Bloomberg Southwest Airlines Co. is considering an order for “more than a handful” of Boeing Co.’s 737 Max aircraft as the nation’s largest discount carrier benefits from lower tax rates and expanding travel demand. Discussions with Boeing are ongoing, Southwest Chief Executive Officer Gary Kelly said without specifying a number for a potential order. The CEO reaffirmed that the airline …

Bloomberg Taco Bell, increasingly focussed on global growth amid a saturated US market, is expanding Down Under. In November, the chain opened its first Australian restaurant in Brisbane, and it has exceeded management’s expectations, said Liz Williams, president of Taco Bell International. Sales are several million dollars higher than a typical unit, she said, declining to provide specifics. Now, Taco …

Bloomberg US stocks bounced back from Monday’s selloff as the rout in technology selloff eased and carmakers rallied on strong sales reports. Treasuries and gold retreated. The S&P 500 climbed from the lowest level since early February after closing below the 200-day moving average for the first time since the Brexit vote almost two years ago. General Motors jumped almost …

Reuters Egyptian stocks fell on Tuesday, hit by a plunge in index heavyweight Global Telecom after the company’s majority shareholder withdrew a buyout offer, while Saudi Arabia stabilised after three days of falls. Most Gulf markets were lower or flat in the absence of fresh cues ahead of quarterly earning announcements for companies, which began this week. A six-day rally …

ANKARA / Reuters Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Tuesday a joint organisation for cooperation between OPEC and non-OPEC countries may be set up once the current deal on oil output curbs expires at the end of this year. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Reuters last month that Saudi Arabia and Russia are working on a historic …

HANOI / Reuters Tension in the South China Sea will hurt PetroVietnam’s offshore exploration and exploitation activities this year, the state-run oil and gas group said on Tuesday, weeks after the Southeast Asian nation suspended a project under pressure from China. Vietnam and China have been embroiled in maritime disputes in parts of the busy waterway, where China claims 90 …

HONG KONG / Reuters CEFC China Energy has been hit by legal action from a creditor, even as the cash-strained conglomerate’s biggest financial backer, China Development Bank (CDB), is attempting to dissuade lenders from taking action, sources said. State-backed China Everbright Bank Co has filed multiple lawsuits against CEFC (Shanghai) International Group Co, a CEFC subsidiary, in a Shanghai court …

LONDON / Reuters The United Nations has blacklisted a North Korean ship for receiving oil in an October transfer that breached UN sanctions, as first revealed by Reuters. Reuters in December reported that Russian tankers had supplied fuel to North Korea, which relies on imported fuel to keep its struggling economy functioning, by transferring cargoes at sea. European security sources …

Bloomberg China’s biggest lenders are increasingly using short-term financing to meet demand for loans, in a de-velopment that could push up money-market rates. The banks are rushing to sell negotiable certificates of deposit, an instrument that sounds like a saving account but is actually more like a bond. Issuance of these by the five largest lenders more than doubled to …

DUBAI / Reuters Oman’s central bank said on Tuesday it is relaxing capital and credit exposure rules for commercial banks and taking other steps to boost lending in a bid to boost economic growth. The Omani economy and financial markets have come under pressure from low oil prices and rising US interest rates, which are closely linked to rial rates, …