What do people think economic theorists do? The pundits who regularly criticize the profession, particularly in the pages of British magazines, seem to think that they spend all their time making abstruse, unrealistic theories about how free markets are the best of all possible worlds. And it’s true that there are still a few economists out there who are essentially ...

Bloomberg US equity futures followed Asian shares higher on signals an America-North Korea summit is back on track, but risk appetite waned in Europe as Italy’s political outlook darkened. The region’s stocks and common currency both surrendered gains. S&P 500 futures advanced, as did South Korean stocks, after President Donald Trump appeared to confirm that his June meeting with Kim ...

Bloomberg Chaos ruled Italian markets as the nation plunged deeper into political turmoil. Yields on the nation’s two-year bonds surged to the highest in four years in holiday-thinned trading, while stocks slumped for a fourth day as President Sergio Mattarella asked economist Carlo Cottarelli to form a government. Earlier League leader Matteo Salvini said that it made no sense for ...