The Gulf Time Newspaper One of the finest business newspapers in the UAE brought to you by our professional writers and editors.

Bloomberg Crude clung to gains after a larger-than-expected decline in US crude stockpiles heightened the importance of a key OPEC meeting later this week. Futures rose as much as 1.9 percent in New York on Wednesday. American oil inventories plunged by 5.91 million barrels last week, a bigger withdrawal than any of the 12 analysts in a Bloomberg survey expected. …

Bloomberg Sales of previously owned US homes unexpectedly fell in May for a second month as a lack of inventory and elevated asking prices weighed on demand, National Association of Realtors (NAR) data showed. The drop in sales was led by declines in purchases of single-family homes and cheaper properties, according to NAR, indicating that the market is being driven by …

Bloomberg Banks in the European Union won a battle to soften new rules on how failing firms are restructured, as the bloc’s parliament staked out its position on a sweeping overhaul of rules for the financial industry. Lawmakers backed a cap on the loss-absorbing liabilities that regulator can force troubled banks to hold. The ceiling could help to hold down …

Bloomberg Norway’s central bank is seen firming up plans to lift interest rates “after summer” as the richest Scandinavians leave their oil shock behind them. As Norway moves from a recovery to an outright expansion, policy makers in Oslo are becoming less focussed on the krone and are preparing to tighten ahead of colleagues in Frankfurt and Stockholm. “Norges Bank …

Bloomberg China’s central bank called for investors to remain calm and pledged to use monetary policy “comprehensively,” after an escalation of the stand-off with US sent the nation’s benchmark stock index plunging. The People’s Bank of China Governor, Yi Gang, said in an interview with the Shanghai Securities News published on the central bank’s website that policy makers are prepared …

Bloomberg The Bank of England’s remit should be overhauled to include a 3 percent target for productivity growth, according to a report commissioned by the UK’s opposition Labour Party. The central bank should also have its toolkit expanded to include credit guidance and greater use of macro-prudential policy, said the study, led by GFC Economics’ Graham Turner. The proposals, for …

Bloomberg Morocco’s central bank kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged despite rising inflation that’s prompted a damaging product boycott. The central bank kept the key rate at 2.25 percent, citing medium-term inflation and growth prospects. Last month the general affairs minister said the economy could withstand annual price growth of as much as 3 percent, above the 2.7 percent reached …

Bloomberg Standard Chartered Plc expects Africa to account for a bigger slice of revenue if the region is able to put in place policies that will further spur economic growth, Chairman Jose Vinals said. “If they do the right thing, they’ll grow faster than other countries which are more advanced,” he said in an interview in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital. …

Bloomberg Taiwan’s central bank will keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged on Thursday as a brewing trade war adds to risks facing the export-oriented economy, according to a Bloomberg survey. A majority of 33 economists said Taiwan will hold the discount rate for banks at an eight-year low of 1.375 percent, while only three predicted an increase of 12.5 basis …

Bloomberg Boeing Co. landed a deal for 24 cargo aircraft from FedEx Corp. worth $6.6 billion as the revival in the air freight market continues to grow. The package-hauler plans to add 12 of Boeing’s medium-size 767 freighters and 12 of the larger 777 cargo aircraft to its order book, the Chicago-based planemaker said in a statement. FedEx is already …