Another holiday shopping season has passed, and though the rapid growth of online spending has been a well-told story for a number of years now, it’s worth highlighting the latest developments and what they mean for investors. Internet sales rose an estimated 15 percent, to 19 percent, from a year earlier, while those at traditional stores fell 10 percent …

  Bloomberg Asian stocks extended gains to an 11-week high as metal producers surged. Japanese equities rose as the yen halted its advance against the greenback ahead of US President-elect Donald Trump’s first press conference since July. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index rose for a third day, adding 0.4 percent as of 4:57 p.m. in Hong Kong and set for …

  DUBAI / Reuters Saudi Arabia’s stock market declined for a fourth straight day on on Wednesday after oil prices fell further, but other Gulf bourses largely moved sideways and Dubai held near a 15-month high. The Saudi index pulled back 1.6 percent to 6,895 points, falling below technical support at the mid-December low of 7,002 points. Another straight close …