The pandemic and its economic fallout are going to make it exceedingly difficult for retailers to have a merry Christmas. The industry is expected to see an uptick in seasonal sales of a measly 1% to 1.5%, according to a forecast released by Deloitte, which would be well below the 4.1% increase the industry recorded last year. New shopping patterns ...

The euro region has taken several steps to centralise banking regulation and supervision, but there is little sign that lenders are interested in seeking to merge beyond national borders. Two recent deals — one has been proposed in Spain, the other occurred in Italy — show that, for all the good intentions, Europe’s “banking union” remains incomplete. The European Central ...

There was no puff of white smoke, but Japan has a new Prime Minister. Yoshihide Suga, who was Chief Cabinet Secretary under Prime Minster Shinzo Abe, won an overwhelming victory in an internal contest within the long-dominant Liberal Democratic Party. Widely considered to have been one of the chief architects of Abenomics, Suga is likely to keep the government’s focus ...