COFFEE

Cocoa posted record gains on Tuesday in London amid concerns that Ivory Coast supplies were declining and that the bean quality will deteriorate.

Coffee rallied on Monday posting the highest gain since 1995 after the funds increased purchases on concern that supplies will not be enough due to high demand for the bean.

Coffee gained on Tuesday following a decline in U.S. inventories and shipments from Brazil that prompted processors to increase the bean prices on retail brands.

Is the Starbucks formula the ticket for restaurant chains to take their brands national? More than one startup in the food industry is modeling itself after the successful coffee group.

Starbucks has begun selling cups of coffee for $1 (51 pence) in selected stores in Seattle as part of a new trial.

Robusta coffee in London declined following a message from Brazilian Agriculture Ministry official that the nation's harvest may exceed the forecasted 41.3 million to 44.2 million bags.Robusta for March delivery declined $23, or 1.1 percent, to $2,024 a metric ton and traded at $2,034 by noon in London.Last year, Robusta used in espresso and instant coffee, gained 20 percent amid concerns that dry weather in Brazil might hurt the crops.However, cocoa for March delivery increase...

Robusta coffee remained steady on Monday due to high demand for the beans from consumers and investors, after posting declines since December last year.

Starbucks Corp., the world's largest chain of coffee shops, ousted Chief Executive Officer Jim Donald on Monday and brought former CEO and Chairman Howard Schultz to the post after reporting its worst-ever annual performance and competition from fast-food rivals such as McDonald's.

U.S. Stocks gained momentum during Monday's morning trading as bargain hunters bought beaten-down shares amidst expectations that Friday's jobless report will cause the Fed to further cut interest rates to ward off an economic recession.

McDonald's Corp is set to launch coffee bars with baristas serving cappuccinos and lattes, moving into direct competition with global coffee chain Starbucks Corp., The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.

Following Starbucks’ disclosure that customer traffic at its stores had declined for the first time ever – which sent its shares lower – the coffee giant announced plans on Friday to launch its first national television advertising campaign.

Starbucks Corp shares fell nearly 7 percent on Friday to their lowest in more than 4 years, sparked by the coffee shop chain's admission that customer traffic slowed for the first quarter in its history.The seller of premium coffee, which coaxed U.S. consumers into drinking stronger, more expensive coffee, said U.S. traffic at its established locations fell 1 percent in the quarter as economic worries and 2 percent price rises spooked consumers.

Starbucks Corp. Chairman Howard Schultz on Friday predicted a shortage of gourmet coffee beans as coffee drinkers across the globe develop more sophisticated tastes.

Kraft Foods Inc said on Tuesday it struck deals for Starbucks coffee to be sold for its Tassimo hot beverage machine and to replace the current manufacturer of the Tassimo machine with Bosch Household Appliances.

Procter & Gamble Co said on Monday it sued Kraft Foods Inc. because it claims a new plastic container for Kraft's Maxwell House coffee infringes a patent for P&G's Folgers coffee.

Is this the start of the latte recession? The company implies that customers may be cutting back on that extra Frappucino.

A proposed class action lawsuit filed against leading coffee retailer Starbucks on Monday by an independent coffee house owner claims that that the company abuses its monopoly position in the specialty coffee market to eliminate smaller competitors by using various means, including cluster bombing store tactics.

Growing coffee for 20 years has not lifted 60-year-old Maina Kimondo from poverty.So fine talk of a new marketing system that could boost earnings fails to raise a spark in his eye.

Coffee farmers at Guatemala's small Chanmagua cooperative opened their land and growing methods to stiff scrutiny last year, in the hope an environment friendly seal would bring them higher prices.

Starbucks today released its fiscal third quarter earnings for 2006, highlighting a higher net profit and more stores opening despite a slow down in store sales.

Connoisseurs have nothing but praise for Panama's tiny annual crop of gourmet coffee but they warn that farms where the best beans are grown could vanish as landowners sell to wealthy foreign retirees.