BLOOMBERG Kroger Co and Albertsons Cos are bracing for a US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) lawsuit over their proposed $24.6 billion tie-up as soon as January as opposition builds against the supermarket mega-deal. Progressive lawmakers and the Teamsters union both urged the antitrust agency to veto the deal after its yearlong probe. The FTC has until January 17 to decide …

BLOOMBERG European stocks slid, following a weak session in Asia after Federal Reserve officials pushed back against bets of aggressive interest rate cuts next year. The Stoxx Europe 600 index dropped 0.4%, while US stock futures edged higher. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index lost as much as 1.1%, the most since December 5. The dollar was broadly steady while yields …

BLOOMBERG The rupiah looks poised to weaken heading into 2024, as uncertainty ahead of Indonesia’s national elections in February plays on investors’ minds. The currency may trade around 15,800 a dollar in the first quarter next year, according to BNY Mellon Corp, HSBC Holdings Plc and PT Bank Mandiri. It closed at 15,493 on December 15. Historically, the rupiah has …