Business News at a Glance

Inside Peek Shows Iranian Hackers’ Maturing Threat

Between breaking into the email accounts of U.S. government officials, political dissidents and international human rights organizations, Iranian hackers liked to joke about their slow internet service, poor pay and lack of skilled colleagues. In conversations obtained by security researchers, the hackers groused like any other startup employees, often frustrated by their lack of progress and inability to carry out more grandiose schemes. But the work being discussed had global ramifications and painted a picture of how Iranian hackers have matured over the past decade from defacing websites with crude photos and slogans. Now, they appear to be an organized workforce.

In Norway, Electric and Hybrid Cars Outsell Conventional Models

Sales of electric and hybrid cars in Norway outpaced those running on fossil fuels last year, cementing the country’s position as a global leader in the push to curb vehicle emissions. Norway, a major oil exporter, would seem an unlikely champion of cleaner-running vehicles. But the country offers generous buyer incentives and provides additional benefits once vehicles are on the road. Other countries have also ramped up promotion of hybrid and electric cars. China’s government wants 1 in 5 cars sold to run on alternative fuels by 2025, and France and Britain plan to end the sale of gasoline- and diesel-powered cars by 2040.

Hitmakers and Network Veterans Shocked by 21st Century Fox Deal With Disney

A top Fox TV executive said she was “shocked” when the deal between 21st Century Fox and the Walt Disney Co. was announced. One of Fox’s most prolific hitmakers, Ryan Murphy, said he was weighing whether he would stay when his deal with the studio ended this year. Now that Rupert Murdoch has agreed to sell much of 21st Century Fox to Disney, questions are swirling about the deal’s fallout. On Thursday, at a Television Critics Association news media event, top Fox executives tried to emphasize that it would be “business as usual” — at least over the next year.

Los Angeles Times Newsroom Voting on Whether to Unionize

Newsroom employees at the Los Angeles Times began casting ballots Thursday on whether to form a union, in what they believe is the first time journalists have held a union vote in the newspaper’s 136-year history. Workers are calling for more competitive salaries, equitable pay for women and minorities, more generous benefits and improved working conditions. A tally of the vote is expected to be announced Jan. 19. Times employees, who have seen repeated management and ownership turmoil over the years, have long expressed skepticism over their top leaders, but a wave of recent changes further strained their relationship.

Dow Closes Above 25,000 as 2-Year Rally Rolls On

The Dow Jones industrial average on Thursday closed above 25,000 points for the first time, setting a record for the 132-year-old index. The Dow ended the day 152 points higher, at 25,075.13, a gain of 0.6 percent. The other major stock indexes also gained. The Dow’s climb continues an ascent that began in early 2016. Underpinning much of the growth is a belief that corporate America will enjoy economic tail winds in 2018, including benefits from the recently passed Republican tax overhaul. In the December round of economic projections, the median forecast of Federal Reserve officials was that the U.S. economy would grow 2.5 percent this year.

Companies Warn of Hits From Tax Cuts. Don’t Be Fooled.

Over the next few weeks, some of the world’s biggest companies, including Microsoft, Google and Johnson & Johnson, are likely to warn that their financial results will be severely dented, if not altogether wiped out, by huge tax bills that they have to pay to the Internal Revenue Service. Don’t be fooled. The big one-time losses are a prelude to even bigger profits — a paradox caused by the tax cuts that recently zoomed through Congress and that largely benefit corporations. The biggest factor, by far, is the requirement that U.S. companies bring back money that they claimed to have earned via overseas subsidiaries.

Rise of Bitcoin Competitor Ripple Creates Wealth to Rival Zuckerberg’s

The virtual currency boom has gotten so heated that it is throwing the list of the world’s richest people into disarray. Consider what has happened to the founders of an upstart virtual currency known as Ripple, which has seen its value skyrocket in recent weeks. At one point Thursday, Chris Larsen, a Ripple co-founder who is also the largest holder of Ripple tokens, was worth more than $59 billion, according to figures from Forbes. That would have briefly vaulted Larsen ahead of Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg into fifth place on the Forbes list of the world’s richest people.