Bloomberg Chevron agreed to buy Noble Energy Inc for about $5 billion in shares. The takeover is the first major deal since the coronavirus triggered a severe oil slump. It’s a clear vote of confidence in the future of the US shale industry even as it struggles to adapt to lower crude prices. “Our strong balance sheet and financial discipline ...

The debate about stock buybacks — the practice of companies buying their own shares — goes to the heart of modern capitalism. What should companies do with the profits they earn? Should firms distribute these often colossal sums to the underlying shareholders? Or should they plow their earnings back into the company to develop new products and technologies that sustain ...

Winter is coming, but which one? UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson acknowledged last week that there are two possible scenarios: a mild season on the coronavirus front or a viral blizzard. He’d like Britons to start investing, spending and moving around as if the end of 2020 will be benign. He has promised that the government will, however, be ready ...