The European Union set the scene for UK divorce process as the leaders of bloc’s remaining 27 countries unanimously signed off on their negotiating guidelines for the Brexit talks. It formally opens the way for discussions that will culminate with the UK leaving the bloc in March 2019 with or without a deal. Although the talks on the terms …

  From 19th-century shop girls to 20th-century buyers, modern retailing has been a female-friendly work environment. Just look at the photos today’s department stores use to illustrate their commitments to diversity. Women typically outnumber men at least two-to-one, a ratio that reflects reality. At Nordstrom, for example, 70 percent of all employees and 69 percent of managers are women. So …

  This is a busy time for major central banks. The Bank of Japan and European Central Bank met last week, the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Federal Reserve meet this week, and the Bank of England meets next week. Although most major central banks are deciding not to make big changes to monetary policies, global interest-rate expectations among …