Your morning briefing, the business news you need in just 15 minutes.

On today's podcast:

(1) Honda and Nissan are exploring a merger, according to people familiar with the matter, that would create a singular rival to Toyota in Japan and better position the combined company to face competitive challenges around the world.

(2) Federal Reserve officials are likely to lower borrowing costs for a third-straight meeting this week while also signaling fewer interest-rate cuts next year than previously projected.

(3) First it was a collapse in the currency. Now the rest of Brazil’s financial markets are in the cross-hairs as investors lose faith in the government’s ability to contain a deepening fiscal crisis.

(4) UK government borrowing costs rose to the highest level in decades relative to Germany’s, as traders grew increasingly skeptical over how much more easing the Bank of England will manage to deliver next year.

(5) The UK government risks baking in higher energy costs for consumers as it pushes to meet a challenging — and upgraded — target to decarbonize the country’s power supply by 2030.

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Your morning briefing, the business news you need in just 15 minutes.
On today's podcast:

(1) The majority of Britain’s biggest listed companies will together account for less than 3% of the revenue raised by Labour‘s increased payroll tax, Bloomberg analysis shows, despite Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s promise to target “those with the broadest shoulders.”

(2) Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s plan to boost ties with Beijing faces new hurdles after a Chinese businessman’s close links to Prince Andrew spurred demands for tougher restrictions on China’s operatives in the UK.

(3) President-elect Donald Trump said Ukraine needs to reach a deal to end the Russian invasion and downplayed the value of occupied land, in the latest signal he may push for a settlement that codifies Russian territorial gains.

(4) Donald Trump failed to convince a judge to set aside his conviction in the New York hush money case on presidential immunity grounds, though it’s unclear if the case will still proceed to sentencing as the president-elect continues to challenge the verdict.

(5) Germany is headed for months of political deadlock as voters return to the ballot box for another federal election in February and with coalition negotiations potentially lasting several months after that.

(6) The Bank of France cut its domestic growth outlook just days after President Emmanuel Macron named the country’s fourth prime minister in a year, with the central bank citing the political upheaval as a drag on household and business confidence.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Your morning briefing, the business news you need in just 15 minutes.
On today's podcast:

(1) Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz will submit to a parliamentary vote of confidence today, which he intends to lose, triggering an early election on the 23rd of February. The country's economy is now 5% smaller than it would have been if the pre-pandemic growth trend had been maintained.

(2) France’s Prime Minister Francois Bayrou will meet with far-right leader Marine Le Pen on Monday, kicking off an effort to form a government that can push a budget through a divided Parliament.

(3) UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves is resisting calls from English mayors to extend their revenue-raising abilities, an awkward clash that comes as her government launches its plan to extend more powers to local leaders.

(4) French TV network Canal+ is set to become the largest listing on London's stock market in two years. Analysts expect the company will float with a 5 billion pound valuation when the market opens.

(5) China’s retail sales growth unexpectedly weakened in November despite signs of improvement in the housing market, highlighting the urgency for Beijing to further encourage residents to spend..

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.