LONDON—Assets under management at global hedge funds topped $4 trillion for the first time ever at the end of 2021, as the prospect of rising interest rates combined with the pandemic made for a volatile end of the year, industry tracker HFR said on Thursday. The jump represents a turnaround from the first quarter of…

BERLIN—Germany’s BDI industry association said on Thursday it expected Europe’s largest economy to grow 3.5 percent this year, giving a more cautious forecast than the government as it warned companies could face another “stop-and-go year” due to the pandemic. “The order books are full, but production is not keeping pace with demand. Pandemic restrictions and…

The software industry is expected to benefit from a few major secular trends that will likely continue to drive growth in 2022, an analyst at Rosenblatt Securities said in a recent note. These secular trends will likely remain in place for at least several more years until the majority of enterprise IT infrastructure, including applications…

Judge Timothy Kelly of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia heard opening arguments Dec. 22 on “Young vs. EPA,” which concerns allegations that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) illegally purged both its Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee and its Science Advisory Board of representatives from the industries their decisions would regulate. One…

BERLIN—German industrial output rose more than expected in October in a rare sign of strength in manufacturing, but analysts warned that supply bottlenecks for raw materials and intermediate goods would continue to hamper production in Europe’s biggest economy. The Federal Statistics Office said industrial output was up 2.8 percent on the month after a revised…

LONDON—Costs are rising at the fastest rate in over 20 years for firms in Britain’s services sector, according to a business survey released on Tuesday which shows why the Bank of England may soon raise interest rates. The Confederation of British Industry said its quarterly survey of the services sector showed the quickest growth in…

BRUSSELS—Euro zone industrial production dipped by less than expected in September, data showed on Friday, leaving it higher than anticipated year-on-year due to a surge in output of non-durable consumer goods. The European Union’s statistics office Eurostat said industrial production in the 19 countries sharing the euro fell 0.2 percent month-on-month in September for a…

BEIJING—China’s auto sales fell in October for a sixth consecutive month, slumping 9.4 percent from a year earlier, industry data showed on Wednesday, as a prolonged global shortage of semiconductors disrupts production. Overall sales in the world’s biggest car market were 2.33 million vehicles in October, data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM)…

BERLIN—Private equity dealmakers are descending on Berlin for their annual get-together, with their industry thriving and many of them wondering how long the good times will last. Armed with billions of dollars, buyout firms have already taken advantage of what has been a record year for mergers and acquisitions (M&A), selling some of their assets…

WASHINGTON—Several influential industry groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, met White House officials on Friday and raised concerns about labor shortages and coronavirus testing requirements as the administration races to implement a plan to require private-sector workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The Office of Management & Budget (OMB) conducted the meetings virtually, with…