BUSINESS

Hedge fund managers are increasingly nervous about getting a knock on the door from securities regulators now that a new rule requires them to register as investment advisers and provide lots of data about their inner workings as a result.

An MF Global executive, who has emerged as a central figure in the desperate shifting of funds before the brokerage's collapse, refused to answer questions on Wednesday, frustrating lawmakers probing why more than $1 billion in customer money is missing.

Daniel Loeb, chief executive of hedge fund Third Point, said he would continue to push to revamp Yahoo Inc's board of directors following Yahoo's decision to reject him as a board member.

Stocks declined on Wednesday as sliding oil and metals prices gave investors a reason to sell commodity-related shares.

Google proposed to pay Oracle a percentage of Android revenue if Oracle could prove patent infringement of the mobile operating technology at an upcoming trial, but Oracle rebuffed the offer as too low, according to a court filing late on Tuesday.

Crude futures fell on Wednesday as a jump in crude inventories in the United States and the prospect of a release of U.S. and some European strategic reserves sent oil prices into retreat.

Social-networking site Facebook is halting the sale of its shares on secondary markets effective next week as the company prepares to hold its initial public offering in May, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Bank of America Corp Chief Executive Officer Brian Moynihan made $8.1 million in total compensation last year, more than four times the $1.9 million he received in 2010, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday.

Oil prices fell on Wednesday as a big rise in U.S. crude inventories and the prospect the United States and some European nations might tap strategic reserves sent futures into retreat.

A finance executive at MF Global Holdings Ltd invoked her right against self-incrimination as lawmakers heard from officials who played critical roles in the final days of the futures brokerage, when a huge and still unexplained shortfall in customer money surfaced.

New orders for long-lasting U.S. factory goods increased only modestly in February, supporting the view that economic growth in the first quarter could be lackluster.

Most people expect the iPhone 5 to be revolutionary, but since Apple keeps its lips sealed until the official unveiling, the best we can do is try to separate fact from fiction. Here, we round up everything we know -- from the release date, to the design, to its features -- and try to give you a picture of Apple's latest creation.

Daniel Loeb, chief executive of hedge fund Third Point, said he would continue to push to revamp Yahoo Inc's board of directors following Yahoo's decision to reject him as a board member.

Former MF Global Holdings Ltd Chief Executive Jon Corzine assured JPMorgan Chase & Co shortly before his brokerage firm collapsed that it had ample funds to cover overdrafts, a lawyer for the bank is expected to testify.

Stocks were flat on Wednesday as a weaker-than-expected reading on durable goods orders offset hopes that high oil prices could fall, removing a headwind to the economic recovery.

New orders for long-lasting factory goods rose less than expected in February and a gauge of future business investment also fell short of forecasts, casting a shadow on the manufacturing sector's support of the recovery.

A group spear-headed by former basketball great Earvin Magic Johnson agreed to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team for a record $2 billion, team owner Frank McCourt announced on Tuesday, capping a two-year drama that started with McCourt's divorce and wound its way through bankruptcy court.

Stock index futures pointed to a flat open on Wednesday, cutting earlier gains after a weaker-than-expected reading on durable goods orders.

New orders for manufactured goods rose less than expected in February and a gauge of future business investment also fell short of forecasts, Commerce Department data showed on Wednesday.

MF Global's North America chief financial officer plans to tell lawmakers on Wednesday that she desperately sought fund transfers to cover the customer account shortfall in the final hours before the firm's collapse, but that some banks would not execute them.

Stock index futures rose on Wednesday as several governments, including the United States, considered releasing oil reserves to ease high prices.

Senior executives within Goldman Sachs have talked about splitting the roles of chief executive officer and chairman, two sources said, although pressure for any imminent move appears to have eased after a deal with a labor union pension fund.

The bank industry, struggling to make the profits it used to, is using the struggles of another industry for its marketing: The Postal Service.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc's first-quarter earnings are expected to benefit from the increased use of derivatives by European clients seeking ways to hedge risk, according to an internal report seen by Reuters.

Britain's economy shrank by more than expected in the last three months of 2011 than previously thought, driven down by a weaker services sector, official data showed on Wednesday.

Mark Zuckerberg wants at least $5 billion from Wall Street investors, but those investors will not be getting much face time in return.

Britain's economy shrank by more than expected in the last three months of 2011 than previously thought, driven down by a weaker services sector, official

Pressure is building in Britain and Australia for fresh probes into Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, already under siege over phone-hacking claims, after allegations that it ran a secret unit that promoted pirating of pay-TV rivals.

Societe Generale aims to cut the liquidity needs of its corporate and investment bank by 50 to 60 billion euros ($79.93 billion) as it sells more loans, the French bank said on Wednesday in a slide presentation.