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Bernanke says more positive signs needed before scaling back stimulus

Wed, 22 May 2013 17:25:11 -0400

WASHINGTON - Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke Wednesday said it was too soon to scale back the monetary stimulus and the central bank needs to see further signs of traction before taking a decision. A decision to scale back the $85 billion in bonds the Fed is buying each month could come at one of the central bank's "next few meetings" if the economy looked set to maintain ...

Higher exports fail to plug widening Japan trade deficit

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:52:11 -0400

TOKYO - Japan's trade deficit rose substantially more than expected in the month April to 879.9 billion yen ($8.6 billion), which is a 70% jump over the trade deficit during the corresponding month a year earlier, the Finance Ministry said Wednesday.. The deficit, for the tenth consecutive month, was wider than what many economists had forecast. A survey from the Nikkei business daily ...

Vitamin C offers hope of tackling drug resistant TB

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:56:35 -0400

WASHINGTON - Adding vitamin C to existing tuberculosis drugs regime could shorten the therapy for drug resistant TB, claims new research findings published in the online scientific journal Nature Communications. The striking discovery, by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, has determined that vitamin C kills drug-resistant TB bacteria in laboratory ...

IMF warns UK against continuing austerity programme

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:53:31 -0400

LONDON - In a critique of the United Kingdom's austerity programme, the International Monetary Fund Wednesday urged the Europe's third largest economy to rebalance the policy to make the transition to a high-investment and more export-oriented economy. "The UK could boost growth by bringing forward measures already included in its fiscal plan, such as spending on infrastructure and job ...

Labour reforms to top US team agenda on Bangladesh visit

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:50:14 -0400

DHAKA - A high level US delegation led by the State Department's Under Secretary for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman will visit Bangladesh this weekend to press for a major overhaul of labour safety regulations following the nation's deadliest industrial accident, an official said Wednesday. The collapse of a nine-storey factory complex housing several garment units outside the capital last ...

Construction begins on new island off Jumeirah Beach in Dubai

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:26:18 -0400

Work began on Monday on the development of a man-made island in Dubai, 500 metres directly opposite the Jumeirah Beach Residence complex. To be known as Bluewaters Island, the new development will house five star hotels and resorts, al fresco dining and entertainment zones, and residential apartments and villas. The focal point of the island city, which will cost $1.6 billion, will be a 688 ...

Chidambaram says U.S. Federal Reserves statement misunderstood calls for calm

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:00:01 -0400

Finance Minister P. Chidambaram on Thursday sought to calm stock markets in India after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke suggested bond purchases could be scaled back if the U.S. economy improves. Addressing a news conference here, Chidambaram said fears that the Federal Reserve would start reversing its U.S. monetary stimulus programme were being misunderstood in stock market and investor ...

At midday Wall Street pares losses TSX still hurting

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:47:43 -0400

U.S. stocks and bonds were little changed on Thursday, with equities rebounding from what traders considered an excessive drop on Wednesday, though concerns remained over the pace of global economic growth.The midday strength in U.S. equities bucked a worldwide trend of weakness. European shares ended down 2 per cent while Japan plummeted 7.2 per cent on weak data from China and ...

Man who pretended to be member of Walt Disney family arrested

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:43:31 -0400

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. - Authorities say a man has been arrested after claiming to be a member of the Walt Disney family and giving away invalid Disneyland passes.Los Angeles County sheriff's officials say the man called himself "Stephen Disney" and had a fake driver's license and tax forms that falsely claimed income from the Walt Disney Corp.The statement says he gave ...

Unemployment aid applications fell to 340000 last week

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:43:23 -0400

WASHINGTON - The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell 23,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 340,000, a level consistent with solid job growth.The less volatile four-week average ticked down just 500 to 339,500, the Labor Department said Thursday. That's close to the five-year low of 338,000 reached during the first week of May. The four-week average is 9 percent ...

Market Extra Market carnage underlines dangers of overcrowding

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:41:47 -0400

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Japan's stock market plunge, a sharp rebound by the yen, and even the temporary whack taken by major U.S. indexes on Thursday all help demonstrate what happens when trades get too ...

Energy Stocks Energy stocks decline Marathon asset sale fizzles

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:41:46 -0400

-0.34% declined 0.4%. Marathon on Thursday said a deal to sell its 20% stake in the Canadian oil sands fell through and talks with a potential buyer have ...

Mothercare chief executive insists recovery on track despite fall in sales

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:38:39 -0400

Mothercare is crawling towards a recovery as chief executive Simon Calver insisted the UK company was on target to break even within two years.The mother and baby goods retailer saw UK sales drop 11% to 500m last year. It reported a loss of 21.7m, a slight improvement on the 24.7m loss recorded in the previous twelve months.The business turned in an impressive international performance, with ...

United Utilities bucks trend as FTSE 100 suffers biggest daily drop for a year

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:38:38 -0400

added 6p to 787.5p after the water company said it would raise its final dividend by 7.2% despite a 9.3% fall in full year profits, which was due to a decrease in deferred taxation credit.Peter Atherton at Liberum Capital said the numbers were in line with market ...

Falling investment poses another problem for Osborne

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:38:37 -0400

Ed Balls and Chuka Umunna chose their moment well. On the day that official figures showed that capital spending fell by 0.8% in the first three months of 2013, Labour released figures showing that Britain devotes a smaller share of national income to investment than any other G8 country. What's more, only Italy has seen a bigger fall in the investment share of GDP since 2010.George Osborne ...

What Microsofts Clever New Im A PC Im An iPad Spot Says About The Company

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:38:05 -0400

's largely unsuccessful 8-month campaign to market Windows 8 and its new Surface tablets got a reboot at last with a new spot that takes direct aim ...

Salesforce Earnings Climbing Costs Can Offset Revenue Growth

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:38:03 -0400

Salesforce.com is set to announce its Q1 fiscal 2014 (ending April 31, 2013) earnings on May 23. The company provides enterprise cloud computing and social enterprise solutions across businesses and is the market leader in cloud customer relationship management segment. We expect it to continue to post double digit growth driven by the growing adoption of its Sales Cloud and Service Cloud ...

Wagging the Dog Why Fed Fears Wall St.

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:35:46 -0400

the equity market has been a furtive goal of monetary policy--generally not part of Open Market Committee discussions but never far from mind. That surreptitious relationship came further into the open at the April 30-May 1 meeting, when Fed members discussed Wall Street expectations for the historically high level ...

Three More SAC Executives Subpoenaed

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:35:46 -0400

Three more senior executives at SAC Capital Advisors have received subpoenas to testify before a grand jury in the government's investigation into alleged insider trading at the hedge fund, Dow Jones reported. ...

Retailers Sue Visa and MasterCard

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:35:45 -0400

MasterCard on Thursday, breaking off from a proposed $7.2 billion settlement reached last year over fees to process credit-card transactions.The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan on behalf of many retailers that opted out of receiving proposed damages from the settlement.That settlement, pending in federal court in Brooklyn, would end litigation on behalf of merchants that ...

ISS Settles Charges With SEC

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:35:45 -0400

Institutional Shareholder Services, a leading proxy advisory firm, will pay $300,000 to settle civil charges that one of its employees shared sensitive nonpublic information about clients' votes in exchange for favors, ...

The Rise of the Cyberadvisor

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:35:44 -0400

Betterment , Columbia finance professor Geert Bekaert is teamed with industry professionals with distinguished track records. For all the doomsday headlines, how much of a threat the sites pose to traditional advisors remains to be seen. "That's great for the smaller account," said Gordon Peterson, an investment manager in Dallas. "It's taken off particularly with young ...

Microsoft to take Bing deeper into Windows Blue Xbox One

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:25:49 -0400

Microsoft's Bing is morphing from a "mere" search engine into more of a service that will power next-generation devices -- Windows Blue PCs and tablets, as well as the Xbox ...

