Oil Price Slides on Prospect of Rising U.S. Production

Brent crude futures, the international benchmark for oil prices, were down 82 cents $54.65 a barrel at 1008 GMT. U.S. shale production is set to snap a three-month decline in February, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said on Tuesday, as energy firms boost drilling activity with crude prices hovering near 18-month highs.

The Latest: IMF chief says dealing with inequalities is key

Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, says that dealing with inequalities will have to be a central element of leaders’ response to the concerns of populist movements. Conceding that there is “no silver bullet response,” Lagarde said on a panel at the World Economic Forum that it’s time for “courageous” leaders to reconnect with the people.

Pay Gap Closing but Women May Face Retirement Shortfall

Many Americans struggle to save for retirement, but the gender wage gap makes the prospects for women even more dire: The average woman must save $1.25 for every $1 a man invests to build an equivalent nest egg, a new study shows. For every $1 men earned in 2015, women, on average, made 80 cents, up from 77.5 cents in 2007, according to an analysis of the latest data available from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Pay Gap Closing but Women May Face Retirement Shortfall

Many Americans struggle to save for retirement, but the gender wage gap makes the prospects for women even more dire: The average woman must save $1.25 for every $1 a man invests to build an equivalent nest egg, a new study shows. For every $1 men earned in 2015, women, on average, made 80 cents, up from 77.5 cents in 2007, according to an analysis of the latest data available from the U.S. Census Bureau.

U.K. Parliament Approves David Clementi as BBC Chair

A committee questioned him about such topics as whether the U.K. public broadcaster should launch a new version of ‘The Great British Bake Off’ after losing the baking competition to Channel 4. David Clementi is one step closer to becoming chair of a newly organized BBC board after winning approval for his appointment in the U.K. parliament. The British government last week unveiled Clementi, a former Bank of England deputy governor, as its preferred candidate for the BBC chair role.

Renovating your home? Here are the hot design trends for 2017.

Houzz , a popular interior design website, reviewed posts by its 40 million users as well as data from the interior design products industry to identify home trends they expect to be at the forefront this year. a Pendant lights moving from the kitchen to the bedroom : Hanging pendant lights above your bed or nightstand frees up space previously occupied by a table lamp.

Singapore’s GIC Said to Hit Government Snag in Vietnam Deal

Singapore sovereign fund GIC Pte has hit a snag as it seeks government approval for its planned investment in Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam JSC, the nation’s biggest lender by market value, people with knowledge of the matter said. The deal, originally expected to be completed by the end of 2016, hasn’t yet been approved by Vietnamese authorities, according to the people.

Ex-Deutsche Bank Forex Trader Faces Jail for Defrauding Firm

A former Deutsche Bank AG foreign-exchange trader faces a possible prison sentence after a Singapore court convicted him of defrauding the company by making false trades. Toh Hway Khuan, 51, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to 13 charges relating to using the bank’s account to get preferential rates on the dollar in November 2009.

Gates Foundation to Sell 60 Million Berkshire Shares in New Plan

The foundation started by billionaire Bill Gates and his wife intends to sell 60 million Class B shares of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. from July 1 of this year through June 30 of 2020. The plan will replace a three-year program that began in 2014 and ends on June 30, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation said in a regulatory filing Tuesday.

Futures Higher After Tough Tuesday; Asia Mixed

Futures for U.S. markets were in the black late Tuesday, signalling an about-face to Tuesday’s trading session, which was overshadowed by a speech by U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May that she would seek a hard Brexit and by questions about President-elect Donald Trump’s economic policies. The S&P 500 added 0.08%, Nasdaq, 0.11%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average, 0.09%, at 10:06 p.m. EST.

DWP customers get a bill of rightsa after commission vote

LOS ANGELES >> The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved a “customer bill of rights” backed by Mayor Eric Garcetti and criticized by some leaders from neighborhood councils, but also moved to open up public comment and revisit the bill of rights in about 90 days. The commissioners unanimously approved the provisions of the bill of rights, which includes assurances that call wait times will not exceed three minutes on average; bills that exceed three times the average historic use for the same billing period will automatically be reviewed before being sent out; and requests to start a new residential account will be processed within one business day.

HP Enterprise just bought a $1 billion startup for $650…

That discounted purchase price is not an encouraging sign for the viability of “unicorn” startups of $1 billion or more. In 2017, companies like Snap, Spotify, and Dropbox will likely have to justify their enormous valuations to Wall Street, and deals like this one will only enhance investor skepticism .

3 Questions for Intel Corporation on January 26

Although the company is planning to host its financial analyst day shortly thereafter, on February 9, during which the company will go into deeper dives into each of its business units, there are still several questions I’d like to hear answered during the company’s upcoming earnings call. Here are three.

Ex-Goldman Trader’s Macro Hedge Fund Said to Lose 5.1% in 2016

Former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. trader Leland Lim’s macro hedge fund lost 5.1 percent in 2016, even after recovering from steep declines early in the year, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Assets overseen by Lim’s Hong Kong-based Guard Capital Management declined to $963 million from about $1.1 billion at the beginning of the year, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the information hasn’t been publicly disclosed.

Real estate markets across Miami-Dade County steady

Brexit and the US elections were among factors that made 2016 a stable and steady – but not record-breaking – year in real estate markets across Miami-Dade County, observers say. “It was a relatively slow year,” with some companies waiting until year’s end to make major decisions, said Marc Miller, research manager for JLL.

Prosecutor Makes Case Today for Putting Samsung Heir in Jail

A special prosecutor in South Korea is making his case today for arresting Samsung Group’s heir apparent on suspicion of paying bribes for political favors from the country’s president. Samsung’s Jay Y. Lee appeared this morning at a court hearing on the prosecutor’s request for an arrest warrant, walking through a throng of reporters without comment.

Fed’s Williams Sees Case for 3 Rate Hikes Even with No Fiscal Stimulus

San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank President John Williams on Tuesday said he sees a “good case” for three rate hikes this year even without any fiscal stimulus, but if the economy accelerates, the Fed would need to raise rates faster. Williams told reporters after a speech at Sacramento State University that he penciled in some fiscal stimulus to his forecast, and expects growth to be slightly faster in the second half of this year and next year as a result.

U.S. Shale Oil Output Forecast To Rise By 41,000 Barrels a Day In February: EIA

Oil production from seven major U.S. shale plays is forecast to climb by 41,000 barrels a day to 4.748 million barrels a day in February from January, according to a monthly report from the Energy Information Administration released Tuesday. Oil output from the Permian Basin, which covers parts of western Texas and southeastern New Mexico, is expected to see the largest climb among the big shale plays.

US judge OKs plan for Caesars’ unit to exit bankruptcy

A federal judge has approved a plan to reorganize a subsidiary of casino giant Caesars Entertainment Corp., clearing the way for the operating unit to exit bankruptcy after filing for Chapter 11 protection with $18 billion in debt. The CEO of Las Vegas-based Caesars Entertainment heralded the approval Tuesday in federal bankruptcy court in Chicago.

Trump, Brexit Uncertainty Hit Stocks, Dollar

U.S. stocks and the dollar fell while gold rose on Tuesday as investors looked for safety after President-elect Donald Trump said the U.S. currency was too strong, while sterling jumped as Prime Minister Theresa May said Britain would quit the European Union single market when the country leaves the EU. Wall Street was weighed down by the financial sector, and U.S. Treasury prices gained on concerns about Trump’s planned protectionist trade policies.