COMPANIES

The percentage of homes bought in the United States by first-time buyers rose significantly in the year through June, helped by a popular $8,000 tax credit, the National Association of Realtors said on Friday.

Strong demand in China and Germany last month triggered a double-digit growth rate in group sales volume at Volkswagen that wiped away the last signs of weakness from the start of this year.

Workers at a Ford Motor Co assembly plant in Missouri have started a vote that would authorize a strike as the automaker and the United Auto Workers union continue talks aimed at resolving disputes over local plant conditions.

Canada's trade deficit narrowed sharply in September from a record large gap in August thanks in part to a comeback in auto exports and growing sales to non-U.S. markets, Statistics Canada said on Friday.

Nissan Motor Co Ltd will keep the price of its upcoming battery-powered Leaf competitive with similar-sized cars and expects to make money on the vehicle despite the cost of its launch, Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn on Friday.

Lithium-ion battery maker A123 Systems is increasing its focus on the automotive market, creating a new business unit led by a former auto parts executive.

U.S. auto sales in November will not fall back below levels seen in October, the chief U.S. sales analyst for Ford Motor Co said on Friday.

Jazz Air Income Fund said on Friday it continues fighting for access to Toronto's downtown airport, but Air Canada's a regional feeder airline could not point to any progress in its legal action.

South Korea's National Pension Service (NPS) will sign an 800 million pounds ($1.33 billion) sale and leaseback deal next week for HSBC's European HQ in London, an official at the fund said on Friday

Megabank Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc plans to boost its capital by about 1 trillion yen ($11 billion) through public offerings of common shares by the end of the year, the Nikkei business daily said.

Shares of GVT, the Brazilian telecommunications target of a takeover attempt by two global rivals, posted on Friday their biggest tumble since late August, as suitors are seen as increasingly unlikely to raise their bids further.

Nortel Networks Corp said on Friday that, in light of discussions with interested parties, it will delay the auction of its global optical networking and carrier ethernet businesses.

Suncor Energy Inc, Canada's biggest oil company, said on Friday it has earmarked C$5.5 billion ($5.23 billion) for capital expenditures next year and will restart projects the economic crisis had forced it to suspend.

Lafarge, the world's largest cement maker, and Shui On Construction and Materials Ltd are set to spinoff their cement joint venture, aiming to raise $500 million-$600 million from a Hong Kong initial public offering in 2010, sources close to the matter said.

Shares of youth apparel retailer rue21 Inc rose in their debut on the Nasdaq, opening 26.3 percent over Thursday's initial public offering and putting the company on pace for one of the biggest first-day performances of an IPO this year.

Nasdaq OMX Group said the number of Greater China companies that list on its exchange could double in as little as two years, fueled by a growing appetite for these shares from a wider range of U.S. institutional investors.

Nasdaq listings by companies in the Greater China region could double in 2-3 years, as mainland firms make up a larger percentage of all foreign listings, an executive from Nasdaq OMX Group said on Friday.

German Economy Minister Rainer Bruederle said on Thursday U.S. carmaker General Motors Co does not need state aid for its European unit Opel because the company can shoulder the cost of restructuring by itself.

MTS, Russia's largest mobile phone operator, posted a 4.1 percent fall in its third-quarter net profit as sales fell and debt-servicing costs rose, but its figures were ahead of most analysts' forecasts.

Italian oil refiner ERG SpA swung to a third-quarter net loss below forecasts and warned that refining margins in the final quarter remained very weak.

Chinese solar panel maker Yingli Green Energy Holding Co Ltd posted better-than-expected third-quarter profit on strong shipments, sending its shares up 9 percent.

Playboy Enterprises Inc is in talks with Jim Griffiths, a former entertainment president at Playboy, and private equity firm Golden Gate Capital, to sell itself for about $300 million, a source familiar with the matter said Friday.

Warren Buffett's warning to Kraft over using its undervalued stock to bid for Cadbury may return to haunt Irene Rosenfeld as the Kraft CEO ponders an increased bid to win over the British confectioner.

U.S. consumer sentiment fell in early November to the weakest in three months amid grim expectations for job and income prospects, a survey showed on Friday.

Twenty-nine percent of recent buyers purchased a home in foreclosure or through a short sale, according to the latest REALTORS® Confidence Index. REALTORS® who participated in the survey are also concerned about a growing number of foreclosures and the hurdles buyers face in short sales.

China is falling in love with Hyundai Motor. The South Korean company has accelerated to become the maker of the top selling foreign car brand in the world's largest auto market today from virtually nothing just seven years ago.

Hyundai Motor has left rivals in the dust with a stunning run this year, and Japanese automakers have even more to worry about now as the yen climbs and South Korea seals more trade pacts to benefit its exporters.

Canada's trade deficit narrowed sharply in September from a record large gap in August thanks in part to a comeback in auto exports and growing sales to non-U.S. markets, Statistics Canada said on Friday.

Burger King, the world's second biggest hamburger chain, said on Friday it plans to open its first Russian restaurant in Moscow this year, lured by the potential of the country's 140 million population.