COMPANIES

The Battleship movie's bomb at the box office has Comcast CEO Brian Roberts and analysts worried the flop could hit his company's bottom line as a result.

Warburg Pincus LLC, a private equity firm based in US, is looking for a $100-$125 million stake in finance firm Future Capital Holdings, sources said to Reuters.

The U.S. had been losing industrial jobs to low-cost countries, particularly in Asia, for years, but its manufacturing sector appears to be staging a surprising turnaround. In 2009, manufacturing accounted for about 11 percent of U.S. gross domestic product; in 2011, the comparable figure was 12.2 percent.

U.S. car sales soared 47.6 percent for the American Honda unit of Honda Motor Co. Ltd. (NYSE: HMC) in May, as the Japanese automaker consummated its recovery from last year's triple disaster (earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdowns), with strong sales of its flagship Civic and Accord cars.

The troubled Chesapeake Energy Corp. (NYSE:CHK), the second-largest producer of natural gas in the country, announced Friday it has made a significant discovery of crude oil and natural gas in the Anadarko Basin beneath the Texas Panhandle and western Oklahoma.

Mazda Motor Corporation (Tokyo: 7261) struggled in May posting U.S. sales growth of just 5.4 percent on a daily selling rate adjusted basis, however, the company's sales for the year to date remain strong compared to last year, up an adjusted 19.3 percent.

Volkswagen AG (Frankfurt: VOW) U.S. sales grew 28.4 percent in May, the company's best May since its heyday as a 70s era-icon.

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission has issued subpoenas to JPMorgan Chase & Co. to determine whether fraud was committed in connection with the bank's multibillion-dollar proprietary-trading fiasco, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

May U.S. car sales increased 20.5 percent for Nissan Motor Company Ltd. (Tokyo: 7201) on strong demand for the Altima, as the company continues to push out remaining inventory in advance of the launch of the 2013 model in June, demand remained high for fuel-efficient models and moderating gas prices drew some consumers back to trucks.

General Motors Company (NYSE: GM) will provide certain salaried retirees with a lump-sum pension payment offer in lieu of normal monthly pension payments, a move which is expected to reduce the pension obligation of the nation's largest automaker by $26 billion, the company announced Friday.

Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ)?s plans to acquire Hughes Telematics (OTC: HUTC) for $612 million indicates the biggest U.S. phone company is seeking a new market: Mercedes-Benz drivers.

Continued strong car sales were joined by a surge in truck and SUV demand to drive a 12.6 percent growth in May U.S. sales for Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F), which cited demand for fuel efficient vehicles as a primary driver of growth.

General Motors Company (NYSE: GM) experienced modest U.S. sales gains of 10.9 percent in May with sales of 245,256 vehicles, the highest monthly volume for the company since August 2009.

Shares of Facebook (Nasdaq: FB), the No. 1 social network, plunged as much as 7.5 percent in Friday trading, reversing Thursday?s 5 percent gains. Overall markets fell about 2.5 percent.

Sales grew across the board in May for U.S. automakers with Chrysler Group LLC, a subsidiary of Italian Fiat S.p.A. (Milan: F), leading the way in growth and General Motors Company (NYSE: GM) leading in volume, while Ford's car and truck sales remained strong on demand for fuel-efficient vehicles. The Asian carmakers also reported U.S. sales on Friday with Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE: TM) enjoying bumper growth of 73 percent.

Chrysler Group LLC, a subsidiary of Italian Fiat S.p.A. (Milan: F), reported May U.S. auto sales up 30 percent, the best showing for the month in five years and the 26th consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains for the revivified company.

Shares of Facebook (Nasdaq: FB), the No. 1 social network, plunged as much as 4 percent in early Friday trading, reversing Thursday?s 5 percent gains.

BP PLC is selling its stake in Russia-based crude oil and natural gas venture TNK-BP after receiving a unsolicited indications of interest regarding the potential acquisition, the British company said Friday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 26 points Thursday to 12,393 -- pushed lower by sentiment that May's U.S. Non-Farm Payroll reportl, to be released Friday, will be tepid.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the No. 1 U.S. retailer, said it had quit the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a Washington, D.C.-based group that lobbies for conservative laws in state legislatures.

The Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) appointed Alan Horn as chairman of Disney Studios, replacing former chairman Rich Ross, who was forced out of the role in April, the company announced Thursday.

After ditching Super Bowl ads, General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) pivoted away from the NFL and instead entered into a five-year advertising partnership for its Chevrolet brand with the popular British soccer team Manchester United, a move meant to bolster the brand's global awareness, the company announced Thursday.

Shares of Facebook (Nasdaq: FB), the No. 1 social network, rose in late-Thursday trading after they set a new low of $26.83.

Several top retailers reported stronger-than-expected sales in May Thursday, Reuters is reporting, providing a moderate surprise to Wall Street retail analysts, who had warned May might prove a disappointing month in terms of revenue for many stores.

It was strange not to see Steve Jobs fill one of the iconic red executive chairs at the D10 Conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., hosted by All Things Digital's Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher, but current Apple CEO Tim Cook did his best to fill the massive vacancy left by Jobs with some heartwarming stories about Steve, his life at Apple, and some encouraging signs that the world's most valuable technology company is moving in the right direction.

Shares of Facebook (Nasdaq: FB), the No. 1 social network, set a new low of $27 on Thursday, as the stock?s rout continues.

Marriott International Inc., the largest publicly traded U.S. hotel operator, plans to acquire Gaylord Entertainment Co.?s namesake hotel brand and management company, for $210 million.

No, you haven?t imagined it: trying to find a decent investment in these volatile financial times is like trying to find a diamond amid ashes. With the aforementioned in mind, here are three dividend plays that may not be diamonds, but they're worthy of consideration.

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) will offer a pension buyout to 98,000 retirees and former employees of the nation's second biggest car company, Reuters reported Thursday.