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Bloomberg Online-only bank Monzo has closed a new funding round doubling the startup’s valuation to more than $2.5 billion, making it one of the UK’s most highly valued fintech companies. Monzo last raised funding late last year at a valuation of $1.25 billion. In this new round, the company will bring in 113 million pounds ($143 million) of fresh capital, …

Bloomberg Delivering cargo to the farthest reaches of the world’s biggest archipelago has forever been a challenge. Indonesia’s biggest airline sees a solution in drones. PT Garuda Indonesia plans to use 100 unmanned aerial vehicles procured from China’s Beihang UAS Technology to ship goods across the nation’s more than 18,000 islands, Director for Cargo and Business Development Mohammad Iqbal said, …

Bloomberg MINISO Co, a Chinese budget household and consumer good retailer, is planning an initial public offering that could raise about $1 billion, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The company is inviting banks to pitch for roles on the proposed offering, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private. The share sale …

Bloomberg Singapore’s Trax is acquiring Shopkick, adding the US rewards app to its growing stable of retail technology. Redwood City, California-based Shopkick lets shoppers earn rewards and gift cards by browsing online offers, watching videos, walking into stores or scanning product barcodes on shelves. Trax didn’t disclose how much it’s paying but seller SK Telecom Co acquired the Californian outfit …

Bloomberg UK retail sales fell at their fastest pace since the financial crisis in the year to June, as relatively poor weather kept shoppers away from stores, according to the Confederation of British Industry. The volume of goods sold slumped by the most since March 2009, with almost one-in-six stores saying they sold less than the same time a year …

Bloomberg When Ray Conner retired as head of Boeing Co’s commercial aircraft business in 2017, the company threw a farewell party for its lifelong employee. Among the speakers: Willie Walsh, who runs the IAG SA airline group and had built a close rapport over the years both with Conner and Boeing, having spent almost two decades piloting 737 planes himself. …

Bloomberg The best returns in a decade for emerging-market bonds just got a further boost as central banks move towards more easing. Now fund managers must navigate trade tensions and geopolitics that could derail the rally. Investors are optimistic after the Federal Reserve signalled it was ready to cut interest rates and the European Central Bank indicated more stimulus may …

Bloomberg US equities fluctuated near records as investors weighed expectations for easier monetary policy against concerns about a slowing economy. Treasuries gained, while the dollar edged lower. The S&P 500 was mixed, hovering just under all-time highs reached during last week’s rally. Tech shares led gains, while healthcare paced falling stocks. Bristol-Meyers Squibb Co tumbled after saying it will divest …

Bloomberg Bitcoin’s climb to above $11,000 for the first time in 15 months sparked gains in related Asian stocks on Monday. GMO Internet Inc climbed 7 percent in Tokyo to its highest level since October, while Metaps Inc jumped 11 percent, Remixpoint Inc 6.2 percent and Ceres Inc 4.4 percent. In Seoul, Vidente Co climbed as much as 5.4 percent …

Bloomberg Statkraft AS joined with Statera Energy Ltd. to build a 1 gigawatt battery in the UK with a backup generator fuelled by natural gas, part of an effort to profit from the nation’s need to balance its power grid. London-based Statera will build the battery as well as an array of gas reciprocating engines, Norway-based Statkraft said. The systems …