A combination of nostalgia and increased spending power among its original fan base has propelled Pokémon cards from a playground craze to an asset class. Cards that have been professionally authenticated and rated for their condition have a combined estimated top market value of nearly $9bn.The Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the first time in three years, a sharp reversal that began taking back cuts it made last year and implicitly undercut the White House’s insistence that inflation isn’t a concern. The increase, approved unanimously, will raise the benchmark federal-funds rate range by a quarter point to between 3.75% and 4%.The EU has asked China to voluntarily restrict exports of hybrid cars as part of a deal to prevent a trade war. European carmakers are making mass lay-offs as cheaper made-in-China models flood the market and Brussels wants Beijing to rein in its industry or face higher tariffs.
