Saks Shares Plunge after 1Q Profit Miss Expectations
Shares of upscale retailer Saks Inc. fell 8 percent during Tuesday's trading after reporting lower-than-expected quarterly profit as markdowns pressured gross margin.
HP 2Q Profit Rises 16 Pct
Hewlett-Packard reported that profit for its second fiscal quarter grew 16 percent on improvement across its businesses.
Lehman Cuts Staff in Global Pruning
Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc is laying off nearly 5 percent of its workers worldwide as a response to recent write-downs due to the sub-prime mortgage crisis and ensuing global credit crunch, according to news reports released Tuesday.
Oil Near $130 a Barrel on Supply Fears, Higher Forecasts
Crude oil prices rose for the first time above $129 a barrel in New York as investors fear supplies are insufficient to meet global demand, and as major firms rose its forecasts for oil prices.
Netflix Rises on New Video Streaming Device
Netflix rose on Tuesday after announcing the online movie rental service introduced of a new device allowing subscribers to watch Internet video on their televisions.
Merck to Pay $58 Mil to Settle Vioxx Advertising Case
Merck & Co. said on Tuesday it agreed to pay $58 million to settle allegations that its ads for the once-popular painkiller Vioxx deceptively played down the health risks in 29 states, including the District of Columbia.
PRECIOUS METALS: Gold Soars above $920, Dollar Slumps; Silver Gains
Gold futures rose to the highest level in four weeks as a decline in the U.S. dollar and rising oil prices boosted the metal's appeal as an investment hedge. Silver gained more than 4 percent.
AIG Bumps Capital Raising Plans to $20 Billion
American International Group is boosting the amount of capital it plans to raise to a total of $20 billion, the insurer's chief executive officer said on Tuesday.
Stocks Tumble on Inflation Woes
U.S. stocks plunged on Tuesday after oil soared to nearly $130 a barrel fueling concerns that commodity prices will further dampen U.S. consumption levels, while analysts forecast more credit losses and faster inflation.
FDA Approves Covidien's Kit for Lapaoscopic Procedures
Covidien Ltd., a healthcare products manufacturer, said on Tuesday that its Procedure Kit for laparoscopic procedures was approved by U.S. regulators.
Airline Customer Satisfaction Lowest in 7 Years
Customer satisfaction with U.S. airlines dropped to its lowest level since 2001, according to a survey report published on Tuesday.
Medtronic Posts Higher Earnings, Revenue in 4Q
Medtronic Inc. the developer of medical technology reported on Tuesday its earnings for the fourth-quarter ended April 25 were $812 million, or 72 cents per share, compared with $812 million or 70 cents per share, a year earlier.
Target Posts Profit but Sees Sluggish Sales Ahead
Target Corp., the second largest U.S. retailer, reported a profit which beat Wall Street forecasts as the company's chief financial officer said sluggish sales were ahead.
Staples Meets1Q Profit Target; Keeps Outlook
Staples Inc., the world's largest office-supplies retailer, posted record first-quarter sales of $4.9 billion on Tuesday and stood by its 2008 outlook, despite its warning of continued economic weakness throughout the year.
Home Depot Profit Slips 66 Pct on Housing Slump
Home Depot Inc., the largest home- improvement retailer, said on Tuesday its first-quarter profit fell 66 percent as consumers grappling with the deepest U.S. housing slump in over 25 years left the company's sales affected.
Dollar Slips Ahead of Home Sales Report
The dollar fell versus the euro and yen on Tuesday ahead of a home sales report which could indicate more declines in the housing market.
China Life premium income of $18.3 billion from January to April
China Life Insurance Company Limited (China Life) said Monday that the company's total premium income increased to 128 billion Yuan ($18.3 billion) in the first four months this year. In the same period of 2007 the company's premium revenue of 89.4 billion Yuan.
Google Launches Beta Health Service
Google Inc. officially launched its Google Health on Monday which offers the general public electronic access to their PHRs (personal health records) and other health-related information.
Copper Ends Low on Inventories Built
Copper futures ended with losses on Monday as inventories in the London Metal Exchange rose the most in two months easing concerns that demand may outpace supplies.
Nintendo Launches Wii Fit
Nintendo launched its Wii Fit fitness video game on Monday as the firm looks to expand its audience.
Crude oil rises on Supply worries, High Gasoline Prices
Crude rose on Monday as supply worries continue despite a decision from South Arabia to raise oil production, while gasoline rose to $4 a gallon in some areas in the United States.
China Unicom news users increased by 1.5 million in April
China Unicom Ltd. announced Monday that the company increased new users by 1.5 million in April, bringing the total users up to 168.5 million by the end of last month. In March the new users increased by 1.63 million.
Former AOL Executives Sued Over Inflated Revenue
The Securities and Exchange Commission said on Monday that it had sued eight former executives of AOL Time Warner, alleging they had fraudulently inflated the company's online advertising revenues by more than $1 billion between 2000 and 2002.
Japan Stocks Rebounded Slightly On Oil Price Rising
Japan stocks rebounded slightly Monday, led by oil companies' shares as New York oil futures reached $127.82 per barrel in off-hours trading on Friday. But the upward trend was thwarted because of concerns over the U.S. economy.
News Corp. Raises Stake in Premiere to 25 Pct
US media giant News Corporation said Monday it has raised its stake in German pay-television operator Premiere to 25 percent, the second increase since buying into the firm in January.
PRECIOUS METALS: Gold Surges to Highest Peak in a Month
Gold futures rose to the highest level in almost three weeks on Monday as surging energy costs boosted demand for the precious metal as a hedge against inflation.
Take-Two Interactive Board Rejects EA Bid for Third Time
Grand Theft Auto publisher Take-Two Interactive Software rejected Electronic Arts offer to extend its hostile $2 billion takeover on Monday, saying that it was inadequate.
Dell Names Gladden as Finance Chief, Replacing Carty
Dell Inc named Brian Gladden - the chief executive at what was until recently General Electric Plastics - as its new chief financial officer.
U.S. Stocks Turn Higher as Recession Fears Decrease
U.S. stocks rose on Monday, lifting the Standard & Poor's Index to a four-month high, after data suggesting the U.S. economy may not be in recession which helped to overcome concerns over record crude oil prices, while technology shares were boosted as deal talks between Microsoft and Yahoo have been resumed.
Lowe's Drops 18 Pct in Net, Cuts Year Forecast
Lowe's Cos., the second-largest home- improvement retailer, reported an 18 percent drop in first-quarter profit on Monday and lowered its outlook for the year as the retailer faces a challenging sales environment amid a national housing slump.