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Business and Finance: Boston Companies, Markets and Real Estate

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Boston business news from The Boston Report follows the companies, deals, jobs and property decisions that shape the city’s economy. This section covers what is happening downtown and in the neighborhoods: office leasing and vacancy, housing and redevelopment projects, acquisitions of Boston-area companies, and the rules and grants that matter to small business owners. It also looks outward at the markets, trade routes and prices that decide what local businesses pay and earn, from container shipping rates between the United States and Asia to the mergers that move national markets.

Recent coverage includes our Q3 2026 look at the downtown office market, the city’s small business grants and Main Streets programs, wage and sick time rules for small employers, and a report on who profits from higher shipping costs. Every story lists its sources, and where we offer our own view it sits in a section labeled Our Take.

Use the picks below for a quick overview, browse by topic, or scroll to the latest stories, which update automatically. For practical help, see the Boston Small Business Guide; for technology coverage, visit Technology and AI.

Start here: key business stories

Browse Boston business news by topic

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Boston small business

Illustration of Boston office towers and a construction crane for Boston real estate news

Real estate and development

Illustration of candlestick bars and a rising line for Boston business news on banking and markets

Markets and economy

Illustration of a container ship and port crane for shipping and trade news

Shipping and trade

Illustration of rising steps and an upward arrow for Boston startups and deals

Startups and deals

What we cover

  • Boston small business: city grants, licensing and permits, wage and sick time rules, and the local economy as small employers experience it.
  • Real estate and development: downtown and Seaport office vacancy, loans and approvals for new housing, and conversions of older buildings.
  • Deals and companies: acquisitions, headquarters moves, hiring plans and funding for Boston-area firms.
  • Markets, trade and the economy: mergers, shipping costs, energy and national economic data that reach Boston businesses.

Latest Boston business and finance stories

How we cover business and finance

We start from published reporting and official sources: company announcements, regulatory filings, city and state documents, and established news organizations. We use AI tools openly to help research and draft, and drafts are checked against their sources before they run. We do not do independent on-the-ground reporting unless a story says so, and we do not give investment advice. Each article links to its sources, and our own analysis is labeled. See our Editorial Policy and Corrections page for the full standards.

Boston business news: frequently asked questions

What does The Boston Report cover in business and finance?

We cover Boston companies, deals, jobs, real estate and small business rules, plus the markets and trade news that affect what local businesses pay and earn. Each story lists its sources.

Where can small business owners find help in Boston?

Start with our Boston Small Business Guide, then read our reports on city grants and Main Streets programs, minimum wage and sick time rules, and the licenses and permits needed to open a restaurant.

What is happening in the downtown Boston office market?

Our Q3 2026 report puts downtown office vacancy at 18.5%, per CBRE. We have also covered an Amazon sublease that puts more than half of One Boston Wharf Road on the market, pushing Seaport office availability to 27.9%.

Why are shipping costs from the US to Asia rising, and who profits?

Our shipping report found that direction matters: Drewry put Shanghai to Los Angeles at $7,624 per container on Oct. 8 but Los Angeles to Shanghai at only $806, and tanker owners are among the biggest winners. See the report for sources and caveats.

Are your business stories written by AI, and is there opinion in them?

We use AI tools openly to help research and draft stories built from published sources, and the founder, Peter Klausz, is responsible for what we publish. Where a piece includes our own view, it sits in a section labeled Our Take. Nothing here is investment advice.

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