Business Briefs – August 21, 2018

How Microsoft Become The Internet Cop

Intentionally or not, Microsoft is emerging as a kind of internet cop thanks to its efforts to thwart Russian hackers. Not only is it virtually alone among tech companies in its aggressive approach using U.S. courts to fight computer fraud, but some question whether it is taking on a role more suited to government than to a private company.

Effort to Help Monarch Butterflies Gets Boost in Marketplace

MONTREAL (AP) — An initiative to market milkweed to help monarch butterflies is getting a boost from a Canadian parka company. Quartz Co. is renewing its commitment to sell coats made with milkweed floss. A cooperative of farmers in Quebec and Vermont is growing milkweed to help restore the monarch population and serve the demand for the fiber as a high-end clothing insulation. Montreal-area Quartz says that after a few years of trial runs, it is close to having a major product with milkweed parkas.

Ranks of Most Valuable Companies Shifted During Bull Market

NEW YORK (AP) — When the current bull market began more than nine years ago, many of the most valuable companies were concentrated in areas that investors considered safe. Today, companies concentrated in technology dominate the market, reflecting how much the stock market and the economy have changed.

Debate Over Longest Bull Market Centers on Rounding

NEW YORK (AP) — While some market experts, including those who compile the benchmark S&P 500 index, say the current bull market is about to become the longest in history, others contend it has almost three years to go to set the record. The debate centers around whether a downturn in 1990 should be considered a bear market, and the familiar mathematical concept of rounding.