COMPANIES

Kitchen-cabinet maker American Woodmark Corp posted a surprise quarterly loss as margins were weighed down by labor and overhead costs, sending its shares down 17 percent.

Slovenia's top household appliance maker Gorenje turned to a net loss in the first half of the year as customers cut spending, but the group said it was seeing some signs of stabilisation.

For a few frenzied weeks this summer, the U.S. auto industry has been partying like the good old days of 2007 -- before demand dropped off a cliff.

Chinese supermarket chain Times Ltd's majority shareholder has invited bidders to make offers for the retailer, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the situation.

Deutsche Lufthansa expects it could close the deal to buy Austrian Airlines on or around September 3, a person familiar with the negotiations said on Tuesday.

Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) plans to raise its production in Japan for the first time in 16 months in November thanks to a recovery in auto sales driven by government incentives, the Asahi newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Primus Financial Holdings is very confident it will get approval from Taiwan's regulators for its bid to buy AIG's Taiwan insurance unit, a top executive from the investment firm said on Tuesday.

Norway's Det norske oljeselskap and Aker Exploration said on Tuesday they had agreed to merge to create the country's second-biggest oil firm with a combined value of around $694 million.

The total value of distressed commercial real estate reached $114.2 billion in August, according to the latest issue of the quarterly Distressed Commercial Real Estate Journal. The journal is published by the Distressed Asset Recovery Team--a consultancy formed earlier this year by Beers and Cutler, Delta Associates, Fore Consulting, and BlackwellAdvisors--and uses data provided by several firms i...

The Hanover Marriott, an upscale hotel on Route 10 in the Whippany section of the township, has been sold for $27 million to HEI Hotels & Resorts, which will invest $20 million to fully renovate all public and private spaces of the 353-room hotel, according to the NJBIZ reports.

U.S. auto giant Chrysler has not signed a deal with Fiat's Chinese partner Guangzhou Auto [GAIGPA.UL] to produce Jeeps in China, a Chrysler spokesman said on Tuesday, after media reported there was an agreement.

German government officials met with General Motors' top negotiator on Tuesday, hoping to get answers on why the U.S. carmaker has so far failed to choose a buyer for its European unit, Opel.

General Motors' chief negotiator in the sale of Opel will on Tuesday meet a task force created by the German government to discuss the U.S. carmaker's plans for the European unit, a German politician said.

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about online networking is the wide range of reactions it stirs up. Some real estate professionals swear by it. Others say it's a diversion at best-and an utter waste of time at worst.

A New York court has partly denied motions by polysilicon maker MEMC (WFR.N) against Conergy (CGYG.DE), a small victory for the German solar group in the two companies' ongoing legal battle.

Close-out retailer Big Lots Inc posted a higher-than-expected quarterly profit on tight expense controls on Tuesday and forecast a full-year profit that might exceed Wall Street estimates.

Thai integrated circuit packager Hana Microelectronics PCL HANA.BK said on Tuesday that its 2009 revenue could fall by less than the 25-30 percent expected previously, and it forecast better profits for the second half.

Citigroup Inc has

Sales of tenant-in-common interests have plummeted, but don't count the securitized real estate industry out just yet.

Bankrupt flash memory chips maker Spansion Inc (SPSNQ.PK) said it had agreed to sell its manufacturing facility in China to Taiwan's Powertech Technology Inc (6239.TW) for about $31 million in cash as part of its reorganization plan.

A tough market can make even the most fiercely independent brokers reconsider their long-term ownership strategy. Here's what to consider before being acquired.

Repeat offenders who persist in illegally downloading music from file-sharing sites such as Limewire could be blocked from accessing the Web under British government proposals issued on Tuesday.

Top office products retailer Staples Inc reported a 38 percent drop in quarterly profit as costs increased.

Tokyo was the most active market for office property transactions in the first half of this year, buoyed by major deals in prime properties, a real estate market research firm said.

Big Lots Inc posted a higher-than-expected quarterly profit on Tuesday as the close-out retailer offset falling sales with tight expense controls.

Short sales now account for the majority of some real estate agents' transactions. To ensure they have plenty of time to list and show properties, many of these agents are working with short-sale negotiators, who spend much of their time on the phone negotiating with lenders on behalf of sellers.

Medical device maker Medtronic Inc said on Tuesday quarterly earnings fell 38 percent due to restructuring and litigation charges.

A widening price gap, fuelled by a weak pound, is behind the current shortage of some medicines in Britain as more drugs are exported by middlemen for profit, the pharmaceutical industry said on Tuesday.

Hungary plans to issue new convertible bonds worth around 800 million euros before Sept. 28 to refinance expiring debt held by pharmaceutical firm Gedeon Richter GDRB.BU, the state asset management company said.