COMPANIES

Dunkin' Donuts IPO saw shares increase more than 40 percent Wednesday. Dunkin' is involved in a large-scale growth plan over the next 20 years, seeking to grow from 6,800 stores to more than 15,000.

Restaurant operator P.F. Chang's posted disappointed quarterly results Wednesday, and Wall Street reacted, dropping the company's stock more than 10 percent.

A global labor federation plans to bring African unions together to battle the expansion of U.S. retailer Wal-Mart on the continent, a senior group member said on Wednesday.

Higher input costs and a strong rand led to a 63 percent drop in ArcelorMittal South Africa's first-half profit and the steelmaker forecast a difficult third quarter on Wednesday, sending its shares to a 28-month low.

Daniel Schuler, whose wife killed herself, their daughter and six others when she drove the wrong way on New York's Taconic State Parkway, is suing his brother-in-law -- whose three young daughters were among the victims.

Dunkin' Brands, the parent company of Dunkin' Donuts, saw its share price soar to $28 dollars after an IPO of $19.

Jeff Bezos and Amazon have unique competitive advantage, some analysts say. They suggest Amazon is succeeding bigger, and faster, than Wal-Mart did, becoming the world's largest retailer. That begs the question: Has Amazon built the most competitive business ever?

As of 12:30, shares are up in excess of $44/share, giving the company a market value of about $3-billion.

Netflix may have created a storm of anger when it announced its new prices, but it's in the midst of several new deals that will help keep it on top.

Netflix sees 70 percent of subscribers choosing 'Stream Only' option.

Energizer Holdings Inc's (ENR.N) quarterly profit did not fall as much as expected, as strong razor sales helped mitigate the impact of higher costs for materials such as zinc and weak demand for batteries.

Hospira Inc (HSP.N) on Wednesday reported a stronger-than-expected quarterly net profit, driven by positive results for the prostate cancer treatment oncolytic docetaxel in the United States.

Analysts expect Boeing Co (BA.N) to report a narrowed quarterly profit on Wednesday, but Wall Street will be looking for executive comments on its high-profile commercial airplane programs.

Zimmer Holdings Inc (ZMH.N) reported higher quarterly net earnings on Wednesday on stronger sales, mainly outside the United States.

Clorox Co (CLX.N) once again turned down an offer from activist investor Carl Icahn, calling his latest bid of $80 per share "inadequate."

Perry Chen was working in the New Orleans' music industry when he faced a cash-crunch during the city's JazzFest. He wanted to bring a European musician to perform at the festival but couldn't raise the money. A decade later, other artists are now reaping the benefits of Chen's brainstorm: online fundraising site Kickstarter.

A decade ago Austin bookseller Steve Bercu faced a Texas-sized threat to his independent store: Borders was planning to build a megastore just blocks away. So he dug in his spurs and garnered community support that kept the franchise out of his area.

Clorox rejected Carl Icahn's takeover bid for the second time on Wednesday, calling the bid "inadequate."

Amazon's stock is trading near a 52-week high, up more than five percent Wednesday after the company posted strong second quarter earnings and profits. But Amazon will go higher, say some analysts, because the company has a decided competitive advantage.

The Obama administration is in talks with General Motors (GM) and Ford (F) for the framework of an agreement that would raise the U.S. fuel economy average to 54.5 mile per gallon (mpg) in 2025.

McDonald's is cutting fries to a half order and adding apples to Happy Meals, because the company says consumers want more nutritious options. But parents and others ordering for children already have that option. They don't have to buy Happy Meals and other less nutritious food at all.

McDonald's will start adding more fruits and vegetables to its famed Happy Meal after years of criticism from health advocates. The measure is in part directed at fighting childhood obesity by offering more healthy options on menus and cutting down on calories, but the main question is will it make a difference?

Boeing Co on Wednesday reported a larger quarterly profit on a 6 percent increase in revenue.

Dunkin' Brands (DNKN.O) has raised $422.75 million after pricing its IPO at $19 per share, well above the range set by underwriters, signaling strong demand for this week's biggest deal.

September 11 "was an attack against America, not Christianity," the group claims.

After shocking her fans and upsetting the animal rights groups by wearing the infamous Meat Dress, what could be expected next from Gaga? A Bone dress? Possible.

Deluxe and Technicolor, historic rivals in Hollywood's post-production business, have announced a new agreement in which each will concede and subcontract a segment of its business to the other.

It's not too late to find investor-friendly exchange-traded funds specializing in safe-haven currencies and precious metals, experts say, though the August 2 deadline for raising the U.S. debt ceiling is days away. For more intrepid individuals, there are even some tech ETFs that seem to be holding their own.

The dollar fell broadly on Tuesday as lawmakers remained deadlocked over raising the nation's debt ceiling to avoid a devastating default, while U.S. and European shares also declined.