Shell Stops Gas Sales to Iran
10 Mar 2010, 5:50 am

The Anglo-Dutch oil major said it is no longer selling gasoline to Iran, the latest company to make such a move during threats of tougher sanctions against the Islamic republic.

China Exports Show Tentative Recovery
10 Mar 2010, 4:15 am

China's exports expanded strongly for the third straight month in February, though they slipped slightly from January, showing the recovery remains tentative.

China Mobile to Buy 20% of Pudong Bank
10 Mar 2010, 3:47 am

China Mobile said it agreed to buy a 20% stake in Shanghai Pudong Development Bank for $5.83 billion as the mobile operator seeks to expand into mobile payment services.

Airlines Offer to Cede Airport Slots
10 Mar 2010, 2:30 am

The European Commission said British Airways, American Airlines and Iberia have offered to give away take-off and landing slots at London and New York airports to get EU clearance for their airline alliance.

Munich Re's Net Profit Soars
10 Mar 2010, 1:57 am

Munich Re said fourth-quarter net profit surged due to lower claims for natural disasters, an improved investment result and higher premium income.

Investors Tap Into Deathbed Bond Deals
10 Mar 2010, 1:35 am

Billions of dollars in corporate bonds sold to retail investors come with an unusual provision that could be used to generate a fast profit. There's just one catch: Investors must team up to buy the bonds with someone who is about to die.

Cable Companies Petition FCC
9 Mar 2010, 9:49 pm

Cable operators are petitioning the FCC to prohibit broadcasters from yanking channels during fee negotiations, as happened in the recent Cablevision-Disney dispute over ABC.

Lindsay Lohan Sues Over TV Ad
9 Mar 2010, 9:40 pm

Actress Lindsay Lohan has sued an arm of E*Trade Financial, alleging the company misappropriated her name and personality in a recent TV ad.

Haiti Relief Races Against Rain
9 Mar 2010, 8:50 pm

Hundreds of thousands of residents of Port-au-Prince's tent cities remain to be relocated before hard rains begin next month.

High-Grade Bond Sales Pick Up
9 Mar 2010, 8:03 pm

Highly rated companies offered about $12 billion in new bonds after a $12 billion day Monday, as they take advantage of low borrowing costs and investor appetite.

Businesses Buy Ads vs. Health Overhaul
9 Mar 2010, 8:03 pm

Some big U.S. business groups announced a multimillion-dollar TV ad campaign aimed at defeating the Democrats' health-care legislation.

ILFC Debt Draws Strong Demand
9 Mar 2010, 7:58 pm

A $1.3 billion loan offering from International Lease Finance Corp. has met with strong investor demand, which will enable the aircraft-leasing unit of AIG raise fresh funds to repay some of its maturing debt.

In Ireland, a Blueprint for Euro Zone
9 Mar 2010, 7:49 pm

Debt-laden Ireland is winning applause for adopting severe measures that Greece has put off, but pay cuts and tax hikes have put public servants in some unusual binds.

Home Buyers Check Out Apps
9 Mar 2010, 7:42 pm

Just in time for the spring house-hunting season, smart-phone applications that provide information to home buyers are proliferating.

BofA Ends Overdraft Fees on Debit Buys
9 Mar 2010, 7:30 pm

Bank of America plans to announce that it is eliminating $35 overdraft fees on debit-card purchases as the bank tries to stay ahead of a sweeping round of regulations.

In This Afghanistan, the Blood Is Fake
9 Mar 2010, 7:26 pm

Afghan battle scenes with Hollywood-style special effects are staged by a company in San Diego to help U.S. soldiers prepare for deployments.

Letterman Producer Pleads Guilty
9 Mar 2010, 7:13 pm

Robert Halderman, a former CBS news producer, admitted he tried to extort $2 million from late-night talk-show host David Letterman.

Black & Decker CEO to Get Big Payday
9 Mar 2010, 6:51 pm

If his company merges with Stanley Works, Black & Decker's CEO is in line for a pay package that could be worth over $89 million after three years.

