IBT Staff Reporter

Goldman Sachs' (GS.N) $334 million investment in Geely Automobile Holdings (0175.HK) will boost the Chinese automaker's global ambitions, including a potential bid by its parent for Ford's (F.N) Volvo brand.

Julius Baer's U.S. asset management arm Artio Global Investors Inc is set to price its U.S. initial public offering after Wall Street closes on Wednesday in what is likely to be a test of investors' appetite for new financial issues.

AutoZone Inc (AZO.N), the largest U.S. auto-parts retail chain, posted quarterly results on Wednesday roughly in-line with analysts' expectations as same-store sales growth slowed from the prior quarter.

The U.S. credit card charge-off rate rose to a record high in August, as more Americans lost their jobs, Moody's Investors Service said on Wednesday, in another sign consumers remain under stress.

The Obama administration's plan to merge bank regulatory agencies will not solve future problems or promote efficiency in financial markets, the regulator of U.S. thrifts said on Wednesday.

Ford Motor Co (F.N) will start production of a small car in India early next year, and its chief executive said the U.S. market had was showing signs of recovery and he expected industry sales to rise in the next two years.

Two mortgage real estate investment trusts halved their planned initial public offerings on Wednesday, casting a shadow on upcoming IPOs in the sector.

Oil dropped more than 3.5 percent to near $69 a barrel on Wednesday after U.S. government data showed a surprise jump in crude and products stockpiles, which stirred concerns about demand in the world's top energy consumer.

Authors and publishers asked a U.S. judge on Tuesday to delay a hearing on whether to approve a controversial settlement that would allow Google Inc to create a massive online digital library.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner argued forcefully on Wednesday for creating a government watchdog for financial consumers, while giving cautious support to paring back its scope.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner argued forcefully on Wednesday for creating a government watchdog for financial consumers, while giving cautious support to paring back its scope.

Best Buy plans to sell an iRex Technologies e-reader that links to the Barnes & Noble digital bookstore, the electronics retailer and e-reader maker said on Wednesday.

U.S. gross debt issuance will reach $7 trillion when the current fiscal year ends this month, Treasury Acting Assistant Secretary for Financial Markets Karthik Ramanathan, said on Wednesday.

U.S. stocks edged lower on Wednesday, pressured by falling crude-oil prices, as investors awaited a policy statement from the Federal Reserve.

JPMorgan Chase & Co said on Wednesday that it was eliminating some overdraft fees altogether and trimming others, after Bank of America Corp announced a similar move on Tuesday.

Chynna Phillips, the half sister of actress Mackenzie Phillips, says she is telling the truth about an incestual relationship with their father, John Phillips.

A summit of world leaders has dimmed hopes for a strong new U.N. climate pact to replace the Kyoto Protocol in Copenhagen in December, with details looking ever more likely to be left for 2010.

XTO Energy Inc on Wednesday said it has increased price hedges for its production in 2010, and the company expects natural gas prices to recover next year.

Macquarie Research downgraded the U.S. coal sector to neutral from overweight as it believes that demand for seaborne metallurgical, or steel-making, coal in China is slowing.

Dollar Tree Inc's chief financial officer said on Wednesday that the retailer remains comfortable with the third-quarter and full-year sales and earnings forecasts it issued last month.

Regional appliance and electronics retailer hhgregg Inc said it will add 800 seasonal jobs at 117 of its stores to help cope with increased customer traffic during the holiday season.

AGF Management Ltd said on Wednesday its third-quarter profit fell 44.5 percent from a year ago as it suffered from declines in global markets.

Oil dropped 4 percent to below $69 a barrel on Wednesday after U.S. government oil inventory data showed a surprise jump in crude and products stocks, highlighting the fragile state of demand in the world's largest energy consumer.

Two real estate investment trusts lowered the number of shares they expect to sell in initial public offerings on Wednesday to raise only half as much as they had been expected to.

Who, What, When, Where, Why and How about the Pittsburgh G20 Summit

Plutonic Power Corp and a unit of General Electric Co said on Wednesday that they had committed to buying the Dokie Ridge wind project in western Canada after completing a due diligence investigation.

Chilean forestry group CMPC said late on Tuesday it reached an agreement with Brazil's Aracruz to buy one of its business units for $1.4 billion.

U.S. fund manager BlackRock gained European Union regulatory approval on Wednesday for its acquisition of a Barclays investment unit for $13.5 billion in cash and shares.

The European Union unveiled its blueprint for an overhaul of the way banks and financial markets are policed, a central plank in new rules designed to prevent a repeat of the global economic crisis.