Corporate debt is at its highest level relative to U.S. GDP since the financial crisis , and while not now a concern, that mountain of corporate IOUs could quickly turn into a heap of worry under the right circumstances. Fueled by low interest rates and strong investor appetite, debt of nonfinancial companies has increased at […]
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CHOOSING a hotel for a trip is generally seen as an apolitical decision. In contrast, restaurants and cafes have sometimes taken on an ideological tinge, with conservatives mocking liberals for their latte coffees, and liberals ribbing conservatives for their deep-fried everything and well-done steaks. But for most hotel users, location and good Wi-Fi matter more […]
Read moreGerman Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday that she would prefer new elections to leading a minority government after talks about forming a three-way coalition collapsed overnight. “My point of view is that new elections would be the better path,” Merkel told ARD television in an interview to be broadcast later in the evening. She […]
Read moreTechnology, in particular artificial intelligence (AI), is set for a substantial injection of funding from the U.K. government, as Downing Street pursues the aggressive development of driverless vehicles. The country’s annual budget, to be officially announced Wednesday, will allocate £75 million ($99.4 million) for AI research and development, £400 million for electric car charging stations, […]
Read moreAmericans’ access to credit improved while their perceived vulnerability to a financial shock declined, according to a Federal Reserve Bank of New York survey that painted a slightly more optimistic picture of U.S. households. The so-called survey of consumer expectations found that respondents who were too discouraged to apply for credit over the past 12 […]
Read moreThe European Union wants to negotiate an ambitious trading partnership with Britain after Brexit, but will only do so once divorce issues are settled and on the basis of fair competition, including on tax, food safety and environment standards. “If we manage to negotiate an orderly withdrawal, to fully respect the integrity of the single […]
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Billionaire investor George Soros has denounced a propaganda campaign waged against him by the Hungarian government. Soros — a Hungarian by birth whose political views are in stark contrast to Budapest’s ruling Fidesz party — said Monday he had been targeted by an administration “stoking anti-Muslim sentiment and employing anti-Semitic tropes reminiscent of the 1930s.” […]
Read moreThe White House says the true cost of the opioid drug epidemic in 2015 was $504 billion, or roughly half a trillion dollars. In an analysis to be released Monday, the Council of Economic Advisers says the figure is more than six times larger than the most recent estimate. The council said a 2016 private […]
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Gold prices are likely to be buoyed by the “new normal” of elevated geopolitical tensions over the coming years, Citi analysts said Monday. The geopolitical case for gold investment has been emboldened in recent months and it seems as strong today than at any point over the last four decades, Citi analysts said. As a […]
Read morePolitical analysts have been contemplating what could happen next in Europe’s largest economy after coalition talks collapsed at the weekend, potentially putting German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s leadership in doubt. Talks between Merkel’s CDU (Christian Democratic Union), the pro-business FDP (Free Democratic Party) and the environmentalist Greens fell apart with lawmakers citing irreconcilable differences. This would […]
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