Bloomberg Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell struck an upbeat tone in gauging the ability of policy makers to extend the record US economic expansion, while signalling interest rates would probably remain on hold. “At this point in the long expansion, I see the glass as much more than half full,” Powell said in Providence, Rhode Island. “With the right policies, …

Bloomberg Brian Hartzer succumbed to the inevitable and resigned as Westpac Banking Corp chief executive officer, forced out by an investor backlash over allegations the lender committed the biggest breach of money-laundering laws in Australia’s history. The 52-year-old becomes the third of Australia’s big-four bank CEOs to be undone by scandal in the past two years. The laundering suit, including …

Bloomberg Citigroup Inc hired two investment bankers from HSBC Holdings Plc in Asia, continuing a buildup to strengthen its Chinese real estate advisory business. The New York-based bank hired Kara Wang as managing director and co-head of real estate investment banking for Asia, according to an internal memo that was confirmed by James Griffiths, a Hong Kong-based spokesman. Dayday Zhou, …