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.

Asian shares lower on U.S. inflation jitters

Asian shares fell on Wednesday after data showing the biggest jump in U.S. inflation in 13 years fuelled some market expectations that the Federal Reserve could exit pandemic-era stimulus earlier than previously thought.