News

Bloomberg Vitol Group, the biggest independent oil trader, and mining giant Peabody Energy Corp are joining forces to give coal a new lease on life. The companies have teamed with a UK startup that’s developed a process to pulverize coal, remove impurities and pollutants, and blend it with crude or fuels for use by refineries and other customers. While unproven ...

Bloomberg Reliance Industries Ltd., India’s second-largest company by market value, plans to raise about $5.8 billion in fresh debt this financial year as it expands its consumer businesses, according to people familiar with the matter. The billionaire Mukesh Ambani-led company will raise funds through loans and bonds, mostly in the Indian currency, the people said asking not to be named ...

Bloomberg China’s electric-vehicle battery sector is set for a brutal reshuffle as the government reforms subsidies to meet the more exacting technological demands of next-generation transport, according to Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. China built massive new battery capacity in recent years, aided by generous government support, creating industry heavyweights Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd. and the Warren Buffett-backed BYD Co. ...

Bloomberg Akzo Nobel NV’s growth in China stuttered as Europe’s biggest coatings maker opted to push through higher prices for household paint at the expense of losing some customers. “After really sharp growth in China, we made a more deliberate choice to hit the pause button on growth,” Chief Executive Officer Thierry Vanlancker said on a media call. That led ...

Bloomberg South Korea has trimmed its economic growth forecasts for this year, citing rising global trade tensions and a slump in facilities investment. Asia’s fourth-largest economy is expected to grow 2.9 percent in 2018, versus an earlier forecast of 3 percent, the finance ministry said on Wednesday. The economy grew 3.1 percent in 2017. “Exports excluding semiconductors are stagnant and ...

Bloomberg Swatch Group AG, the maker of Omega and Tissot timepieces, reported the highest first-half profit in three years, fuelled by Asian demand and market share gains across its collection of 18 brands. Operating profit rose 70 percent to $628 million, the Biel, Switzerland-based company said in a statement. Analysts expected 612 million francs. The stock rose as much as ...

Bloomberg The Trump administration plans to open an investigation into whether uranium imports are harming national security, a move that could lead to tariffs on foreign shipments of the metal, said three people familiar with the matter. US uranium producers Energy Fuels Inc. and Ur-Energy Inc. filed a petition in January asking the Commerce Department to investigate the matter under ...

Bloomberg Google will be fined about $5 billion by the European Union (EU)over apps for Android mobile devices, setting a record for antitrust penalties, according to a person familiar with the EU decision. The penalty—the same amount the Netherlands contributes to the EU budget every year— is due to be announced by EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager at 1 pm ...

Bloomberg UK inflation unexpectedly held at 2.4 percent last month as cheaper clothing and computer games offset the rising cost of filling up a vehicle. The pound weakened as investors pared bets that the Bank of England will raise interest rates next month. Consumer prices were unchanged from May, the Office for National Statistics said on Wednesday. Annual inflation was ...

Bloomberg After the drama of President Donald Trump’s widely criticized news conference with President Vladimir Putin, one agreement the two leaders reached on the business front may go forward, according to the head of the Kremlin-backed Russian Direct Investment Fund. Kirill Dmitriev, an ally of Putin who heads the sovereign wealth fund sanctioned by the US, says American businesses are ...