Bloomberg Royal Bank of Canada beat analysts’ profit estimates as the City National purchase in the U.S. bolstered wealth management and capital markets earnings surged. Canada’s biggest bank raised its dividend 2.5 percent to 83 cents a share. Profit for the quarter ended July 31 climbed 7.5 percent to $2.06 billion, or C$1.72 a share after excluding gains from …

  AFP The Central Bank of Iceland on Wednesday cut its benchmark interest rate by half a percentage point to 5.25 percent, saying inflation remained low despite rising wages and strong growth. “Inflation has remained below target for two-and-a-half years. In July it measured 1.1 percent, the lowest inflation rate since the beginning of 2015,” the bank said. “The krona …

  AFP The European Central Bank (ECB) may be forced to bolster its monetary stimulus programmes if governments fail to act to boost their economies, board member Benoit Coeure said on Tuesday. “If there is not much taking place on the structural reform front, if there’s not much taking place on the fiscal policy front… then the ECB will do …