Any conversation with a European bank executive these days quickly turns to talk of how their US rivals are in better shape. American banks were much quicker in bolstering their capital bases after the financial crisis; they also have more regulatory certainty (in part because they didn’t challenge every proposed rule change). And in at least one corner of …

  San Francisco / AFP Volkswagen has reached a $1 billion agreement with US authorities on a compensation deal for the last 80,000 vehicles affected by its emissions-cheating scandal in the United States, officials said. However, a Justice Department official said a criminal investigation is ongoing, and charges may still be filed against the company — which could bring new …

  Bloomberg Nike Inc. posted second-quarter results that surpassed analysts’ estimates, soothing concerns that the world’s largest sports brand is losing ground to competitors such as Adidas AG and Under Armour Inc. Profit was 50 cents a share in the period, which ended Nov. 30, Nike said in a statement. That compared with the 43-cent average of analysts’ projections. Sales …