COMPANIES

Ameriprise Financial Inc's purchase of an asset management business from Bank of America Corp contains a key feature -- access to the bank's massive distribution system.

The London Stock Exchange said it has entered into exclusive talks with low-cost trading platform Turquoise Trading Ltd., as rising competition forces trading houses to consolidate.

Nike Inc on Thursday denied it has an endorsement deal with Michael Vick more than two years after dumping the National Football League quarterback following his arrest for bankrolling a dog-fighting ring. Nike said it was only supplying gear for Vick as it does with many athletes. In such deals, Nike does not pay the athlete.

More unemployed workers filed for temporary government insurance protection last week, with the total initial claims rising by 17,000 to 551,000, according to the U.S. Labor Department.

Fertilizer maker Terra Industries Inc again rejected a takeover bid from larger competitor CF Industries Holdings Inc, saying CF's stock price was inflated because of a takeover bid for that company.

Wine and spirits maker Constellation Brands Inc swung to a quarterly profit as efforts to stabilize its business continued to pay off, sending its shares up 10 percent.

American International Group dismissed consulting firm McKinsey & Co as its restructuring adviser in an effort to cut costs, according to a Bloomberg report, citing two people familiar with the matter.

U.S. consumer spending rose at its fastest pace in nearly 8 years in August, advancing for a fourth straight month, according to a government report on Thursday that pointed to a rebound in spending in the third quarter.

Citigroup said on Thursday it has reached an agreement with a private banking client that had sued the bank for losing millions of dollars in foreign exchange and bond trades.

UBS has redeployed two managing directors to strengthen its team catering to Asia's super-rich.

Britain's biggest pizza delivery chain Domino's Pizza UK & IRL said on Thursday it was on track to beat market expectations for the full year following strong trading in the third quarter.

Japan's largest retailer Seven & I Holdings on Thursday posted a 20 percent drop in first-half operating profit as it considers closing 16 percent of its supermarkets to cope with a sharp sales decline, and it kept a recently revised-down forecast.

Redhall Group Plc, a British engineering support services group, said it expected full-year profit to be marginally below market view due to a fall in volumes in the nuclear and chemical markets and rejigged its top executive team.

Talecris Biotherapeutics Holdings Corp priced shares in its initial public offering for $19 each, within the expected range, but increased the size of the share issue in the largest IPO by a biopharmaceuticals firm in three years.

ViaSat Inc, which provides satellite and other wireless networking systems, has agreed to buy Wild Blue Communications Inc for more than $565 million, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

Sanofi-Aventis has bought French biotechnology company Fovea, specialized in eye diseases, and expanded its cancer portfolio through an exclusive worldwide drug licensing deal with Merrimack Pharmaceuticals Inc.

More private equity firms in Australia are eyeing exit strategies by floating companies in the wake of U.S. buyout group TPG'slaunch this week of Myer's $2 billion initial public offering.

Bank of America Corp said on Wednesday six internal candidates are in the running to take over from Chief Executive Kenneth Lewis when he retires at the end of the year. All six are on the executive management team, four are long-time Bank of America staff and just one -- Tom Montag -- joined through the bank's acquisition of Merrill Lynch & Co.

JPMorgan Chase's investment bank is planning a push to win more business outside the United States by building on the group's financial ties with overseas companies, its head Jes Staley told the Financial Times.

Congressional leaders on Wednesday pressed General Motors Co GM.UL and Chrysler to resolve complaints about dealer franchise terminations the automakers pushed through during their brief bankruptcies.

Hershey Co remains stymied in its ability to assemble a takeover offer for Cadbury Plc, leaving Kraft Food Inc as the sole bidder for the British confectioner, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

A federal judge has rejected bids by the National Hockey League and Canadian billionaire James Balsillie for the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes, leaving control of the bankrupt team in limbo.

Executives from Chrysler Group LLC will meet the U.S. Treasury Department's auto task force this week, but no public statement is expected after the meeting, a Treasury official said on Tuesday.

France hopes to have 2 million electric cars on the road by 2020, and its energy minister Jean-Louis Borloo will on Thursday launch a plan designed to ensure the necessary infrastructure is in place in time.

Japan's prime minister and transport minister said on Wednesday the government was ready to support Japan Airlines Corp, aiming to dispel worries over the viability of the loss-making carrier.

Mongolia's government, trying to sell a stake in a coal mine said to be worth around $2 billion, may allow multiple companies to buy into the deal rather than hand it to a single bidder, sources said.

Vale will begin a partial restart of its Sudbury, Ontario, operations this week, a company spokesman said on Wednesday, as signs emerged that workers were becoming frustrated with the 2-1/2 month strike at the site.

Coca-Cola Co said on Wednesday it will include calorie information on the front of nearly all its packages, as the world's largest soft drink maker seeks to raise consumer awareness about nutrition.

Ford Motor Co has room for steady growth in its share of the North American and European auto markets, Chief Executive Alan Mulally said on Wednesday.