Bloomberg China’s largest lenders posted increases in first-quarter profit and higher interest income as authorities encouraged fresh lending to support the economy. Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd., Agricultural Bank of China Ltd., Bank of Communications Co. and Bank of China Ltd. reported net income rose as much as 4.9 percent in the three months that ended on March …

Bloomberg Hong Kong’s banking sector, one of the most staid areas of its financial industry, is seeing an unusual spurt of recruitment as newly licensed virtual banks race to snap up talent. Four ventures that won permits have about 200 people in the city, which may more than double by the time they start operating, said Carol Cheung, a director …

Bloomberg Europe’s most hawkish central bank is preparing to raise borrowing costs again, defying a global economic slowdown that’s made most of its peers more cautious. Czech policy makers have held interest rates unchanged for the past three meetings as external risks including Brexit, trade wars, and weakening demand from neighboring Germany overshadowed domestic inflationary pressures. But with worst-case scenarios …