Bloomberg Shake Shack is staying away from vegan burgers, at least for now. The fast-food chain, known for its Pat LaFrieda beef and fries, is watching the vegan-burger trend that’s been turbocharged by Beyond Meat Inc’s massive post-IPO stock rally. But Shake Shack isn’t ready to get on board, according to CEO Randy Garutti. First, the chain, which made its name …

Bloomberg Maybe American kids will only have to live through one Christmas without Toys ‘R’ Us. About a year after shuttering US operations, the remnant of the defunct toy chain is set to return this holiday season by opening about a half dozen US stores and an e-commerce site, according to people familiar with the matter. Richard Barry, a former …

GENEVA / WAM The number of people fleeing war, persecution, and conflict exceeded 70 million in 2018. This is the highest level that UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has seen in its almost 70 years. Data from UNHCR’s annual Global Trends report, released on Wednesday, shows almost 70.8 million people are now forcibly displaced. To put this in perspective, this …

Bloomberg Global oil demand growth is slowing. That is the view of all three major oil forecasting organisations, who have cut their assessments for what they expect in terms of an increase in crude consumption this year. The latest outlooks from the International Energy Agency, the US Energy Information Administration and the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) all show …

Dubai / Emirates Business Landmark Group and HSBC have completed a first-of-its-kind transaction that connected two independently- built blockchain platforms, proving their interoperability and showing how collaborative technologies can further accelerate international trade in the future. It also marks a major step forward in the Middle East’s retail industry adopting blockchain. The transaction involved a shipment from Bee Dee Industries …

Dubai / Emirates Business Homegrown UAE company Zbooni has announced it has just closed its latest funding round of $1.1 million from Chalhoub Group and B&Y Venture Partners to continue to grow the business. With a strong growth record over two years, it is handling millions of dirhams of sale transactions per month through its connected chat commerce app. The …

Bloomberg US equities were little changed on Wednesday while Treasuries slipped as investors prepared for the latest Federal Reserve meeting to conclude, with anticipation growing that policy makers will signal a readiness to lower rates. The three main US stock gauges drifted alongside the dollar, while the Stoxx Europe 600 was also little changed. Earlier, shares in Asia rallied, tracking …

Bloomberg Facebook Inc Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg said the company’s planned cryptocurrency coin, Libra, is a “long way from launch.” The social-media giant unveiled plans for a new global financial system based on a so-called stablecoin — a digital currency that’s supported by established government-backed currencies and securities. The project, more than a year in the making and including …

Bloomberg Emerging-market currencies offer some of the best value as an eight-year run of dollar strength is “close to the end,” according to Pacific Investment Management Co (Pimco). “We like to be long a number of those,” Gene Frieda, a Pimco strategist in London, said. Slowing US growth will finally put a dent in the greenback, while counterparts in the …

Bloomberg Airbus SE muscled its way to the front again on the third day of the Paris Air Show, adding orders for its newest plane after US rival Boeing Co stole the spotlight with a mega-deal for its grounded 737 Max. The new A321XLR now has seven customers lined up after Qantas Airways Ltd and US-based Indigo Partners LLC signed …