Ply Gem shares rise in NYSE debut

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:23:09 -0400

PGEM.N ) rose as much as 14 percent in their market debut, valuing the company at about $1.55 billion, as investors tap into companies catering to the recovering U.S. housing ...

Carrefour falls back on doubts over emerging market retreat

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:23:08 -0400

CARR.PA ) shares dropped over 5 percent on Thursday, reversing gains from the day before, amid concerns the world's No. 2 retailer is pulling out of too many high-growth markets after the surprise sale of a Middle Eastern ...

Jobs housing data show economy has some muscle

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:23:03 -0400

The improving employment picture is helping to prop up housing, with rising home prices keeping domestic consumption supported, limiting the drag from tighter fiscal policy that is dampening factory ...

Large U.S. retailers sue Visa MasterCard over card fees

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:23:02 -0400

The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan on behalf of many retailers that opted out of receiving proposed damages from the ...

Glencore says Iran metals swap deals did not violate sanctions

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:23:02 -0400

GLEN.L ) said on Thursday that it had done nothing wrong when it engaged in metal swaps with Iran, rejecting a suggestion by U.N. experts that such bartering could have been a way of evading sanctions against Tehran over its nuclear ...

Forest Labs longtime CEO Solomon to step down at year-end

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:23:00 -0400

FRX.N ) said Howard Solomon, its chief executive of more than 35 years, will retire at the end of this year, capping a tenure that saw the company morph from a small generic and vitamins maker to a $10 billion ...

Netherlands Confirms Plan to Sell Urenco Stake

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:19:24 -0400

The Netherlands Thursday confirmed it plans to divest its 33% stake in Urenco Ltd., clearing the way for the sale of the world's second-largest nuclear fuel maker.Urenco supplies nuclear fuel to power plants in Europe and the U.S.The U.K. government also owns a third of the company, while Germany's top two utilities--E.ON SE (EOAN.XE) and RWE AG (RWE.XE)--hold equal shares of the ...

Lloyds to Sell $8.7 Billion U.S. Mortgage Portfolio

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:19:23 -0400

Lloyds Banking Group PLC is looking to auction about $8.7 billion of U.S. mortgage securities, a person with knowledge of the sale said Thursday.The assets are a mixture of risky non-government residential mortgage-backed securities issued by Wall Street banks before the financial crisis, according to Empirasign Strategies, a trade database. Demand for these bonds, known as nonagency RMBS, has ...

ISS Employee Leaked Proxy Votes for Concert Tickets SEC Says

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:19:23 -0400

Institutional Shareholder Services Inc., a proxy advisory firm that advises investors on corporate governance matters, agreed to pay a $300,000 penalty to settle charges that an employee leaked confidential information on proxy votes for roughly five years.The employee, who no longer works at ISS, passed along information about how more than 100 clients were voting in exchange for tickets to ...

Tata Steel Posts Biggest Quarterly Loss on Write-Down

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:19:23 -0400

Tata Steel Ltd. (500470.BY) Thursday posted its biggest quarterly loss ever as the company took a large non-cash charge on some assets write-downs, including in its key European market.Tata Steel reported a net loss of 65.29 billion rupees [$1.17 billion] for the January-March period, compared with a profit of 4.33 billion rupees a year earlier. Sales rose 1.0% to 341.80 billion rupees.The ...

Goldman Sachs Says It Adopts All 39 Initiatives To Address Conflicts Of Interest Other Business Issues

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:19:22 -0400

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) said it has adopted all 39 initiatives it proposed to strengthen its business practices in the wake of the financial crisis, a step designed to help both employees and clients move past one of most challenging chapters in the firm's 147-year history.Goldman's business-standards committee, a group formed just as the public backlash against the firm and its ...

MARKET SNAPSHOT U.S. Stocks Shake Off Worst Of Drop Dow Positive

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:19:22 -0400

NEW YORK – U.S. stocks recovered and turned mixed Thursday after Japanese equities dived overnight, as global markets reacted to weak Chinese manufacturing data and worries about the Federal Reserve potentially tapering its bond-buying program.The main indexes dropped early, but then started to lift off their session lows after data showed sales of new homes rose in April to the ...

Industry view pipeline reality check

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:18:00 -0400

The site provides a link to a paper from the Pembina Institute that reports that "A U.S. EPA analysis found that Keystone XL would cause up to 27.6 Mt in additional or incremental greenhouse gas emissions compared to existing sources of crude oil. This estimate reflects the higher-than-average greenhouse gas emissions from extracting, transporting, upgrading and refining oilsands." ...

Twitter doubling revenue An investors dream

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:16:50 -0400

current valuation is almost $10 billion . But unlike the disappointment that became Facebook, the value may be low enough, and revenue growing fast enough, that investors will ultimately be satisfied -- when Twitter finally decides to hold its ...

Hobby Lobby challenges birth control coverage

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:16:50 -0400

DENVER In the most prominent challenge of its kind, Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. is asking a federal appeals court Thursday for an exemption from part of the federal health care law that requires it to offer employees health coverage that includes access to the morning-after pill. The Oklahoma City-based arts-and-crafts chain argues that businesses -- and not just the currently exempted religious ...

European stocks slump in wake of Tokyo plunge

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:13:32 -0400

LONDON (AFP) - European stock markets slumped Thursday, with most indices dropping more than 2.0 percent after Tokyo shares plunged owing to weak Chinese data and signs that the US Federal Reserve may soon taper massive stimulus measures, analysts said.London's FTSE 100 index of leading shares fell 2.10 percent to 6,696.79 points, while in Frankfurt the DAX 30 index also dropped 2.10 percent ...

US STOCKS-Wall St dips as data HP offset stimulus fears

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:53:00 -0400

Thu May 23, 2013 12:53pm EDT * Encouraging economic data help stocks retreat from lows * HP jumps after raising 2013 outlook * Investors fret about timing of Fed stimulus pullback * Dow off 0.03 pct, S&P 500 off 0.3 pct, Nasdaq off 0.2 pct By Leah Schnurr NEW YORK, May 23 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks slipped on Thursday, recovering from session lows as encouraging domestic economic data and a rally in ...

New home prices rise at strongest rate on record

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:30:40 -0400

Furthering a trend that begin in early 2011, new home sales across the country increased to a 454,000-unit annualized pace last month, with year-over-year prices posting the strongest rate on record, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Economists at Wells Fargo Securities say that a 2.3 percent increase in sales from March to April exceeded analyst expectations. On a ...

Toro beats 2nd qtr. estimates despite cold spring

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:30:39 -0400

Sales and earnings rose despite unusually cold weather this year in North America and Europe that hurt residential sales of spring-related equipment, said CEO Michael ...

Oil falls after China manufacturing contracts in May US pump price at $3.66 as weekend nears

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:30:37 -0400

NEW YORK - The price of oil fell Thursday as weak manufacturing data from China raised questions about the strength of oil demand in the world's No. 2 economy. Oil's decline was exacerbated by sharp declines in global stock markets amid indications that the U.S. Federal Reserve's may pull back on its economic stimulus program. An earlier loss of $2 a barrel was trimmed by midday, ...

Shifting fortunes Which CEOs got the biggest pay cuts and the biggest raises

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:30:36 -0400

Here's a look at the CEOs that received the biggest raises and the biggest pay cuts in 2012 compared with 2011, as calculated by the executive pay research firm Equilar and The Associated Press. Whose pay rose the most: 1. Ronald Havner Jr., Public Storage, $15.4 million, up 456 percent 2. Dara Khosrowshahi, Expedia, $14.4 million, up 309 percent 3. Ralph Izzo, Public Service Enterprise ...

New antibody technology discovers drugs rapidly

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:30:09 -0400

The technology rapidly finds antibodies that can perform a variety of cellular functions, such as stimulating the growth of blood cells, modifying stem cells or imitating hormones. These are things antibodies don't normally do. In nature; these large protein molecules are made by certain white blood cells to fight invading ...

