Most central banks have been easing policy since the start of the year and are set to do more, but it still isn't clear whether that new activism, which has pushed stock markets to record highs, will help the global economy much.
Sectors
Fitch downgrades Japan, joins Moody's in warning on fiscal policy
Fitch Ratings downgraded Japan's credit rating by one notch after the government failed to take steps in this fiscal year's budget to offset a delay in a sales tax increase, the agency said on Monday.
China plans to cut number of big state firms to 40: state media
China will likely cut the number of its central government-owned conglomerates to 40 through massive mergers, as Beijing pushes forward a sweeping plan to overhaul the country's underperforming state sector, state media reported on Monday.
SEC's stock market reform club locks out retail brokers
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is convening a group of financial industry veterans for the first time next month to consider stock market reforms, but one group will be conspicuously absent: retail brokerages.
Brent crude holds near 4-1/2 month high on Yemen, U.S. rig count
Brent crude prices held near a 4-1/2 month high above $65 a barrel on Monday, supported by concerns about fighting in Yemen disrupting Middle East supplies and signs that U.S. shale output may have started to decline.
Latest News
"We're going bust." "No, you're not." "You're strangling us." "No we're not." "You owe us for World War Two." "We gave already."
Finland's Nokia denied reports in Chinese media that it planned to return to manufacturing phones. "Nokia notes recent news reports claiming the company communicated an intention to manufacture consumer handsets out of a R&D facility in China. These reports are false," Nokia said in a statement posted on its website.
The premier of the German state of Lower Saxony, which owns 20 percent of Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE), said the resignation of VW Chairman Ferdinand Piech announced on Saturday was necessary to create clarity about the carmaker's leadership.
Xerox Corp cut its full-year profit forecast, blaming a strong dollar, and the company reported lower-than-expected quarterly revenue as its printer sales fell and costs rose.
Sales of Manny Pacquiao boxing gear and effects have soared as much as 10 times ahead of his May 2 megafight with Floyd Mayweather, with Philippine retailers struggling to cope with demand from fans snapping up any paraphernalia they could find.
The chief executive of France's telecom leader Orange said on Saturday he believed the price war in the national telecoms sector was coming to a close.
Chinese e-commerce leader Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and state-owned China Telecom Corp Ltd have tied up to sell inexpensive smartphones aimed at boosting mobile commerce in smaller cities and rural areas.
German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble hinted on Saturday that Berlin was preparing for a possible Greek default, drawing a parallel with the secrecy of German reunification plans in 1989.
Executives at Brazil's Petrobras on Thursday sought to move on from a giant corruption scandal that has plagued the state-run oil company, outlining a back-to-basics recovery plan that left some investors hoping the worst was over.
