IBT Staff Reporter

Small wind energy companies could be taken over cheap because fresh funding for the sector is set to flow selectively to bigger names, placing them in a stronger negotiating position.

Software, biotech firms and others who develop new ways to do business will be watching closely on Monday as the U.S. Supreme Court hears a case that could determine if such innovations can win patent protection

Bank regulators closed Gateway Bank of St. Louis, in St. Louis, Missouri, and Prosperan Bank, of Oakdale, Minnesota, on Friday, the 118th and 119th U.S. bank to fail this year.

As unemployment in the United States edges above 10 percent, anxious investors will look to earnings reports from major retailers for signs of life in the beaten-up consumer.

Private equity firm Blackstone Group LP posted a forecast-beating quarterly profit on Friday and said it is gearing up for more deals and IPOs as the lending and equity markets recover.

Bank regulators closed Home Federal Savings Bank, of Detroit, on Friday, the 117th U.S. bank to fail this year as deteriorating loans continue to take their toll on financial institutions.

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc said it plans to limit the amount of business underwritten by its reinsurance operations, as it prepares to spend roughly $26 billion to buy railroad operator Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp.

California was awarded $19.5 million in a settlement against Royal Dutch Shell Plc's U.S. unit for not storing fuel properly at filling stations in the state, Attorney General Jerry Brown said on Friday.

Citigroup Inc said on Friday that new accounting rules for securitization trusts may prevent the bank from funding some of its assets with a top debt rating.

Freddie Mac, the second largest provider of U.S. residential mortgage funding, on Friday posted a loss of $5 billion in the third quarter and predicted it would need more government support amid a prolonged deterioration in housing.

Shares of printing-equipment maker Duoyuan Printing Inc fell in their market debut on Friday after pricing at the low end of expectations.

Dollar General is set to go public next week, but the discount retailer could see mixed results in its closely watched initial public offering as its private equity backers have valued the company richly.

Telefonica's decision to sweeten its offer for Brazilian telecom rival GVT dealt a major blow to Vivendi's plans to acquire the carrier, sources close to the transaction told Reuters on Friday, suggesting the French media giant may walk away from the deal.

Computer maker Sun Microsystems Inc suffered a 25 percent fall in quarterly revenue, as uncertainty over its delayed sale to Oracle Corp hurt its business.

Motorola and Verizon on Friday launched the long-awaited Droid, the first device using version 2.0 of Google's Android operating system, but the device won't be an iPhone killer to Apple, analyst said.

The Obama administration would be willing to hold bilateral talks with North Korea but only if certain conditions were met, the president's top adviser on Asia said on Friday.

Freddie Mac , the second largest provider of U.S. residential mortgage funding, on Friday posted a loss of $5 billion in the third quarter and predicted it would need more government support amid a prolonged deterioration in housing.

U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday listed a range of fresh options being considered by the White House to spur growth after sobering news that unemployment spiked to a 26 1/2-year peak last month.

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc on Friday said quarterly earnings tripled, as rising stock markets boosted its investment holdings and a quiet hurricane season contributed to higher insurance profit.

Arab and Muslim Americans on Friday braced for the possibility of verbal or physical attacks after an Army psychiatrist of Arab descent allegedly killed 13 during a shooting rampage at a military base in Texas.

Climatic changes apparently cause the Danish weather to fluctuate from one extreme to the other. At this point, a very early summer has stabilized itself, creating ideal conditions for an ongoing renaissance of Copenhagen's old harbor and canals.

John C. Reilly and Mary-Louise Parker are in negotiations to join Bruce Willis in the thriller Red.

Forget the buzz over the next Twilight film or James Cameron's Avatar. The biggest entertainment hit of the holiday season may come on Tuesday, when Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 hits stores.

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc on Friday said third quarter net income tripled, as rising stock markets boosted its investment holdings and a quiet hurricane season contributed to higher insurance profit.

Hordes of Yankees fans flooded to the Yankee Parade 2009 in New York City's downtown on Friday to take part of the team's 27th World Series Title celebration.

After much anticipation and buzz over it being the next iPhone Killer, Verizon officially launched its Motorola Droid in the US on Friday. The Droid, Motorola's most anticipated cellphone since the launch of the Razr in 2004, hit shelves at 2,000 Verizon Wireless stores around the nation today.

Harvard Business School is sending 28 percent of its 2009 graduating class onto careers in finance, a mildly bullish sign for the economy, said Ray Soifer, an independent bank consultant.

A top U.S. securities regulator said some funds may now view insider trading as a central tenet of their business models, rather than as a one-time opportunity for big rewards as sometimes happened in the 1980s.

Shares of Magna International Inc surged nearly 15 percent on Friday, a day after it posted a surprise quarterly profit and said it would focus on its core auto-parts business after the collapse of its deal to buy a stake in General Motors Co's Opel unit.