MARKETS / FINANCE

The Dow industrials slipped on Tuesday as a plunge in November pending home sales increased concerns about the housing market, though a sign of improvement in the manufacturing sector limited losses.

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc issued a stern warning to Kraft Foods Chief Executive Irene Rosenfeld, saying it opposed the food maker's plan to float new shares in pursuit of Cadbury Plc .

The Dow industrials and the Nasdaq slipped on Tuesday as a plunge in November pending home sales gave the market a headwind, though that was offset by another sign of improvement in the manufacturing sector.

The world's top cellphone maker, Nokia, has 86 million users for its Internet services, beating a target of 80 million set for the end of 2009, sources with direct knowledge of the data told Reuters.

New orders at U.S. factories rose 1.1 percent in November in their third straight increase and inventories grew for the second month in a row, according to government data released on Tuesday that showed continuing recovery in manufacturing.

The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq gained on Tuesday as investors welcomed further signs of improvement in the manufacturing sector, brushing off a sharp slump in pending home sales for November.

Nokia launched another patent case against Apple, in the latest step in an escalating legal battle between two leaders of the smartphone market.

Stocks briefly added to losses on Tuesday after data showed a much bigger-than-expected decline in pending home sales.

Stocks opened little changed on Tuesday as investors awaited key economic data for new signs of economic recovery, a day after the Dow and the S&P 500 closed at 15-month highs.

Stock index futures pointed to a flat open on Tuesday as investors awaited key economic data for new signs of recovery one day after the Dow and the S&P rallied to their highest closes in more than 15 months.

Berkshire Hathaway Inc said it voted against Kraft Food Inc's proposal to authorize the issuance of up to 370 million shares to help the food maker buy Cadbury , but could reverse to a yes vote, depending on the final offer's details.

The recovery in financial markets last year helped bring significant improvement to the financial health of U.S. pension funds, potentially adding $180 billion to companies' balance sheets, a survey showed on Tuesday.

Stock index futures were flat on Tuesday as investors awaited key economic data for fresh signs of an economic recovery a day after the Dow and the S&P rallied to their highest closes in more than 15 months.

Privately held Skype has forged deals with consumer electronics makers LG Electronics and Panasonic in a bid to move its Internet video service beyond the desktop computer to the living room TV.

Iceland's president said on Tuesday he would not sign into law a bill to repay more than $5 billion lost by savers in Britain and the Netherlands when the island's banks collapsed, creating fresh political turmoil for the crisis-hit country. President Olafur Grimsson's rejection of the bill is seen putting aid from international lenders, as well as aspirations to join the European Union, in ser...

Stock index futures were flat on Tuesday as investors awaited key economic data for fresh signs of an economic recovery a day after the Dow and the S&P rallied to their highest closes in more than 15 months.

Iceland's president refused on Tuesday to sign into law a bill to repay more than $5 billion lost by savers in Britain and the Netherlands, forcing the issue to a referendum and stirring fresh turmoil in the crisis-hit country. President Olafur Grimsson's rejection of the unpopular bill put aid from international lenders and his country's aspirations to join the European Union in serious jeopar...

The government agency that supervises the communications industry should free up unused airwaves to make the high-speed Internet access market more competitive, the U.S. Justice Department said on Monday.

U.S. stock index futures were flat on Tuesday as investors awaited factory orders and pending home sales data for more signs about an economic recovery a day after the Dow and the S&P rallied to their highest closes in more than 15 months.

U.S. stock index futures were flat on Tuesday as investors awaited factory orders and pending home sales data for more signs about an economic recovery a day after the Dow and the S&P rallied to their highest closes in more than 15 months.

Dueling Autos in India; Threat to Walk Away; Japan Bank Raising Cash

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group , Japan's third-largest bank by assets, plans to raise up to $8.7 billion by issuing new shares to meet stricter capital requirements and for potential acquisitions in Asia, people with knowledge of the matter said.

The world's top mobile phone maker, Nokia, has launched another court case against Apple for alleged patent violations, in an increasingly fierce legal battle between two leaders of the smartphone market.

Futures for the Dow Jones industrial average, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq 100 fell 0.02 to 0.2 percent, pointing to a weaker start on Wall Street on Tuesday.

Optimism about the world economy buoyed global equities on Tuesday, particularly in emerging markets, but the dollar continued its weak start to 2010.

Asia stocks rose to a 17-month high on Tuesday as growing confidence about the prospects for the global economy drew investors to riskier assets and away from the dollar, which extended its weak start to the year.

Looser foreign exchange policies in emerging Asia, particularly China, would benefit everyone but the desire for change may have diminished post-crisis, European Central Bank policymaker Lorenzo Bini Smaghi said on Tuesday.

Lenovo Group Ltd on Monday formally took the wraps off its first smartbook, a device that breaks free from the traditional Wintel hold on the mobile computing segment.

Growing confidence about the global economy lifted Asian stocks to a fresh 17-month high on Tuesday as investors continued to be drawn to riskier assets, while the dollar stabilized after a weak start to the year.