Bloomberg UK factory production reached a two-decade high last quarter as optimism about export orders swelled to the highest since the 1970s. A Confederation of British Industry survey showed the volume of output rapidly grew in the three months to July, with the CBI index reaching its strongest reading since 1995. Factories are “upbeat in their expectations for overall demand …

Bloomberg General Motors Co.’s strategy of shunning discounted sales to rental-car companies to focus on more profitable deliveries of pickups and SUVs to U.S. consumers is boosting its bottom line. Adjusted earnings of $1.89 per share in the three months ended in June beat analyst estimates of $1.70 a share. The largest U.S. automaker sold a richer mix of sport …

Bloomberg Michael Kors Holdings Ltd. agreed to buy Jimmy Choo Plc for about 896 million pounds ($1.2 billion), as the maker of handbags popular with the commuter set seeks to restore lost luster. The purchase of Jimmy Choo, Michael Kors’ first deal to expand beyond its own brand name since its initial public offering in 2011, gives the New York …