Bloomberg Bank of America Corp. may not be willing to help customers invest in bitcoin, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t plowing into the technology underlying the cryptocurrency. The Charlotte, North Carolina-based lender has applied for or received at least 43 patents for blockchain, the ledger technology used for verifying and recording transactions that’s at the heart of virtual currencies. …

Bloomberg The Bank of Korea left its key interest rate unchanged as inflation remains below target and the nation’s currency trades near a multi-year high. The unanimous decision to keep the seven-day repurchase rate at 1.5 percent, in the next-to-last rate decision before Governor Lee Ju-yeol’s term ends in March, was forecast by all 17 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. The …

Bloomberg Credit Suisse Group AG, Switzerland’s second-largest bank, plans to increase its bonus pool for last year as the lender makes progress on its three-year restructuring plan, two people familiar with the plans said. The pool may increase by a low single-digit percentage, but is yet to be finalised, said one of the people, who asked not to be identified …

BLoomberg Steinhoff International Holdings NV, the global retailer fighting to recover from an accounting scandal, sold its luxury Gulfstream 550 private jet to a US aircraft broker as it seeks to boost liquidity. The plane, with serial number 5113, was registered to Annapolis, Maryland-based Avpro Inc. on January 12, according to the US Federal Aviation Administration’s online records. The luxuriously …

Bloomberg Airbus SE is in talks to sell new A380 superjumbo planes to British Airways this year after securing a programme-saving deal from Persian Gulf operator Emirates, according to people familiar with the matter. The UK carrier, which currently has 12 A380s in its fleet, had said in the past that it was looking for six to seven second-hand A380s. …

Bloomberg United Continental Holdings Inc. is set to debut an upgraded economy section with bigger seats on some international flights, following similar moves by US rivals. United will introduce what it’s calling Premium Plus later this year, spokeswoman Maggie Schmerin said, without giving further details. A memo sent to United employees said the new section will have additional perks including …

Bloomberg The day of the service duck and emotional support chicken on airlines may be drawing to a close. Delta Air Lines Inc. said it will more thoroughly vet passengers’ efforts to fly with all manner of unusual animals, which often board US airlines under the guise of psychological or medical support. “Customers have attempted to fly with comfort turkeys, …

Bloomberg In the corporate-bond market, even a few billion doesn’t get you a seat at the table. And Najib Nakad is so tired of settling for the scraps left by giants, he hardly bothers to bid for new issues anymore. “We are too small to have any hope of an allocation,” said Nakad, who helps oversee about $2.5 billion as …

Bloomberg Apple Inc. said it plans new features to help parents control how children use its smartphones, responding to criticism from two shareholders about the entrancing qualities and potential mental health impact of the company’s iPhone. “Apple has always looked out for kids, and we work hard to create powerful products that inspire, entertain, and educate children while also helping …

Bloomberg Mazda Motor Corp. stopped selling rotary engines in 2012 after spending nearly half a century trying to perfect them. The company is reviving the classic technology now in what seems like an unlikely place: battery-powered, self-driving vehicles it’s developing with Toyota Motor Corp. to deliver everything from pizza to people. Mazda will provide rotary engines to run generators that …