 | | | | The United States on Wednesday blacklisted 24 Chinese firms and targeted individuals it said were part of construction and military actions in the South China Sea, its first such sanctions move against Beijing over the disputed strategic waterway. | | | | | | The U.S. government's first oil and gas lease sale in five months kicked off on Wednesday, attracting weaker bidding in New Mexico than auctions that occurred before oil prices crashed during the pandemic, according to results posted on an online auction site. | | | | | | Facebook Inc on Wednesday warned that privacy changes coming from Apple Inc could hurt smaller developers such as gaming companies disproportionately but will likely leave its own apps mostly unscathed. | | | | | | A gauge of global equity markets jumped to an all-time peak on Wednesday, after the S&P 500 and Nasdaq rallied to fresh records on upbeat corporate results, while the dollar eased a day before the Federal Reserve possibly sets a new course on inflation. | | | | | | U.S. stocks surged on Wednesday, pushing the S&P 500 to its fourth straight record closing high, as investors stayed focused on large-cap momentum stocks that have outperformed since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. | | | | | | Laura strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane on Wednesday as it raced over evacuated oil-production platforms in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and took aim at the energy industry's refining hub along the Texas/Louisiana coast. | | | | | | New orders for key U.S.-made capital goods increased in July, though the pace slowed from June's robust gain, suggesting the rebound in business investment would be gradual amid uncertainty about the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. | | | | | | Shares of Roku Inc surged over 11% on Wednesday after Citi initiated coverage of the streaming video company with a "buy" rating, while Netflix Inc also rallied more than 11% and was on track for its largest one-day gain in three years. | | | | | | Hudson's Bay Co, the owner of luxury department store Saks Fifth Avenue, has ditched its plan to raise up to $900 million in debt after prospective investors requested a higher interest rate than the company was willing to pay, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. | | | | | | U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday renewed criticism of British bank HSBC for its reported treatment of customers linked with the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong, saying China was "bullying" the United Kingdom. | | | | | |
