Bloomberg Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom, in his first public appearance since leaving the photo-sharing app, said he felt comfortable moving on because it was already on a path to broader success at parent company, Facebook Inc. “It didn’t feel done by any stretch of the imagination, but it felt like it was in orbit, and if we let go and ...

Competition is dying. That’s the latest complaint against American business. We have too many super-sized firms, excessively large and unnaturally profitable. Dubious mergers, permitted by toothless antitrust laws, boost companies’ market power and squash rivals. The lifeblood of a dynamic economy is competition; its erosion — if true — would be a momentous event. But is it true? Let’s see. ...

There’s gold in them than holes. That’s my stab at an elevator pitch for oilfield-services veteran Andrew Gould’s latest venture. The former Schlumberger Ltd. CEO’s investment vehicle, Sentinel Energy Services Inc., announced it will buy Strike LLC, which specialises in maintaining and repairing pipelines. Once the $854 million deal closes, Strike will become a public company. It is interesting that ...