Bloomberg Australia is keeping an open mind on a central bank digital currency, a senior Reserve Bank official said, while adding it remains to be convinced there’s a case for one in a country with easy financial and cash access. RBA Assistant Governor Brad Jones laid out the pros and cons of a CBDC in a speech in Sydney, …

  Bloomberg European equities extended a four-day slide as optimism over a potential downshift in the Federal Reserve rates hikes deflates in the face of economic headwinds. The Stoxx Europe 600 slipped 0.2%, with property firms and banks pacing declines. Contracts on the S&P 500 steadied to trade little changed after the underlying benchmark posted the longest stretch of down …

Bloomberg Shares of a small Japanese green-technology firm have more than tripled in less than half a year on investor bets that microwaves will play a major role helping manufacturers reduce carbon emissions. Microwave Chemical Co. has jumped 268% since it listed in June, with its market value touching a high of about $300 million. Most of the gains have …