Bloomberg UK house prices rose more than expected in February, according to Nationwide Building Society, a sign that the market’s strength has extended into this year. Prices gained 0.6 percent from January, a third month of gains. Economists predicted an increase 0.2 percent. From a year earlier, prices climbed 4.5 percent to an average of 205,846 pounds ($254,000). Britain’s …

  Bloomberg Blue-chip US companies are pulling back from borrowing just when investors most want to lend. Investment-grade corporate bond sales were below $100 billion in February, the worst February since 2014 and 14 percent below the monthly average for issuance for the last three years, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Companies likely moved at least a portion of …

  Bloomberg The co-founder of Noveto Systems Ltd. had five minutes to impress some 1,000 auto executives, venture capitalists and fellow entrepreneurs with his startup’s novel audio system. At stake, a potential supply deal with Mercedes-Benz. After a tentative beginning, Tomer Shani asked the crowd in Stuttgart, Germany, to “imagine a world without headphones and wires,” where speakers beam sound …