British Pound Climbs on Optimism Over EU Trade Talks

The British pound rose to its highest level against the U.S. dollar in a month as investors grew more optimistic about trade negotiations between the U.K. and the European Union. 


 
Francisco Partners Raises Nearly $10 Billion for Tech Deals

Francisco Partners has raised nearly $10 billion across three funds to invest in technology companies, one of the largest pools of capital collected by a U.S. private-equity firm this year. 


 
Neiman Marcus Denies Breaching Terms of Deutsche Bank Loan

The department-store chain denied violating the terms of a loan from top-ranking lender Deutsche Bank, saying it has $100 million more cash on hand than projected because sales have been better than expected. 


 
Outlook for Poor Nations Is Grim

The world's low-income and emerging market economies will likely remain deeply damaged even five years after the coronavirus pandemic and associated lockdowns began, according to a new study from the World Bank. 


 
China Nudges Banks to Help Small Businesses

China is dabbling with Western-style unconventional monetary policy, as it seeks to shore up small businesses and the labor market without fueling market bubbles. 


 
Cleaning Up Toxic Loans Was Meant to Be a Great Investment. Then Coronavirus Hit.

Italian banks' efforts to continue cleaning up by securitizing nonperforming loans are being hurt by the coronavirus pandemic. 


 
Grocers, Restaurants Benefit From Hedging Prices of Beef, Pork

Some grocers, food manufacturers and restaurant chains weathered the supply-chain disruption in recent months in part because they use a common hedging practice: Locking in beef prices and quantities of meat purchases months in advance. 


 
Warner Music, ZoomInfo Poised to Boost IPO Market

The burst of activity comes after months of relative quiet, with potential issuers scared away by the coronavirus pandemic and related turmoil. The issues are expected to raise $2.5 billion combined if the shares price at the midpoints of their target ranges. 


 
Is This Europe's Berkshire Hathaway?

Exor is sometimes seen as the European Berkshire Hathaway. The comparison is imprecise, but the investment vehicle of Italy's Agnelli family still seems a bright spot in the global car industry. 


 
Financial Services Roundup: Market Talk

The latest Market Talks covering Financial Services