Goldman Sachs Group Inc. slimmed down in 2016 — and not just because the Trump administration was recruiting. The New York-based bank reported fourth-quarter earnings on Wednesday that beat Wall Street expectations, helped in part by cost-saving measures that included lowering headcount by 500 positions. The decline brought reductions for the year to 2,400, or 7 percent of staff …

  The Venetian Republic and the British Empire built their economies on ocean trade. Dwindling naval power heralded their decline and fall. It’s a thought that should provoke a shiver of recognition in Hong Kong and Singapore, given the way their airborne fleets are falling victim to a new Great Power struggle. Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. will cut jobs and …

  Bloomberg Credit Suisse Group AG and the Justice Department completed a $5.3 billion agreement to settle a US investigation into the bank’s sales of toxic mortgage debt before the financial crisis. Credit Suisse will pay a $2.5 billion civil penalty and $2.8 billion in consumer relief, to be paid over five years after the settlement, the Justice Department said …