National Business

North American stock markets were largely flat Wednesday as investors took a breather in advance of Friday's meeting of the U.S. Federal Reserve in Jackson Hole, Wyo. The S&P/TSX composite index was up 36.03 points at 20,021.38.

MONTREAL — National Bank of Canada's profits slipped from a year ago on higher provisions for credit loss, but third-quarter results were buffered by resilient trading revenue and higher net interest income.

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — The man behind a pitch to build a wind-powered hydrogen facility in western Newfoundland says a recent visit to the region from Canadian and German leaders signalled a big start for Atlantic Canada's hydrogen industry.

TORONTO — Rising interest rates gave a boost to RBC's earnings in the third quarter, but the benefits were outweighed by a significant pullback in capital markets and the deteriorating economic outlook that higher borrowing costs have also triggered.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced detailed plans to deliver on a campaign promise to provide $10,000 in student debt cancellation for millions of Americans — and up to $10,000 more for those with the greatest financial need

TORONTO — Rio Tinto has raised its offer for the 49 per cent stake in Turquoise Hill Resources Ltd. that it does not already own. Turquoise Hill holds a majority stake in the Oyu Tolgoi project in Mongolia.

OTTAWA — The Conference Board of Canada says the Prairie provinces will likely be the top economic performers this year, even as the Bank of Canada's inflation-fighting measures quell the country's overall economic output.

MONTREAL — GardaWorld is on an acquisition spree, completing its 10th deal of the year so far with the purchase of cash technology solutions business ARCA.

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are stuck in a holding pattern in early trading as Wall Street waits for a highly anticipated speech about interest rates scheduled for the end of the week. The S&P 500 was little changed early Wednesday.

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Wednesday he has instructed his government to consider developing safer, smaller nuclear reactors, signaling a renewed emphasis on nuclear energy years after many of the country's plants were sh