Chevron, Transocean charged in Brazilian oil spill
A Brazilian federal prosecutor filed criminal charges on Wednesday against Chevron and drill-rig operator Transocean for a November oil spill, raising the stakes in a legal saga that has added to Chevron's woes in Latin America and could slow Brazil's offshore oil boom.
McDonald's CEO Jim Skinner to retire
McDonald's Corp Chief Executive Jim Skinner, who took the top post at the world's biggest hamburger chain following the abrupt departures of two CEOs, is retiring after more than seven years as a stabilizing force at the helm.
Analysis: U.S. job gains hint at more spending and hiring
It's not quite Easy Street, but more money is starting to flow along Main Street.
Fannie, Freddie faulted for spending on conference
A federal watchdog faulted Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the mortgage finance companies propped up with taxpayer funds, for questionable spending on a mortgage industry conference last year, in a report released on Thursday.
Exclusive: Watson close to $7 billion Actavis drug deal: sources
Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc is close to buying Swiss-based Actavis for around $7 billion, marking the latest deal between generics companies racing to achieve economies of scale, three sources familiar with the matter said.
AMR to seek termination of union contracts: Bloomberg
AMR Corp , the bankrupt parent of American Airlines, will ask a U.S. bankruptcy court to reject nine collective bargaining agreements with unions, after failing to secure cost-cutting concessions from its labor groups, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday.
Wall Street mostly slips, but tech keeps S&P near 4-year highs
Stocks mostly fell on Wednesday, weighed by the energy services sector, but gains in technology shares buoyed the Nasdaq and helped keep the S&P 500 near four-year highs.
Exclusive: Brazil sees WTO's duties as insufficient: sources
Brazil plans to signal its growing concern about intense foreign competition hurting its industries by suggesting at the World Trade Organization that the ceiling for its import tariffs is too low, government sources told Reuters on Wednesday.
Starbucks factory investments to create 150 jobs
Starbucks Corp said on Wednesday it would spend $180 million on U.S. factories, creating 150 manufacturing jobs, and that it would get into the $8 billion U.S. energy drink market with a new product.
Paul Allen gives $300 million to expand brain research
Microsoft Corp co-founder Paul Allen has donated an additional $300 million to a foundation aimed at expanding research into how the brain works and how best to treat brain-related disorders.
BofA cuts cap markets, research jobs: sources
Bank of America Corp has eliminated jobs in its equities, mortgage-backed securities and research divisions in recent weeks, two sources familiar with the situation said on Wednesday.
Deutsche Bank changes legal status of U.S. unit
Germany's Deutsche Bank AG changed the legal status of its main U.S. subsidiary, Taunus Corp, as a way to avoid injecting billions of dollars of capital into the unit by 2015.
HP creates PC-printing power, Wall Street waits and sees
SAN FRANCISCO, March 21 - Hewlett Packard Co will merge its printer and PC businesses, combining two of its largest divisions as Chief Executive Meg Whitman tries to jumpstart growth at the technology company.
Digital skills shortage leaves EU youth a step behind
European policy makers have identified a large shortfall in computing and IT skills among young people that threatens to dent Europe's ability to compete and could exacerbate youth unemployment in the coming decade.
Greece Unveils Details Of Bond Swap Advisers' Pay
Greece unveiled details of payments to its two main debt restructuring advisers late on Wednesday to knock down a local website report that they had received 74 million euros.
Allen Stanford seeks new trial, blames Twitter
Allen Stanford, the financier convicted of running an estimated $7 billion Ponzi scheme, has asked for a new trial, citing the media's use of Twitter in the courtroom and a lack of time to prepare his defense.
Home sales show strength, prices rise
Home sales fell in February, but upward revisions to the prior month's pace and the first yearly increase in prices in 15 months pointed to steady improvement in the housing market.
Starbucks adding energy drinks, factory jobs
Starbucks Corp is expanding into the fast-growing energy drink category and plans to add manufacturing jobs in the United States, the world's biggest coffee chain said on Wednesday.
Exclusive: Developing nations to name 2 candidates for World Bank
Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and former Colombian Finance Minister Jose Antonio Ocampo are set to be nominated to lead the World Bank, sources with knowledge of emerging market efforts to find candidates said on Tuesday.
Zynga buys OMGPOP games company
Zynga Inc is buying OMGPOP, maker of the popular game Draw Something for an undisclosed sum, as the company moves to expand its games lineup on mobile devices and Facebook.
Brazil charges Chevron with crimes over oil spill
A Brazilian federal prosecutor filed criminal charges against U.S. oil company Chevron and drill-rig operator Transocean for a November oil spill off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, the prosecutor's office said in a statement on Wednesday.
HP to merge printer, PC businesses
SAN FRANCISCO, March 21 - Hewlett Packard Co will merge its printer and PC businesses, combining two of its largest divisions as Chief Executive Meg Whitman tries to jump-start growth at the technology company.
Wall Street shows signs of fatigue after long run-up
Stocks struggled on Wednesday to rise above recent highs, hampered by losses in risk-associated sectors like energy and financials.
BofA sells more European credit cards to Apollo
Apollo Global Management LLC said on Wednesday it was doubling down on Bank of America Corp's European assets, agreeing to buy its Irish consumer credit card portfolio after acquiring its Spanish credit card unit last summer.
Home sales show underlying strength, prices rise
U.S. home sales fell in February, but upward revisions to the prior month's pace and the first yearly increase in prices in 15 months suggested the housing market recovery remained on track.
Chevron: Brazil oil seep different from old spill
Chevron, the No. 2 U.S. oil company said on Wednesday that oil from a new seabed seep at its Brazilian offshore field is chemically different to crude from a November spill, and that the two leaks are unrelated.
Apple's iPad throws off much more heat: tests
Apple Inc's new iPad throws off a lot more heat than the previous version, lending weight to complaints on Internet forums that the hot-selling tablet computer could get uncomfortably warm after heavy use, an influential consumer watchdog found after running tests.
Wall Street struggles to rise above recent highs
Stocks struggled on Wednesday to rise above recent highs, hampered by losses in risk-associated sectors like energy and financials.
Home resales fall in February, inventories rise
Home resales unexpectedly fell in February and the supply of properties on the market rose, underscoring the many hurdles for the housing recovery.
Developing nations to name two candidates for World Bank
Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and former Colombian Finance Minister Jose Antonio Ocampo are set to be nominated to lead the World Bank, sources with knowledge of emerging market efforts to find candidates said on Tuesday.
