European Midday Briefing: Stocks Struggle as -2-

Concerns about the risks tied to developing regions prevent many clean-energy investors from putting proportionally more money into those markets, but amplify potential returns for those who do, several investment firm executives said Tuesday.

"About two-thirds of the capital raised in the power sector is going to [investment] strategies in the U.S. and Europe and one-third goes to the rest of the world," said Torbjorn Caesar, chairman and senior partner at infrastructure-focused Actis. But most of the opportunities for investors are in the developing regions, he added.

Sizing Up the Economic Impact of the Baltimore Bridge Collapse

The containership crash that downed a Baltimore bridge Tuesday stands to snarl shipping along the East Coast for months.

Officials say the bridge collapse could affect port operations for a long time, forcing other ports in the region to take on extra shipments. Companies that transport cars and coal, two of the important categories of cargo that run through Baltimore, already are looking for alternative destinations.

More Chinese Companies to Be Added to U.S. Import Ban List

The Biden administration will enlarge a list of companies under an import ban because of their alleged ties to forced labor in China, an official said, a move that would intensify pressure on some corporate supply chains.

Many more companies will be added to what is known as the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List, Laura Murphy, a Department of Homeland Security policy adviser, said on Tuesday. The list catalogs companies and state enterprises the U.S. alleges are involved in the exploitation of forced labor from China's Xinjiang region.

Chinese President Xi Meets With U.S. Business Leaders

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday met with U.S. businessmen and scholars, as the world's second-largest economy seeks to attract overseas investment and prop up its ailing economy.

During the meeting, Xi called for more exchange and cooperation between the two countries, despite differences and disagreements, according to state-run China Central Television.

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This article is a text version of a Wall Street Journal newsletter published earlier today.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 27, 2024 06:47 ET (10:47 GMT)

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