IBT Staff Reporter

Big investors buying into baskets of commodities saw lower returns in the first half of this year, compared with a year ago, as oil generated slimmer gains and the search intensified for new strategies.

As GM, Renault-Nissan prepare to pursue “exploratory” talks about a possible alliance, GM investors are wondering whether the partnership can benefit the world largest automaker, currently in the midst of a major restructuring.

EBay's Paypal and Google's Checkout: Which will be the payment platform of choice?

The iPod and a growing need for local news have done the unthinkable: They have cost Chicago, one of America's great jazz cities, its last major source for jazz programming on local radio.

U.S. mortgage applications rose for the first time in three weeks as interest rates on home loans fell from a four-year high during a week when the Federal Reserve raised borrowing costs, an industry trade group said on Thursday.

Airbus orders plunged by more than half in the first six months of the year as confusion over its product range robbed the company of wide-body sales throughout the second quarter, new figures showed on Monday.

The $15 billion market for antidepressants, one of the biggest in the pharmaceuticals industry, is in danger of crumbling as generic competition eats away at existing products and drug companies struggle to develop replacements.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao recently ended a seven nation tour of Africa on June 25 in a bid to improve economic, social and diplomatic ties between China and Africa.

New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer's probe into whether insurance companies paid retirement plans to offer their investments is expected to lead to lawsuits and settlements in the next several months, a source familiar with the situation said on Thursday.

More than 14 percent of Americans lacked health insurance last year, a slightly lower share than 2004, according to federal statistics published on Wednesday.

Britain's biggest retailer Tesco said on Wednesday it expected some growth in its personal finance business and could move beyond basic insurance, savings and credit card lending to promote mortgages for UK consumers.

China's efforts to defuse what experts have called its pension time bomb have created a multibillion-dollar opportunity for domestic and international fund managers.

While difficulties related to the war have hampered growth, recent oil-related developments show the nation is on its way to financing reconstruction efforts.

H&R Block Inc. has no plans to break itself up or sell some businesses to private equity firms to improve the company's value to shareholders, Chief Financial Officer William Trubeck said on Wednesday.

The sales tax deduction is back ... for now, at least. As I pointed out in an earlier article, the new tax changes allowed for a deduction for sales taxes in 2004. Many folks are still unclear on how to apply it, though. Here are a few frequently asked questions:

An IRS audit is one of those things - like public speaking - that makes most of us sweat by just thinking about it. And unfortunately, the IRS is enforcing the nation's tax laws with renewed vigor, so you can expect a higher statistical chance of being audited in the future. How much higher remains to be seen, but I advise increased caution and attention to detail with your 2005 return.

You've done it - tacked a few vacation days on to the end of a boring business trip. And why not? It's one of the few perks of spending time on the road. But what if you're self-employed and the only one picking up the bill is you? Well, you can still combine tax savings and vacation into the same trip. Consider yourself reimbursed by Uncle Sam.

Employers added a smaller-than-expected 121,000 new workers to their payrolls last month, but the jobless rate stayed at a five-year low of 4.6 percent and average hourly earnings rose, the Labor Department said on Friday.

The European Commission confirmed on Friday it would debate antitrust sanctions against U.S. software giant Microsoft at a regular meeting on Wednesday.

Britain's biggest insurer, Aviva Plc, is in talks to buy U.S. life insurer AmerUs Group Co, valued at about $2.3 billion, in a deal that would boost Aviva's undersized presence in the booming U.S. market.

Verizon Communications Inc. is close to putting in motion long-awaited plans to shed its directory business, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Could yields for money market fund see 6 percent?

Hedge funds and other money managers are moving more money out of the market amid short-term problems.

Hedge funds posted their first losses of the year in May as prices for stocks, metals and oil fell last month, according to data released on Wednesday.

A mutual fund pools money from hundreds and thousands of investors to construct a portfolio of stocks, bonds, real estate or other securities, according to its charter. Each investor in the fund gets a slice of the total pie.

The recent stock slide got you scared? These time-tested strategies ensure you can whether downturns and still benefit from the rebounds.

Stop if you have heard this one before: 2006 was supposed to be the year large-cap funds finally clawed their way out of the basement of the mutual-fund race.

It's never too early to take steps to reduce your tax bill. Here are 10 tax savings tips that can help you reduce your 2006 tax bite.

Standard Life is set to price next week's market debut at the low end of its price range and at a discount to the UK insurance sector, even as markets claw back recent losses, investors and analysts said.