Bloomberg Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond said the UK economy will grow faster than previously forecast this year as he set the course for government spending with Britain preparing to leave the European Union. Opening his Budget speech in Parliament on Wednesday, Hammond said the Office for Budget Responsibility now sees 2017 economic growth of 2 percent compared …

  Bloomberg State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co., the largest U.S. property-casualty insurer, said annual profit fell 94 percent on car insurance claims costs. Net income dropped to $400mn from $6.2bn in 2015, when results included one-time gains in the stock portfolio tied to pharmaceutical deals, the Bloomington, Illinois-based firm said. The underwriting loss from auto insurance widened to $7bn …

  Bloomberg The European Union will for the first time bring its military operations under a single command in a symbolic move that signals the bloc’s renewed push to cooperate on defense matters. EU governments are showing a readiness to pull together military resources and decision-making capabilities as statements from the US have called into question American commitment to European …