AG as the deal raises the prospect of tens of thousands of job cuts. Jan Duscheck and Stephan Szukalski, two key labour representatives on Deutsche Bank’s highest oversight body, oppose the merger, saying a combination would fail to achieve the goal …

Bloomberg Strategists are telling investors to prepare for both the best and the worst outcomes as risk assets around the world reach a crossroads. Global markets are facing a number of positive catalysts in 2019. The Federal Reserve’s in a wait-and-see mode, and the European Central Bank has begun upping its stimulus. Economies around the world are growing and the …

Bloomberg The bottom line is that the top line stinks. That’s the challenge facing South Africa’s biggest banks as they fight to contain costs that are accelerating faster than revenue. The reasons are pretty much the same: South Africa’s economy hasn’t expanded at more than 2 percent a year since 2013 and unemployment is at 27 percent. In addition, consumers …

Bloomberg As an activist investor targets Barclays Plc for taking on too much risk, the London-based lender has disclosed how its internal models failed to predict a series of trading losses at its investment bank. Barclays issued a so-called amber alert last year after the issues with its trading arm’s value-at-risk modeling, according to a recent filing. Tests of its …