If you believe that government meddling in financial markets was responsible for the last recession and the lackluster recovery, you might be right. But probably not in the way you think. Imagine what would happen in a free market if everyone suddenly decided that future economic growth would be very slow. The price of safe assets such as U.S. government …

Apple’s legal defense against European Commission charges of improper tax avoidance is yet to be heard. But even based on the company’s own reporting, Apple’s claim that it has always paid all the taxes it owed is disingenuous. The recent ruling — forcing Ireland to hit the iPhone maker with 13 billion euros ($14.5 billion) in back taxes — throws …

  Bloomberg Saudi Arabian stocks led advances across most Gulf markets as investors speculated companies in the kingdom stand to benefit if oil-producing nations agree an output freeze. The Tadawul All Share Index added 1.3 percent to 6,099.03 on Sunday in Riyadh, with Al Rajhi Bank contributing the most to the gain. Bloomberg’s index of the largest and most liquid …