As China hits back with tariffs to Washington’s levies, Europe is mulling its response. One target is the $77 bln US services surplus. Hiking Big Tech fines would hit the EU’s credibility, but a bloc-...

[FREE TO READ] European Commission president tells FT she wants ‘balanced’ deal but could hit US services in retaliation

Standard Life Aberdeen has a new name. In calling itself “Abrdn”, the 6 billion pound asset manager hopes to swap its staid image for something more cool and funky. As George Hay ponders his own personal rebrand to Grg Hy, he explains why this is not without its downsides.

Thames Water is in purgatory. Britain’s biggest water utility recently averted collapse via an expensive 3 billion pound loan from existing creditors, but it still needs to raise equity to cut debt, restore access to credit markets and fund a 20 billion pound investment programme. If interested parties like U.S. buyout group KKR can rescue it and make a decent return, it would boost the UK’s flagging appeal as a destination for foreign direct investment and reinvigorate the global case for privatising public assets. That’s a big if, though.

The tycoon struck a deal to slash his French telco’s 21 bln euro debt pile. While impairing bondholders, the agreement leaves Drahi in control and with some value, reversing the capital structure. The...