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Whatever happens in Macau, stays in Macau

What a difference a few time zones make. Shares in Wynn Resorts Ltd. fell 10.1 percent in the US on Friday after the Wall Street Journal reported that dozens of former employees had alleged sexual misconduct by the group’s founder and Chief Executive Officer Steve Wynn. Investors in Hong Kong were far less concerned. Stock in Wynn Macau Ltd. was ...

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Euro’s surprises may just be getting started

The euro is on the move, due to positive fundamental and technical reasons. And there is likely still more upside ahead — potentially a lot more. The realities of a strong economy will put pressure on the European Central Bank’s president, Mario Draghi, to start mapping an exit strategy from ultra-accommodative measures before inflation becomes a problem. In 2017, the ...

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The end of the ‘strong dollar’ policy, yes, again

The end of US leadership is on everyone’s lips. Today’s installment is the Treasury secretary’s endorsement of a weaker dollar. Not so fast. Despite the way the ideal of a ‘strong dollar’ has been thrown around in official rhetoric the last couple of decades, the reality is that Treasury secretaries of both political colors have dialed it up and dialed ...

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Starbucks falls out of step with the restaurant industry

It would be an overstatement to say 2017 was a bad year for Starbucks Corp. But the coffee giant did start to look a bit less invincible. It posted its slowest same-store sales growth since the Great Recession. It disappointed investors in November when it offered a lower long-term earnings outlook. If that had you worried about Starbucks, then the ...

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A great world city may soon run out of water

On April 22, Earth Day, might have a bit of extra significance this year. It might be the day that, for the first time, a great world city runs out of water. On that day, according to the local government of Cape Town, water in the reservoirs that feed this most beautiful of coastal cities will drop below critical levels, ...

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Oil is looking unstoppable as hedge funds bet bigger

Bloomberg The enthusiasm in the oil markets is breaking records. Hedge funds reported record wagers on continued price increases for both US and global oil benchmarks, along with gasoline and diesel. Meanwhile, producers are hedging production at record rates as oil experiences its best January since 2006. “There is a lot of interest in the direction of crude oil,” Rob ...

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‘Brexit could cause power blackouts’

Bloomberg Britain probably will risk more energy supply shortages after leaving the European Union, a panel of lawmakers from the House of Lords said, adding to pressure on the government to bring forward measures that protect consumers from higher costs. “It’s likely that the UK’s withdrawal from the EU will lead to less-efficient energy trade, which could in turn increase ...

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Iraq to build oil refinery in Fao with Chinese firms

BAGHDAD / Reuters Iraq plans to build an oil refinery at the port of Fao on the Gulf with two Chinese companies, and is seeking investors to build three more, the oil ministry said on its website on Monday. The refinery in Fao will have a 300,000 barrel-per-day capacity and include a petrochemical plant, it said. Two other refineries, each ...

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Iran ready to seek arbitration in Turkmenistan gas dispute

LONDON / Reuters Tehran is ready to file a case with the International Court of Arbitration (ICA) over the quality and price of gas it receives from Turkmenistan, the Iranian oil minister said on Monday, as a dispute between the two nations over payments escalates. The Central Asian nation stopped gas exports to Iran in January 2017, saying it was ...

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Coal bites back in China on supply worry; gas switching halt

Bloomberg In the latest reminder that coal still dominates the world’s biggest energy consumer, Chinese power producers are warning of supply tightness while one northern province plans to pause switching homes and industries to natural gas to avoid further heating shortages. Four of China’s biggest generators sent an “emergency report” dated Jan. 22 to the National Development & Reform Commission, ...

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