The mood music around American indebtedness is as ominous as ever, but investors in Treasuries have their fingers firmly stuck in their ears. The U.S. government’s bonds climbed in price on Thursday as Congress took a decisive step to lift a legislative cap on borrowing, a move that will stave off a looming sovereign default. Yet nothing has been done to curb the budget deficits that brought insolvency so close, and there is plenty to worry about between

The days of carefree plastic use may soon be over. Even though the world is suffocating in polluting waste, sales of fresh polymers are projected to rise 40% to $529 billion by 2031. This may change if supporters of taxes and other restrictive measures prevail at ongoing talks for a global treaty to end plastic pollution by 2040. Drastic action would shrink a promising market for Big Oil and cut packaging firms’ margins.

The seeds-to-pesticides group is planning a $9 bln stock market float in Shanghai this year. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists explain how investors need to get comfortable with its high debt levels and use of toxic chemicals that could hurt its valuation.

Jamie Dimon is this week experiencing in person the conundrum of doing business in China. The JPMorgan boss flew into Shanghai to head up a trifecta of confabs the U.S. bank is hosting in the city. It’s his first trip to the mainland since he had to apologise for joking that his institution would outlast China’s Communist Party. It’s also his first visit since the pandemic.

Target and Walt Disney are fighting different battles over a similar social issue. Both companies have taken supportive positions towards the LGBTQ community, and as a result have attracted vocal enemies. Of the two, retailer Target has the harder balancing act. In both cases, shareholders will cast the deciding vote.

Target and Walt Disney are fighting different battles over a similar social issue. Both companies have taken supportive positions towards the LGBTQ community, and as a result have attracted vocal enemies. Of the two, retailer Target has the harder balancing act. In both cases, shareholders will cast the deciding vote.

(Corrects date of James Turner’s promotion in second paragraph. The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are their own.)

Chinese cash is set to fuel Europe’s green mobility challenge. More than one in five cars sold in the continent last year was electric, making the region the world’s second largest market for e-vehicles after China. That offers an enticing new opportunity for the battery makers from the People’s Republic, which already supply European brands such as Volkswagen, BMW and Stellantis, as well as globetrotting compatriots like Volvo-owner Geely. Over-reliance o

Elon Musk may be China’s most popular American. The obstreperous entrepreneur landed in Beijing on Tuesday for his first visit to the country since 2020 and was immediately ushered into meeting with Foreign Minister Qin Gang. With foreign capitalists questioning the country’s investability, the central government has cause to telegraph its gratitude. Musk has given the Chinese Communist Party everything it could have reasonably expected, and more.

The U.S. government could soon shrink one of its most promising investments. The budget deal agreed to by President Joe Biden and top congressional Republican Kevin McCarthy would move $20 billion away from the Internal Revenue Service over the next two years. The change shores up cash for other agencies, but projections suggest the IRS funding would’ve made a significant step toward closing the government’s $925 billion budget gap.