US President-elect Donald Trump said pharmaceutical companies were "getting away with murder" in what they charged the government for medicines, and promised that would change, sending drugs stocks sharply lower on Wednesday.

Volkswagen took a major step toward resolving one of the darkest chapters in its history Wednesday, pleading guilty to an emissions-cheating scandal and agreeing to pay $US4.3 billion ($5.8 billion) in criminal and civil charges as the US announced charges against five new individuals.

Donald Trump plans to transfer all his business assets into a trust and putting his two sons in charge, a Trump lawyer said.

Beijing's sustained efforts to tackle excess steel production capacity has sent steel and iron ore futures in China upwards for a third day in a row to hit their strongest mark in three weeks.

Jack Ma got plenty of good press out of his meeting with the President-elect.

Toyota will invest $US10 billion ($14 billion) in the United States, company president Akio Toyoda says, days after US president-elect Donald Trump criticised its planned factory in Mexico.

Yahoo boss Marissa Mayer plans to leave the board if the sale of its main internet assets to Verizon is completed, while the investment company that will be left will change its name to Altaba.

It's best known as the maker of M&M;’s, Snickers and Dove, but a $10.5 billion deal will make pet care Mars' biggest business.

A senior Volkswagen manager has been arrested in the US and charged with fraud over the cheating of US emissions tests.

While wealth inequality has fallen across countries, within countries it has increased.

Mercedes-Benz is expected to reach its goal of becoming the largest premium car maker four years early.

Uber will share its data - starting with Sydney, Manila, Washington and Boston - in a bid to make good with city planners.

Martin Shkreli photoshopped his face onto a picture of Lauren Duca and her husband, as well as repeatedly tweeted about his love for her.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will invest $US1 billion in new US car manufacturing as President-elect Donald Trump pressures the auto industry.

A finance app has unveiled a special feature that alerts investors when president-elect Donald Trump has tweeted about a public company.

The Dow came within one point of 20,000 for the first time ever on Friday and the Nasdaq and S&P; 500 reached record highs, extending their two-month Trump rally.

Kimbal Musk - Elon's brother - just opened a shipping container farm compound in New York City.

Following the pounds' drop, increased costs for sourcing products such as Italian olive oil have made the branches "quite unsustainable," a spokeswoman said.

• COMMENT

Trump's cosying up to Vladimir Putin is straight out of the Nixon/Kissinger realpolitik playbook, seeking to befried Russia to better contain China, the country he sees as the biggest threat to the US as the world's biggest economy.

The promise of production cuts from OPEC and its partners sent oil rallying in 2016. Now traders want proof they're delivering on those vows. It won't come easy.

Shares of Toyota Motor Corp fell more than 3 per cent on Friday after US President-elect Donald Trump threatened to impose heavy taxes on the automaker if it builds its Corolla cars for the US market at a plant in Mexico.

It hasn't been a great time to be a man without a job. The jobs that have been disappearing globally, like machine operator, are predominantly those that men do. The occupations that are growing, like health aide, employ mostly women.

The era of Donald Trump, a man long associated with conspicuous consumption, figures to be good to a whole range of luxury-goods industries. But perhaps nowhere is that excitement greater than in the private-aircraft business.

• ANALYSIS

Federal Reserve officials expect Donald Trump's election to result in somewhat faster economic growth, but see little chance of the boom Trump has promised.

• COMMENT

The Facebook founder's no-show at Trump Tower may be linked to possible White House ambitions.

Earthquakes in Japan and devastating floods in China were the most expensive catastrophes of 2016.

Ford's decision to can a planned factory in Mexico stems more from its long-term goals than Donald Trump or devotion to US workers, analysts say. 

Top executives in Britain were set to make more money by Wednesday, January 4, than the typical worker would earn all year, new figures reveal.

The Coca-Cola Company is being sued by activists who compare the beverage giant's advertising tactics to the tobacco industry's past efforts in minimising the health effects of its products.