The coronavirus that has upended the world’s economic and social life is turning out to be a mediocre election campaigner. The lesson of recent contests in Asia is that pre-existing conditions haven’t gone away and will likely be decisive, even in the bitterly fought US campaign. Singapore’s general election, among the first of the Covid-19 era, saw a big swing ...

When the strongest players pull back from a market, that looks like a bad omen for the weaker peers left behind. But in UK retail, there are silver linings for the stragglers. The iconic John Lewis Partnership Plc said it would close eight shops including two big department stores, with the loss of up to 1,300 jobs. Walgreens Boots Alliance ...

Judging by the performance of emerging markets, you’d hardly know the world was suffering from a deadly pandemic. After a horrible March, according to the Institute for International Finance, non-resident portfolio flows into emerging markets increased tenfold to $32.9 billion in June. MSCI’s EM currency index hit a one-month high last week. Even currencies as weak as the South African ...