Foul lover launches thriving Rent-A-Chicken business

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:27:48 -0400

Folks are a-cluckin’ for Rent-A-Chicken-the first American business to offer hens on loan!Founder Leslie Suitor launched her feathery venture after neighbors in Traverse City, Michigan started cooing for local eggs as part of a growing farm-to-table trend. Now Suitor makes thousands of dollars a year loaning birds to folks all over North Michigan, and her operation has spurred a wave of ...

Alcoa police identify man who jumped from bridge

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:25:00 -0400

Jason Parks was admitted to the University of Tennessee Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries, according to Alcoa Police Department Det. Jason Ewing. Parks was listed Thursday in serious ...

Tesco will not pay executive bonuses

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:23:50 -0400

London - Tesco executives will not receive a bonus in the current financial year unless they can reverse a decline in profits at Britain's biggest supermarket operator, the company said in its annual report on ...

Microsoft mouse gets Windows 8 Start button

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:22:48 -0400

In the meantime the company is releasing a new computer mouse with a dedicated ';Start'; button, just behindits scroll wheel. The blue Windows button on the Sculpt Mobile Mouse launches the tiled home screen of Windows 8, which the company calls the ';Start screen.'; Used withWindows 7, the button launches the traditional ';Start'; menu. Presumablyit may be ...

European stock markets post heavy losses after Nikkei plunges 7 - live

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:22:29 -0400

BST The US stock market, though, is not joining in the selloff which began overnight in Japan and rippled around the globe. Almost halfway through the trading day, the Dow Jones index has just moved into positive territory - up 15 points at 15323. It takes more than a 7.3% plunge on the Nikkei to give Wall Street the ...

Tibetan activists launch boycott of InterContinental over hotel plans

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:22:27 -0400

The Potala palace in Lhasa, Tibet. Intercontinental Hotel Groups is involved in a 2,000-room resort due to open there next year. Photograph: Dan Chung for the ...

BT chiefs pay boosted by share price rise

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:22:25 -0400

BT chief executive Ian Livingston's annual earnings have risen to 8.5m, boosted by a rise in the company's share price which will also see 1,000 managers share windfall payouts averaging 120,000.Having overseen a 50% rise in BT's market value in the last year, Livingston has been granted shares worth 6m from the scheme, which was designed as a reward for a three-year turnaround ...

Xbox One Fan Reaction Shows Microsoft Has A Lot Of Work To Do

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:21:57 -0400

The crews have cleared away the demo stations and the journalists, analysts and publishers are back at work or traveling today, but the aftermath of the Xbox One reveal is being heard around the ...

Record High New Home Prices to Grow

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:19:31 -0400

Despite moderate moves higher in home sales, home prices are on a tear.The median price of a newly built home soared to $271,600, the highest level on record dating back to 1963, according to a new report from the U.S. Census. Prices are now 15 percent higher than they were a year ago for new construction and around ten percent higher for existing homes. "We've gone through a very long ...

HPs Whitman We Feel Good on Growth

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:19:30 -0400

Meg Whitman, CEO of Hewlett-Packard, shares insight on the firm's corporate earnings and turnaround plan. She tells CNBC's David Faber that revenue growth is possible in fiscal ...

Why Japans stock plunge unnerved Wall Street

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:13:37 -0400

NEW YORK -- It took Japan's biggest one-day stock plunge since the tsunami in March 2011 to remind investors around the globe that even a white-hot stock market can cool in a hurry when information changes and investors get spooked enough to question their investment thesis. In a span of 24 hours, the perception of stocks as the only investment worth owning in a world of rock-bottom interest ...

US STOCKS SNAPSHOT-Wall St pares losses Dow edges up

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:09:54 -0400

NEW YORK | Thu May 23, 2013 12:09pm EDT NEW YORK May 23 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks pared their losses on Thursday, with the Dow turning positive on strength in Hewlett-Packard Co and Boeing Co HP soared 14.1 percent to $24.22 a day after raising its profit outlook, while Boeing gained 1.9 percent to $99.82. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 3.90 points, or 0.03 percent, to 15,311.07. ...

Ranbaxy slumps after Daiichi Sankyo says was misled

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:06:04 -0400

Last week, Ranbaxy pleaded guilty to felony charges related to drug safety and agreed to pay $500 million in civil and criminal fines under a settlement with the U.S. Department of ...

New car sales seen up about 8 percent in May research firms

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:05:58 -0400

DETROIT (Reuters) - Auto sales in May are expected to rise about 8 percent and the annual sales pace should rebound back above 15 million vehicles after a disappointing result in the prior month, two research reports said on ...

Microsoft recruits Siri to bash Apple in new commercial

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:03:11 -0400

took aim at Apple and started to mock its products and users. Now, it appears Microsoft is going to try to take the same road to riches with Windows 8 and Windows RT. Alongside a new campaign that compares Windows RT tablets like the ASUS VivoTab Smart to the competition, Microsoft has debuted a clever ad that pits Apple's iPad against Windows RT. As the commercial shows off various ...

Refinery Status Exxon Reported Pipe Leak at Baton Rouge Refinery

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:03:07 -0400

The following table lists planned and unplanned production outages at U.S. refineries as reported by Dow Jones Newswires. The information is compiled from both official and unofficial refining sources and does not purport to be a comprehensive list.A leak was discovered in a process pipe at Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) Baton Rouge, La., refinery, the company reported May 22.Motiva Enterprises LLC said ...

State Bank of India Shares Battered After Fall in Profit

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:03:06 -0400

State Bank of India (500112.BY) Thursday reported a sharper-than-expected fall in its fiscal fourth-quarter net profit as the country's biggest lender by assets set aside more funds against bad loans, sending its shares down 8%.The bank said its net profit fell 18.5% to 32.99 billion rupees ($590.9 million) in the January-March period from 40.50 billion rupees a year earlier. The average of ...

J.P. Morgans McInerney Departs For Visa

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:03:06 -0400

J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.'s (JPM) consumer-banking head, Ryan McInerney, is joining payments company Visa Inc. (V) in the latest executive departure at the nation's largest bank.The New York bank said Thursday that it named Barry Sommers, J.P. Morgan's chief executive of wealth management, as Mr. McInerney's successor.Mr. McInerney is the second major J.P. Morgan executive ...

Sears Canada could be turning around despite Target

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:01:47 -0400

After an initial few weeks of blockbuster sales in Canada, Target Corp. has to get down to the serious business of selling in the categories where it counts: the repeat-business market segments dominated by Walmart and grocery ...

Sell cheap fuel and profit Delta Air Lines’ refining 101

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:01:46 -0400

NEW YORK -- Making money in the refining business is generally a pretty straightforward proposition: sell your fuel at the highest possible price relative to cost. But Delta Air Lines, the first carrier to expand into the refining business, is trying to find its profits by driving down the price of fuel as much as it can. So far, the airline is seeing the first sign of success: the ...

U.S. House passes bill to approve Keystone XL as White House vows veto

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:01:46 -0400

The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation to approve the Keystone XL oil pipeline, the eighth time congressional Republicans have advanced a measure promoting the ...

Going gets tougher for TD as mortgage lending slows

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:01:43 -0400

One of the key strengths of the Canadian banks is their diversified business model, allowing them to derive earnings from operations in capital markets, wealth management, insurance and other sectors. The idea is that when one business isn’t doing so well, the others can pick up the slack. The trouble is that for the past several years the lion’s share of profits for all the players ...

Trans-Atlantic pact between Air Canada Lufthansa and United wins EU antitrust approval

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:01:43 -0400

Deutsche Lufthansa AG and United Continental Holdings Inc. reached a settlement with European Union antitrust regulators, ceding airport slots in Frankfurt and New York in exchange for approval of their A++ trans- Atlantic venture also involving Air Canada. The European Commission said that the airlines also committed to reach ticketing and flight connection agreements with competitors as part ...

