The world's largest economy grew more slowly at the end of 2017 than first reported, with lower sales of durable goods and consumer items, official data showed Wednesday.

The French economy grew by a faster-than-expected 2.0 percent in 2017, as investment and output picked up in the fourth quarter, revised figures from the national statistics agency INSEE showed on Wednesday.

Norway's sovereign wealth fund, the world's biggest, yielded returns of 1.02 trillion kroner (106 billion euros, $131 billion) in 2017, a record sum thanks to soaring global stocks, the Norwegian central bank said Tuesday.

OPEC chief Suhail al-Mazrouei said Tuesday he expected the global oil market to be balanced this year, as producers continue to trim production following a 2014 market crash.

Tokyo stocks enjoyed fresh gains Tuesday following another strong Wall Street performance but most other Asian markets struggled to maintain momentum as focus turns to Federal Reserve boss Jerome Powell's congressional debut.

Banking giant Standard Chartered on Tuesday announced a return of dividends for shareholders after a two-year hiatus as it reported a surge in annual profits following restructuring and cutbacks. 

The Italian economy is slowly making its way out of an economic crisis that has ravaged the country, but there are fears among the business community that the March 4 election could hobble what is a small and fragile recovery.

German lender Deutsche Bank confirmed Monday it would float asset management division DWS on the stock market as soon as possible, while media reports suggested it will keep a controlling stake.

Asian markets picked up Monday where they left off last week, with gains across the board as investors tracked a healthy lead from Wall Street.

The advances helped take another bite out of the big losses suffered at the start of February, sparked by concerns at the impact of rising inflation that could lead to higher US interest rates.

A Chinese tycoon's purchase of vast wheat fields in France highlights China's increasing acquisition of foreign farmland as the Asian giant seeks to keep up with its massive population's growing appetite.