Bloomberg It’s not just emerging-market stocks that have shed their umbi- lical link to oil and commodities. Bonds and currencies are also breaking free. Stocks in the developing world posted the best start to a year since 2009 even as oil capped its worst first half in 19 years. That’s partly because the weight of energy companies in the benchmark …

Bloomberg Asian equities gained even as concerns over potential international fall out from North Korea’s nuclear weapons program faded. The MSCI AC Asia Pacific Index rose 0.2 percent to 153.97 as of 4:30 p.m. in Hong Kong, reversing an earlier drop of the same magnitude. Technology stocks were among the biggest boosts to the gauge after being beaten down on …

Bloomberg Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. has narrowed the list of bidders for its wealth unit, which could fetch more than A$4 billion ($3 billion), people with knowledge of the matter said. The Melbourne-based bank has invited AIA Group Ltd., MetLife Inc. and Zurich Insurance Group AG to make second-round offers for the business by Sept. 15, according …