New home sales climb 2.3 percent in April

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:00:30 -0400

WASHINGTON Sales of new homes rose in April to the second highest level since the summer of 2008 while the median price for a new home hit a record high, further signs that housing is recovering. New-home sales rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 454,000 in April, the Commerce Department said Thursday. That was up 2.3 percent from March and just slightly below January's 458,000. ...

Help My boss is promoting the wrong person

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:00:30 -0400

(MoneyWatch) Dear Evil HR Lady,I'm writing because I don't know how to handle my entitled, know-it-all, gets-away-with-murder coworker. I work in a small office of four people, and I've been the HR assistant (doing generalist work) for five years now. The payroll coordinator thinks that, because she has been here the same length of time and has seen what we all do and gets the ...

Stocks open sharply lower

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:00:29 -0400

Jobless claims fall to 340K Stocks were down 2.7 percent in Germany and 2.6 percent in France. Japan's Nikkei plunged 7 percent but is still up 39 percent this year. Investors were spooked by minutes from the latest Fed meeting indicating that several policymakers are leaning toward slowing the central bank's bond-buying program, which has been keeping interest rates low and encouraging ...

Borders Gift Card Holders Left With Squat

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:57:46 -0400

(Image credit: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images) A judge ruled on Wednesday that customers who hold $210.5 million in gift cards from the defunct Borders chain aren’t eligible for refunds. About 17.7 million gift cards were outstanding when Borders began liquidating its stores in July 2011 after failing to attract offers for the company. Judge Andrew Carter for the U.S. District Court in ...

Former Chrysler Fisker CEO launches venture fund with Penske

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:46:32 -0400

By Deepa Seetharaman DETROIT | Thu May 23, 2013 11:46am EDT DETROIT May 23 (Reuters) - Tom LaSorda, the former chief executive of Chrysler Group LLC and Fisker Automotive, is launching a venture capital fund with racing magnate Roger Penske to invest in technology startups. The fund, IncWell LP, will provide initial investments ranging from $50,000 and $250,000. IncWell has "strong ...

US stocks sink after global rout

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:18:54 -0400

NEW YORK (AFP) - US stocks fell modestly Thursday after the plunge in the Japanese market sparked a selloff throughout Asia and Europe.A little more than an hour into trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 68.35 points (0.45 percent) to 15,238.82.The broad-based S&P 500 dropped 11.74 (0.71 percent) to 1,643.61, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index fell 13.91 (0.40 percent) to ...

Stocks fall in early trading on Fed stimulus concern contracting Chinese manufacturing

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:16:36 -0400

NEW YORK - Stocks fell in early trading, extending a sell-off that began Wednesday afternoon, after Chinese manufacturing unexpectedly contracted and on concern that the Federal Reserve may ease back on its stimulus program. The Dow Jones industrial average was down 50 points at 15,256 as of 10:28 a.m., a decline of 0.3 percent. It had been down 127 points in the early going following steep ...

What to know about refinancing

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:16:08 -0400

The housing market is soaring in part because mortgage rates have never been this low. However, rates have been slowly climbing back up with the improvement of the economy and better-than-expected jobless claims. Refinancing and lowering your rate can be a great way to increase cash flow if you are planning on holding onto the property as a long-term investment ...

Apricus sets offering price at $17.1 million

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:16:07 -0400

The shares include warrants to buy up to 3 million shares at an exercise price of $3.40 per share. Apricus has given underwriters a 30-day option to buy up to an additional 900,000 shares and warrants to buy up to an additional 450,000 shares to cover over-allotments, if ...

Financial Stocks Citi leads financial stocks lower

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:12:04 -0400

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) - Financial stocks tipped lower Thursday, tracking a drop in the broader global equities markets on concerns the Federal Reserve will reduce its bond-buying program and a drop in China's manufacturing index for ...

Tech Stocks H-P a big gainer as other techs trim losses

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:12:03 -0400

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Hewlett-Packard Co. shares flexed their muscles, and some other tech stocks advanced as the sector tried to pull itself out from big, early losses spurred by negative reaction to a slate of economic ...

Bond Report Treasurys benefit from flight-to-safety bid

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:12:03 -0400

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Treasurys were beneficiaries of investors' flight to safety on Thursday as global stock markets posted sharp losses, but lost most of their gains as the day wore ...

Market Snapshot U.S. stocks drop hit by Fed Asian selloff

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:12:01 -0400

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- U.S. stocks dropped in Thursday morning trade after Japanese equities dived overnight, as global markets reacted to weak Chinese manufacturing data and worries about the Federal Reserve's potential tapering of its bond-buying ...

Ford Motors to Leave Australia After 90 Years

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:09:50 -0400

Ford Motor Company announced Thursday that it would stop making cars in Australia within two years because high costs and low volumes mean it cannot compete with imported vehicles. Ford Australia chief Bob Graziano said that closing its plant in Melbourne and the other 60 kilometres further south-west in Geelong would see 1,200 workers laid off by October 2016. "Our costs are double ...

Savers face limited options despite fall in inflation rate

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:08:58 -0400

Savings for most continue to be eroded and there are only limited choices for those wanting to beat inflation. Photograph: Katherine Rose for the ...

Markets Global shares slide Spanish bond yields rise

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:08:27 -0400

Asian stocks plunged Thursday with Japan's Nikkei 225 plunging almost 7.3%; markets are down by 2% on average in Europe and they have opened off in New ...

US New Home Sales Rise Mortgage Rate Ticks Up

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:06:04 -0400

Sales of new homes rose in April to the second highest level since the summer of 2008 while the median price for a new home hit a record high, further signs that housing is recovering. A separate report out on Thursday showed that average rates on fixed mortgage rose for the third straight week, hitting their highest levels since mid-March. New-home sales rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate ...

Companies Try to Outwit Mother Nature

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:06:03 -0400

disastrous tornadoes in Moore, Okla., and last October's Hurricane Sandy, it has never been more critical to be able to forecast long range events. Big data analysis is turning the guesswork of yesterday's meteorology into a more precise and predictive science. Several big data companies are focusing on long-term weather modeling, and have found that by identifying patterns, comparing ...

Bernanke and IRS Two Brewing Storms

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:06:03 -0400

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke may have opened the first one. No matter that it is highly unlikely economic data will come in showing sufficient strong and sustained growth to justify tapering bond purchases any time soon ...

GameStops mobile digital sales rise earnings drop

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:58:34 -0400

GameStop reported an increase in digital and mobile sales but a decrease in earnings during its first quarter. GameStop Corp. reported a jump mobile and digital sales during its first quarter, but the companys earnings and sales of new software and hardware are still on the decline. The Grapevine-based gaming company reported a 290 percent increase in mobile sales of $46.8 million during its ...

China formally approves Boeings Dreamliner for use

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:52:41 -0400

BA.N ) 787 Dreamliner for use in the country, clearing the way for Chinese airlines to start operating the aircraft, which has been plagued with ...

Ally to contribute $2.1 billion to settle ResCap litigation

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:52:40 -0400

(Reuters) - Ally Financial Inc agreed to contribute $2.1 billion to Residential Capital LLC to settle claims that it stripped the bankrupt mortgage subsidiary of choice assets, paving the way for ResCap to pay back its ...

Movers Shakers Thursday’s movers Hewlett-Packard leads SP 500

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:50:58 -0400

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Hewlett-Packard Co. is back on top again on Thursday, leading the S&P 500, as the stock surged 13% in the wake of better-than-expected quarterly ...

Russia First Dep PM Satisfied With Rosneft Approach to TNK-BP Minorities

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:49:59 -0400

Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said Thursday he was "satisfied" with OAO Rosneft's (ROSN.RS) approach to minority shareholders in OAO TNK-BP Holding (TNBP.RS).State-controlled oil giant Rosneft acquired a 95% stake in TNK-BP, Russia's third-largest oil company, on March 21 from BP PLC (BP) and its partners, a group of Soviet-born tycoons.The minorities had ...

