Finance

History doesn’t repeat, they say, but it often rhymes. And the latest economic headlines feature an uncanny tonal resemblance to those of the early 1970s. General Motors workers are on strike, seeking more of the spoils of their employer’s successes. The president of the United States is pressuring the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates, […]

China’s government is releasing pork from stockpiles to help cool surging prices ahead of Oct. 1 celebrations of the Communist Party’s 70th anniversary in power. The price of pork, China’s staple meat, has soared almost 50% from a year ago due to a devastating outbreak of African swine fever that killed or prompted authorities to

WASHINGTON — Federal Reserve officials are expected to cut interest rates for a second time on Wednesday, a move that could prove divisive among Fed officials and aggravate President Trump’s anger toward the central bank. The Fed’s rate decision, which will be announced at 2 p.m. in Washington, will be accompanied by a fresh set

Britain’s top trade envoy said Wednesday that she expects to strike a free trade deal with Australia within months of leaving the European Union. British International Trade Secretary Liz Truss met with Australian Trade Minister Simon Birmingham to lay the foundations for a bilateral trade deal to follow Britain’s departure from the EU in October.

Japan’s exports fell 8% in August from a year earlier, as trade tensions took a growing toll on demand across the region. Exports of machinery, vehicles and chemicals all declined, the Finance Ministry reported Wednesday. Exports totaled 6.1 trillion yen ($56 billion), while imports slipped 12%, the fastest rate in almost three years, to 6.3

AB InBev, the world’s largest brewer that produces Budweiser and Corona, on Tuesday revived plans to list its Asian business in Hong Kong but halved the size of its initial public offering to $4.8 billion. The move comes two months after it temporarily shelved plans to raise $9.8 billion in what would have been the

U.S. factory output increased in August at a solid clip, reversing a sharp drop in July, as production of metals, machinery and chemicals all rose. The Federal Reserve said Tuesday that manufacturing production climbed 0.5% last month, after a 0.4% drop in July. Despite the improvement, manufacturers will likely continue to struggle. Factories have been

Profit at FedEx fell 11% in its fiscal first quarter, as the package delivery company was buffeted by slower economic growth and the loss of business from retail giant Amazon. The results fell short of Wall Street expectations, and the company lowered its forecast of earnings through next spring. FedEx Corp. shares dropped sharply in

Oil prices are falling a day after their biggest single-day jump in years due to a weekend attack on a key Saudi Arabia energy facility. U.S. oil fell nearly 5% to $59.96 a barrel Tuesday while Brent, the international benchmark, is down 5.3% to $65.34. Both rose more than 14% Monday. Saudi Arabia’s energy minister

[Saudi Arabia’s new energy minister is taking over in a crisis.] Changes in energy prices can cause broader economic swings, including when prices drop sharply. A plunge in oil prices to $30 a barrel in February 2016, from $106 in June 2014, dealt a blow to manufacturing as demand for oil-related products fell and, in