A powerful three-day rally across Asian equities came to a sudden halt on Thursday, as bombshell comments from US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent sent a jolt through currency markets, strengthening the yen and sending Japanese stocks into a sharp retreat. The move unleashed a dramatic divergence across the region, with…

All eyes will be on CK Hutchison this Thursday as the Hong Kong conglomerate prepares to release its results, with investors keenly awaiting any updates on the proposed $22.8 billion sale of its ports business to a BlackRock-led consortium.At 0900 GMT, the ports-to-telecoms group is scheduled to present its interim…

A stark divergence is splitting European markets on Thursday, as bourses in Germany and France push higher while London’s FTSE 100 falters, unable to capitalize on better-than-expected domestic growth data. The hesitant mood comes as investors digest a flurry of economic reports ahead of another crucial inflation reading from the…

England’s most severe drought in decades has led the UK government to urge citizens to delete old emails and unused digital files in a bid to conserve water. The appeal is part of a broader effort to address what the Environment Agency has declared a “nationally significant incident”, with multiple…

Lloyds share price continued its strong rally this week and is hovering at its highest level since 2008 before the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). LLOY was trading at 83.65p on Thursday, bringing the year-to-date gains to 60%, making it one of the best-performing FTSE 100 companies. Why Lloyds Bank stock has…

Otis Worldwide Corp.’s share price has been on a slow decline for much of the year, but signs are emerging that the worst may be over. While the stock has slipped more than 3% year to date, it gained over 2% in the past week, supported by improved analyst sentiment…

China’s petrochemical sector anticipates significant growth in a key segment, projected to expand by nearly 50% by 2028. This expansion is set to occur despite intensified competition within the wider refining industry, which is negatively impacting profit margins, according to a Reuters report.Li Suoshan, an executive at a chemical logistics company…

Russia has begun restricting WhatsApp and Telegram calls, intensifying its control over the country’s online communication channels and pushing users towards its state-backed messaging app, MAX, according to a Reuters report.The move targets voice calls made through the two popular foreign-owned platforms, while text messaging and voice notes remain unaffected.…

Aviva shares climbed to their highest level since before the 2008 financial crisis on Thursday, after the FTSE 100 insurer reported a 22% jump in first-half operating profit and lifted its interim dividend by 10%.The London-listed group’s stock rose 5% in early trading to 691p, a more than 17-year high,…