UK France Agree to Sign up to Resources Transparency Initiative

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:49:59 -0400

The U.K. and French governments agreed Wednesday to join a global initiative that requires oil and mining companies to comply with new disclosure measures aimed at tackling corruption, U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron said late Wednesday.The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative has been signed by governments, companies and other stakeholders in the oil, gas and mining sectors. It ...

JPMorgan International Bank Fined by U.K. Regulator

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:49:58 -0400

The U.K.'s financial regulator said Thursday that it had fined JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) International Bank GBP3.1 million for control failings at its wealth management unit.The Financial Conduct Authority said that the failings--which included not keeping client files up to date--continued for two years and weren't fixed until the FCA brought them to the bank's attention.The ...

Freddie Mac U.S. Mortgage Rates Rose Over Past Week

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:49:58 -0400

Average mortgage rates in the U.S. rose for the third consecutive week, potentially slowing some refinancing momentum, according to mortgage-finance company Freddie Mac (FMCC).Freddie Mac Chief Economist Frank Nothaft noted rates are nonetheless low and home-buyer affordability high, which should further aid home sales and construction in coming weeks.He said single-family housing permits rose in ...

STREET MOVES Merrill Hires 6 Brokers From Wells Fargo Morgan Stanley

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:49:58 -0400

Six financial advisers who in all manage more than $600 million in client assets have joined Merrill Lynch from the retail brokerage arms of Wells Fargo & Co. (WFC) and Morgan Stanley (MS).The moves took place in the last month, Merrill Lynch said. Among the advisers was Michael Dolle, joined Merrill Lynch in Winter Park, Fla., from Wells Fargo Advisors, where he generated about $1.7 million ...

JPMorgan appoints new consumer bank head

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:49:57 -0400

JPMorgan Chase said it has appointed Barry Sommers as chief executive of its consumer bank, which includes its wealth management unit. Visa Inc had earlier announced that JPMorgan's current consumer banking head, Ryan McInerney, had been appointed as president of Visa. McInerney succeeds John Partridge, whose term as president of Visa ended on March 31. McInerney will receive an annual ...

Stocks Trim Losses After Upbeat Housing Data

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:49:57 -0400

FOX Business: Capitalism Lives Here U.S. stocks remained stuck in the red Thursday morning amid jitters about China's economy and Fed policy, but the markets bounced off their lows following a better-than-expected housing report. Today's Markets As of 10:14 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 64.20 points, or 0.42%, to 15244.23, the S&P 500 dropped 10.20 points, ...

Ally in $2.1 Billion Settlement with ResCap Creditors

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:49:56 -0400

Ally Financial Inc. said Thursday it will pay $2.1 billion to its mortgage subsidiary Residential Capital and the unit's creditors under an agreement reached last week that could move the Detroit-based lender closer to repaying its government bailout.The amount is $1.35 billion more than what Ally previously offered to pay to fend off ResCap creditors trying to hold the government-owned ...

UBS to Meet Activist Investor Pushing for Bank Breakup

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:49:56 -0400

An activist investor pushing for a breakup of UBS AG (UBS) will meet with a top executive of the Swiss bank next week, according to a person familiar with the situation, providing a chance to pitch the financial giant on the idea of shedding its investment bank.The meeting between representatives of Knight Vinke Asset Management LLC and UBS Chief Financial Officer Tom Naratil will come roughly a ...

London attackers known to British security services

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:49:26 -0400

LONDON (Reuters) - Two British men of Nigerian descent accused of hacking a soldier to death on a London street in revenge for wars in Muslim countries were known to security services, a source close to the investigation said ...

Dont let your work be a limited engagement only

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:47:26 -0400

(MoneyWatch) When it comes to your real level of commitment to your work and the people your work touches, are you and your employees putting it all out there, or just phoning it in? Lots of things go into making a great employee (and of course great employees make great companies), and high on that list is engagement. An employee's true connection to her work, colleagues, customers and ...

Video Scoring financial aid for college

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:47:25 -0400

Applying for student loans can be complicated and confusing. CBS News Business Analyst Jill Schlesinger provides some of the most effective tools and tips for getting financial ...

Wall Street drops on stimulus plan unease China data

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:44:42 -0400

US stocks dropped on Thursday, with the S&P 500 on pace for its first back-to-back daily drop in a month amid investor concerns the U.S. Federal Reserve's stimulus may be scaled back sooner than hoped and after weak data in China. The S&P 500 had posted its biggest decline in three weeks on Wednesday after minutes from the latest ...

Turkeys investment gradebond market

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:14:05 -0400

We wrote here yesterday on howTurkish hard currency bonds have been given the nod to join some Barclays global indices as a result of the country's elevation to investment grade.Turkish dollar bondswill alsomove to the Investment grade sub-index of JPMorgan's flagship EMBI Global on June 28. Local lira debt meanwhile will enter JPM's GBI-EM Global Diversified IG 15 percent Cap Index ...

Stock slump continues on Wall Street

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:07:46 -0400

FILE - In this Thursday, May 2, 2013, file photo, Trader John Liotti works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Japanese stocks plummeted Thursday May 23, 2013 after a spike in government bond yields and unexpectedly weak Chinese manufacturing spooked investors sitting atop months of massive gains in share prices. (AP Photo/Richard ...

Asian European Stocks Plunge on Weak Chinese Factory Data

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:07:40 -0400

Japan's Nikkei stock index tumbled 7.3 percent after release of the report showing Chinese factory production dropped in May for the first time in seven months. It was the biggest one-day loss since Japan's March 2011 tsunami and nuclear disaster. Stocks in London, Paris and Frankfurt followed suit, dropping about 2 percent. U.S. future indexes fell ahead of the opening of ...

Apple enjoyed Irish tax holiday from the start

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:05:56 -0400

Reuters © Apple Operations International, a subsidiary of Apple Inc, is seen in Hollyhill, Cork, in the south of Ireland in this October 6, 2011 file photo. REUTERS/Michael ...

General Electric considering IPO for finance business - CEO

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:05:49 -0400

is considering spinning off parts of its financial arm, GE Capital, through an initial public offering as part of its plan to reduce the size of the business, Chief Executive Jeffrey Immelt said."The capital markets are very receptive to IPOs," Immelt said at the Electrical Products Group Conference in Florida on Wednesday. "I think you basically have as good a setting as you could ...

Hormel profits fall 4 percent

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:03:35 -0400

Hormel Foods Thursday posted a four percent decline in quarterly per-share profits, buffeted by high feed costs and weaker prices in its Jennie-O Turkey store ...

Heart failure drug passes Phase 2 trials

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:03:19 -0400

An experimental heart failure drug being developed by Zensun Sci & Tech improved heart function in five Phase 2 clinical trials, the biotech company said ...

Makers Quarter Preview look

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:03:19 -0400

Makers Mark, located south of City College, would include 2.9 million square feet of residential, office, retail and cultural uses, built around a plaza and East Village Green at a cost of about $900 million in present ...

Embryonic stem cell breakthrough questioned

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:03:17 -0400

The study said nuclei from skin cells were inserted into human egg cells and the chimeric egg cell was manipulated chemically and electrically to act like a fertilized egg cell. The egg cells then began growing what appeared to be embryos, which grew to the blastocyst stage, at which point human embryonic stem cells were extracted. The technology, known as somatic cell nuclear transfer, was used ...

Wall Street to drop at open

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:57:48 -0400

New York - US stocks were set for a lower open on Thursday, with the S&P 500 on track for its first back-to-back daily drop in a month, amid investor concerns the US Federal Reserve's stimulus may be scaled back sooner than hoped and over weak data in ...

Pandoras Earnings Can The Mobile Business Tune In Big Growth

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:55:31 -0400

Pandora will release its Q1 fiscal 2014 earnings on May 23. We expect improved mobile monetization even though the pressure on desktop monetization will continue due to the shift in ad ...

