Bloomberg Standard Bank Group Ltd. rose the most in five months after first-half profit from continuing operations at Africa’s largest lender by assets climbed, boosted by higher interest rates in its home market that lifted income, and as fees from the rest of the continent increased. The stock led advances on the six-member FTSE/JSE Africa Banks Index, rising 5.5 ...

  Bloomberg Azerbaijan’s banking regulator gave the country’s lenders a month to draw up plans to end what it described as chronic violations of prudential norms, promising to clamp down on those failing to meet requirements, according to a document seen by Bloomberg. After 10 of 43 banks were already culled this year, the Financial Markets Supervisory Authority said in ...

  Bloomberg A potential headache for the European Central Bank is turning out to be a boon for holders of Germany’s negative-yielding bonds. For ECB officials looking for ways to avert a potential shortage of securities to acquire for their asset-purchase program, the publication of Germany’s draft budget Wednesday showing an almost 11 percent drop in planned borrowing wouldn’t have ...

  Bloomberg VTB Group, Russia’s second-biggest bank, boosted profit more than sixfold in the second quarter as the financial industry began to recover from a crisis. Net income increased to 16 billion rubles ($250 million) from 2.5 billion rubles a year earlier, the lender said in a statement on its website on Tuesday.Banking industry profits in Russia are heading back ...

  AP A blimp-shaped, helium-filled airship considered the world’s largest aircraft flew for the first time with a short but historic jaunt over an airfield in central England. Engines roaring, the 302-foot (92-meter) Airlander 10 rose slowly into the air from Cardington airfield, 45 miles (73 kilometers) north of London. A hybrid of blimp, helicopter and airplane, it can stay ...

  Bloomberg Nestle, the world’s largest food company, on Thursday reported a 9.1 percent fall in profits through the first six months of 2016, but said its sluggish performance should be reversed in a strong second half. The firm posted 4.1 billion Swiss francs ($4.3 billion, 3.9 billion euros) in profits through the first half of the year, a step ...

Bloomberg Wal-Mart Stores Inc. increased its annual earnings forecast after second-quarter results topped analysts’ estimates, a sign the world’s largest retailer is pulling business away from rivals such as Target Corp. Sales at U.S. Wal-Mart stores open more than 12 months rose 1.6 percent last quarter, which ended July 31, the Bentonville, Arkansas-based company said in a statement Thursday. The ...

AFP Singapore Telecom said on Thursday it will spend $1.8 billion to take a stake in Thailand’s Intouch and raise its share of India’s Bharti, boosting its access to fast-growing Asian and African mobile markets. SingTel, Southeast Asia’s biggest telecom group by revenue, will acquire 21 percent of Intouch and an additional 7.39 percent in Bharti Telecom from state-linked investment ...

  Bloomberg Chinese home prices gained in fewer cities as local governments joined some of the nation’s largest hubs in imposing residential property curbs to quell soaring real estate values. New-home prices excluding government-subsidized housing gained in 51 cities last month, from 55 in June, among the 70 the government tracks, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Thursday. Prices ...

Bloomberg Blackstone Group LP is close to an agreement to buy an eight-building apartment complex on Manhattan’s east side, for $620 million, cementing its position as one of New York’s largest residential landlords, according to a person with knowledge of the talks. The New York-based firm, the world’s largest manager of alternative assets, is planning to buy Kips Bay Court ...