UNITED STATES

An acceleration in U.S. economic growth at the end of last year has fanned optimism about the outlook for global growth among business chiefs and policymakers in Davos.

Tate & Lyle, world-leading renewable food and industrial ingredients company, has identified four major trends for food industry in USA for 2010 that covers private labels, environmental conscious purchasing, dining in-house and gluten content.

The adage 'as January goes, so goes the year' bodes ill for equity investors after the S&P 500 closed out its worst month in almost a year. In the coming week, they will have to contend with fears of sovereign defaults and the potential for unpleasant surprises in the U.S. labor market.

Toyota Motor Corp's crippling sales shutdown of eight models due to a U.S. safety recall will continue until at least mid-February, sources briefed on the matter said on Friday.

NRG Energy Inc CEO David Crane said on Friday the company would not pursue construction of two nuclear reactors in Texas if the project loses a federal loan guarantee due to a dispute with partner CPS Energy.

American Express Co raised Chief Executive Kenneth Chenault's base pay by 60 percent to $2 million for 2010, in the latest instance of Wall Street firms boosting regular executive compensation while cutting bonuses.

Toyota Motor Corp's largest rivals are declaring open season on the automaker at a time when the industry leader is seen as most vulnerable in its largest market.

Technology stocks fell and commodities shares recovered in after hours trading on Friday after the sectors showed the biggest market drops during the regular session.

The second of two U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission lawsuits against Bank of America Corp over the Merrill Lynch & Co takeover may be ready for trial as soon as this summer, with a trial on the first lawsuit set to begin on March 1.

Barclays Plc urged a judge to throw out a lawsuit by Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc's bankruptcy estate alleging that it reaped a secret $5 billion profit from its rushed September 2008 purchase of the company's U.S. brokerage.

President Barack Obama addressed the GOP House Issues Conference in Baltimore on Friday where he criticized the Republican party of trying to prevent passage of his policies and made a call for their support in the creation of jobs.

French media company Vivendi SA is liable for potentially billions of dollars in damages because it misled investors about its financial condition before a $46 billion merger nearly 10 years ago, a U.S. jury found on Friday.

The economy grew at its fastest pace in more than six years in the fourth quarter, surprising economists, as businesses curbed their aggressive cut in stocks and stepped up spending.

Chevron Corp posted a drop in quarterly profit on Friday, and its new boss said the second-largest U.S. oil company had plenty of work to do on its own project line-up without making any big acquisitions.

Stocks dropped on Friday, as worries about fiscal turmoil in Europe and a drop in technology stocks pushed the S&P 500 to its worst monthly decline since February 2009.

Garment factories are spinning out T-shirts again and street markets are packed, but Haiti's wrecked capital and damaged port show the huge task ahead in repairing the economy after a huge earthquake.

French media company Vivendi SA is liable for damages because it misled investors, a U.S. jury found on Friday.

As state legislators across the United States enact laws that ban phoning and texting while driving, a new study is showing no reductions in crashes after hand-held phone bans take effect.

Stocks fell on Friday, erasing an earlier advance, as worries about fiscal turmoil in Europe and a drop in technology stocks offset positive reports on the economy.

President Barack Obama on Friday proposed a $5,000 tax credit per new employee in 2010 as well as tax break for salary increases.

The day after President Barack Obama's State of the Union address to the Congress, leaders in the Senate and the House of Representatives said they would not abandon the bill despite sharp Democratic divisions on how to proceed.