Bloomberg The Swiss National Bank (SNB) could reduce its already ultra-low interest rates again if the situation warrants, President Thomas Jordan said. With a deposit rate of minus 0.75 percent, the SNB has already enacted the lowest interest rate of any major central bank. That tool is designed to keep pressure off the franc, which is regarded as a safe ...

Bloomberg UK retail billionaire Mike Ashley is lashing out after losing a fight with US hedge funds over department store chain Debenhams Plc. The retail magnate, who made British headlines for substandard working conditions at his sporting goods chain, has been blasting Debenhams management and making legal threats since lenders took control, wiping out his roughly 30 percent stake. The ...

Bloomberg Steinhoff International Holdings NV said its struggling French furniture retail unit Conforama raised about 316 million euros ($357 million) to help fund the business amid a mounting debt load. The fundraising took place as the South African retailer announced Deputy Chief Executive Officer Alexandre Nodale, who is also CEO of Conforama, is giving up those roles. Sales at Conforama ...

Bloomberg Tyson Ventures has already made splashes buying stakes in alternative protein companies. Now, the venture capital arm of giant Tyson Foods Inc is betting the meat industry will beef up its food-safety platforms. The unit is investing in Clear Labs Inc, a food safety testing company that uses a robotic platform to detect pathogens like salmonella. The technology shortens ...

Bloomberg Federal regulators briefed pilots and US airlines on progress in restoring Boeing Co’s grounded 737 Max to flight, according to a pilots union spokesman who gave no indication when the jet will return to service. “We’ve taken off our watches and put the calendars in the drawer,” Dennis Tajer, an American Airlines pilot and spokesman for the Allied Pilots ...

Bloomberg Delta Air Lines Inc reduces the amount that seats recline on some planes by about two inches (five centimetres), aiming to preserve the workspace of multitasking business travellers. The first Airbus SE A320s with the modified seats debuted recently, the carrier said. The distance that seats recline will drop to 3.5 inches from 5.4 in first class, and to ...

Bloomberg Blue jeans are having a moment. At least that’s what J Crew Group Inc is hoping as it considers bringing its Madewell business to the public markets in the wake of rival Levi Strauss & Co’s own $623 million offering. Madewell, the denim focussed starlet of the J Crew family, could go public as soon as the second half ...

Emirates Business The Abu Dhabi Smart Solutions and Services Authority (ADSSSA) announced it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Microsoft to establish a ‘cloud centre of excellence’ that will aim to build its capacity for the delivery of cloud services and platforms, as well as upskill the emirate’s public sector workforce. This partnership is aligned with ADSSSA’s strategy ...

Bloomberg Oil optimists pushed bullish wagers to a six-month high as the rally in prices continued. Money managers raised optimistic wagers on Brent crude for a fifth straight week while closing out pessimistic bets by the most since January as turmoil in major oil-producing nations heightened supply concerns. Short-selling bets on the global benchmark plunged by 18 percent, according to ...

Bloomberg The International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned governments not to rock the boat with trade wars and other disruptions at a time when the global economy is already sailing through choppy waters. “We see downside risk and that means one has to be very careful,” IMF First Deputy Managing Director David Lipton told Bloomberg Television. “With trade tensions, not knowing ...