Optimism among America’s small businesses soared in December by the most since 1980 as expectations about the economy’s prospects improved dramatically in the aftermath of the presidential election. The National Federation of Independent Business’s index jumped 7.4 points last month to 105.8, the highest since the end of 2004, from ... Read More »
The year is ending on a subdued note, with the main European stock markets all in the red. The FTSE 100 is down 20 points from last night’s record close, at 7100 points, in extremely light trading. And Europe’s Stoxx 600 has dropped 0.15%, meaning it’s on track for its ... Read More »
China’s yuan firmed against the dollar on Friday after the central bank fixed a much stronger midpoint, but the currency is on course to be the worst performing major Asian currency this year and have its biggest annual loss since 1994. The yuan, which has reached an 8-1/2 year ... Read More »
The euro zone saw the fastest business growth this year, with the Composite Purchasing Managing Index (PMI) for November coming in at 54.1, the highest since December 2015 and up from 53.3 in October, according to data provider Markit. Both the manufacturing and service sectors increased at similar rates, with ... Read More »
Smaller, poorer countries are being abandoned by big banks in an exodus commonly referred to as “de-risking” or “de-banking.” In the Caribbean, where many small countries with poorer populations reside close to each other, the problem is getting so bad that local businesses regularly have a hard time receiving remittances ... Read More »
WASHINGTON, April 6 — Nearly 10 percent of the global population is living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, according to a new report showing the number of people with the condition has more than quadrupled in the last 25 years. The World Health Organization released its Global Report ... Read More »
