PARIS, 5 February – BNP Paribas, France’s largest bank, has pledged further cost reductions following a fourth-quarter profit that exceeded analysts’ expectations and prompted the lender to raise its medium-term profitability targets. The announcement buoyed shares, despite a muted performance in the investment banking division. CEO Jean-Laurent Bonnafé highlighted artificial intelligence (AI) as a central […]

The Bank of England is widely expected to hold interest rates steady, even as Britain faces renewed economic and political uncertainty. Data released this week show that UK construction activity contracted again in January, though the pace of decline eased, signalling a potential end to the sector’s worst downturn in recent years. Meanwhile, sterling has […]