Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's crusade to win back investor confidence has entrusted policymakers with the tough mission of hiking interest rates while major central banks cut them, raising the prospect of another recession in Latin America's biggest economy.
Regions
Dealmakers in Davos see more M&A despite geopolitical risks
Low borrowing costs, currency shifts and the hunt for both cost savings and growth opportunities will drive a steady flow of merger and acquisition deals this year despite geopolitical tensions, according to business leaders meeting this week.
ECB agrees landmark sovereign bond-buy plan
The European Central Bank agreed on Thursday to embark on a quantitative easing (QE) programme, which together with its existing schemes will pump 60 billion euros a month into the euro zone economy from this March until September next year.
Oil jumps as Saudi king's death feeds market uncertainty
Oil prices jumped on Friday as news of the death of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah added to uncertainty in energy markets already facing some of the biggest shifts in decades
Sri Lanka softens its stance on China port city deal
Sri Lanka's new government said on Thursday it might renegotiate a $1.5 billion "port city" deal with China Communications Construction Co Ltd (601800.SS), softening its pre-election threat to scrap the project.
Latest News
A top economic adviser of U.S. President Barack Obama has called for tighter regulations on Wall Street brokers, saying abusive trading practices were costing billions of dollars to clients in their retirement savings each year, Bloomberg reported.
Asian stocks extended a global rally on Friday after the European Central Bank launched a landmark bond-buying stimulus program that buoyed investors' risk appetite, drove bonds higher and kept the euro pinned near 11-year lows.
JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) paid Chief Executive Jamie Dimon a first cash bonus in three years, part of a total 2014 pay package of $20 million that was unchanged from the year before.
General Motors Co's (GM.N) Cadillac brand is at least four years away from introducing a small sport-utility vehicle which is a critical part of expansion plans, the brand's president said on Thursday.
German automakers BMW and Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) are joining with ChargePoint to build a U.S. network of fast-charging stations for electric cars and plug-in hybrid vehicles, the companies said Thursday.
It's "premature" to talk about bankruptcy for troubled gaming resort Atlantic City, Detroit's former turnaround expert said Thursday as he signed on with the latest bid to revive a city some see as bound to follow the path taken by the Motor City.
Cache Inc (CACH.O) is poised to become the latest U.S. apparel retailer to file for bankruptcy, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Japan's financial regulators are set to investigate the financial soundness of banks' mortgage operations as a further decline in interest rates threatens to squeeze margins, sources familiar with the plan said this week.
Crude oil prices pared early losses but still settled lower on Thursday after a government report showed the biggest build in U.S. crude inventory in at least 14 years.
