COMPANIES

McDonald's began 2009 by reporting strong end to 2008, as the global fast food chain continues to do well in difficult economic times with a fourth quarter profit that beat Wall Street analysts' expectations.

Bank of America had a role in the payment of bonuses worth $4 billion that Merrill Lynch approved for its executives ahead of the brokerage's sale to BofA, the Financial Times reported Sunday.

Pharmaceuticals giant Pfizer Inc will acquire Wyeth in a $68 billion cash and stock deal -- the biggest U.S. merger in three years -- to create a diverse health products company which executives hope will deliver stable growth to investors, the companies said on Monday.

Drugmakers Pfizer and Wyeth are close to sealing a deal worth $68 billion in a cash-and-stock deal that could be announced before the markets open Monday, according to reports.

Chrysler LLC urged its U.S. dealers on Sunday to cut costs and order more of its vehicles as the automaker moves to secure additional government aid.

Bank of Americas' shareholders are filing lawsuits against the company, its chief executive Kenneth Lewis and former Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain, claiming they weren't told about the true financial condition of Merrill Lynch before the banks merged in December.

McDonalds Corp, in contrast with struggling competitors and the overall retail market, plans to expand greatly in 2009 in Europe, a senior executive said on Friday.

Intel Corp. announced Friday that Craig Barrett intends to retire as non-executive chairman in May after serving the company for 35 years and helping it become the world's largest chip maker.

Toyota Motor Corp, now the biggest automaker in the world, may cut its vehicle production in Japan about 60 percent in the month of April due to slumping demand for cars, reported Reuters quoting the Tokyo Shimbun newspaper.

As we approach the era of digital television, Nielsen research reports that around 6.5 million U.S. homes would see static on their TV's if the analog shutoff date was today.

Banks can take steps to turn around diminishing public opinion about their services by not only meeting their baseline expectations but going beyond to engage them emotionally by generating confidence and showing integrity, according to a management journal.

Tribune Co. agreed on the Ricketts family bid for the Chicago Cubs baseball team, according to reports.

Merrill Lynch & Co paid bonuses to executives, estimated to be worth billions of dollars, just three days before the company's sale to Bank of America closed, reports said Thursday.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared the way for Geron Corp. to move forward with the world's first study of a human embryonic stem cell therapy for people with spinal cord injuries, the company said Friday.

Toyota Motor Corp. may cut more than 1,000 full time employees in the United Kingdom and North America, the Japanese Nikkei reported citing an anonymous senior company official.

Pfizer Inc. is in talks to buy Wyeth in a deal potentially worth more than $60 billion, according to a report. The companies have held discussions for several months but the deal wasn't imminent. Talks are specially fragile and could collapse due to the volatility in the market and the uncertainty in the economy.

General Electric announced Friday its fourth quarter profit fell 44 percent and said it expects 2009 to be a extremely difficult year.

Top executives at Starbucks did not receive bonuses in 2008 and won't get any increases on their base salary in 2009 due to due to disappointing results for the company which has suffered in the wake of less consumer spending.

The Walt Disney Co. said Thursday it is restructuring the Disney-ABC Television group, by merging ABC Entertainment and ABC Studios, according to media reports.

Carol Bartz, the new Chief Executive Officer of Yahoo Inc. froze employees' salaries for 2009.

Hard drive maker Seagate Technology shares closed down 24 percent on Thursday marking a 52-week low as the company released worse than expected second quarter results and projected a poor quarter outlook.

Automaker Chrysler LLC will announce what it called extraordinary discounts later Thursday, part of a new incentive to sell dealer's inventories and boost sales.

American International Group Inc. launched the sale of its Asian life insurance unit, American International Assurance Co. yesterday, aiming to rise up to $20 billion that will help the bank repay a $60 billion debt with the U.S. government.

Intel Corp. said Wednesday it plans to close some facilities worldwide which will result in up to 6,000 manufacturing job cuts as it adjusts to slumping demand for chips in the current economic recession.

PC processor maker Advanced Micro Devices Inc. reported a net loss of 1.42 billion or $2.34 a share in the fourth quarter, recording its ninth consecutive loss as the global crisis hit the PC market reducing consumer spending and demand.

Toyota Motor Corp. is considering bringing its model iQ microcar to the U.S. but did not say when.

Former chief executive officer of Merrill Lynch & Co. John Thain has resigned from Bank of America Corp, three weeks after the companies merged. Last week, Merrill Lynch reported greater than expected losses for its fourth quarter, forcing BofA to receive additional government bailout funds.

Preliminary investigations into the dealings of fraud-hit technology outsourcer Satyam Computer Services have revealed that its promoters had forged documents and inflated the headcount of employees to siphon off funds from the company.

Sony Corp warned Thursday of a $2.9 billion annual operating loss citing weak demand, a stronger yen and reorganization expenses which would mean the first loss for the company in 14 years.