RBS group offers more cash in $98 bln ABN bid
The takeover battle for ABN AMRO heated up on Monday with the Royal Bank of Scotland consortium boosting the cash element of its 71.1 billion-euro ($98 billion) offer. The offer is above a rival all-stock bid from Britain's Barclays that is worth about 64 billion euros, which has been recommended by ABN's board.
Dollar falls broadly, hits new lows vs high yielders
The dollar weakened against major currencies on Monday, plumbing fresh multi-year depths against higher-yielding units as bearish sentiment toward the greenback and the outlook for U.S. interest rates gripped markets.
Mattel posts higher quarterly profit
Mattel Inc., the largest U.S. toy maker, said on Monday second-quarter profit rose 15 percent, helped by strong sales of its Wheels toys and Barbie dolls abroad.
U.S. trade act seen as mixed blessing for Africa
Nora Bannerman checks the pristine white uniforms made for American pharmacist Walgreens in her factory in the humid heart of the Ghanaian capital Accra.
Bancroft member moves to block sale of Dow Jones: source
Christopher Bancroft, part of the family that controls Dow Jones, is trying to block a takeover by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., a source familiar with the situation said on Monday, confirming a story reported in the Wall Street Journal.
Gold steady near 5-week highs, dollar moves watched
Gold held steady on Monday below a five-week high, with investors keeping an eye on the dollar, which hovered near record lows against the euro, for short term direction.
European traders brace for man vs machines war
European stockbrokers may find it hard to escape unscathed as sweeping regulatory changes lead to a boom in the use of high-tech systems designed to remove the human element from trading and radically reshape markets.
France, Germany seek to resolve splits over EADS
A one-day summit on Airbus will be held to halt in-fighting blamed for their worst recent industrial crisis.
Total strikes its biggest deal with Gazprom
Russian Gas monopoly Gazprom signed a deal with French energy giant Total on Friday to jointly develop the enormous Shtokman natural gas field.
Motorola's Long and Winding Road
Even if CEO Ed Zander departs, it could be two or three years before the phone maker's business turns around.
Pointing the Finger
A turn for the worse this week in the subprime home loan meltdown has pundits and investors playing the blame game.
Mini Power Plants
Florida has plenty of sunshine to power rooftop solar panels but utilities say they won't be cost effective.
Sony Ericsson Profit, Revenue jumps
Sony Ericsson saw profit jump 55 percent in its latest fiscal quarter as the cell-phone maker shipped nearly 25 million units worldwide, the company said Wednesday.
Sallie deal may yet go ahead, but price could fall
The threatened buyout of student lender Sallie Mae may still go ahead -- but the $25 billion price tag could be negotiated down.
Dollar flat but near record lows vs euro
The dollar was flat against the euro on Friday, supported by a six-month high in U.S. consumer sentiment, even though an unexpected fall in retail sales last month and troubles in credit markets loomed.
S&P 500 hits record
The S&P 500 index climbed to a record on Friday, surpassing levels reached during the Internet bubble, as General Electric Co. increased a stock-buyback plan and data showed improving consumer sentiment.
Samsung Electronics Jumps on Take Over Rumor
Samsung Electronics reported a quarterly profit decline of 5 percent on Friday but shares rose to a 15 month high following speculation of a take-over bid from U.S. activist investor Carl Icahn.
Real estate Web sites boom, despite market slump
Home buyers and home sellers alike can find more innovative and useful features than ever on real estate Web sites, which are nimbly adapting to the U.S. housing slump.
News Corp. to launch business channel in October
News Corp. said Wednesday that will launch a new cable-television business channel on October 15 that will directly compete with General Electric'smarket leader, CNBC.
Intel backs project to give laptops to poor kids
Intel Corp. said on Friday it will support a Massachusetts Institute of Technology researcher's project to put computers in the hands of poor children around the world, reversing its long-standing opposition to the proposal.
Jones Apparel names new chief
Jones Apparel Group Inc. (NYSE: JNY) said that its chief executive Peter Bonaparte resigned on Thursday and the company promoted its current operations officer, Wesley Card, to the fill the vacancy.
Motorola expects sales below Wall Street estimates
Motorola Inc. (NYSE: MOT) said Wednesday that it expects another loss for its second quarter as mobile phone sales continue to slide.
Warner struggles on EMI decision as music sales fall
Warner Music Group's decision on whether to counter bid for British rival EMI Group has become a tortuously long one, as the No. 4 player grapples with exposing itself further to recorded music amid a faster-than-expected decline in the industry.
Debt, buybacks let firms boost returns without LBOs
Companies from Home Depot to Johnson & Johnson are borrowing a page from the private equity playbook by accumulating debt to boost returns - and Wall Street is lending a helping hand.
First 9/11 damages trials to begin in Sept: judge
September 11 victims who sued airlines and their security contractors will have their cases heard for the first time almost six years after the hijacked plane attacks on the United States, a federal judge has ruled.
Jury finds Conrad Black guilty of criminal fraud
Former media mogul Conrad Black is guilty of criminal fraud and obstruction of justice but innocent of racketeering, a U.S. jury found on Friday.
Blue chips rise on GE, consumer sentiment
Blue-chip stocks rose on Friday, sending the Dow to a record, as General Electric Co's expanded share repurchase plan and a stronger-than-expected reading of consumer sentiment tempered worries about the economy's health.
Baker Hughes warns on Canada, hits oil svc co's
Baker Hughes Inc. warned on Friday a significant deterioration of activity and profitability in Canada would hurt its second-quarter profit, knocking down stocks in several oil service peers.
China tells food companies to put safety first
China, reeling from a series of health scandals, on Friday told food and drug companies to put safety first and urged the media to paint a rosier picture as the government scrambled to quell public alarm.
Oil surges to new 11-month high above $77
Oil climbed to a new 11-month high above $77 a barrel on Friday after the International Energy Agency added to global supply concerns with forecasts of no let-up in fuel demand next year despite near-record prices.
