For the first time ever, China is facing a dreaded prospect: the inverted bond yield curve. The phenomenon, in which long-term interest rates sink below short-term interest rates, has caused some consternation among market-watchers, who know it’s traditionally a harbinger of recession. The inversion suggests markets expect interest rates to fall eventually as monetary authorities move to stimulate economic activity. ...

Amazon helped kill bookstore chains, and now it’s becoming one. The company has been opening physical bookstores in cities like Seattle, San Diego and Chicago since 2015. Last week, it opened its seventh bookstore in an upscale mall in New York City. In an ironic twist, Amazon’s store is one floor up from a former Borders store, the bookstore outlet ...

Bitcoin has been on an unbelievable run. The cryptocurrency is up around 124 percent for 2017. And that’s after it gained 125 percent in 2016. In May alone, it’s up more than 60 percent. It’s hard to know what the long-term impact or performance will be, but one thing’s for sure — investors are swept up in cryptocurrency mania. One ...