HPs Whitman Revenue Growth Possible in 2014

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:53:08 -0400

Meg Whitman, CEO of Hewlett-Packard, shares insight on the firm's corporate earnings and turnaround plan. She tells CNBC's David Faber that revenue growth is possible in fiscal ...

Assessing How Much Bond Investors Lost

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:53:07 -0400

10-Year Treasury yield hit a low of 1.38 percent. And on Wednesday, yields finished the day just shy of 2.04 percent, as investors became concerned that ...

Need Beer Try These Ballpark Mobile Apps

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:53:07 -0400

apps that would let you order right from your seat. Now, their apps and software are letting sports fans place orders at huge arenas, small minor league stadiums and ...

UK Slaps Fine on JPMorgan Wealth Unit

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:53:06 -0400

JPMorgan Chase 3.1 million ($4.7 million) on Thursday for failings in its wealth management division. The Financial Conduct Authority of Britain said that the unit's senior management had failed to provide clients adequate advice and carried out poor recording-keeping related to individuals' investments between 2010 and 2012. The problems included not keeping client files up to date and ...

Wall St. Opens Lower After Worldwide Slump

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:49:30 -0400

Following market declines around the world, Wall Street opened lower on Thursday after investors were rattled by signs of a slowdown in Chinese manufacturing and a potential easing of central bank support for the economy. The worst drop in share prices was seen in Tokyo, where the Nikkei index fell 7.3 percent, the most since the 2011 tsunami there. In New York, the benchmark Standard ...

WRAPUP 2-U.S. jobless claims data suggests labor market strength

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:45:24 -0400

* Weekly jobless claims fall 23,000 * Four-week average of claims slip 500 * May factory activity growth at seven-month low By Lucia Mutikani WASHINGTON, May 23 (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week, pointing to resilience in the labor market despite belt-tightening by Washington. Still, other data on Thursday suggested ...

Apax Partners to take rue21 private in $1.1 billion deal

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:39:44 -0400

LONDON - From ketchup to hot drinks, family-run investment firms are shaking up the consumer deals market, squeezing out private equity players and forcing them to change ...

Fed not that close to winding down stimulus Bullard

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:39:42 -0400

The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis' President and CEO James Bullard speaks during the ''Hyman P. Minsky Conference on the State of the U.S. and World Economies,'' in New York, April 17, ...

U.S. Would Approve Security Director at Sprint

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:36:53 -0400

In an unusual concession that highlights security jitters about China, the U.S. government will be allowed to approve a "security" director at Sprint ...

Goldman Worlds Apart from J.P. Morgan as Investor Meeting Looms

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:36:52 -0400

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) will hold its annual shareholders meeting Thursday morning in Salt Lake City, nearly 2,000 miles from the firm's Wall Street headquarters--and seemingly a world apart from the tension that gripped the yearly investor gathering for one of Goldman's biggest rivals, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. (JPM), earlier this week.J.P. Morgan Chairman and Chief Executive ...

Ralph Lauren Reveals Mixed 4Q Results

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:36:52 -0400

RL ) beat the Street Thursday morning with a 35% increase in fiscal fourth-quarter profits, but the apparel maker's revenue barely nudged and its full-year guidance failed to meet expectations. Shares of the New York-based company retreated more than 3% in premarket trading on the weaker-than-expected sales and below-consensus outlook. The company said it earned $127 million, or $1.37 a ...

Microsoft Uses Siri to Mock Apple in New Ad

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:36:52 -0400

featured the Heart and Soul duet ? Sure you do. Well, Microsoft is taking inspiration from it – but not to make their own musical ad, but to bash Apple’s iPad’s lack of real, useful features. The new ad for Windows 8 is called ';Less talking, more doing'; and it makes fun of Siri, who is rendered useless. ';Sorry, I don’t update like that,'; says ...

Need small scale tapering of bond buys when it starts Feds Bullard

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:36:51 -0400

LONDON – Federal Reserve policymaker James Bullard said on Thursday that the bank should wind back its support slowly when it starts the process. Speaking to reporters after a speech in London, Bullard said the Fed was likely to start tapering its bond purchases if the economy continued to improve and inflation picks up, and that he would be happy with reducing the buying slowly, by $15-20 ...

Futures Slide as Weak China Data Add to Fed Gloom

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:36:51 -0400

FOX Business: Capitalism Lives Here U.S. stock-index futures joined a global selloff Thursday after an unexpected contraction in China's manufacturing sector added to concerns about when the Fed will begin tapering its bond-buying program. Today's Markets As of 8:36 a.m. ET, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures fell 119 points to 15200, S&P 500 futures dropped 15.3 points to 1640 ...

Factory activity slips to seven-month low in May Markit

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:36:16 -0400

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Manufacturing slowed for a second straight month in May as weak overseas demand and government belt-tightening at home led to the sector's most sluggish rate of growth since October, a survey showed on ...

Eastern pipelines needed to revive Quebec refinery and petrochemicals industry

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:35:33 -0400

TORONTO -- Moratoriums and new regulations in Quebec are sending a signal to the investment community to take their business elsewhere, Franoise Bertrand, president and CEO of Fdration des chambres de commerce du Qubec said Wednesday. Ms. Bertrand was in Toronto to push her 1,200 members' pro-pipeline message as Quebec's minority government under Premier Pauline Marois takes a tough ...

Warning signs for China as factory activity shrinks for first time in 7 months

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:35:33 -0400

LONDON -- Chinese factory activity shrank in May for the first time in seven months, overshadowing signs that the eurozone's downturn tempered slightly in May, business surveys showed on Thursday. World stock markets tumbled after the Chinese data and also in response to U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, who hinted on Wednesday the Fed could soon pare back its bond-buying with new ...

Global stock markets slump

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:35:29 -0400

Investors worldwide sold shares on Thursday. That was because they were spooked by unexpected weakness in China’s economy, with factory activity there falling in May. In addition business activity surveys for the same month showed the eurozone headed for a second quarter of economic contraction. That followed on from the head of the US central bank, Ben Bernanke, signalling that it could ...

Smart ways to slash your weekday lunch tab

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:34:25 -0400

(MoneyWatch) Eating healthy -- let alone losing weight -- while putting in long days at the office isn't a piece of cake. Buying sandwiches, wraps and super-sized salads drenched in dressing at the corner cafe can add unwanted padding to your waistline as well as your credit card statement. But you don't necessarily have to pack your lunch every day to eat better, especially since ...

Jobless claims fall to 340K

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:34:25 -0400

WASHINGTON The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell by 23,000 last week, further evidence that the job market is slowly returning to health. Applications for unemployment aid declined to a seasonally adjusted 340,000 in the week ending May 18, the Labor Department said Thursday. That's down from 363,000 the previous week and a level consistent with solid job gains. The ...

U.S. equities sell-off goes on futures slump

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:34:24 -0400

NEW YORK The momentum of a late sell-off on Wall Street is carrying through for a second day, with U.S. futures and global stock markets in retreat. Dow Jones industrial futures are down 102 points to 15,218. S&P futures have lost 13.2 points to 1,642.40. Nasdaq futures are down 23.25 points to 2,977.75. U.S. stocks began selling off late Wednesday when minutes from the Federal Reserve left ...

Japans Nikkei stock index dives 7.3 percent

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:34:23 -0400

LONDON Financial markets around the world were roiled Thursday after Japanese stocks suffered their biggest slide since the country was hit by a devastating tsunami more than two years ago. Several reasons have been blamed for the 7.3 percent fall in the Nikkei index to 14,483.98, including a spike in Japanese government bond yields and unexpectedly weak Chinese manufacturing figures. Mixed ...

49 Chicago schools to close

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:26:48 -0400

The Chicago Board of Education has voted to shut 49 elementary schools and transfer 27,000 students to new classrooms, officials said. Chicago Public Schools Chief Executive Officer Barbara Byrd-Bennett gave four other schools, which were scheduled for closing, a last-minute reprieve. Wednesday's vote came after months of arguments over ...

