Tom Fairless

By Tom Fairless FRANKFURT--European Central Bank officials forged an agreement on a new policy framework over the longer run, aiming for slightly higher...

The world’s central banks are hanging on how the Fed will respond to a rise in inflation, wary of being caught in the crosscurrents of an extraordinary U.S. economic expansion.

By Tom Fairless FRANKFURT--The European Central Bank said it would keep its aggressive monetary stimulus in place despite mounting evidence of a vigorous...

Wall Street Journal writers Tom Fairless, Alistair MacDonald and Jesse Newman reported on the front page of Tuesday’s paper that, “The run-up in commodity prices is casting a cloud over the global economic recovery, slamming vulnerable businesses and households and adding to fears that inflation cou…

Commodity Price Surges Add to Inflation Fears — Update  Morningstar.com

The bloc unveiled draft rules that could allow regulators to pursue big Chinese companies in much the same way they have targeted the likes of Apple and Amazon.

The struggle between America and China for influence has come to Europe’s industrial backwaters, where Beijing is steadily co-opting local economies, starting with their railroads.

Continental governments have spent trillions during the pandemic keeping firms alive and people in jobs, but that safety net could be putting off the economic deep cleaning that normally comes with recessions.

The eurozone’s economy is diverging sharply from the U.S. and China, as stubbornly high coronavirus infections, extensive Covid-19 restrictions and a painfully slow vaccine rollout delay Europe’s recovery from last year’s historic economic downturn.

The European Central Bank scaled up its bond-buying program and unveiled a new batch of ultracheap loans for banks, a move aimed at backstopping the region’s governments and businesses.

Western governments are taking a page from their Asian rivals and moving away from the free-market doctrine that defined their economic thinking for decades, instead embracing greater state control of business activity.

The theory is that shortening working hours could reduce stress, lower absenteeism and boost employment.

As Covid-19 fuels steep economic downturns, European governments have paid companies tens of billions of dollars to keep idled workers on payrolls and help hold unemployment below levels in the U.S., where most support has gone directly to the jobless.

Stringent lockdowns weighed heavily on Europe’s economy in the second quarter, causing a record decline that was even more severe than in the U.S.

Strict safety rules, testing and contact tracing enabled the country to do something that has eluded most other major developed economies: keep manufacturing running without suffering major outbreaks.

The European Central Bank intends to counter any surge in borrowing costs of eurozone governments, a senior bank official said, driving home the message that the ECB will support members such as Spain and Italy.

Economists warned a decade ago that pushing public debt above about 90% of gross domestic product could hurt growth. Now they aren’t so sure.

From Athens to Seoul, governments around the world are increasing the minimum wage, seeking to assuage voter concerns over years of weak pay growth and rising inequality.

Some venture capitalists are looking for a way to fine companies hit by harassment scandals.

Investors should regularly adjust their investments. But not the way they tend to do it.