Western Europe

Despite political turmoil in the wake of last summer’s coup attempt, in the business world it’s business as usual, according to executives at multinationals.

After two inconclusive elections and 10 months without a fully functioning government, Spain has formed an coalition administration, but without a majority, action will be difficult. 

Scots are trying some novel theories for legitimate ways to escape the United Kingdom-wide exit from the European Union. 

The safest banks in Europe are located in Northern and Western Europe, with Germany contributing ten of the Top 50 banks and France nine. The safest nine European banks are the same nine that lead our Global Safest Banks ranking.  ...

Big profits from managing short lead times helped Amancio Ortega—Spanish business magnate, founder and chairman of the Inditex fashion group—recently pass Bill Gates’s fortune for the second time. 

UK-based Barclays has reduced its shareholding in Johannesburg-listed Barclays Africa from 62.3% to 50.1% this year and is believed to be seeking to reduce that stake further to around 20%.

Will bringing in an outsider revive the brand with fresh insight or cause it to stumble on the turns?

Although Liam Fox made headlines for saying British businessmen are too lazy to boost exports, less extensively reported remarks by the UK’s international trade secretary hint at a significant change in policy.

In potentially the biggest foreign corporate takeover ever by a German company, Bayer seeks to buy Monsanto for 62 billion. Werner Bauman gets into agribusiness.

Post-Brexit, real estate deals were supposed to decline--especially in London. Yet the market may prove more resilient than expected. 

Blue-chip bond buys add liquidity fuel to companies already swimming in cash.

The EU hit Apple with a tax bill, but it's not the only company in regulators' sights. McDonalds, Facebook, Google and Amazon are being called on the carpet about tax practices too.

Ireland | Ireland has been a eurozone growth powerhouse in recent years, and remains strong, despite Brexit. 

LOCATION TRENDS | Technology allows all sorts of work to be done anywhere. Many companies are taking advantage of this power to "nearshore" European operations from pricey major capitals to lower-cost locales.  

Garvan Callan, director of customer, digital and innovation at Bank of Ireland, talks with Global Finance about the bank’s digital offerings.

Europe | Foreign direct investment (FDI) into Europe hit a record high in 2015 with 5,083 new cross-border projects, an increase of 14% from 2014, creating approximately 218,000 new jobs

Spain | Solid fundamentals and steady structural reform could be undercut by political chaos and global market turbulence.

PORTUGAL | With a hefty debt overhang, Portugal can’t quit now on structural reform.

The United Kingdom | Individuals and corporate teams alike are struggling through the implications of Brexit, looking for opportunities, and still hoping the whole thing will go away. 

UK
The promise of London’s new mayor, Sadiq Khan,  to build 50,000 homes (half of them affordable) with a reasonable commute is being heralded but also questioned.