NEWS

Starbucks Coffee Co said on Friday it would raise the price of its packaged coffee by an average of 12 percent after its Chief Executive Howard Schultz once again blamed speculators for pushing coffee prices higher.

Starbucks Corp on Friday raised its price for grocery packaged coffee by 12 percent, on average, due to still climbing coffee commodity prices.

Starbucks Coffee Co Chief Executive Howard Schultz on Friday once again laid the blame for surging coffee prices at the feet of speculators, saying his chain had no problem getting beans.

The yen skidded on Friday after the Group of Seven finance ministers agreed to act to limit the currency's strength, with the dollar popping above 81 yen in a move that could put further pressure on players to unwind long yen positions.

Kraft Foods said on Thursday it upped the U.S. prices for many of its coffees this week, raising Maxwell House by 22 percent, the biggest of four hikes in the past year as roasters face soaring markets.

The yen edged off a record high against the dollar on Thursday ahead of a conference call by Group of Seven finance ministers on fears officials may soon intervene to rein in the currency's rapid rise.

Fear that Japan may soon intervene to weaken the yen after it hit a record high against the dollar left currency traders skittish on Thursday, and the market may start trimming yen longs as a G7 meeting nears.

The dollar rose about half a yen against the Japanese currency on Thursday with investors nervous about possible intervention from the Bank of Japan to weaken the yen after it hit a record high.

The yen traded near a record high against the dollar on Thursday, hovering around levels that traders fear could test Japanese authorities' resolve to weaken the currency through direct market intervention.

Japanese officials blamed the yen's surge to a record high on speculators and kept markets on alert for a possible intervention ahead of Group of Seven talks later on Thursday about steps to calm financial markets roiled by Japan's deepening nuclear crisis.

The Group of Seven advanced nations will hold talks later on Thursday to discuss the impact of Japan's deepening nuclear crisis, Japanese officials said, while dismissing the need for joint intervention in currency markets.

The yen soared to a record high against the dollar on Thursday before pulling back to near 80, surging in chaotic trading as a break of the previous peak triggered a cascade of stop-loss and algorithmic sales.

The yen soared to a record high against the dollar on Wednesday as concerns escalated over a nuclear crisis in Japan, and investors nervously watched to see if Japanese authorities will step in to stem the currency's rise.

Japan's metals and energy sectors were grappling on Monday with power outages and raging fires unleashed by last week's devastating earthquake, but some ports and steel furnaces shut in a protective move reopened.

Japanese stocks fell 7.5 percent, posting the biggest daily decline since October 2008, and bond yields rose on Monday as investors expected the earthquake and tsunami that devastated the country's northeast to take an economic toll and require heavy government borrowing.

Japanese stocks fell 6 percent and long-term government bond yields rose on Monday as investors expected the massive earthquake and tsunami that devastated the country's northeast to take a toll on the economy and require significant government borrowing.

Japanese authorities warned against the yen's rise as the currency rallied broadly early in Asia on Monday following Friday's devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

Glencore's plan to list shares in Hong Kong is expected to get strong support from market officials and regulators, with no restrictions necessary when the IPO filing heads to the city's listing committee.

Asian stock markets fell on Thursday in the face of higher oil prices as fighting in Libya intensified, fuelling worries that mounting inflationary pressure could bite into global growth.

U.S. oil futures eased from a two-and-a-half year high and the euro stalled on Tuesday, while Asian stocks remained under pressure as investors fretted that higher energy prices would stunt the global economic recovery.

Record-high food prices could be the tipping point this year for U.S. restaurants already struggling with high debt loads and tight-fisted consumers.

Starbucks Corp may go for acquisitions over the next 12-18 months to expand its consumer products business, Chief Executive Howard Schultz told the Wall Street Journal in an interview.

U.S. and Brazilian drinkers are paying more for their beer and moving to expensive brands according to Anheuser-Busch InBev , the world's largest brewer.

Global food prices hit a record high in February, the United Nations said Thursday, warning that fresh oil price spikes and stockpiling by importers keen to head off popular unrest would hit already volatile cereal markets.

The Chinese yuan could potentially become a world reserve currency as the country gears up to boost its global clout, deputy central bank governor Yi Gang said in remarks published on Thursday.

Admitting you are making money by doing some good in the world is no longer a dirty little secret, it's called creating shared value -- the new catch phrase in corporate and philanthropic circles.

Silicon Valley venture capitalist Vinod Khosla and Google Ventures have invested $42 million in a start-up run by former Google employees, which helps insure farmers against losses from increasingly volatile global weather.

Corrects title of Bill Green in paragraph 4

Fighting inflation is a priority for China and the government must ward off threats to social stability stemming from rapid price increases and pressure to raise the value of the yuan, Premier Wen Jiabao said on Sunday.