UPDATE 1-Nigerias NNPC and Exxon unit to tap bond market by 2016

Thu, 23 May 2013 08:59:41 -0400

Thu May 23, 2013 8:59am EDT * NNPC funding problems holding back oil projects * Exxon and NNPC joint venture has 550,000 bpd oil capacity By Joe Brock and Emma Farge ABUJA/GENEVA, May 23 (Reuters) - Nigeria's state-oil company and a local unit of Exxon Mobil plan to tap the bond market by 2016 to fill a funding shortfall in developing oil exploration projects, the companies have said. The ...

Marathon Oil says no deal reached for sale of oil sands stake

Thu, 23 May 2013 08:56:27 -0400

Thu May 23, 2013 8:56am EDT May 23 (Reuters) - Marathon Oil Corp said on Thursday that negotiations to sell a portion of its 20 percent stake in the Athabasca Oil Sands Project in Canada had ended without a deal. An agreement with the prospective purchaser was not reached and the company is not engaged in any other discussions to sell the assets, Marathon said. The company disclosed the ...

Argentina Repsol struggle to bridge gap over YPF compensation

Thu, 23 May 2013 08:53:17 -0400

, there seems little prospect of a quick deal on compensation despite signs that both sides would rather avoid a costly, drawn-out legal battle.The Latin American country's lack of funds and its limits on the control private firms have over their investments - which could deter Repsol from accepting other assets in any settlement - pose major obstacles to a deal, according to ...

Currencies Dollar tumbles vs. yen as Japan leads global rout

Thu, 23 May 2013 08:46:42 -0400

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- The U.S. dollar slumped on Thursday, with the yen soaring as Japanese stocks plunged in the wake of disappointing Chinese data and fears the U.S. Federal Reserve could soon begin to reduce its bond ...

Earnings Outlook Pandora expected to report sales gains

Thu, 23 May 2013 08:46:41 -0400

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Pandora Media Inc. is set to deliver its first-quarter results after the close of trading Thursday, and the results come at a time of rising competition and executive change at the online radio ...

Tesco checkout staff see bonus pot halved as profits slump

Thu, 23 May 2013 08:44:16 -0400

Checkout staff at Tesco have seen their annual shares bonus pot halved after the supermarket giant slumped to its first annual profits fall in nearly 20 ...

Microsoft boosts Japan Azure offering adds data centers

Thu, 23 May 2013 08:40:58 -0400

IDG News Service - Microsoft will boost its Azure cloud offering in Japan, adding two domestic data centers to speed response times and improve reliability in the face of natural disasters. The software giant said Thursday that it would add cloud-based hosting services in two regions, one near Tokyo and one in the Kansai region further south. Redundancy is a priority in earthquake-prone Japan, ...

Jobless Claims Get Better but Remain at High Level

Thu, 23 May 2013 08:40:51 -0400

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 23,000 to a seasonally adjusted 340,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday, pushing back below the 350,000 mark that economists normally associate with a firming job market. Claims for the prior week were revised to show 3,000 more applications received than previously reported. Economists polled by Reuters had expected first-time ...

Bernanke Confused Everybody Dennis Gartman

Thu, 23 May 2013 08:40:50 -0400

Dennis Gartman, founder and editor of The Gartman Letter, says tapering is still up for debate following Bernanke's Congress address and adds that as the underlying economy gets stronger, capital will come out of the equity ...

House to Vote on Student Loan Plan

Thu, 23 May 2013 08:40:50 -0400

Facing a deadline in which federal loan rates would double for 7 million college students, House lawmakers on Thursday are ready to pass legislation that links student loan rates to the financial markets. President Barack Obama has threatened to veto the measure. Under the legislation introduced by Republican Reps. John Kline of Minnesota and Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, subsidized and ...

Twitter Ups Security to Prevent Further Hacking

Thu, 23 May 2013 08:40:50 -0400

Following a spate of high-profile security breaches, Twitter has introduced an optional two-step login for users in an attempt to combat further attacks which it said has cleared the way for tougher security measures in the future. The social media website said users will be asked to register a phone number, which will be verified, and confirm their email address in an effort to prevent accounts ...

Microsoft recruits Siri to highlight the iPad’s failings

Thu, 23 May 2013 08:38:46 -0400

Scroogled " campaign, because Microsoft is just attacking Google rather than focusing on selling its own products. It's a negative campaign dressed up as consumer championing, and I don't think it does the software giant any favours. However, I do like the new Windows 8 commercial which is a clever attack on the Apple iPad (a device I own and ...

Unilevers CEO has a green thumb

Thu, 23 May 2013 08:33:55 -0400

Paul Polman calls himself a "hard-core capitalist." Sometimes you have to wonder. The day he became the chief executive of Unilever in 2009, Polman said the consumer products giant would stop providing earnings guidance and quarterly profit reports. "I figured that the day they hired me, they can't fire me," he says, "so that was probably the best moment to do ...

Dover to spin off some communication technologies businesses

Thu, 23 May 2013 08:27:42 -0400

"Given the evolution of their unique business model, these businesses can now pursue a more aggressive growth strategy together as a standalone company," Chief Executive Robert A. Livingston said in a ...

Deutsche bosses seek to win over skeptical shareholders

Thu, 23 May 2013 08:27:40 -0400

DBKGn.DE ) bosses tried to convince skeptical shareholders at a lively annual meeting on Thursday that the bank was on the right track again after facing a host of legal ...

Hewlett-Packard shares up 12 after earnings beat

Thu, 23 May 2013 08:25:42 -0400

+0.57% shares were up more than 12% in premarket trading on Thursday after the firm reported better-than-expected earnings for the second-quarter. The tech-giant was able to hold margins on its products, despite a drop in earnings. The firm is going through a turnaround which could take several years, said Meg Whitman, who took over as CEO in ...

Microsofts Xbox One reflects game change in home entertainment

Thu, 23 May 2013 08:25:13 -0400

Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday unveiled the Xbox One, a next-generation video game console that aspires to be more than just a plaything. Not only will the Xbox One deliver an amped-up game experience, but it also will let users watch live TV, rent a movie and listen to music. Viewers can use their voice and gestures to control the TV too. Want to change the channel? Just tell the Xbox One to turn ...

Toronto-Dominion Bank 2nd-Quarter Profit Edges Higher

Thu, 23 May 2013 08:24:48 -0400

Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD), kicking off earnings season for Canada's big banks, said Thursday its second-quarter profit edged up 1.8%, helped by contributions from its personal and commercial banking operations in Canada and the U.S.TD, Canada's second-biggest bank by assets, said it's "pleased" with results for the quarter "given the backdrop of low interest rates ...

Glencore Xstrata Announces Inaugural $5 Billion Five-Tranche Bond Issue

Thu, 23 May 2013 08:24:48 -0400

Mining and commodities-trading giant Glencore Xstrata PLC (GLEN.LN), Thursday enounced the launch and pricing of a dollar denominated issue of notes in a $5 billion five-tranche transaction comprising 3 year, 5 year and 10 year fixed-rate Notes and 3 year and 5 year floating-rate Notes, issued through its subsidiary Glencore Funding LLC.MAIN FACTS:-Glencore Xstrata will use the net proceeds of ...

Salzgitter Warns High Costs Will Continue to Depress Earnings

Thu, 23 May 2013 08:24:46 -0400

German steelmaker Salzgitter AG (SZG.XE) Thursday warned that high commodity and energy prices will continue to depress its earnings in coming months as demand in much of its European core market remains muted due to the economic and fiscal crisis in the euro zone.Speaking to shareholders at the company's annual general meeting, Chief Executive Heinz Joerg Fuhrmann said that steel demand in ...

ECB seeks new tools while Fed toys with exit

Thu, 23 May 2013 08:24:08 -0400

PARIS/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The European Central Bank is looking into expanding its range of policy tools, while the U.S. central bank is mulling scaling back its support measures, highlighting the contrasting fortunes between the world's two biggest economic ...

