MANUFACTURING

The crumbling of mega-merger talks between Japanese industrial behemoths Hitachi <6501.T> and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries <7011.T> threatens a rare opportunity for Japan to improve its global competitiveness by consolidating century-old companies.

Cleetus Friedman is convinced consumers will continue to pay a premium for healthier, locally sourced food, despite the sluggish economy that has many watching their wallets.

The Dow is plunging, as stocks are coming back to the woes that Main Street has grappled with since the recession. Stocks had soared this year while Main Street America grappled with slow growth and high unemployment.

The top after-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers are: Web.com Group, On Assignment, Zipcar, Allied Motion Technologies, Savient Pharmaceuticals, and The Andersons. The top after-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: Dendreon, Entropic Communications, comScore, Zumiez, Oncothyreon, and Career Education.

The Swiss franc fell from record highs on Wednesday after the Swiss National Bank shocked the market with an interest rate cut, but the retreat should prove fleeting given mounting concerns about global growth.

Competition is brewing in the small but booming market for flash memory used in corporate data centers, and analysts foresee a wave of consolidation as larger players move in.

Competition is brewing in the small but booming market for flash memory used in corporate data centers, and analysts foresee a wave of consolidation as larger players move in.

The financial problems in Rome in the early part of the third century AD stemmed from a military that was getting too large and expensive (one of the pitfalls of carving a huge empire that became too unwieldy.

Stocks fell on Wednesday, and the S&P 500 hit a new low for the year as the latest data triggered more pessimism about the economy's outlook.

The world's economy moved closer to stagnation last month as firms in Asia and Europe reined back in the face of an ongoing debt crisis and signs of a new U.S. slowdown, business surveys showed on Wednesday.

Perceived as romantic by many, the fallen leaves of autumn transfer mercury from the atmosphere to the earth?s environment, posing a health risk to humans and wildlife, a recent study has revealed.

The S&P 500 turned negative for the year on Tuesday as the wrangling over the U.S. debt ceiling faded and investors turned their attention to the stalling economy.

The Swiss National Bank cut its interest rate target band on Wednesday in a surprise move to stem the rapid rise of the Swiss franc, which investors have flocked to seeking harbor from the European and U.S. debt crises.

The top after-market NYSE gainers on Tuesday are: Willbros Group, SuccessFactors, Zale Corp, Orient-Express Hotels, Pilgrim's Pride Corp, Modine Manufacturing, Quanex Building Products, KBW, Harris Corp and United Rentals.

Rumors continue to swirl about when Apple will release the iPhone 5.

The Swiss franc held hefty gains in Asia on Wednesday, having rocketed to record highs as investors scrambled for a safe haven on renewed tensions in the euro zone debt market and worries about a global slowdown.

Borrowing by small businesses jumped in June to the highest level in more than three years, a sign that a so-far elusive resurgence in economic growth may be around the corner.

JAC is seeking to produce 100,000 vehicles every year in Latin America?s largest car market

Apple's control over design wins customers and also assures high profit margins

The top after-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers are: Gentiva Health Services, Sangamo Biosciences, LHC Group, Clearwire, and Cytori Therapeutics. The top after-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: Innophos Holdings, Texas Roadhouse, Siliconware Precision Industries, Ctrip.com International, and Meru Networks.

Manufacturing grew at its slowest pace in two years in July as new orders contracted, casting doubt on expectations the faltering recovery would quickly regain steam.