Finance

As more American couples opt for lab-grown stones, whoever buys the world’s most famous diamond producer needs to be as sharp at marketing as mining.

The activist has built a stake of nearly $2 billion in Southwest Airlines and plans to push for changes aimed at helping to fix the airline’s underperformance.

The advance leaves the year-to-date gain for U.S.-stock funds at 7.8%. Also: A flashback to the 90th anniversary of the creation of the SEC.

The Fed for years has targeted 2% inflation. Some economists think 4% would give the Fed more room to get out of downturns.

A group backed by BlackRock and Citadel Securities is planning to launch the Texas Stock Exchange, an electronic share-trading venue where companies can also list their shares.