Bloomberg Global food prices climbed the most in almost four years, boosted by a rally in sugar and gains in grains, dairy and meat. The United Nations’ food-price index jumped 4.2 percent in June, the most since July 2012, the group’s Food & Agriculture Organization said on its website. The gauge, which monitors 73 different food prices, advanced for ...

  Bloomberg The best is probably over for commodities this year as the Brexit vote adds risks to global growth and oil is set to retreat, according to the Merchant Commodity Fund, which returned 9 percent in the first half. The fund, run by ex-Cargill Inc. employees Doug King and Michael Coleman, has changed its commodities outlook to neutral from ...

  AFP Deutsche Bank once epitomised the best of Germany’s financial sector, shining brightly as the European economic powerhouse’s biggest lender. But this week its share price slid to new lows, fuelling concerns about the health of the institution, with some even questioning if it has a long-term future and the IMF moved to see it as a “systemic” risk ...

  AP An ex-executive at a New York investment bank has admitted to defrauding investors of more than US$38 million, blaming it on his gambling addiction. Andrew Caspersen pleaded guilty to securities and wire fraud in federal court in Manhattan. Prosecutors say he scammed clients of PJT Partners Inc into investing millions of dollars in sham private equity investments. They ...

  AP The president of Puerto Rico’s Government Development Bank is resigning less than a week after the federal government passed measures to aid the US territory’s dire finances. Melba Acosta said she’ll step down July 31 to focus on her professional career. She directs a bank that issues loans to government agencies and is responsible for overseeing Puerto Rico’s ...

  AFP Bank of Italy Governor Ignazio Visco said that public intervention in the country’s banks was not to be ruled out amid growing fears the sector’s 360 billion euros (US$398 billion) in bad debt would trigger a potentially contagious banking crisis. “Given the risk that, in a context of high uncertainty, limited problems could undermine the trust in the ...

  Bloomberg The 16.9 million people receiving welfare payments from South Africa’s government into bank accounts should have the right to choose between financial services companies, according to the country’s central bank. A contract awarded by the South African Social Security Agency to Johannesburg-based Net 1 UEPS Technologies Inc to pay grants electronically in 2012 has this year been dogged ...

  AFP The outlook for Britain’s property market darkened on mounting evidence that the country’s vote to exit the European Union is weighing on asset values. Aberdeen Asset Management became the latest of seven financial groups to order a temporary suspension on redemptions from UK property funds after companies and individuals rushed to withdraw investments in reaction to Brexit. Aberdeen ...

  AP Long-term U.S. mortgage rates fell this week to the lowest level since May 2013, driven down by financial tumult in Europe. Mortgage giant Freddie Mac says the average 30-year fixed rate mortgage fell to 3.41 percent from 3.48 percent a week ago. A year ago, the 30-year rate stood at 4.04 percent. The 15-year mortgage rate dropped to ...

  Bloomberg Allianz SE’s Mohamed El-Erian said that the forced deleveraging of U.K. commercial properties after the Brexit vote may spur opportunities for investors. “If you’re a patient investor, with a stomach for mark-to-market volatility and quasi-permanent capital, that is going to be a very attractive area,” El-Erian said in an interview on Saturday with Bloomberg Television. “But wait, let ...