Japan goes nuclear in bid to stay cool during Summer Olympics
Japan has rebooted extra power plants, including a long-dormant nuclear reactor, and taken other steps to avoid a power crisis as temperatures soar and demand for cooling surges, especially in Tokyo, where the Olympics begin on Friday.
Wall Street ends sharply lower as Delta variant sparks new lockdown fears
A surge in Delta variant infections sparked a broad sell-off on Wall Street on Monday as investors feared renewed COVID-19 shutdowns and a protracted economic recovery.
Oil piles on losses following OPEC+ deal to boost supply, rising COVID cases
Oil slumped $5 a barrel on Monday, closing out its worst day since March, after an OPEC+ agreement to boost output stoked fears of a surplus just as rising COVID-19 infections once again threaten demand.
Australia’s Afterpay to launch banking app in October
Afterpay Ltd (APT.AX) will launch its banking app in October to widen its offerings beyond buy now, pay later (BNPL) services for its 3.5 million-plus Australian users as competition intensifies, the company said on Tuesday.
BlackRock profit beats as assets grow to a record $9.5 trillion
BlackRock Inc (BLK.N), the world’s largest asset manager, reported a better-than-expected quarterly profit on Wednesday as investors poured more money into the company’s funds, driving robust fee growth and boosting its assets under management to a record high.
U.S. CEO-to-worker pay ratio rose to 299:1 last year -union
The average S&P 500 .SPX chief executive made $15.5 million last year, 299 times the pay of the median worker and a higher ratio than in 2019, the top American labor union said on Wednesday, as the COVID-19 pandemic drove layoffs while executive compensation grew.
U.S. producer prices post biggest annual gain in more than 10-1/2 years
U.S. producer prices accelerated in June, leading to the largest annual increase in more than 10-1/2 years, suggesting inflation could remain high as robust demand fueled by the economy’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic strains the supply chain.
Japan’s Q3 growth forecast cut as new pandemic curbs hit: Reuters poll
Japan’s economy will grow at a slower pace than initially expected in the third quarter, as fresh coronavirus emergency curbs in Tokyo, extending through the Olympic Games, weigh on consumption, a Reuters poll found.
American Airlines forecasts first positive cash flow since pandemic began
American Airlines (AAL.O) said on Tuesday it expects positive cash flow in the second quarter for the first time since the pandemic began, reversing a trend of cash burn of about $100 million a day when global travel had ground to a halt.
Smithfield Foods stops slaughtering pigs at U.S. hometown plant
Smithfield Foods, the world’s largest pork processor, has stopped slaughtering pigs in the United States’ so-called ham capital, where the company was founded 85 years ago.
