The US Federal Reserve appears likely to keep interest rates steady when it meets next week, despite pressure from President Donald Trump for a cut, leaving investors to focus on what chair Jay Powell says about the strength of world’s biggest economy. The Fed is set to meet on Tuesday and Wednesday, and investors are … Read more
Stay informed with free updates Simply sign up to the Automobiles myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox. European carmakers are in talks with western magnet and rare earths companies as they seek to secure alternative sources of the critical materials amid a shortage exacerbated by Chinese export restrictions. Rare earths are vital to … Read more
As China grapples with a trade war, a four-year property slowdown and lingering weakness in consumer confidence, one typical gauge of corporate distress has been conspicuous by its absence. There has been only one first-time default in China’s $4tn onshore corporate bond market so far this year, according to data from S&P Ratings. That compares … Read more
Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for free Your guide to what Trump’s second term means for Washington, business and the world Israel’s sudden attack on Iran has threatened to disrupt oil supplies in the Middle East, placing the Opec+ cartel’s recent decision to increase crude production into the spotlight. The Saudi Arabia-led producer group … Read more
Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. A surge in long-term borrowing costs, high inflation and a month-long string of weak debt auctions are raising the pressure on the Bank of Japan ahead of its monetary policy meeting next week. Yields on … Read more
Stay informed with free updates Simply sign up to the Global Economy myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox. In recent years, June Fridays have often been viewed by financiers as a good moment to work from home. Not now. As news spread about the Israeli air strikes on Iran, traders across Wall Street … Read more
Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. Regardless of ideological parti pris, politicians have an uncanny knack of misconstruing the dynamics of the financial services sector as they seek to bend it to their cause. Consider, first, UK Labour chancellor Rachel Reeves … Read more
John Plender is a Financial Times columnist. He has written for the FT since 1981, before which he was financial editor of The Economist. He is a winner of the Wincott Foundation senior prize for excellence in financial journalism. Until the late 1990s he combined his work for the FT with broadcasting roles at the … Read more
Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for free Your guide to what Trump’s second term means for Washington, business and the world Donald Trump has disclosed almost $60mn in income from one of his cryptocurrency ventures, highlighting how the US president has benefited from his embrace of the digital asset industry. Trump on Friday reported … Read more
Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. By cancelling the permits of four out of five nickel mining companies operating in Indonesia’s Raja Ampat archipelago, President Prabowo Subianto this month handed a rare win to environmental groups that have long criticised the … Read more