5.23.13 TD kicks off Bay Street earnings parade

Thu, 23 May 2013 08:23:29 -0400

set the tone for Canada’s banking season today with a modest profit rise and plans to buy back 1.3% of its shares. The first of Canada’s big banks to report earnings, TD Bank Group pretty much met analysts’ expectations with a 1.8% profit increase. Net income for the period ended April 30 climbed to $1.72 billion, or $1.78 a share, from $1.69 billion, or $1.78, a year earlier, ...

Student debt repayment options offer hope

Thu, 23 May 2013 08:22:38 -0400

(MoneyWatch) The statistics are alarming. Student borrowing, which has ballooned 300% in less than a decade, now stands at $1.1 trillion. Worse, roughly one in 10 borrowers has fallen into default. Defaults not only burden cash-strapped borrowers with a plethora of penalty fees. They can ruin a young adult's credit rating, making it virtually impossible for him or her to buy a house or a ...

Turn off Windows 8 with one click

Thu, 23 May 2013 08:22:37 -0400

(MoneyWatch) People have complained about Windows 8 since the day the new operating system shipped. At the top of the list is the absence of any start button. In another ...

Celeb housing Ellen buys Drew sells Hugh Hefner on the move

Thu, 23 May 2013 08:22:37 -0400

(MoneyWatch) Hollywood's rich and famous have been making big moves in real estate the past few weeks. It seems like every day a different celebrity is spending millions of dollars on a new home. It must be these low interest rates.Ellen DeGeneres bought a super-pricey property, while Hugh Hefner gifted his new wife a new home and Jennifer Lopez finally has a place in the Hamptons for the ...

Global Stocks Plunge After Japan Selloff

Thu, 23 May 2013 08:20:04 -0400

Morning Business Memo… Wall Street may be in for a wild ride today after a sharp retreat for stocks in Japan. US stock futures dropped after the Nikkei index in Tokyo plunged 7.3 percent overnight, its worst one-day loss in more than two years. Global stock markets are in retreat, hammered by a one-two punch. The first blow was struck when US markets turned from gains to losses after the ...

YOUR MONEY-Wall St. on the silver screen Pros pick top movies

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:59:58 -0400

Thu May 23, 2013 7:59am EDT (The author is a Reuters contributor. The opinions expressed are his/her own.) By Chris Taylor NEW YORK May 23 (Reuters) - In the annals of Hollywood, Wall Street has not been treated very kindly. From "Wall Street" to "Boiler Room", "Trading Places" to "American Psycho", the halls of finance are usually portrayed as places of shiny ...

UPDATE 2-UK regulator fines JPMorgan 3 million pounds

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:39:14 -0400

Thu May 23, 2013 7:39am EDT LONDON May 23 (Reuters) - Britain's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said it has fined a wealth management unit of U.S. bank JPMorgan Chase 3.08 million pounds ($4.6 million) for being unable to show it was giving clients the right advice. The FCA said on Thursday the failings were not corrected until the watchdog brought them to the bank's attention in the ...

Investec slides after earnings miss

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:34:51 -0400

Johannesburg - Shares of Investec drop 2.5 percent to 70.9 rand after the South African investment bank and asset manager's full-year earnings fall short of lofty market ...

Microsoft Surface Pro a device of many talents

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:33:37 -0400

mystery press conference in Los Angeles on 19 June last year. Indeed, it was something of a shock, because for the first time, Microsoft was competing against its biggest customers: Windows PC suppliers such as Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Samsung and ...

Post Office workers to strike for fifth time since Easter over closure plans

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:33:32 -0400

Customers encounter locked doors at a Post Office in Newport during a strike on the Tuesday after the first May bank holiday. Photograph: Tim ...

Qinetiq could sell US business after defence cuts lead to profit fall

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:33:30 -0400

- the business often said to be the inspiration for the spy's weapons expert Q - does not appear to be as successful.Full year underlying profits up 6% to 152m, with a positive performance from its UK services business. But defence budgets are under pressure worldwide, with possible contract delays and modifications, especially in the US, where Qinetiq's services business saw profits ...

Concerns over underlying health of UK economy as 0.3 growth confirmed

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:33:28 -0400

Stockpiling by British businesses accounted for much of the growth in the UK economy in the first three months of the year, adding to concerns that its underlying health remains weak.GDP growth was confirmed at 0.3% by the Office for National Statistics after inventories increased by 0.4%.The ONS said business investment, a key indicator of the economy's wellbeing, fell 0.4% and consumer ...

Does Asia Slump Signal US Correction

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:30:19 -0400

: "I think I'd be more likely to be buyer than a seller. First of all, markets correct from time to time. That's natural whether it's in Japan or over here." "We want the Fed to taper because that means the economy is getting better," Keon added, saying the underlying economy is "stronger than people think" because the fiscal drag of the tax increases ...

Housing Hype Is Overblown Pros

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:30:18 -0400

Housing is good but not great, and unlikely to fulfill Wall Street's expectations that it will be a leading force in a robust recovery, according to a group that is one of industry's most prominent voices. Despite data points that in some cases are at multi-year highs, Robert Shiller, Karl Case and David Blitzer believe there are multiple headwinds that will keep a lid on housing gains. ...

Recessions Hurt but Austerity Kills

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:30:18 -0400

An international study on recessions and governments' responses to them has found that cuts to healthcare systems prompted by fiscal austerity are making matters far worse--for both governments and society. David Stuckler, a sociology professor at Oxford University and co-author of the book "The Body Economics," told CNBC on Thursday that responses to recessions had not only been ...

Warning signs for China Fed hints at curbing stimulus

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:17:23 -0400

LONDON (Reuters) - Chinese factory activity shrank in May for the first time in seven months, overshadowing signs that the euro zone's downturn tempered slightly in May, business surveys showed on ...

Pearson switches Financial Times into new business division

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:13:50 -0400

Pearson .As part of the organisation's restructure, the FT Group will disappear and the newspaper will become part of a unit called "professional". Its chief executive will be John Ridding, who is currently CEO of the FT group.Professional will also include Pearson's global English learning business and its electronic testing business. It is hard to see what these three very ...

Feds Bullard QE Most Effective Stimulus When Rates near Zero

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:13:33 -0400

The Federal Reserve's policy of asset purchases is still the most effective way to provide additional monetary stimulus when interest rates are close to zero, and the central bank should stick with its current policy, St. Louis Fed chairman James Bullard said Thursday.Mr. Bullard reiterated his belief in using unconventional policy measures, in a speech that assessed various options for ...

UMW Holdings to Add to Drilling Rig Fleet With $223 Million Purchase

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:13:33 -0400

UMW Holdings Bhd (4558.KU), Malaysia's state-backed industrial conglomerate, said Thursday that its unit has signed a pact with S.D. Standard Drilling PLC to buy a jack-up drilling rig for $223 million.The rig is currently being built and is expected to be ready for delivery in May 2014, UMW said in a statement.The new rig will add to UMW Oil & Gas's current fleet of four offshore ...

VTB in Talks to Exit Rosbank

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:13:32 -0400

Russia's VTB Bank (VTBR.RS) said Thursday that it is in talks about exiting French Societe Generale SA's (GLE.FR) Russian unit, whose chief was arrested last week for allegedly taking a bribe."We are in talks about exiting Rosbank. This is not a strategic investment for VTB. However, the terms and conditions of any deal will depend on market conditions," VTB, which holds an ...

LONDON MARKETS U.K. Stocks Slide As Miners Drop On China Data

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:13:32 -0400

LONDON – U.K.'s benchmark FTSE 100 stock index retreated from a 13-year high on Thursday, with resource firms adding pressure after disappointing Chinese manufacturing data fueled worries about growth recovery in the Asian nation.The FTSE 100 index slumped 1.9%, after climbing to the highest close since December 1999 on Wednesday.Mining firms were among biggest decliners, after ...