BUSINESS

Airbus said Thursday night it is dropping lithium-ion batteries from its new A350 airplane after possible defects forced the grounding of Boeing’s 787.

Billionaire Warren Buffett is dipping into the ketchup business as part of a $23.3 billion deal to buy H.J. Heinz Co., uniting a legend of American investing with a mainstay of grocery store shelves.

The receding Arctic Ocean ice has opened up two major sea lanes that maritime shippers are using to cut costs.

A Massachusetts family was awarded $63 million in a lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson.

Hollywood depicts asteroids as Earth-shattering nemeses, but, in the real world, some hope to bring them closer to Earth.

A bigger-than-expected GDP contraction in Q4 brought a dismal end to a very difficult year for the euro zone.

American Airlines and US Airways agreed Thursday to merge in an $11 billion deal that would create the world's biggest airline.

Asian markets shouldn’t be perceived as high risk, but stock valuations are definitely out of sync with earnings growth, an expert warned.

Analysts had forecast GM's 2012 profit to be $5.6 billion, or $3.26 per share. Instead it was $4.9 billion, or $2.92 per share.

Central banks are now buying more gold than ETF investors -- a very startling result. Will the trend continue?

Heinz, the maker of Ketchup, is being bought by Warren Buffet and a partner for $28 billion.

Constellation Brands Inc, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Vonage Holdings Corp, Quiksilver Inc, Generac Holdings Inc, Weight Watchers International Inc, CenturyLink and Tripadvisor Inc are among the companies whose shares are moving in the pre-market trading Thursday.

Anheuser-Busch InBev has agreed to sell its Mexican beer brands. Meanwhile, there's trouble brewing in Australia.

The waiting is over: We're about to get a new No. 1 airline after an $11 billion merger was approved.

The U.S. stock index futures point to a lower open Wednesday ahead of the weekly report on jobless claims from the Department of Labor.

In 1974 the federal minimum wage was $2 an hour ($9.31 in 2012 dollars), higher than the current rate.

India’s headline inflation declined sharply to 6.62% in January from 7.18 percent in December – its slowest pace in three years.

Japan’s GDP fell 0.1% in the the fourth quarter. It had been expected to grow by 0.1%. Will its economy ever recover?

The top after-market Nasdaq gainers Wednesday were Angie's List Inc, J2 Global Inc, Blucora Inc, ValueClick Inc and Zillow Inc while the top after-market Nasdaq losers were Stamps.com Inc, Nanosphere Inc, Tripadvisor Inc and Itron.

A look at why US Airways and American Airlines are reportedly set to merge Thursday in a mega-merger that will create the world's largest airline.

The Kremlin-controlled OAO Rosneft is talking with China National Petroleum Corp. about possibly doubling crude shipments as part of the deal.

China’s state-owned oil giant CNOOC was cleared by U.S. regulators to to make its largest-ever foreign acquisition.

The world's biggest maker of heavy farm equipment beat expectations as farmers prepare for a big corn planting.

ING is the latest European financial services company to lay off thousands of employees amid the region's debt crisis.

Magic Software Enterprises Ltd, Medical Properties Trust, Diamond Foods Inc, Zynga Inc, MEMC Electronic Materials Inc, General Electric Company, NetSol Technologies Inc, Sony Corporation, and Cliffs Natural Resources Inc are among the companies whose shares are moving in the pre-market trading Wednesday.

The U.S. stock index futures point to slightly higher open Wednesday, ahead of the U.S. retail sales data release by the Commerce Department scheduled at 13:30 GMT. Retail sales is expected to show a 0.1 percent rise in January, against a 0.5 percent increase registered in December as consumers eye smaller paychecks on the back of a recent tax increase.

G.M. 4Q results likely benefited from stronger demand, cost cuts, more-enticing cars, and a focus on successful brands.

India's trade deficit widened to $20 billion in January from $17.7 billion in December.

The top after-market Nasdaq gainers Tuesday were RPX Corporation, Comcast Corporation, Unilife Corp and Quality Distribution Inc, while the top after-market Nasdaq losers were Natural Alternatives International, NETGEAR Inc, Buffalo Wild Wings and Blue Nile.