ECONOMY & MARKETS

Oil surged relentlessly beyond $110 a barrel on Wednesday, extending its rally since Russia invaded Ukraine seven days ago, on expectations that the market will remain short of supply for months to come following sanctions on Moscow and a flood of divestment from Russian oil assets by major companies.

Commodity-linked currencies strengthened on Wednesday as the impact of an escalating conflict in Ukraine kept prices surging for oil and other raw materials.

The dollar edged higher against the euro on Wednesday, as investors worried about the impact of an escalating conflict in Ukraine on the euro zone's economic prospects, while commodity-linked currencies strengthened.

The euro was under pressure on Wednesday as intensifying Russian bombardment of Ukraine's cities and surging oil prices raised investors' concerns about a hit to Europe's economy and growth.

The euro was under pressure on Wednesday as intensifying Russian bombardment of Ukraine's cities and a surging oil price raised investor concerns about a hit to Europe's economy and growth.

Activist investment firm Starboard Value LP is arguing that Huntsman Corp investors should elect its director candidates to the board to ensure the chemical maker delivers on promises to shareholders.

Netflix, fashion outlet H&M, tech company Oracle and many others cut or paused business in Russia on Wednesday because of the attack on Ukraine, while the United States laid out new sanctions and a Ukrainian official outlined to Reuters plans for fanning corporate support.

From Canada Goose parkas and the latest iPhone to spare parts for aircraft engines and even some of the planes themselves - the list of goods, consumer and industrial, that will no longer be sold in Russia is growing longer with every day.

Some of America's best-known companies including Apple, Google, Ford, Harley-Davidson and Exxon Mobil rebuked and rejected Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, under steady pressure from investors and consumers decrying the violence.

Some of America's best-known companies including Apple, Google, Ford and Harley-Davidson rebuked and rejected Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, under steady pressure from investors and consumers decrying the violence.

Boeing suspended maintenance and technical support for Russian airlines and U.S.

Canada's runaway house prices will keep growing at a robust pace this year, despite several rate rises expected from the central bank, according to a Reuters poll, which also showed the likelihood of a significant correction was low.

The European arm of Sberbank, Russia's biggest lender, has been closed by order of the European Central Bank, which had warned it faced failure due to a run on deposits after Russia invaded Ukraine, Austria's Financial Market Authority said.

Options on a small, soon-to-be defunct exchange-traded fund tracking Russian stocks drew a rush of trading on Tuesday, as investors placed bets on what the fund's shares will do in its last few days of trading.

"A major geopolitical realignment is taking place," which, like 9/11, "shapes major governments' foreign and military policies unpredictably for years to come."

U.S. traders in the nation's largest oil hubs have cautiously put imports from Russian companies on hold, even though the White House has said oil sales are not the target of sanctions.

The U.S. Federal Reserve and some of its major central banking peers will press ahead with lifting interest rates this month, money markets suggest, even as a war on Europe's eastern flank complicates the picture for inflation and economic growth.

U.S. investors holding Russian assets are finding themselves in an increasingly difficult position on working out how to ditch them.

Bank of England policymaker Michael Saunders said Russia's invasion of Ukraine is likely to push Britain's soaring inflation higher, but that it is too soon to determine the impact on monetary policy.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will tell a U.S Senate committee on Wednesday that the Biden administration recognizes the role of states in deciding how to prioritize using federal highway funds.

The National Bank of Hungary (NBH) is ready to intervene "at any moment" with all tools at its disposal to ensure the stability of local financial markets, it said in a reply to Reuters questions on Tuesday, reining in the forint from record lows.

U.S. manufacturing activity picked up more than expected in February as COVID-19 infections subsided, though hiring at factories slowed, contributing to keeping supply chains snarled and prices for inputs high.

Italy's economy grew 6.6% last year following a record contraction of 9.0% in 2020, while the budget deficit and public debt came in below government targets, statistics bureau ISTAT reported on Tuesday.

The Canadian economy mostly likely started 2022 on a strong footing, despite the impact of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, while fourth-quarter growth came in above expectations, official data showed on Tuesday.

The Canadian economy mostly likely started 2022 on strong footing, despite the impact of the Omicron variant, while fourth quarter growth came in above expectations, official data showed on Tuesday.

Italy plans to set aside more than 4 billion euros ($4.6 billion) until 2030 to boost domestic chip manufacturing as it seeks to attract more investment from tech companies such as Intel, a draft decree seen by Reuters showed on Tuesday.

Global inflation-protected bond ETFs have seen huge outflows this year, despite rising inflation levels, as investors prepare for price pressures to be tamed eventually by central banks.

The U.S. Federal Reserve's plan to end the loose money policies used to fight the pandemic is facing an unexpectedly early test as the Russian invasion of Ukraine poses new economic and financial risks already being felt in global markets.

Factories around the world sustained a brisk recovery in February amid signs the Omicron coronavirus variant was having less of an impact, but the Ukraine crisis has rapidly emerged as a risk to supply chains and is likely to exacerbate cost pressures.