IBT Staff Reporter

The euro fell to a fresh four-year low on Wednesday after Germany moved to sharpen financial regulation, taking down commodities and Asian stock markets in its wake as investors stampeded out of riskier assets.

Hewlett-Packard Co's quarterly results beat expectations and it raised its full-year earnings outlook on demand for personal computers and servers as well as a resurgence in its printing business.

Google Inc Chief Executive Eric Schmidt said on Tuesday his company is prepared to fight the U.S. government very hard if regulators block the search leader's acquisition of mobile advertising firm AdMob.

Yahoo said on Tuesday it has agreed to acquire the user-generated publishing company Associated Content to add more pages to attract advertisers.

Bank of America Corp agreed to sell preferred and common shares of Brazil's Itau Unibanco in a deal valued at 8.16 billion reais ($4.5 billion), ending a partnership started in 2006 when the Brazilian bank took over the local unit of FleetBoston Financial.

Senior Senate Democrats clashed late on Tuesday as they tried to wrap up loose ends in a sweeping Wall Street reform bill headed for final passage within days.

Online travel agency Priceline.com said it acquired Manchester-based TravelJigsaw Ltd, a car hire reservation provider, to expand its international business.

A doctor who failed to properly clean surgical equipment has now led 450 patients at WA hospitals being at risk of serious viruses, including HIV and hepatitis as health authorities reported.

Regulators still have not been able to pinpoint the cause of the market's recent plunge, but charged ahead with new rules to restrict trading when markets are in free-fall.

Facebook has teamed up with 50 wireless operators to offer cellphone users a stripped-down version of the social networking site that can be accessed without incurring data charges.

The Australian Dollar continued to be sold off overnight on the back of a weaker EUR while equity markets had a mixed night.

A troubled Chicago community bank with a philanthropic reputation has won uncommon Wall Street backing to save it from a government takeover, while similarly sized rivals flounder and fail.

100 counselors and Buddhist monks were hired by the Taiwanese company that manufactures iPhones for Apple to reduce stress among its workers after reported cases of suicides at it Chinese factories this year.

Regulators still have not been able to pinpoint the cause of the market's recent plunge, but charged ahead with new rules to restrict trading when markets are in free-fall.

Three directors were narrowly reelected to coal miner Massey Energy Co's board on Tuesday in a proxy battle launched by investors angered that share value has plummeted since an explosion killed 29 workers at a company mine six weeks ago.

JPMorgan Chase & Co shareholders rejected a proposal to strip Chief Executive Jamie Dimon of his chairman title, but they gave him a hard time at the bank's annual meeting on Tuesday.

The Senate voted to give state authorities a role in enforcing new bank consumer protection rules as lawmakers sought on Tuesday to complete their financial regulation package before a series of final votes on landmark Wall Street reform.

The largest U.S. stocks face new trading curbs after regulators on Tuesday unveiled a plan meant to avoid a repeat of the mysterious May 6 market drop that quickly spiraled out of control.

The release of the RBA board minutes suggested just what the market had expected and in fact had already begun pricing in – interest rates are at normal levels.

Stocks sank on Tuesday, driven lower as the strengthening of financial regulation from Wall Street to Frankfurt crushed bank stocks, adding to worries about the sustainability of the global economic recovery.

Visa Inc's and MasterCard Inc's shares dropped sharply on Tuesday, as Visa's chief executive said a proposed law to curb debit card fees could cut into transaction volumes.

Hewlett-Packard Co's quarterly results beat expectations on solid demand for personal computers and servers and a resurgence in its printing business, and the company raised its full-year outlook.

Stocks sank on Tuesday, driven lower as the strengthening of financial regulation from Wall Street to Frankfurt crushed bank stocks, adding to worries about the sustainability of the global economic recovery.

Professional social networking companies are recovering well from the recession, boosted by a surge in members, and growth in fees from advertisers and recruiters.

Housing starts touched a 1-1/2-year high in April, but a drop in building permits to a six-month low implied the housing market recovery may struggle to gain momentum without more government aid.

Top electronics chain Best Buy will launch this month its planned online service CinemaNow that allows consumers to buy, rent and download movies and television shows.

New rules to curb stock trading when markets plunge uncontrollably will go into effect in June for the largest stocks, sources familiar with regulators' plans said on Tuesday.

Housing starts touched a 1-1/2-year high in April, but a drop in building permits to a six-month low implied the housing market recovery may struggle to gain momentum without more government aid.

Logan was a soon-to-be MBA graduate who had worked in his family-owned construction business for five years. While attending college-and acquiring two undergraduate degrees-he had been gaining hands-on experience in business management, project coordination, and customer service in the design/build firm his family had been operating on a part-time basis.