COMPANIES

U.S. mortgage applications increased by 12.8 percent in the week ending Dec. 2, compared to the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA).

Bishop Eddie Long's announcement of his departure from the New Birth missionary Baptist Church on Sunday has uncertainty for the future of the church, The Associated Press has reported.

A deal with a native chief that Enbridge Inc held up last week as an example of rising support of their planned oil pipeline to the Pacific appears to be unraveling as the community battles over who has the authority to negotiate.

According to reports, the man known as the Geezer Bandit, responsible and wanted for robbing close to 20 banks throughout California, left some vital clues in his most recent robbery of a bank that could lead authorities to his capture.

The LG Nitro HD smartphone, made available on AT&T's networks on Sunday, is expected to face immense pressure from Samsung's Galaxy S2 Skyrocket, which, along with the HTC Vivid will be the first AT&T 4G LTE-capable smartphones.

The airline industry's leading trade group warned on Wednesday that airlines worldwide face over $8 billion in losses next year if Europe's politicians fail to get to grips with the region's debt crisis.

South Korean automobile manufacturers, Hyundai Motor (005380.KS), will raise prices of its cars in India by about 1.5 to 2 percent from January, the firm said on Wednesday, as it combats high inflation, rising fuel costs and a weaker rupee.

According to reports, the liquid coolant used in Chevrolet Volt batteries might have caused the fire that broke out inside the electric car. General Motors (GM) is, apparently, examining the possibility.

Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C), which announced Tuesday that it would cut about 4,500 jobs, could get faster regulatory capital than other banks, according to a Wall Street analyst.

Veena Malik has accused the FHM India Magazine of using a morphed photo of hers for a nude photoshoot and consequently sued it for $1.95 million. Now the magazine has countered Malik’s claim with a claim of $4.8 million.

Citigroup Inc. (C) Chief Executive Vikram Pandit said the bank will eliminate 4,500 jobs "over the next few quarters" in an effort to reduce costs, The Associated Press reported.

Americans are dining out at about the same rate they did last year, stunting the growth of the restaurant industry in an economy that remains sluggish.

The British oil company has alleged that Halliburton destroyed tests results showing unreliable cement was used at the oil rig where an explosion killed 11 workers and caused the region's worst environmental disaster, reported the Houston Chronicle.

Data is the lifeblood of all online marketing. Few people understand that better than Signpost CEO Stuart Wall, a man once knee-deep in the data-driven world of finance. Wall, who'd spent two years crunching numbers at Bain & Co., ditched his unglamorous gig as an analyst to start his own business. He now sits at the helm of the city's hottest advertising startup, Signpost.

Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. (NYSE: HIG) announced it will sell all of the assets of Hartford Life Private Placement LLC, a subsidiary that provides insurance to high-net-worth customers, to Philadelphia Financial Group Inc. for $117.5 million.

The company will partner with New York-based ProPublica, the Chicago Reporter, Philadelphia-based WHYY Radio and Los Angeles-based KPCC Radio.

The Dodge Dart, which became successful as a compact car in 1976, will be making a comeback in 2013, according to reports.

Bank of America agreed on Tuesday to pay $315 million to settle claims involving mortgage securities issued by Merrill Lynch.

Toll Brothers Inc., the largest U.S. luxury home builder, reported a net income of $15 million in the fiscal fourth quarter ending Oct. 31, or nine cents per diluted share, down from $50.5 million, or 30 cents per share, in 2010.

BNY Mellon Wealth Management has hired a former Goldman Sachs banker to join its ultra high net worth family advisory team in Los Angeles, the firm said on Monday.

U.S. home prices fell 1.3 percent in October compared to the previous month, the third consecutive month of declines, according to CoreLogic.

Thin film solar company Miasole is seeking a partner to help support its growth plan, but plans to remain a standalone company for now, its new chief executive said on Monday.

There is a significant chance that the Federal Reserve will embark on a third round of asset purchases to stimulate the U.S. economy, a major bond fund manager said on Tuesday.

When he retired two years ago, David Moskowitz promised himself he'd donate about 10 percent of his fixed income annually to charity. The 63-year-old from Niles, Illinois, had rarely deviated from his list of causes until two events this year made him reevaluate: the rise of Occupy Wall Street and the foreclosure on a neighbor's home after a layoff.

Microsoft is the latest technology giant to storm cable's barricades.

The value of Canadian building permits unexpectedly soared by 11.9 percent in October from September, as strength in the populous province of Ontario helped end three consecutive monthly falls, Statscan data indicated on Tuesday.

The Bank of Canada kept its overnight interest rate at 1 percent on Tuesday, as expected, and gave no suggestion of an impending rate cut even though its view of the European debt crisis has clearly darkened.

Susan Lyne, chairman of Gilt Groupe, Inc. and former president of ABC Entertainment, talked about learning from failure and adjusting to digital realities during TheWrap's third-annual Power Women breakfast Monday morning at the Hotel Bel-Air.

Charter Communications CEO Michael Lovett said the St. Louis-based cable company may be interested in forging an agreement with Verizon Wireless, according to Bloomberg. No other details were released regarding the plan.