Bloomberg The UK may find itself in a rare position of becoming a net impo- rter of wheat this season. Imports have exceeded demand in recent months, and if that continues the nation could finish the season that ends in June as a net buyer, according to the Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board. That’s only happened three times in the ...
Read More »Aston Martin weighs London IPO as soon as 2018
Bloomberg Aston Martin may consider an initial public offering as early as next year as the British maker of James Bond’s cars seeks to capitalize on the success of Ferrari NV’s listing to lure investors, people familiar with the matter said. The century-old carmaker, whose owners include Investindustrial SpA, could list in London, said the people, who asked not to ...
Read More »US startups fail to attract crowd of small investors
Bloomberg It’s been a year since US rules went into effect enabling anyone — not just the ultra-wealthy — to buy a slice of a startup. Turns out, few are interested. Investors sprinkled about $38 million across 142 companies since May 2016 when Title III of the JOBS Act allowed equity crowdfunding for non-accredited investors, according to data from industry ...
Read More »Trump’s domestic scams cast a cloud over his trip
As President Trump embarks on his first overseas trip, he’s embracing the same defiant strategy adopted over a generation ago by an embattled predecessor, Richard Nixon. As scandal talks grow at home, Trump is licking his wounds, spurning his critics, and looking for approval from foreign leaders who admire him for being a tough guy. Trump’s combative early-morning tweets on ...
Read More »China’s bond connect could see winners in both corners
Unlike Hong Kong’s stock-trading links with Shanghai and Shenzhen, the bond connect between the former British colony and China may not be as slow to gain traction. The People’s Bank of China and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority this week unveiled plans to establish a mutual access program between the mainland and Hong Kong bond markets. Details on timing have ...
Read More »Don’t scrap Nafta, try to improve it
President Donald Trump has frequently denounced the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta), promising either to renegotiate it with extreme prejudice or terminate it altogether. On Thursday his administration served official notice that he is serious, notifying Congress that it intends to start negotiations with Canada and Mexico in 90 days. So Nafta is as good as doomed? Maybe not. ...
Read More »May plays to everyone, promises nothing
UK Prime Minister Theresa May’s election manifesto combines traditionally socialist rhetoric with a lack of specific spending promises. With it, May is making a play for center-left voters the way Tony Blair once made a play for center-right ones; she’s joining a European trend — a kind of hybrid right-left is emerging as traditional political divisions are erased. “Conservatism is ...
Read More »In trying to beat Amazon, Wal-Mart learns to emulate it
In the cutthroat race for consumer dollars, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has pulled ahead. Shares in the world’s largest retailer rose 2% on Thursday after it reported an eye-popping 63% year-over-year increase in the latest quarter in US online sales, along with its eleventh straight quarter of year-over-year sales growth at established stores. It’s been a decades-long journey, but it seems ...
Read More »Growth takes off when smart people are neighbours
The Industrial Revolution was probably the most important thing that has ever happened in human history. In the space of a few centuries, much of the human race, which had long hovered on the brink of starvation, was suddenly lifted into relative security through the power of new technology. But why did this amazing explosion happen? There are many theories, ...
Read More »Spain seeks $4.3bn investment to meet EU energy targets
Bloomberg Spain sought to lure investment of as much as 3.9 billion euros ($4.3 billion) in its biggest auction yet for contracts to supply electricity from clean-energy sources, part of an effort to meet European Union targets. The government took bids to supply at least 2 gigawatts and as much as 3 gigawatts of power in time to meet the ...
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