Disney has had the biggest year at the box office for any film studio in history, as blockbusters like Avengers: Endgame have raked in billions for the Mouse House — but this was not enough to power Disney to an earnings beat. Instead, its income statement was weighed down by the costs of its big bet on streaming, disappointing attendance at its theme parks, and blunders at the Fox film studio that Disney acquired earlier this year. Financial Times
Shares in Asia fell for an eighth straight session on Wednesday on lingering worries over the escalating U.S.-China trade war, but losses and nerves were soothed somewhat by White House assurances that it wants to press ahead with negotiations. Reuters
GW Pharmaceuticals PLC reported Tuesday afternoon that sales of its cannabis-derived epilepsy drug more than doubled from the previous quarter, sending shares spiking more than 11% higher in after-hours trading. Market Watch
U.S. national security adviser John Bolton on Tuesday said Washington was ready to impose sanctions on any international company doing business with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, a sharp escalation of U.S. pressure on the leftist leader. Reuters
With a $5.5 billion valuation, Klarna has become Europe’s most valuable fintech firm. The Swedish payments company raised $460 million in equities from investors led by Dragoneer, as well as BlackRock and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, which it says it will use to further its push into the US. BBC
Klarna has become the largest private fintech start-up in Europe after a new funding round valued the Swedish payments group at $5.5bn ahead of a potential stock market flotation. Financial Times
German industrial output fell more than expected in June, driven by weaker production of intermediate and capital goods, data showed on Wednesday, adding to signs that Europe’s biggest economy contracted in the second quarter. Reuters
The hottest new hires in AI are those with autism, according to The Wall Street Journal.Companies including Ernst & Young, Credit Suisse and Dell Technologies are utilising some of these workers’ ability to focus, analyse and recognise patterns — “enabling them to systematically develop and test” artificial intelligence models — at a time when the IT jobless rate is less than half the unemployment rate. WSJ
