IBT Staff Reporter

Volkswagen , the world's second-largest carmaker, posted an unexpected decline in fourth-quarter operating profit as inventories of unsold vehicles nearly doubled, ending an otherwise bumper year on a downbeat note.

Stock index futures were higher on Friday, extending gains that have taken equities near highs not seen since before the 2008 collapse of Lehman Brothers.

In case there was any doubt about the ideology of Germany's Left Party, its leaders have brought out a cookbook that includes such favourites as anti-Atomic waffles and Soljanka, a feisty Russian soup that was popular in communist East Germany.

Stock index futures rose on Friday, extending gains that have taken equities near highs not seen since before the 2008 collapse of Lehman Brothers.

Italian carmaker Fiat may have to close two of its loss-making five domestic plants if plans to export to the growing U.S. market don't materialize, its Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne said on Friday.

Ford Motor is on track to double the number of dealerships in China by 2015, its country chief said on Friday, as it launches a half-billion-dollar plant and races to narrow the gap with foreign rivals in the world's largest auto market.

Lloyds pushed back a key target of its turnaround plan as the part state-owned British bank posted a 3.5 billion pound ($5.5 billion) annual loss and said a tough economic outlook would hit revenues and income this year.

A Chinese firm trying to stop Apple Inc from using the iPad name in China has launched an attack on the consumer electronics giant's home turf, filing a lawsuit in California that accuses it of employing deception when it bought the trademark.

Casino mogul Steve Wynn ousted his former friend and partner Kazuo Okada from the board of his Wynn Macau unit on Friday, in the latest twist to a gripping legal joust that shines a light into gaming industry governance.

Dropbox unveiled on Thursday a new photo uploading feature for Android smartphones, potentially sharpening its competition with Google, Apple, and a host of other companies battling to rule the burgeoning market for online storage solutions.

Japanese investor Kazuo Okada, embroiled in a legal battle with Wynn Resorts CEO Steve Wynn, a long-time business partner, over alleged improper payments made to Philippine regulators, says he will not attend a Friday meeting scheduled to oust him from the board of Wynn Macau.

The Asian firm trying to stop Apple Inc from using the iPad name has now launched an attack on the consumer electronics giant's home turf, filing a lawsuit in California that accuses the iPhone-maker of employing deception when it bought the iPad trademark.

The Asian firm trying to stop Apple Inc from using the iPad name has now launched an attack on the consumer electronics giant's home turf, filing a lawsuit in California that accuses the iPhone-maker of employing deception when it bought the iPad trademark.

A U.S. law against foreign bribery is the unusual weapon of choice in an increasingly bitter boardroom struggle between U.S. casino mogul Steve Wynn and Japanese investor Kazuo Okada. But both sides may end up shooting blanks.

Billionaire Kazuo Okada said on Thursday he would not attend the special meeting of Wynn Macau Ltd's board of directors meeting, where the agenda item was to remove him as a director.

Gap Inc's profit forecast for the year ahead failed to excite investors, but the company did lay down concrete plans for a revamp as it tries to work on its merchandise and move away from the heavy discounts seen in the holiday quarter.

Bailed-out insurer American International Group reported a $19.8 billion profit for the fourth quarter, after an accounting change that allowed the company to record an enormous one-time benefit.

Officials from top emerging market countries will discuss fledgling plans to set up a multilateral bank to fund projects in developing nations during upcoming Group of 20 meetings, a senior Brazilian government official said on Thursday.

Officials from top emerging market countries will discuss fledgling plans to set up a multilateral bank to fund projects in developing nations during upcoming Group of 20 meetings, a senior Brazilian government official said on Thursday.

The White House proposed on Thursday a privacy bill of rights that would give consumers more control over their data but relies heavily for now on voluntary commitments by Internet companies like Google Inc and Facebook.

Gap Inc forecast a tepid year ahead, as it tries to work on its merchandise and move away from heavy discounts seen in the holiday quarter to get customers to shop at its stores.

Thousands of Micron Technology employees, industry figures and community leaders paid tribute to the chipmaker's late CEO, Steve Appleton, at a memorial in Boise on Thursday.

Thousands of Micron Technology employees, industry figures and community leaders paid tribute to the chipmaker's late CEO, Steve Appleton, at a memorial in Boise on Thursday.

Two executives who left security software maker McAfee after Intel Corp bought the company last year have started a firm that is developing technology to help corporations and government agencies track down elusive hackers.

Gap Inc's quarterly profit fell 40 percent as the clothes retailer had to discount heavily in the holiday quarter to get customers to shop at its stores.

Procter & Gamble Co plans to cut a total of 5,700 nonmanufacturing jobs as part of a new plan to reduce costs by $10 billion by the end of fiscal 2016, Chief Executive Officer Bob McDonald said on Thursday.

The United States on Thursday moved to block seven international organized crime leaders from the country's financial markets, including a Japanese yakuza godfather and key members of a gang operating in four continents.

Apple Inc on Thursday adopted a measure long desired by investors and corporate governance activists, granting its shareholders a bigger say in the appointment of directors to the board of the world's most valuable technology company.

Sears Holdings Corp plans to raise about $770 million spinning off a business of about 1,250 stores and selling some prime real estate, hoping to convince Wall Street that the struggling chain has enough assets to tap to pay down debt.