U.S.

Toyota Motor Corp expects industrywide sales of 11.5 million light vehicles in the United States this year, said Jim Lentz, president and chief operating officer of Toyota Motor Sales, at the North American International Auto Show on Monday.

Asian shares eased after hitting a 17-month high on Thursday, while the dollar was steady as investors kept caution before U.S. nonfarm payrolls data later in the week for hints on the greenback's direction.

Barclays Capital Research said on Wednesday that it remains cautious about a consumer recovery in 2010 but still sees U.S. light vehicle sales increasing to 11.7 million units this year.

Tianjin Qingyuan Electric Vehicle Co, the first Chinese automaker to break into the United States, hopes to significantly boost sales of its self-developed electric models in the world's second-largest market this year, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said on Wednesday.

U.S. copper futures tiptoed into positive territory Tuesday morning, after a steep drop in U.S. pending home sales dragged the dollar down and an increase in factory orders bolstered recovery hopes in the manufacturing sector.

The U.S. Navy expects to issue a request for proposals for 10 new shallow-water warships within weeks, a top Navy official said on Monday.

The U.S. commercial paper market expanded for the second week in a row in the latest week, Federal Reserve data showed on Thursday.

U.S. mortgage rates rose in the latest week for a fourth straight week and hit the highest level since August, a closely watched mortgage survey showed on Thursday.

U.S. copper was up half percent to 16-month highs on Thursday as fund buying and a looming mine strike in Chile put the red metal on course for a 140 percent gain this year, its best in at least 20 years.

Oil rose slightly on Wednesday as the market weighed cold weather in the United States and U.S. government data showing drawdowns in crude and fuel stockpiles.

A rare U.S. nickel that was owned over the years by an infamous Egyptian King and a Los Angeles sports team owner, and was the centerpiece in an episode of a popular television series, is expected to sell for $3 million or more in an auction in Orlando, Florida on January 6, 2010. The little coin with the big value is a 1913-dated Liberty Head nickel, one of only five known of that specific date and design.

U.S. copper futures strengthened to near 15-month highs Thursday morning, driven by extended losses in the dollar,supply threats in Chile, and pre-holiday momentum buying. For detailed report on global copper markets, click on [MET/L]

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc (GMCR.O) voluntarily withdrew its filing with the antitrust division of the Federal Trade Commission regarding its purchase of Diedrich Coffee Inc (DDRX.O) after consultation with the regulator.

The boom in shale natural gas drilling has raised hopes the United States will be able to rely on the cleaner-burning fuel to meet future energy needs, but concerns about its impact on water quality could slow the industry's ability to tap this bountiful resource.

U.S. lawmakers face an uphill battle enacting a climate bill in 2010 that includes a cap-and-trade market in greenhouse gases, after this month's U.N. meeting in Copenhagen failed to hammer out a global pact on emissions cuts.

Heating oil differentials in the New York Harbor moved up slightly despite a National Weather Service report showing that heating demand will be below normal during the coming week.

Healthcare shares rose on Monday as a bill to reform healthcare passed the first critical test in the U.S. Senate, without many of the provisions, such as a government-run health insurance option, that investors most feared would hurt profits.

A U.N. climate meeting in Copenhagen committed on Saturday to try and complete its work on agreeing a new global pact by the end of 2010.

General Motors Co Chief Executive Officer Ed Whitacre said on Friday that GM has paid $1 billion to the U.S. Treasury and $192 million to the governments of Canada and Canadian province Ontario.

U.S. copper futures ended with sharp losses on Thursday as a stronger tone in the dollar sparked a bearish drag across the broader complex, and analysts said the shift in momentum could pull prices of the red metal back down toward $3.00 a lb.

Twitter users who tried to log into their accounts on Thursday were unable to access their pages, but were instead greeted with the words Iranian Cyber Army after the popular micro-blogging site suffered a hacking attack.