Getty Images Defense Secretary Jim Mattis (L) and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford (R) brief members of the media on Syria at the Pentagon April 13, 2018 in Arlington, Virginia. U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Thursday assured South Korea of an “ironclad” commitment to …

Andrew Francis Wallace | Getty Hydrolines in the Burlington area, October 19, 2017. Ontario Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk warns Liberals’ 25-per-cent hydro rebate could cost an additional $4B over the next 30 years. “That will be our differentiator,” said Tan. “Anyone can build a transaction platform.” Currently, the Singapore-based company …

Ali Mohammadi | Bloomberg | Getty Images A briefcase filled with Iranian rial banknotes sits on display at a currency exchange market on Ferdowsi street in Tehran, Iran, on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018. Protests began in Iran’s capital on Sunday, sparked by shop owners — or bazaaris — shutting their …

Win McNamee | Getty Images Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin answers questions from the media outside the White House June 27, 2018 in Washington, DC. Even if it doesn’t publicly single out Beijing, the administration will continue to take a tough stance on on Chinese transactions involving U.S. technology companies, according …

Luke Sharrett | Bloomberg | Getty Images A Pier 1 Imports retail store stands in Louisville, Kentucky. Check out the companies making headlines after the bell: Shares of Pier 1 Imports plummeted more than 15 percent in extended-hours trading after the retailer reported weak sales. The popular home decor company saw …

Andrew Harrer | Bloomberg | Getty Images An Equifax Inc. slide is displayed on a monitor during a House Financial Services Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2017. A group of state regulatory agencies has laid out detailed new requirements for how Equifax must conduct business, but …

China’s currency slid to a fresh six-month low against the dollar Wednesday, sparking speculation China could use a weakened yuan as a weapon if tensions with the U.S. turn into an out-and-out trade war. The idea is that China could let the yuan fall, making Chinese goods cheaper on the …

Small cap stocks have been racing ahead of large caps since February, and should continue to outperform despite their relatively high prices. Despite this week’s selloff, analysts still see plenty of upside for small caps simply because they are less exposed than larger companies to overseas markets, where U.S. companies …

Shares of National Beverage, the maker of the popular seltzer water brand LaCroix, dropped more than 8 percent on Wednesday as the Securities and Exchange Commission raised questions about some of the company’s sales measurements. The stock closed at $100.19 and has fallen more than 12 percent over the past …

An index that tracks oil and gas stocks is on pace for its best quarter since the final three months of 2011 as U.S. crude hit 3½-year highs on Wednesday. The SPDR S&P Oil and Gas Exploration and Production fund, better known as the XOP, is up more than 22 …