HSBC, UBS order Hong Kong office changes as COVID cases rise
Banks in Hong Kong including HSBC Holdings Plc (HSBA.L) and UBS Group AG (UBSG.S) are taking steps to reduce the number of people at the workplace after having operated at near full capacity for the past few months, as the city faces a spike in COVID-19 cases.
World food prices hit 10-year high in 2021
World food prices jumped 28% in 2021 to their highest level in a decade and hopes for a return to more stable market conditions this year are slim, the U.N.’s food agency said on Thursday.
Oil slips from one-month high after U.S. fuel inventory surge
Oil prices lost ground on Thursday, falling from their highest levels in more than a month after U.S. fuel stockpiles surged amid declining demand.
Vietnam car maker VinFast to build U.S. battery factory as it goes all-electric
Vietnam’s VinFast plans to build electric vehicle battery cells and packs in a new U.S. manufacturing complex, its global chief executive told Reuters, as the company pledged to transform itself into an all-electric automaker by the end of this year.
World shares stretch positive start to 2022
World shares extended on Tuesday their positive start to 2022 with markets from Europe to Asia shrugging off worries the Omicron coronavirus variant could choke the global economic recovery, while the dollar rose after U.S. bond yields jumped.
Oil prices steady ahead of OPEC+ meeting
Oil prices were largely steady on Tuesday as investors expected major producers to agree to stick to their planned output increase at their meeting later in the day amid diminishing concerns over the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
Global economy: Asian factories take Omicron risks in stride, for now
Asia’s factory activity grew in December as companies took rising global cases of the new Omicron coronavirus variant in stride, though persistent supply constraints and rising input costs clouded the outlook for some economies.
Factbox: U.S. banks tighten COVID-19 precautions as Omicron variant spreads
U.S. banks have been more proactive than other industries in encouraging employees back to the office, but those plans have come under renewed scrutiny due to the rapid spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant.
EXCLUSIVE Activist Jana Partners pushes Encompass Health on potential merger
Activist investment firm Jana Partners wants Encompass Health (EHC.N) to re-engage with interested third parties on a potential merger for its home health and hospice business before moving forward with a planned spin-off of the unit, sources familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.
Exclusive: America’s least-vaccinated states led in-store holiday shopping
American shoppers flocked to brick-and-mortar stores this holiday season, with especially strong sales in several states where the rate of full vaccinations against the COVID-19 virus is less than 60%, according to an analysis of Mastercard SpendingPulse holiday sales data.
