COMPANIES

Ford Motor Co posted its first full-year profit since 2005 on Thursday and said it expects to stay profitable in 2010 despite a still-fragile economy and a debt-heavy balance sheet.

The talks for the merger of air cargo operations of ailing Japan Airlines Corp and Nippon Yusen KK have reached an impasse over the basic framework of the deal, the Nikkei business daily reported.

Cable giant Comcast and NBC Universal said on Thursday they would continue reporting news, keep broadcast television free and offer more children's programming if the U.S. government approves Comcast's plan to take control of the TV and movie company.

Toyota Motor Corp has halted U.S. sales of some of its best-selling vehicles under to address a product safety crisis that threatens its once untouchable reputation for quality.

The U.S. recession and slow global economy have created big opportunities for investments in promising green start-ups, an area that at one time had lofty valuations, Silicon Valley venture capitalist Steve Westly said.

Sales of newly built single-family homes fell unexpectedly in December as the bounce from an initial tax credit fizzled, the latest sign that the government-led housing recovery might be losing some steam.

Toyota Motor Corp. announced further model recalls on Thursday, saying that it would spread to China and Europe after faulty accelerator pedal problems were reported.

Toyota Motor Corp is extending to Europe the recall of millions of its most popular cars due to dangerous accelerator pedals, a further blow to the reputation of the world's largest car maker.

Ford Motor Co. has stopped production of a full-size commercial vehicle sold in China after discovering that its gas pedal comes from the same supplier that forced Toyota to issue a broad recall of cars.

Chinese real estate company IFM Investments Ltd priced its initial public offering at the bottom of a lowered range, an underwriter said on Wednesday.

Private equity firm Apollo Management founder Leon Black said on Wednesday he sees investment opportunities in commercial real estate, commodities, metals, energy and agriculture.

Oracle Corp Chief Executive Larry Ellison promised on Wednesday to shake up the technology industry with his purchase of Sun Microsystems Inc, a deal that enables the world's No. 3 software maker to enter the hardware business.

Brazilian mining company Vale said on Wednesday that it would pay $3.8 billion to buy Bunge Ltd's fertilizer assets in Brazil, as global demand for potash is boosted by growing food consumption.

Time Warner Cable Inc and Scripps Networks Interactive said on Wednesday they had reached multiyear deals for the second-largest U.S. cable operator to carry the Scripps-produced Food Network and Great American Country.

CTS Corp, supplier of accelerator pedals used on eight vehicle models recalled by Toyota Motor Corp, said on Wednesday it is in talks with Toyota about a remedy for the problem.

Bank of America has dropped plans to exit Merrill Lynch's Asia property funds business and will instead help it raise new money, cashing in on a recovery in the real estate sector, sources said.

Markit, a data provider and index administrator, said private equity firm General Atlantic had agreed to take a minority stake in the company.

Sales of newly built U.S. single-family homes fell unexpectedly in December, data showed on Wednesday, the latest indication that the government-led housing recovery might be losing some steam.

Carbon offset retailers and brokers have seen increased interest in and demand for voluntary carbon credits this month, particularly from the United States.

Chinese solar-cell maker Canadian Solar Inc's said it had agreed to supply 60 megawatts of photovoltaic modules to Spain's Fire Energy Group in 2010.

Small and medium-sized British businesses could cut their energy costs by up to 30 percent a year but are unaware of the true potential for savings, a survey by the Carbon Trust shows.

Toyota Motor shares were down 7 percent on the New York Stock Exchange in morning trading, following the company's unprecedented decision to discontinue eight of its most popular models in the U.S. following reported problems with the accelerators.

Dutch luxury sportscar maker Spyker may be the unlikely buyer of Saab but it is set to struggle with the real challenge: converting two loss-making companies into a profitable one.

U.S. mortgage applications fell for the first time in four weeks, reflecting a dramatic drop in demand for home refinancing loans, data from an industry group showed on Wednesday.

The Norwegian central bank chief said in a speech on Norwegian housing finance on Monday that loan-to-value ratios were in some cases alarmingly high.

Some fear the government deal announced on Monday to allow Live Nation and Ticketmaster to merge - creating a colossal concert promoter and ticketing agent - will weigh on ticket prices.

General Motors Co is close to announcing a deal to sell its Swedish unit Saab to Dutch sports car maker Spyker Cars NV, Bloomberg news service reported Tuesday, citing someone it said was familiar with negotiations.

U.S. defence giant Lockheed Martin hopes to sign an agreement with Israel on its F-35 fighter jet by the end of the year, and targets 75 to 100 jets for the deal, an executive said on Friday.

An A.P. Moller-Maersk executive said on Sunday a deal to buy Devon Energy Corp's stakes in two Gulf of Mexico oilfields was off after other owners used purchase rights, but Maersk may still buy a stake in a third field under the initial deal.