Bloomberg China’s record outbound investment slumped last month as authorities stepped up scrutiny of acquisitions overseas and other deals to keep money from flowing out of the country. The world’s biggest trading nation saw outward investment decline 35.7 percent from a year earlier in yuan terms in January, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday. Foreign direct investment to …

  Bloomberg Australia’s unemployment rate unexpectedly fell in January, despite a plunge in full-time jobs, underscoring the mixed picture of the country’s labor market. Jobless rate fell to 5.7% from 5.8%; economists forecast 5.8% Employment rose 13,500 from Dec versus forecast 10,000 gain Full-time jobs slumped by 44,800; part-time employment rose 58,300 Participation rate fell to 64.6% from 64.7%; economi- …

  Bloomberg “We are always looking at acquisitions,” Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook told analysts last month. “There’s not a size that we would not do.” It’s a message he’s increasingly stressed over the past year as investors question how the world’s most valuable technology company plans to use its $246 billion cash pile to meet ambitious sales …