Bloomberg Japan’s thermal coal imports rose to a record last year and liquefied natural gas (LNG) purchases climbed for the first time in three years, as the fuels filled the gap in power generation left by the country’s slow restart of its nuclear power plants. The figures underscore the country’s continued reliance on imported fossil fuels for power generation, as …

Bloomberg There’s one question European Central Bank President Mario Draghi won’t be able to ignore at his first policy meeting of the year: whether the euro is too strong for the currency bloc’s health. In the six weeks since the previous decision, the single currency for 19 European nations has surged to the highest level against the dollar in more …

Bloomberg UBS Group AG Chairman Axel Weber said the Swiss bank won’t trade Bitcoin or offer it to retail clients as increased regulation could lead to a “massive” drop in value. “This is something where the price is really unclear,” Weber said in an interview on Wednesday with Bloomberg TV at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “We fear …

Bloomberg State Bank of India and Punjab National Bank will be among lenders that receive 881 billion rupees ($14 billion) of fresh capital the government had pledged for state-run banks in the year through March 31. SBI, the nation’s biggest lender by assets, will get 88 billion rupees while Punjab National Bank will take 55 billion rupees, Rajiv Kumar, banking …

Bloomberg The Bank of Japan will continue with its unprecedented monetary easing policy for a “couple more years” and it will remain tough for lenders to make money from doling out credit, according to the top executive at Mizuho Financial Group Inc. “Just simple lending business is not so profitable, and this situation will last,” Chief Executive Officer Yasuhiro Sato …

Bloomberg Strains are spreading in China’s $15 trillion shadow banking industry as investors pull back from the debt-like savings products that helped drive leverage to dangerous levels. Most affected are some $3.8 trillion of so-called trust products, until now the fastest-growing shadow banking segment and a popular way for debt-ridden property developers and local governments to raise funds from millions …

Bloomberg US stocks pushed higher amid strong corporate results, while Treasuries rose after the Bank of Japan signalled it’ll maintain stimulus. The dollar declined. The S&P 500 Index gained for the third day in a row as investors digested strong earnings, including from Netflix Inc., which helped drive tech shares higher. Of the 68 firms in benchmark that have reported …

REUTERS Most Gulf stock markets were firm on Tuesday, with conglomerate Aamal Holding surging in Qatar, but blue chip Emaar Properties dragged down Dubai’s index as the stock went ex-dividend. Qatar’s index rose 0.5 percent in active trade as Aamal gained 4.8 percent after saying a unit had spent about 179.5 million riyals ($49.3 million) buying residential assets in Doha, …

Bloomberg President Donald Trump dealt his biggest blow to the renewable energy industry yet. Trump approved duties of as much as 30 percent on solar equipment made outside the US, a move that threatens to handicap a $28 billion industry that relies on parts made abroad for 80 percent of its supply. The tariffs are the latest action by Trump …

BEIJING / Reuters China is pulling in ships from all over to avoid a natural gas supply squeeze ahead of another cold snap and as the world’s most populous nation prepares for Spring Festival celebrations. Fuel demand in January and February typically slows as temperatures improve compared with the busiest month, December, but data suggests this year could buck the …