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
Shipping Costs US to Asia Surge: Who Is Profiting and Who Pays
Shipping costs US to Asia are surging in October 2026. See container, tanker, grain and air cargo rates, and who is profiting versus who pays, with sources.
Browse Boston business news by topic
Boston small business
Real estate and development
Markets and economy
Shipping and trade
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
Paramount Warner Bros Merger Closes, Creating Skydance
Paramount Skydance closed its $110B Warner Bros Discovery takeover Oct. 6, forming Skydance (NYSE: SKYD). What it owns and what happens to HBO Max.
October 7, 2026
Uber ezCater Acquisition: $2.3B Deal for Boston Catering Firm
The Uber ezCater acquisition, a $2.3 billion all-cash deal, will fold Boston's workplace catering platform into Uber Eats. Here's what the deal means locally.
October 7, 2026
ChatGPT Visual Ads Will Appear Beside AI-Generated Images
OpenAI will test labeled display ads beside ChatGPT image generation in the U.S. later this month, and adds measurement and brand-safety partners.
October 5, 2026
Harvey Boston Office: Legal AI Firm Plans 40 Local Hires
Legal AI company Harvey is opening a Harvey Boston office this fall, plans at least 40 hires, and aims to sit near the downtown…
October 5, 2026
Harvard Business Review Latest: AI and Leadership Themes
Harvard Business Review is focused on AI verification, trust, cybersecurity and CEO leadership tempo. See what HBR is publishing now, with linked sources.
October 2, 2026
GREAT Trust Gaza Reconstruction: Companies, Funding
GREAT Trust Gaza reconstruction explained: the 38-page plan, firms named (BCG, Blair Institute), the $70-100B funding model and $71.4B cost estimate.
October 2, 2026
FTC OpenAI Anthropic Probe Targets AI Product Risks
The FTC OpenAI Anthropic probe will seek records and executive testimony after agent hacks, CNBC and Reuters confirmed Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026.
September 30, 2026
Allston Harvard Avenue Business Closings Add Up This Fall
Allston Harvard Avenue business closings continue as The Pet Shop shuts Sept. 30 and Blanchard’s Liquors plans an October exit after decades on the…
September 28, 2026
Boloco Last Restaurant Gets Reprieve at 50 Congress St.
Boloco last restaurant update: the 50 Congress St. counter will stay open through at least Oct. 16 after its new owner granted three more…
September 28, 2026
Logan Airport Fuel Crunch Adds to Nor’easter Cancellations
Logan Airport fuel deliveries stalled as the nor’easter kept barges out of Boston Harbor, adding to Delta cancellations and forcing airlines to tanker fuel.
September 27, 2026
Amazon Blocks Meta Muse AI Shopping Agent
Amazon locked Meta’s Muse AI agent out of shopping while Shopify opened Shop Pay, framing who controls agentic commerce.
September 27, 2026
Report: Cuba’s Economic Collapse and the Deepening Energy Crisis
Cuba faces rolling blackouts, fuel and food shortages and public unrest as U.S. limits on oil shipments tighten. What reports say and why the…
May 20, 2026How 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.
Explore more: Boston News · Politics and Government · all topics.