IBT Staff Reporter

Producer prices fell more steeply than expected in February, posting their biggest drop in seven months as energy costs tumbled, according to a government report on Wednesday that pointed to scant inflation pressures.

Experts in bullion will always tell you that if you watch the hedging pattern of gold miners, you can predict which way the yellow metal prices will move. So, what is gold hedging? Gold hedging is when a gold producer contractually locks in a gold price to be paid in the future when their gold is produced, regardless of whether the gold price in the future is higher or lower than the agreed upon contractual gold price.

Wall Street rose in early trading on Wednesday as a renewed promise of extended low interest rates from the Federal Reserve and its relatively positive view of the economy enticed investors into risky assets.

Canadian lawmakers accused Toyota Motor Corp executives on Tuesday of waiting too long to inform the government of problems with faulty accelerators in some of the company's vehicles.

Honda Motor Co will recall about 412,000 vehicles in the United States to address the risk that brake pedals may feel soft and slip closer to the floor over time.

BMW, the world's biggest premium carmaker, forecast a hefty rise in 2010 pretax profit with better results across its entire business, boosted by new car models like its popular BMW 5 Series.

Zhejiang Geely Holding and Ford said they were still on track to sign a deal this month for Ford's Volvo cars unit, after a Chinese newspaper said Geely's planned $2 billion purchase faced hurdles.

A mass anti-government rally in Thailand appears to be fizzling. Tens of thousands have returned to their farms. They drew nowhere near the promised million protesters. The premier rebuffed their demands for elections.

Top global miner BHP Billiton said on Wednesday nickel production at its Kwinana nickel refinery in western Australia had been interrupted.

Climate change to be the focus for the nest public forums in Australia

Wall Street was set to open higher on Wednesday, continuing a rise in global equities as a renewed promise of extended low interest rates from the Federal Reserve enticed investors into riskier assets.

Japan's Nissan Motor would consider joining a potential alliance between its French partner Renault and Daimler, the Nikkei business daily reported on Wednesday.

CWCapital, which has moved to foreclose on the sprawling New Yock City apartment complex of Stuyvesant Town/Peter Cooper Village, may itself be sold.

Applications for U.S. home loans slid last week despite the lowest mortgage rates in more than three months, the Mortgage Bankers Association said on Wednesday.

Citigroup's life insurance unit Primerica filed for an initial public offering of up to about $234 million, as part of the financial giant's plans to shed assets outside its core banking business.

Small hospitals in Australia may not survive because of the new Rudd model.

OPEC ministers agreed not to change oil output targets they are already exceeding, anticipating that demand will pick up later in the year to mop up extra barrels.

Dubai World will offer banks a single proposal to repay in full the $26 billion debt it is renegotiating, with interest likely linked to LIBOR, Al Arabiya reported on Wednesday.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Wednesday defended the central bank's supervision of smaller banks, which it would lose in regulatory reform proposals, in a hearing before a congressional panel.

Korea Life Insurance Co shares closed up 8 percent in heavy trading on their debut on Wednesday, signaling keen demand ahead of bigger rival Samsung Life's planned $4 billion IPO in May.

Stock index futures rose on Wednesday on par with global stocks as a renewed promise of extended low interest rates from the Federal Reserve enticed investors into riskier assets.

As if a Porsche isn't enough of a status symbol, the German luxury sports car company's subsidiary, Porsche Design, is marketing a mobile phone that's exclusive to Porsche owners.

Growing up in Ghana, Ashifi Gogo was amazed that he could surf the Internet on his mobile phone from anywhere, but couldn't always get clean tap water to drink.

Protesters emptied bottles of their blood outside the home of Thailand's prime minister on Wednesday after the government rejected calls for elections, but the opposition campaign was showing signs of flagging.

OPEC ministers agreed not to change output targets they are already exceeding, an OPEC delegate told Reuters Wednesday, as demand should pick up later in the year to mop up extra barrels.

The Bank of Japan loosened monetary policy on Wednesday in a split vote that suggested the central bank would struggle in the future to meet government demands for easier monetary conditions.

Former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi edged past Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Tuesday in results from Iraq's fragmented March 7 vote that may lead to months of political bargaining and create a risky power vacuum.

Under heavy Republican attack, Democrats in the House of Representatives on Tuesday defended plans to pass a healthcare overhaul without a direct vote as President Barack Obama's top domestic priority neared a make-or-break showdown.

Shares of Intel Corp jumped 4 percent to their highest in more than a year on expectations that robust Asian sales and a rebound in corporate spending will help the chipmaker beat current-quarter earnings estimates.