The return of volatility in the first quarter versus 2017 was our focus last week. Some interesting pushback followed the premise that prices seem to ignore news sometimes and at other times hang on every headline. My explanation: Most people have this correlation backward. Contrary to widespread belief, the news does not drive markets or prices; rather, it is the ...

There’s a line of thinking that Facebook Inc.’s business won’t be significantly damaged by the company’s series of scandals. But Facebook is already shifting how it operates in ways that will pinch its finances or limit its strategic maneuvers. First, it’s worth noting how little has changed for Facebook investors after two weeks of fury over the company’s role in ...

The competition for Amazon’s second headquarters is only getting fiercer. The politicking that goes with it ranges from subtle and behind the scenes to brazenly in-your-face. At stake is a destiny-changing bonanza that is a modern-day equivalent of a railroad siting. Amazon’s decision makers are weighing many factors among 20 finalist locations, and only they know how much certain variables ...

Bloomberg China’s biggest lenders are increasingly using short-term financing to meet demand for loans, in a de-velopment that could push up money-market rates. The banks are rushing to sell negotiable certificates of deposit, an instrument that sounds like a saving account but is actually more like a bond. Issuance of these by the five largest lenders more than doubled to ...

DUBAI / Reuters Oman’s central bank said on Tuesday it is relaxing capital and credit exposure rules for commercial banks and taking other steps to boost lending in a bid to boost economic growth. The Omani economy and financial markets have come under pressure from low oil prices and rising US interest rates, which are closely linked to rial rates, ...

Bloomberg The Bank of Japan (BOJ) is talking about how to eventually exit from its massive monetary stimulus program but it’s still too early to reveal details, Governor Haruhiko Kuroda told parliament on Tuesday. “Internally we’re conducting various discussions,” at the staff level, Kuroda said in response to a question from a lawmaker. How the BOJ normalises policy will depend ...

Bloomberg Societe Generale SA expects to be part of some “very large” deals involving Saudi Arabia this year, the bank’s chief executive officer for the Middle East said. “Saudi is the next big thing for us, so you will see us much more around very large Saudi Arabia transactions this year,” Richad Soundardjee said in an interview with Bloomberg TV. ...

SYDNEY / Reuters Australia’s central bank left interest rates at record lows on Tuesday, the longest stretch without a change in almost three decades, and looked set to extend this period of “masterful inaction” for some time yet. As widely expected, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) ended its April policy meeting with the benchmark rate at 1.5 percent, where ...

Bloomberg Indonesia’s incoming central bank governor vowed to ensure the stability of the currency as emerging markets brace for further volatility on the back of rising interest rates in the US and elsewhere. The Indonesian parliament on Tuesday confirmed Perry Warjiyo, 59, as the next governor of Bank Indonesia following last week’s endorsement of lawmakers from a committee responsible for ...

Bloomberg United Parcel Service Inc. was already in trouble with Wall Street over a long-term investment plan to cope with soaring e-commerce. Now the company is clashing with its pilots union because of a short-term fix for the same challenge. Aviators are angry that UPS has turned to third-party cargo airlines to help make up for a shortage of aircraft ...