Bloomberg Akzo Nobel NV’s growth in China stuttered as Europe’s biggest coatings maker opted to push through higher prices for household paint at the expense of losing some customers. “After really sharp growth in China, we made a more deliberate choice to hit the pause button on growth,” Chief Executive Officer Thierry Vanlancker said on a media call. That led ...

Bloomberg South Korea has trimmed its economic growth forecasts for this year, citing rising global trade tensions and a slump in facilities investment. Asia’s fourth-largest economy is expected to grow 2.9 percent in 2018, versus an earlier forecast of 3 percent, the finance ministry said on Wednesday. The economy grew 3.1 percent in 2017. “Exports excluding semiconductors are stagnant and ...

Bloomberg Swatch Group AG, the maker of Omega and Tissot timepieces, reported the highest first-half profit in three years, fuelled by Asian demand and market share gains across its collection of 18 brands. Operating profit rose 70 percent to $628 million, the Biel, Switzerland-based company said in a statement. Analysts expected 612 million francs. The stock rose as much as ...