Bloomberg After three weeks of intense volatility, metal markets seem to be calming down. Aluminum steadied after a four-day selloff that accelerated after the US decision to ease sanctions against United Co. Rusal. Nickel advanced as the Philippines moved forward with a plan to limit the area of land miners are permitted to exploit. Most other metals were little changed. …

Bloomberg For generations of investors, Exxon Mobil Corp. has been a cornerstone of fund managers’ portfolios alongside the biggest names in corporate America. Not so much any more. From leading the S&P 500 Index a decade ago, the company has dropped to the ninth-largest in a top 10 now dominated by technology giants. Its rivals Royal Dutch Shell Plc and …

Bloomberg Saudi Arabian Oil Co. and Total SA are weighing jointly buying businesses such as Tas’helat Marketing Co to gain access to networks of retail fuel stations in the Gulf kingdom, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The state-owned company, known as Aramco, and the French oil giant are also looking at a range of options from consolidating …