COMPANIES

California farmer Tom Willey was first attracted to organic farming 21 years ago after noticing how many chemicals he was using in conventional farming.

European Union antitrust authorities cleared U.S. drugmaker Pfizer's $68 billion takeover of rival Wyeth on Friday subject to conditions, notably the divestment of animal vaccines.

Hyundai Motor Co (005380.KS), South Korea's top automaker, will invest 130 million euros ($183.4 million) in its Czech unit over the next two years, a spokesman said on Friday.

Nissan Motor Co (7201.T) aims to develop its own hybrid technology for small and midsize cars and end its procurement of hybrid components from Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T), the Nikkei business daily reported on Friday.

Rechargeable batteries could become the core technology for the auto industry if pure electric cars enter the mainstream -- a prospect that has carmakers racing to team up with battery makers.

A congressional committee approved a resolution on Friday seeking documents and other information from the Obama administration's autos task force regarding major decisions made on the restructuring of General Motors Corp and Chrysler LLC.

Helping home owners appeal their tax bills can be a lucrative side business for real estate practitioners - particularly this year when legions of home owners are considering appeals after prices have crashed.

Hundreds of luxury jewelers defied the downturn and partied late into the night on Thursday in glitzy Park Lane at the 2009 UK Jewelry Awards in which avant-garde designer Shaun Leane won a top accolade.

Belgium-based investor RHJ International is offering 275 million euros ($388 million) for a majority stake in General Motors' Opel business in a last-ditch bid to beat early frontrunner Magna.

U.S. Treasuries prices were lower on Friday, erasing their early gains after the government data said U.S. housing starts increased in June, bolstering prospects for economic recovery and damping demand for safe-haven U.S. government debt.

New U.S. housing starts and permits jumped more than expected in June, propelled by a rise in single-family homes, a government report showed on Friday.

New U.S. housing starts and permits jumped in June, propelled by a rise in ground-breaking for single-family homes and suggesting the battered housing sector was beginning to stabilize, a government report showed on Friday.

Australian investment group Macquarie CountryWide Trust (MCW.AX) has agreed to sell U.S. property assets for $1.3 billion to a joint venture including Californian state pension fund Calpers, it said on Friday.

A unit of Swiss private bank Sarasin has launched a fund to invest in the shares of environmentally aware property companies in an effort to satisfy growing demand for

A nascent housing market rebound and a rally in shares could trigger a new round of cash raising by Chinese developers, eager to replenish coffers to meet rising demand, spurred by Beijing's economic stimulus measures.

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway offered $1.7 billion in cash for Bermuda-based reinsurer IPC Holdings, which rejected the bid in favor of a lower offer from Validus, Bloomberg reported, citing two people with knowledge of the bid.

Germany has a preference for Canadian auto parts group Magna's bid for General Motors unit Opel, but the process of selecting a suitor is still open, a government spokesman said on Friday.

China Pacific Insurance, part owned by the Carlyle Group, confirmed on Friday it would relaunch a Hong Kong initial public offering which would be the world's third-largest IPO so far this year.

General Electric Co warned investors that the economic contagion that has dragged down its finance and media businesses has spread to its heavy industrial units, prompting Chief Executive Jeff Immelt to lower his profit forecast for those businesses.

The families that own Porsche are close to a compromise agreement that could defuse the power struggle over control of the German carmaking powerhouse they seek to forge, sources close to the transaction told Reuters on Friday.

Electronics conglomerate NEC Corp is considering raising about $2.1 billion, a source familiar with the matter said, joining a rush of Japanese companies tapping a resurgent equity market for funds. Shares of NEC tumbled 9.5 percent to 286 yen as investors worried the capital raising would dilute the value of their holdings. The benchmark Nikkei average rose 0.5 percent.

BofA, Citigroup rise after beating estimates, GE slips, Mattel sharply higher

GE beats estimates, Mattel tops views

General Electric Co said profit fell by almost half, on a deeper drop in revenue than Wall Street expected, as the slump that has gripped its finance and media businesses took hold of its heavy industrial units.

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co said it will close its tire plant in the Philippines by the end of the third quarter, as it tries to cut production capacity to cut costs by $700 million this year.

General Electric Co said profit fell by almost half, on a deeper drop in revenue than Wall Street expected, as the slump that has gripped its finance and media businesses took hold of its heavy industrial units.

British Airways unveiled a $1 billion fundraising aimed at securing its future, including $540 million in bank loans that had been earmarked for its pension funds as a safety net against the airline going bust.

General Electric Co said profit fell by almost half, on a deeper drop in revenue than Wall Street expected, as the slump that has gripped its finance and media businesses took hold of its heavy industrial units.

General Electric Co said profit fell by almost half, on a deeper drop in revenue than Wall Street expected, as the slump that has gripped its finance and media businesses took hold of its heavy industrial units.