Bloomberg It is a mark of the transformation going on at Thyssenkrupp AG that the most profitable operation at Germany’s biggest steel company is producing elevators not metal. The industrial giant, with roots dating to 1811, has poured research into its elevator unit to turn what was a sideline into a primary business. The strategy is Thyssenkrupp’s bid to survive …

It’s time to take a brief break from Donald Trump. Whatever you think of him, there’s no denying that he dominates the news cycle. We seem to assume that the nation’s future depends on Trump’s fate, for better or worse. The reality is otherwise: The nation’s future also hangs on larger economic and social trends that no president can shape. …

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., already the largest Chinese company by market capitalization, is nothing if not ambitious. Its chief financial officer, Maggie Wu, recently told investors she expects revenue to increase by up to 49 percent next year, a staggering prospect. But perhaps more staggering is how Alibaba hopes to get there: In part, by tapping the US market. By …