Opinion

Procter & Gamble Co.’s (P&G) 2019 outlook is starting to look more attainable. The company behind brands such as Pampers diapers and Dawn dish soap reported that organic sales — a figure that excludes M&A and currency effects — rose a robust 4 percent in the first quarter over a year earlier. That made for P&G’s strongest growth on this measure ...

As another top Scandinavian bank faces money-laundering accusations, it’s clear that the rules are changing for European lenders under intense US pressure. A closer scrutiny of clients with links to the former Soviet Union and other high-corruption regions is fast becoming a necessity. Though the motives behind the pressure can be questioned, the outcome is mostly positive for Europe. Its ...

Just when it seemed safe not to worry about the next financial crisis, up pops Italy. “In Italy, lavish plans may propel next crisis,” warned The New York Times. Or, “Italy’s budget rattles financial markets on debt crisis fears,” said Sky News. Exactly how a crisis might emerge isn’t clear. Would Italian interest rates soar, reflecting fears that the country ...

Netflix Inc. has spoiled us. It accustomed viewers to the prospect of a relatively cheap video service without advertising interruptions and with what feels like an unlimited assortment of TV shows and movies that can be watched at any time. It did this at the expense of an economic business strategy, prioritising customers over profits. Whether Netflix’s approach is viable ...

No news can sometimes be good news. Unilever and Nestle, two of Europe’s biggest consumer giants, managed to report sales growth that broadly matched analyst estimates.That was exactly what they needed: both are vulnerable if they stumble. A misstep at Nestle could strengthen the hand of an activist investor; at Unilever, it could attract one. The pair is struggling with ...

President Donald Trump has been known to exaggerate what he sees as China’s unfair advantages in trade with the US, and to unproductively escalate tensions between the two countries. But with his latest complaint, having to do with the seemingly trivial matter of global postal fees, Trump has highlighted an unfair imbalance between the two nations that should be relatively ...

US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has sent a gift to Brexit supporters. His letter notifying Congress that the Trump administration plans to seek a “cutting-edge” free-trade deal with the UK was music to the ears of those who have long argued that leaving the European Union will allow Britain to pursue an ambitious policy of bilateral trade deals. Getting such ...

For all the talk of China’s industrial ambitions and trappings of dominance, the truth is its companies can’t keep up with the competition. China’s Ministry of Commerce opened an anti-dumping investigation into Japanese and Taiwanese exporters of vertical-machine centers – core-equipment manufacturing facilities for autos and other high-tech processes – after complaints by a group of Chinese companies. The probe ...

If you thought Greece’s ordeal was over, think again. Months after exiting its international rescue program, the country faces renewed trouble in its banking system. There is no easy fix: money is short and investor patience thin. But it looks increasingly like the gradual approach pursued by Athens and the euro zone authorities is running out of steam. Lenders still ...

On the road again, and full of indignation about, or perhaps admiration for, what he called ‘made-up’ and ‘fabricated’ Democratic accusations during the recent judicial confirmation turmoil, America’s feral president swerved into a denunciation of a nonexistent bill – “It’s called ‘the open borders bil’” — that, he thundered, “every single Democrat” in the Senate has “signed up for.” Now, ...