Benjamin Reeves

U.S. light vehicle sales increased 2 percent in April to 1.2 million cars on continued high demand for fuel-efficient cars, and sales are projected to continue at a strong clip, maintaining an annualized rate of 14.4 million.

Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE: TM) U.S. April sales rose 11.6 percent, despite fewer selling days than the previous year, as consumer demand for hybrid vehicles like the Camry Hybrid and Prius remained high, the company reported Tuesday.

Honda Motor Company Limited (NYSE: HMC) said Tuesday that U.S. sales last month fell 2.2 percent because of three fewer selling days than in April 2011, but on a selling-day adjusted basis sales actually jumped 10 percent on strong demand for Accord and Civic hybrids.

Hyundai Motor Company (KS: 005380) enjoyed its second-best U.S. month in the company's history during April, despite three fewer selling days than in 2011, rising 1 percent on high demand for fuel efficient cars.

General Motors Company (NYSE: GM), the world's largest car company, reported an 8.2 percent drop in April sales on declining fleet sales and fewer selling days compared to the year before.

Volkswagen AG (VOWG) reported U.S. sales growth of 38 percent in April, the best sales figures for the month in over 40 years.

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) sales dropped 5 percent in April, despite sales growth for its Explorer, F-series trucks, Fusion and Edge vehicles, the company reported Tuesday.

Woodside Petroleum Limited (AX: WPL) sold a 14.7 percent stake in its Browse liquid natural gas (LNG) development project for $2 billion to a Japanese joint venture operated by Mitsui & Company Limited and Mitsubishi Corporation, the Australian company announced Tuesday.

NASCAR will have its first-ever all-electric pace car at the Sprint Cup Capital City 400 race at the Richmond (Va.) International Raceway on Saturday. All decked out in NASCAR livery will be the 2012 Ford Focus Electric vehicle that the Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) unveiled on video this week.

The Bank of Japan will expand its Asset Purchase Program by an additional 5 trillion yen ($62 billion) to increase the purchase of Japanese government bonds, exchange-traded funds and Japan real estate investment trusts, the bank announced in a statement Friday.

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F), the second-largest U.S. carmaker, said Friday profit fell 20.5 percent, missing analysts' predictions, on lower European sales, plunging South American profit and a drop in Ford Credit profit.

Economic and business sentiment in the euro zone fell in April, according to two widely followed surveys.

Greek cars bump in a clash reminiscent of the ancient Battle of Thermopylae.

Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE: XOM) will increase its quarterly dividend 21 percent to become the largest corporate dividend payer, according to Standard & Poor's on Wednesday.

AutoNation Inc. (NYSE: AN), Penkse Automotive Group Inc. (NYSE: PAG) and Sonic Automotive Inc.( NYSE: SAH), the three largest auto dealer groups, each reported profit growth in the first quarter, demonstrating the quarter's strong auto sales.

Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F), the second-largest U.S. carmaker, is expected to report Friday its first-quarter earnings plunged by 42.6 percent as gains in North America couldn't offset a slump in vehicle demand in Europe and slowing sales growth in South America and Asia.

The target U.S. interest rate will remain at its current level of 0 to 0.25 percent through late 2014, the Federal Open Market Committee led by Federal Reserve chairman Ben S. Bernanke decided at a meeting Wednesday.

Much has been made over the new Lamborghini SUV Urus concept revealed the other day at the 2012 Beijing Motor Show, and it certainly is a striking concept that has fairly successfully merged two seemingly diametrically opposed design aesthetics, that of Lamborghini's low-slung, aggressive supercars and the beloved-by-footballers-and-rap-stars luxury SUV. And the merger makes good business as well as style sense.

Britain's Cove Energy PLC, which owns part of a massive natural gas field off the coast of Mozambique, said Tuesday it accepted a sweetened takeover offer of £1.12 billion ($1.8 billion) from a unit of Anglo-Dutch energy giant Royal Dutch Shell PLC.

Delphi Automotive Plc (DLPH) reported earnings per share of $1.04 for the first quarter of 2012 on Tuesday, up 247 percent since last year, and beating analyst predictions as revenue and income rose for the automotive electronics supplier.

U.S. automobile sales last quarter beat predictions for the first time since 2008 as demand for small and fuel-efficient cars, strong fleet sales and pent-up demand drove sales up to 14.5 million cars on a seasonally adjusted annual selling basis, according to J.D. Power and Associates and LMC Automotive.

General Motors Co. will open 600 Chinese dealerships this year, chairman and CEO Dan Akerson said Monday.

The euro zone's economic decline accelerated in April, plunging the economic region deeper into recession, as the Markit Eurozone PMI Composite Output Index tumbled to its lowest level in five months, according to a Markit Flash Eurozone PMI report Monday.

Alfa Romeo will once more grace the streets of the U.S. with its fashionable wheels and seductive curves decking out the new 4C by the end of 2013, and the 4C trademark was issued on April 10, according to a new release posted by the U.S. Federal News Service.

Twin brothers in the U.K. allegedly defrauded about 75,000 investors by telling them a stock-picking robot named "Marl" could identify penny stocks that would double in price while the brothers were simply listing stocks they were paid to promote, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charged on Friday.

General Electric Co. (NYSE:GE) reported first-quarter net income rose 3 percent as orders for its industrial products surged. Still, overall revenue dipped 8 percent.

The new Mercedes Concept Style Coupe is certainly gorgeous based on the pictures released in advance of its debut at the Beijing Auto Show 2012, and it seems it will bring a distinctly scifi verve to the company's usually somewhat stodgy design sensibility.

Johnson Controls Inc. is expected to report a 5 percent drop in first quarter 2012 earnings tomorrow due to increased commodity prices, the expense of a new metals plant and higher engineering and launch costs from new business ventures. However, revenue and operating profit for the company are expected to be up.

Rumors have been swirling about a possible Lamborghini SUV called the Deimos, and all indications are that the company is out to build a bull of an SUV, but according to China Car Times, it will be called the Urus and make an appearance at the Beijing Auto Show later this month.