The U.S. Federal Reserve said that it will help unclog the commercial-paper market by offering to buy this form of short-term corporate debt, as it did in 2008. But the Fed’s experience and big market changes may make this time a little easier, says An…
The coronavirus crisis has echoes of what happened after Lehman Brothers collapsed in 2008. Central banks are slashing rates and fears of a credit crunch are rising. Healthier banks give reasons for hope. Yet companies are weaker, and governments less …
The U.S. central bank is doing what it can – slashing rates, encouraging lending and coordinating with global counterparts. But that’s only half the task at hand. If the political response to Covid-19 remains half baked, markets will continue to fall, …
Meal delivery groups such as Uber and Meituan may sound like winners as the coronavirus keeps diners indoors. Yet the key office-lunch market is collapsing and panic buying has filled home kitchens with groceries. Paying sick drivers will add to the st…
The Silicon Valley ride-share company is offering sick pay to coronavirus-stricken drivers – a big shift for a lynchpin of the gig economy. What’s given is hard to take away, but a more caring approach can only help Uber’s relationship with customers, …
European lenders are getting better-than-free money and huge regulatory relief as part of central banks’ coronavirus rescue package. Yet, as Liam Proud explains, they’re not likely to benefit given all the strings attached. Bank balance sheets are now …
Wall Street bosses and President Trump are quick to point out that U.S. banks are better prepared to cope with Covid-19’s economic shocks than previous crises. But Antony Currie says they’re not acknowledging it took the Dodd-Frank Act to curb the indu…
Ex-Vice President Joe Biden scored a big win over Bernie Sanders in Michigan’s Democratic presidential primary. Attacking free-trade deals didn’t help the Vermont senator like it did in 2016. The pain from President Trump’s tariff wars may be a big rea…
Prudential plans to list a slab of its U.S. business. It follows pressure from investor Dan Loeb who is pushing for a breakup of the $37 bln British insurer. Aimee Donnellan explains how cutting its American exposure may force investors to reconsider t…
Mergers could be the best way for drillers and frackers in the U.S. oil patch to combat the price war for black gold brought on by Saudi Arabia. Lauren Silva Laughlin explains how the U.S. government could play a role in industry consolidation.