No one has learned any lessons. That’s the discouraging takeaway from a Wall Street Journal article about the nearly unchecked power held by founders of many young technology companies. The people bankrolling those companies are responsible for providing oversight, too, but don’t seem to be doing much of it. The Journal reported that two-thirds of US startups with venture-capital investors ...

China’s electric-car battery champion has had its wings clipped, or so it seems. Investors should breathe a sigh of relief. Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd., which has been gearing up for an initial public offering for the past year, is now expected to raise a net 5.46 billion yuan ($853 million), less than half its target as of March. The reduction ...

The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation has been in effect for less than a week. It was always clear that a vast number of companies would comply in only the most perfunctory way, at least while the law was being tested. But the big tech companies, sure to face scrutiny, were expected to show a little more rigor. Instead, ...

Bloomberg Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government will review plans to sell Air India after his administration’s most high-profile privatisation offer ended in a whimper with no buyers showing interest in the unprofitable flag carrier. The government will make changes to the plan, if needed, Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg said. As the deadline to show preliminary interest expired on ...

Bloomberg Sears Holdings Corp. kicked off another fiscal year with declining sales from a dwindling number of stores, and more closings are on the way. The operator of Sears and Kmart stores posted a first-quarter loss of $3.93 a diluted share. Revenue fell due to fewer stores and a 12 percent drop in comparable-store sales. The Hoffman Estates, Illinois-based retailer ...

Bloomberg British Airways (BA) owner IAG SA has suspended negotiations with Airbus SE over a possible deal for additional A380 superjumbos, a potential setback for the already-struggling program and Airbus’s new sales chief, according to people familiar with the matter. The carrier had been weighing an order for close to 10 of the double-deckers after Airbus managed to secure a ...

Bloomberg J. Crew Group Inc. has one persistent bright spot as it tries to revive its business: Madewell. The younger, more casual brand that made its mark in denim said same-store sales, a closely watched measure, skyrocketed 31 percent in the first quarter — nearly triple the 11 percent rise the previous year. Chief Executive Officer Jim Brett is trying ...

Bloomberg British consumers are feeling more upbeat about their spending prospects, though they’re still worried about the economic outlook, according to GfK. An index of confidence increased by 2 points in May to minus 7, the market-research firm said in a report published on May 31, with consumers declaring themselves more optimistic about their personal financial situation. They are still ...

Bloomberg Deutsche Bank AG’s new chief executive officer, Christian Sewing, suffered a fresh setback in his efforts to reinvigorate Europe’s largest investment bank as S&P Global Ratings cut the lender’s credit rating. S&P reduced the rating by one notch to BBB+, the third-lowest investment grade, citing “significant execution risk” after several management changes and strategy updates in past years. Shares ...

Bloomberg The UK markets regulator began toughening rules on banks’ 2.3 billion-pound ($3 billion) overdraft business, while leaving more “radical options” for later. Lenders would need to make overdraft fees clearer and alert customers to potential charges under proposals the Financial Conduct Authority. The London-based regulator said it will now consider stiffer measures such as banning fixed fees and tackling ...