Asia Mixed; Aurox Rises on Merger Talks
9 Mar 2010, 6:39 pm

Asian stock markets were mixed Wednesday, with stocks drifting as investors looked to cues later in the week. In Australia, Aurox Resources powered higher on news of a merger with Atlas Iron.

Ex-Clinton Aide Looks to Death Row
9 Mar 2010, 5:43 pm

Betsey Wright, an outspoken death-penalty opponent charged with trying to smuggle contraband to a death-row inmate, will ask a state court to allow a videotaped deposition of the man before he is executed.

Build America Bonds Pay Off on Wall Street
9 Mar 2010, 5:10 pm

Bond underwriters handling the Obama administration-backed Build America bonds have collected more than $1 billion in fees so far.

RBS Boosts Banking Staff in U.S.
9 Mar 2010, 5:02 pm

RBS's U.S. global banking and markets unit increased staff levels by 4% last year and plans to continue hiring, in an illustration of how insulated its transatlantic business has been from a departure of employees in the U.K.

Studio Creditors' Plan B
9 Mar 2010, 5:01 pm

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer creditors are signaling that they would rather convert their debt to equity than sell for an unsatisfactory price.

More Wore Wires in Galleon Case
9 Mar 2010, 5:00 pm

Prosecutors equipped several cooperating witnesses with recording devices to try to obtain information about targets in the Galleon insider-trading probe.

Is Bank of America a Buy? (The Motley Fool)
8 Mar 2010, 12:50 pm

The Motley Fool - With the recent auction of Treasury's Bank of America (NYSE: BAC - News) warrants, the big bank joins Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS - News), Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS - News), and several other banks in completing its exit from TARP. But, is it a buy?

Upper-income households report less distress (Reuters)
5 Mar 2010, 7:48 am

Reuters - Sentiment of U.S. households in the top fifth of the income distribution improved in early 2010 compared with 2009, but worries over personal finances persist, a survey showed on Friday.

Behind the Buzz About Mint (BusinessWeek)
5 Mar 2010, 6:08 am

BusinessWeek - In Mint.com's creation story, as recounted on its Web site, founder Aaron Patzer started the free online personal finance service after a tedious session with Intuit's (NasdaqGS:INTU - News) Quicken budgeting software in 2005. It's a measure of Mint's success that any new complaints about Quicken should now be directed to Patzer himself. Tired of getting its clock cleaned by Mint, Intuit bought the site in 2009 and put Patzer in charge of its entire consumer finance operation. He must figure out how all the pieces will fit together -- while rejuvenating Intuit's aged Quicken franchise.

Equity One reports jump in profit during 4Q (AP)
4 Mar 2010, 5:46 pm

AP - Shopping center owner Equity One Inc. said Thursday it posted a 71 percent increase in fourth-quarter funds from operations, reporting higher revenue and an income tax benefit.

Mortgage rates fall below 5 percent (AP)
4 Mar 2010, 3:39 pm

AP - Mortgages rates have dipped below 5 percent again, four weeks before a government program that is helping keep rates low is scheduled to run out.

America: The Next Growth Economy (The Motley Fool)
4 Mar 2010, 2:37 pm

The Motley Fool - Warren Buffett described Berkshire Hathaway's (NYSE: BRK-A - News; NYSE:BRK-B - News) acquisition of Burlington National Railroad as a long-term bet on the American economy. In his book The Next Hundred Million: America in 2050, author Joel Kotkin presents data that supports Buffett's thesis, arguing that despite its current economic woes, the U.S. will remain an economic powerhouse over the next four decades.

Trustee sues ex-Thornburg Mortgage execs for theft (Reuters)
4 Mar 2010, 12:51 pm

Reuters - Four top executives of Thornburg Mortgage improperly paid themselves handsome bonuses just before the mortgage lender filed for bankruptcy last year, and stole money and ideas from Thornburg to secretly launch a new firm, the bankruptcy trustee in charge of liquidating the lender alleged in a lawsuit.

