Bloomberg Oil steadied near the highest level in almost four years as fears of a supply crunch outweighed expectations for an increase in American crude inventories. Futures were trading around $75.50 a barrel in New York, up around 0.4 percent. Supply losses from Iran to Venezuela continued to rattle markets, boosting volatility and driving prices higher. The ongoing outlook for …

Bloomberg Saudi International Petrochemical Co. signed a non-binding agreement to acquire Sahara Petrochemical Co. in an all-share deal valued at just over $2 billion. Saudi International Petrochemical Co., or Sipchem, will issue each Sahara shareholder with 0.8356 new Sipchem shares, the companies said in statements on Wednesday. The deal is valued at about $2.2 billion, according to Tuesday’s closing price. …

Bloomberg US stocks rose towards records and the dollar gained after upbeat private jobs data bolstered confidence in the world’s largest economy. European assets firmed on news the Italian government may rein in spending. The S&P 500 Index headed for a record close as technology and financial shares advanced. Italian debt jumped after four days of selling and the Stoxx …