McDonald's restaurant chain announced Wednesday that from January 2010, it will begin offering free Wi-Fi in its stores in the U.S. and Canada.
This diary is updated daily. New listings or amendments are marked *. All events/times provisional and in GMT (local time is GMT +2 for Egypt and Sudan).
Facet Biotech Corp (FACT.O) said on Wednesday it agreed to allow The Baupost Group LLC, a big investor, to increase its stake in the company to as much as 20 percent, in a bid to fight off a hostile bid from Biogen Idec Inc (BIIB.O).
Almost one in five European companies is likely to make a major acquisition next year, a survey showed, adding weight to claims that European mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are set to rebound from their 2009 trough.
Dress Barn Inc (DBRN.O) raised its profit view for the fiscal 2010 as its stores have performed better than expected till date, the company said on Wednesday.
British technical plastic products supplier Carclo Plc (C1Y.L) said it would raise 3.7 million pounds ($6.01 million) from a placing of shares to accelerate projects in its technology business.
American Airlines said that it, private equity firm TPG and Oneworld alliance partners could increase their $1.1 billion investment offer to Japan Airlines (9205.T), depending on the struggling carrier's restructuring plan.
French stock market regulator AMF will announce on Thursday the outcome of a more than three year investigation into suspected insider trading and misleading communications at Airbus parent EADS
Mining equipment maker Joy Global Inc (JOYG.O) posted a 5 percent rise in quarterly profit, helped by tighter cost controls, and said order rates would improve in 2010, sending its shares up 3 percent.
Emcore Corp (EMKR.O), a maker of compound semiconductor-based components and subsystems, posted fourth-quarter results above estimates, helped by a steep fall in operating expenses, and forecast first-quarter revenue above market expectations.
Walgreen Co aims to offer the H1N1 vaccine shot in all 50 states by the end of December, a move that could help the largest U.S. drugstore chain bring more consumers into its stores and clinics.
Dell Inc (DELL.O) said the acquisition of Perot Systems will help the company tap new growth markets as it makes a deeper push into technology services.
Essilor (ESSI.PA), the largest maker of corrective eye lenses, plans to buy U.S. group FGX International (FGXI.O) for about $465 million to expand in the growing market for non-prescription reading glasses.
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK.L) took a further step to build up its non-prescription consumer health business on Wednesday with a small deal giving it rights to an experimental cold sore treatment from privately owned NanoBio.
Iconix Brand Group Inc is breaking off talks with Playboy Enterprises (PLA.N) after figuring it would be too complicated to separate the Playboy brand from other assets, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Japanese bank Nomura is to buy London-based corporate finance advisory firm Tricorn Partners, according to a memo, strengthening its foothold in the lucrative corporate broking business.
British confectioner Cadbury said on Wednesday it had insured 500 million pounds ($813 million) of pension liabilities in a deal allowing it to keep control of the scheme's assets.
China Shipbuilding Industry Co made a tepid Shanghai debut, and China Pacific Insurance raised $3.1 billion in a Hong Kong IPO, as Beijing steps up the pace of stock offerings to fend off a speculative market bubble.
Wells Fargo & Co (WFC.N) will buy Prudential Financial Inc's (PRU.N) minority stake in retail brokerage joint venture Wells Fargo Advisors for $4.5 billion, the companies said on Tuesday.
Citigroup Inc said on Tuesday the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority filed an arbitration claim against it, accusing the U.S. lender of misrepresentation over a $7.5 billion investment by the sovereign wealth fund.
The landlord and tenants of a vast New York City apartment complex have reached an interim rental agreement for 4,000 apartments hit with illegal rent increases, attorneys for the two sides said on Monday.
U.S. mortgage applications nudged higher last week, marking a third straight weekly rise, driven by a slight uptick in demand for home refinancing loans, an industry group reported on Wednesday.
New housing starts rose but were lower than expected in November as construction activity for single family dwellings increased only marginally, a government report showed on Wednesday.
On December 14, FedEx Corp's busiest day this year, when the shipper handled almost double its normal number of packages, the entire system stretched to accommodate the global gift-giving frenzy that culminates nearly two weeks later around Christmas.
Chinese auto parts maker Ningbo Yunsheng Co (600366.SS) plans to buy a 79.1 percent stake in unlisted Japanese auto parts firm Nikko Electric Industry Co, the Nikkei business daily reported on Wednesday.
A U.S. grand jury on Tuesday indicted Galleon hedge fund founder Raj Rajaratnam and co-defendant Danielle Chiesi on charges of securities fraud and conspiracy in an insider trading case involving employees of some of America's best-known companies.
- Hearings planned by a U.S. lawmaker to look into Exxon Mobil Corp's (XOM.N) takeover of XTO Energy Inc (XTO.N) would pose little risk to the completion of the merger, an analyst said.
Rather than talk about sweetening its 789 pence-per-share offer for Cadbury — say, to the 820-850 pence level analysts think is needed — Kraft is urging shareholders to take a long hard look at Cadbury's revenue growth targets
Denison Mines (DML.TO) said on Tuesday it will suspend the McClean Lake uranium processing mill in mid-2010, following the halting of nearby uranium projects that were destined to supply it with ore.
U.S. home buyers are less willing to buy foreclosed properties than they were six months ago, citing risks like hidden costs, but demand could grow because of the government's expanded tax credit, a survey showed on Tuesday.
