News

Mergers and acquisitions during the first half of this year were not what investment bankers had hoped for, but a burst of big deals in Asia and renewed optimism in U.S. markets could be paving the way for megadeals. Market uncertainties stemming from U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war, high interest rates and broader geopolitical tensions hampered — but did not completely derail — what bankers expected to be a blockbuster year for global M&A, dealmakers say. Trump's tariff policies, [Read more]

World shares held just below recent record highs on Monday as the revival of U.S./Canada trade talks helped risk sentiment, while the dollar dipped on the prospect of this week's U.S. jobs data ushering in an earlier Fed rate cut. Canada on Sunday said it had rescinded its digital services tax in a bid to advance trade negotiations, bowing to pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump. The talks are aimed at getting a deal done by July 21, extending Trump's original July 9 deadline for his [Read more]

Hedge funds sold energy stocks last week at the fastest pace since September 2024 and at the second-quickest clip in the last 10 years, as oil prices fell on easing Middle East tensions, a Goldman Sachs note seen by Reuters on Monday showed. Crude prices tumbled over $10 last week following a cease-fire between Israel and Iran. Oil prices wobbled on Friday on reports of increased supply from oil producing group OPEC+ and remain well below the recent peak of around $81. Hedge funds, [Read more]

Oil prices fell on Monday as an easing of geopolitical risks in the Middle East and the prospect of another OPEC+ output hike in August improved supply expectations amid persistent uncertainty over the outlook for global demand. Brent crude futures fell 13 cents, or 0.19%, to $67.64 a barrel by 0344 GMT, ahead of the August contract's expiry later on Monday. The more active September contract was at $66.62, down 18 cents. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude dropped 32 cents, or 0.49%, to $65.2 [Read more]

Japan engages in "unfair" automobile trade with the United States and should increase its imports of U.S. energy resources and other goods to help reduce the U.S. trade deficit, President Donald Trump said in an interview broadcast on Sunday. Tokyo is scrambling to find ways to get Washington to exempt Japan's automakers from 25% automobile industry-specific tariffs, which are hurting the country's manufacturing sector. Japan also faces a 24% so-called reciprocal tariff rate starting on July [Read more]

The Kremlin said in remarks published on Sunday that the tougher the sanctions imposed on Russia by Europe, the more painful the recoil would be for Europe's own economies as Russia had grown resistant to such "illegal" sanctions. Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 triggered a wave of Western sanctions on Russia and it is by far the most sanctioned major economy in the world. The West said that it hoped its sanctions would force President Vladimir Putin to seek peace in Ukraine, and [Read more]