AIG units settle discrimination charges (Reuters)
4 Mar 2010, 10:25 am

Reuters - Two AIG units settled federal charges that they discriminated against blacks in providing home loans and will pay at least $7.1 million for restitution and education efforts, according to court documents filed on Thursday.

Freddie Mac prices $5.5 billion in 3-year notes (AP)
3 Mar 2010, 12:15 pm

AP - Government-owned mortgage finance company Freddie Mac on Wednesday priced $5.5 billion in three-year reference notes.

Business owners can avoid common tax time pitfalls (AP)
3 Mar 2010, 12:03 pm

AP - Small business owners who compile their own income tax returns can find themselves falling into some common quicksand pits. The mistakes can be costly if they raise a company's tax bill unnecessarily or subject it to penalties and interest in the future.

New, Easy Ways to Save for Retirement (U.S. News & World Report)
3 Mar 2010, 9:24 am

U.S. News & World Report - Half of Americans don't have a retirement plan through their employer, and of those who do, few are saving enough to finance a retirement that will last several decades. To encourage more workers to plan for the future, President Obama announced in September several new federal initiatives to promote saving for retirement. Although employers had the option before, these changes make it easier for them to automatically enroll workers in retirement plans. Some employees will be able to convert unused vacation and sick days to funds for their 401(k)'s, and there's a new way to save tax refunds. ...

A Guide to Online Investing (U.S. News & World Report)
3 Mar 2010, 9:15 am

U.S. News & World Report - When start-up company kaChing began accepting clients last year, its capital base was as small as its aspirations were grandiose. With just over $2 million in investments under management, the company was looking to challenge the $11 trillion U.S. mutual fund industry.

Ark. gov. candidate: Cut capital, income taxes (AP)
2 Mar 2010, 6:11 pm

AP - Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Keet on Tuesday called for phasing out the state's tax on capital gains and a reduction in Arkansas' income tax.

UK's Pru to buy AIG Asia unit for $35.5 billion (Reuters)
1 Mar 2010, 6:47 pm

Reuters - Britain's Prudential will buy American International Group's Asian life insurance arm for $35.5 billion in the insurance sector's biggest deal ever, helping the bailed-out U.S. group repay a big chunk of its taxpayer debt.

FDIC to grease mortgage market with $1.8 bln deal (Reuters)
1 Mar 2010, 5:08 pm

Reuters - The U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corp is planning to sell $1.8 billion of guaranteed asset-backed debt, according to IFR, in what may be a step toward restoring confidence in securities closely tied to the financial meltdown.

Summary Box: Corporate dealmaking lifts stocks (AP)
1 Mar 2010, 4:15 pm

AP - IN LIKE A LION: Stocks began March with hefty gains after several corporate buyouts raised hopes that the economy is strengthening. American International Group, owned mainly by taxpayers, sold its Asian life insurance business to Britain's Prudential for $35.5 billion.

How the major stock indexes fared on Monday (AP)
1 Mar 2010, 3:31 pm

AP - Major stock indexes rose to their highest levels in more than a month Monday after corporate buyouts raised hopes about the economy. The biggest boost for the market came from insurer American International Group, which agreed to sell its prized Asian life insurance business to Britain's Prudential for $35.5 billion. It is seen as a sign of confidence in the economy when big businesses go ahead with takeovers.

MBIA narrows 4Q loss to $242 million (AP)
1 Mar 2010, 3:27 pm

AP - MBIA Inc. said Monday that its loss narrowed in the fourth quarter, although losses from mortgage-related securities continued to hammer the bond insurer.

Gov't extends deadline for refinance program (AP)
1 Mar 2010, 12:23 pm

AP - The government is giving homeowners another year to refinance their loans under a little-used program designed to help borrowers whose homes have plummeted in value.

Reports show modest but steady economic recovery (AP)
1 Mar 2010, 11:19 am

AP - Mixed reports Monday on manufacturing, construction and personal income and spending made clear that the economy is enjoying modest growth even though the recovery remains fragile.