Bloomberg Less than two weeks in, 2018 is shaping up to be the year of the fracker. The world’s two biggest oilfield service providers, Schlumberger Ltd. and Baker Hughes, are the best performers in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Energy Index this year. Even smaller rivals are cashing in on investor enthusiasm over a 50 percent rise in oil prices …

Bloomberg Royal Dutch Shell Plc is taking small steps towards a future dominated by electric cars, renewable energy and carbon constraints, demonstrating its intent not to remain solely an oil and gas company. The energy giant agreed last month to purchase First Utility Ltd., the UK’s seventh-largest power provider. Its offshore-wind partnership with Eneco may expand further, with newspaper Telegraaf …

Bloomberg The European Central Bank is again struggling to get the message across to markets that any unwinding of stimulus will be slow and steady. The euro soared, bonds slid and investors this week stepped up bets that interest rates will rise before the end of 2018, disregarding President Mario Draghi’s assurances that no such thing will happen until well …