International financial and business newspapers

The international financial press revolves around the Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, Les Échos, Handelsblatt, Il Sole 24 Ore and the Nikkei, complemented by Bloomberg and Reuters, in English and national languages, almost always behind a digital subscription.

From printed share prices to market terminals

Financial newspapers emerged in the nineteenth century to publish stock exchange prices. The Financial Times first appeared in London in 1888 and adopted its salmon-pink paper in 1893. The Wall Street Journal was launched in New York in 1889 by Dow Jones.

Which business dailies set the standard?

The Financial Times, owned by the Japanese Nikkei group since 2015, and The Wall Street Journal, controlled by News Corp, dominate in English. In Europe, Les Échos in Paris, Handelsblatt in Düsseldorf and Il Sole 24 Ore in Milan remain the national reference titles.

Business news published in many languages

English is the language of the markets, but each financial centre keeps its own press: German in Frankfurt, Japanese in Tokyo, Portuguese in São Paulo with Valor Econômico, Spanish in Madrid with Expansión. The Wall Street Journal long published a Chinese edition.

Regional and trade business press

Alongside the major dailies, regional titles follow local companies, and trade journals cover energy, insurance or shipping, such as Lloyd's List in London. In Belgium, the Belgian business press combines L'Echo and De Tijd for French and Dutch readers.

Newsletters, podcasts and specialist sites

Digital publishing gave rise to outlets such as Business Insider, Quartz and The Information in San Francisco, which focuses on technology. Morning newsletters, from FT Unhedged to Bloomberg's briefings, sum up the markets before London and New York open.

Reuters, Bloomberg and the financial wires

Reuters, founded in London in 1851, and Bloomberg, created in New York in 1981, sell their news and data to banks through terminals. Dow Jones Newswires feeds The Wall Street Journal. AFP also runs a business news service in French.

CNBC, Bloomberg TV and BFM Business on air

Business news channels broadcast prices around the clock: CNBC from New Jersey, Bloomberg Television and, in France, BFM Business. Public radio, such as France Culture or BBC Radio 4 with its economics programmes, offers more analytical distance from the markets.

Weeklies and analysis magazines

The Economist, a London weekly founded in 1843, takes a liberal line on economics. Forbes and Fortune publish rankings and company profiles. In Switzerland, Finanz und Wirtschaft follows the Zurich stock exchange, and The Banker is aimed at banking professionals.

Islamic finance, emerging markets and Africa

Islamic finance has its own specialist publications, presented on the page about the Islamic press and participatory finance. In Africa, BusinessDay in Lagos and Business Day in Johannesburg cover the markets, and Al Eqtisadiah in Riyadh reports on the Gulf economy.

Editorial independence and ownership

Business newspapers often belong to large groups: Les Échos to LVMH since 2007, and Il Sole 24 Ore to the employers' federation Confindustria. Newsroom independence charters aim to protect journalists from the interests of their shareholders.

Hard paywalls and the French-language press

The financial press runs the most closed paywalls, because its professional readers pay for information. In French, Les Échos, L'Agefi and La Tribune sit alongside the Belgian financial press with L'Echo, as well as Le Temps in Geneva.

How do you check a market rumour?

Before reacting to a takeover rumour, look for the company's official statement and the filing with the market regulator, the AMF in Paris or the SEC in Washington. Then compare the Financial Times, Reuters and a national daily from the country concerned.

Following global financial news every day

1. Choose an international daily, the Financial Times or The Wall Street Journal, and a national title such as Les Échos or Handelsblatt.
2. Add Reuters' free wires and Bloomberg newsletters for the fastest market announcements.
3. Set up alerts on the companies, currencies or commodities you follow through the newspapers' apps.
4. Listen to a morning business podcast or public radio for calmer analysis than the continuous feeds.
5. Compare how an English-language paper and the press of the company's home country read the same quarterly results.
6. Always go back to the source document: press release, annual report or central bank decision.

Subscriptions to the international business press

Reference points on the global financial press

• Dominant language: English; national press in French, German, Italian, Japanese
• Financial agencies: Reuters, Bloomberg, Dow Jones Newswires
• Dailies: Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, Les Échos, Nikkei
• Reference weekly: The Economist
• Key times: Tokyo open, London at 8 am and New York at 9.30 am local time
• Subscription currencies: pound sterling, dollar, euro, yen

Mistakes to avoid when reading the financial press

• Believing a fake news flash imitating Bloomberg or Reuters, spread on social media to move a share price.
• Confusing sponsored content or a press release reproduced verbatim with an investigation by the business desk.
• Sharing an old article about a bankruptcy or merger without noticing that it dates back several years.
• Using sites that copy Financial Times articles to get around the paywall, often riddled with malicious advertising.
• Taking an analyst forecast quoted by a newspaper as personalised investment advice tailored to you.

Questions about business and financial newspapers