Bloomberg Nestle SA plans to begin selling slimmed-down Milkybar chocolates in the UK and Ireland in the first implementation of a new technology that promises the same sweetness with 30 percent less sugar. The Swiss food giant said a new version of the candy bars will be available on store shelves next week. It’s introducing them in markets where government …

Dubai / Emirates Business The growth of UAE’s retail industry continues to pick up the pace, drawing momentum from the impressive expansion of the local retail real estate landscape. Based on the latest A.T. Kearney Global Retail Development Index, an annual study that ranks the top-30 developing countries for expansion worldwide, UAE’s ranking improved by two notches in 2017 to …

Bloomberg A rebound in global stocks showed signs of fading in the US, with equities little changed after the best rally in two-and-a-half years. The S&P 500 Index fluctuated after European and Asian equities rallied to catch up with march 26’s surge in the US, spurred by speculation the world will avoid an all-out trade war. The dollar strengthened on …

Reuters Saudi Arabia’s stock market climbed to a 31-month high on Tuesday, once again outperforming the rest of the region in anticipation of a positive decision by FTSE on Wednesday to include the kingdom in its secondary emerging markets index. The Saudi index rose 1.1 percent, bringing its gain so far this year to 9.9 percent. A positive decision by …

Bloomberg Oil traded above $65 a barrel as global trade tensions showed signs of easing, countering concerns that US crude stockpiles may have resumed their expansion last week. Futures in New York rose 0.3 percent, remaining near the year’s highest close set in January at $66.14. A resurgence in risk appetite has helped lift markets from equities to commodities after …

Bloomberg Two of China’s largest banks posted better-than-expected profit growth in 2017 as a strengthening economy curbed soured loans and the government’s campaign to cut debt boosted their lending margins. Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd on Tuesday reported a 3 percent increase in net income last year, while Agricultural Bank of China Ltd posted a 5 percent gain. …

Bloomberg The European Central Bank alerted auditors that lenders could try to take advantage of the transition to new accounting standards to spread the hit on loan losses over years instead of reflecting them in their 2017 financial results, three people familiar with the matter said. The ECB’s Single Supervisory Mechanism, which oversees the region’s largest banks, flagged the risk …

Bloomberg Deutsche Bank AG is considering candidates to potentially replace Chief Executive Officer John Cryan amid heightened tensions between him and Supervisory Board Chairman Paul Achleitner, the Times of London reported without saying where it got the information. The bank approached Richard Gnodde, the head of Goldman Sachs Group Inc.’s international operations, but he’s thought to have spurned the overture, …

Bloomberg Indonesia ordered the nation’s biggest lenders to set aside additional capital to bolster their ability to absorb losses and protect against any bank failures. The Financial Services Authority, known as OJK, told the country’s systemically important banks to create a tier-1 capital surcharge of between 1 percent and 3.5 percent of risk-weighted assets, depending on the size and perceived …

Bloomberg Wells Fargo & Co. announced changes to its risk-management leadership as some executives plan to retire, according to a person familiar with the situation. The director of financial crimes risk management Jim Richards; head of operational risk and compliance Kevin Oden; Keb Byers, who runs enterprise risk; and the community banking risk group’s Vic Albrecht are stepping down in …