Bloomberg Praxair Inc.’s plan to buy German industrial-gas maker Linde AG edged closer to collapse for a second time after Linde’s works council signaled strong opposition to the $34 billion deal and a government minister questioned its value. A deal with Praxair will lead to significant job losses, and the combined company will be run from headquarters in the ...

  Bloomberg US stocks rose for just the second time in nine sessions, as financial shares rebounded from a six-week low after a spike in consumer confidence rekindled optimism in the strength of the American economy. Treasuries slipped and the dollar edged higher. Banks slammed by concern Donald Trump would have trouble getting regulatory roll-backs through Congress rallied on Tuesday ...

  HONG KONG / AP Asian stocks were uneven on Wednesday as investors weighed strong US economic reports against uncertainty as Britain readies a formal request to leave the European Union. Tokyo’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index was practically unchanged at 19,208.10 and South Korea’s Kospi rose less than 0.1 percent to 2,164.32. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng climbed 0.4 percent to ...

  DUBAI / Reuters A small rebound in the Brent crude oil price towards $52 a barrel helped lift Saudi Arabia’s stock index on Wednesday, in an otherwise sluggish trading session in the region. The Saudi index rose 1.1 percent to 6,949 points as almost three-quarters of traded stocks advanced. Petrochemical shares were particularly strong with all but one of ...

  As UK Prime Minister Theresa May starts the clock on Britain’s departure from the European Union, there’s no real question that the divorce is going to hurt both parties — and the UK, to be sure, much more than the EU. But this isn’t to say there’s no upside. The right kind of deal will recognize these opportunities and ...

  China’s banks are turning the corner — or are they? A surprise increase in full-year profit at Agricultural Bank of China Ltd. and better-than-estimated 2016 earnings at Bank of Communications Co., or Bocom, are reinforcing the view that lenders in the People’s Republic are getting a grip on their multiyear bad-loan problem. And with short-term interest rates starting to ...

  New protests in Russia highlight a fundamental flaw in the regime of President Vladimir Putin: His grip on power relies far too much on the very corruption that is increasingly trying Russians’ patience. If he doesn’t find a way to address their grievances, it won’t end well for him or the country. Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to ...

  The United Kingdom on Wednesday started the clock on two years of negotiations to withdraw from the European Union. Britain’s top envoy to European Union Tim Barrow hand-delivered a letter to European Council President Donald Tusk, triggering final split. Tusk has said that he would respond with a draft negotiating guidelines within 48 hours. Leaders of remaining 27 nations ...

  Discussions about manufacturing tend to get very contentious. Many economists and commentators believe that there’s nothing inherently special about making things and that efforts to restore US manufacturing to its former glory reek of industrial policy, protectionism, mercantilism and antiquated thinking. But in their eagerness to guard against the return of these ideas, manufacturing’s detractors often overstate their case. ...

  With a promise to fly US passengers to Europe for as little as $65, Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA is poised to transform transatlantic travel. While terrific news for consumers, its low-cost long-haul strategy might be a little more turbulent for shareholders and lenders. Having built Norwegian from a handful of aircraft into Europe’s third-largest budget carrier, founder and CEO ...