UNITED STATES

Food company General Mills Inc. on Thursday said quarterly profit fell 52 percent from a year earlier, when it recorded a big gain from selling some businesses, and forecast profit for the current fiscal year that was slightly below Wall Street forecasts.

Boeing Co. said on Thursday it will take up to $1.1 billion in charges to cover the costs of two delayed surveillance aircraft contracts and the previously announced settlement of U.S. government investigations into its defense unit.

Britain's FTSE 100 share index hit a 3-week high on Thursday, fired up by strong resources and bank stocks, although trading levels were modest ahead of a U.S. interest rate decision. Banks saw HSBC and Royal Bank of Scotland gain 1.1 percent, while Barclays put on 1.5 percent.

Foreign investors are likely to return to Japanese stocks as companies begin to lift their earnings forecasts this summer, and could help boost the TOPIX index as much as 18 percent by the end of this year, Morgan Stanley's Japan equity strategist said on Wednesday.

The dollar edged higher across the board on Wednesday as investors awaited signals from the Federal Reserve on further interest rate hikes which may accompany a rise widely anticipated for later this week.

Financial markets stalled on Wednesday as uncertainty about when the Federal Reserve will end its monetary tightening campaign kept investors sidelined, while crude oil rose above $72 a barrel on worries about U.S. gasoline supplies.

The Nikkei fell 1.74 percent on Wednesday as tyre maker Bridgestone Corp. a day earlier cut its profit forecast citing higher raw material costs, pulling down its own shares and those of rivals and chemical makers.

U.S. stock futures rose on Wednesday, suggesting a higher open on Wall Street before the start of the Federal Reserve's two-day policy meeting, with energy shares set to lead the way.

qGeneral Motors Corp. said on Monday that 35,000 workers - or almost a third of its hourly work force - had accepted payouts to retire and leave the company, topping expectations and putting the world's largest automaker two years ahead of schedule on planned job cuts.

A tip off by Virgin Atlantic Airways triggered an investigation into alleged airfare price-fixing by British Airways after it passed on information to Britain's Office of Fair Trading (OFT) about its arch rival, an industry source said on Saturday.

Fed watchers are set to take over on Wall Street next week as a Federal Open Market Committee meeting could give stock investors more clues on the outlook for interest rates.

Anadarko Petroleum Corp.'s blockbuster $21 billion move on Friday to buy two sizeable U.S. oil and gas companies signals that a rush is on to grab energy assets, even with their lofty price tags.

An investor group led by Mexican broadcaster Televisa submitted a bid for Univision Communications Inc. on Friday, but a rival offer expired, casting new doubts on a closely watched auction for the largest U.S. Hispanic broadcaster.

Stock markets rallied on Thursday on hopes that strong earnings will continue with mining companies among the top gainers on the back of a jump in commodity prices.

Adobe Systems Inc. said on Wednesday Google Inc. had agreed to pay the multimedia software maker a significant amount to distribute the Web search leader's software.

Chrysler Group, a unit of DaimlerChrysler AG, will roll out a new program of discounted vehicle pricing in July in a move intended to clear an overhang of unsold 2006 models, the company said on Wednesday.

The world's second-largest food company, Kraft Foods Inc., said on Wednesday that large acquisitions would be difficult to make ahead of its full spin-off from majority owner Altria Group Inc.

U.S. retailers, always on the lookout for hot trends, appear to be deliberately behind the times when it comes to advertising.

U.S. stock futures on Tuesday pointed to an uncertain start after two sessions of losses, with the housing sector in renewed focus ahead of housing starts data.

It's every entrepreneur's dream to build a business out of nothing and make a fortune by selling it or floating it on the stock market. But what do you do if the new owners make a mess of it?

The next-generation DVD format war limps on in the coming weeks as Blu-ray - one of two formats vying to become the high-definition standard - officially launches its first player and titles.