BLOOMBERG Finland’s economy contracted more in the fourth quarter than a flash estimate had indicated, affirming that the Nordic nation has entered a recession. Gross domestic product (GDP) shrank 0.6% last quarter from the previous three-month period, when it contracted a revised 0.1%, Statistics Finland said. A flash estimate had indicated a 0.2% decline in output. GDP was stagnant compared …

BLOOMBERG  Banco Santander SA pledged to return a bigger share of earnings to investors as Chairman Ana Botin joins the race among European lenders to lure shareholders after years of subpar returns. Spain’s largest lender plans to pay out 50% of profit over the next three years, up from 40% previously, it said in a presentation. The Madrid-based bank also …

BLOOMBERG France wants Europe’s nuclear industry to be recognised as a key force that can help the continent compete with the US and China. President Emmanuel Macron has pledged to build at least six new reactors in his country and put them into service from 2035. On Tuesday, he called for the European Investment Bank to fund “all low-carbon technologies …