IBT Staff Reporter

Intel Corp released a flurry of new computer chips on Thursday as it seeks to maintain its dominance over rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc and prepare for an expected rise in demand.

Japanese Finance Minister Naoto Kan said on Friday that the markets should decide currency levels. But he also said the government needs to pay heed to companies, who calculate exchange rate estimates when doing business.

The dollar dipped against the yen on Friday after Japanese Finance Minister Naoto Kan said markets should decide exchange rates.

The New York Federal Reserve Bank under Timothy Geithner urged insurer AIG in late 2008 to limit disclosures about its payments to banks after getting a $180 billion government bailout, emails released on Thursday showed.

A former director of McKinsey & Co told a court on Thursday that Galleon hedge fund founder Raj Rajaratnam paid him $1.75 million in exchange for tips on clients of the consulting firm, giving prosecutors potentially more ammunition in the insider-trading case.

Bank of America Corp will pay its investment bankers bonuses close to the levels of 2007, as it tries to reduce defections following its takeover of Merrill Lynch & Co., the Wall Street Journal said late Thursday.

Motorola Inc demonstrated a prototype media tablet that could be ready commercially by the fourth quarter, though whether it goes to market partly depends on an advanced mobile network being built by Verizon Wireless.

Dutch luxury carmaker Spyker submitted an improved bid for Sweden's Saab to General Motors Co on Thursday, just ahead of a key deadline that could prompt closure of the brand.

Marriott International said it expects North American hotels' revenue per available room will drop by 13 to 14 percent in the fourth quarter, a slight improvement over earlier projections.

Already seen as a long-shot bidder, Italian chocolate maker Ferrero's interest in Cadbury Plc has cooled as the hurdles of getting financing and finding suitable partners before the deadline becomes increasingly daunting, sources familiar with the situation said.

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd , the world's largest generic drugmaker, on Thursday set a target of revenue of $31 billion in 2015, more than double its current annual amount as it sees major growth in overall use of generics.

American Airlines has raised its offer of investment in Japan Airlines Corp by $300 million to $1.4 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported on its Web site.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc was sued on Thursday by an Illinois pension fund seeking to recover billions of dollars of bonuses and other compensation being awarded for 2009, saying the payouts harm shareholders.

Israel launched three air strikes in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, witnesses and the Islamist group Hamas said, after a day in which about a dozen mortar bombs and rockets fired from the territory struck inside the Jewish state.

Senior U.S. Federal Reserve officials placed different emphasis on inflation risks on Thursday, with one warning failure to withdraw support policies soon enough could trigger inflation while another played down such risks.

Janus Capital Group has picked a Pacific Investment Management Co veteran as its chief executive, ending a months-long search for a new leader at the Denver-based stocks mutual fund firm.

Borders Group Inc said on Thursday it has reached a deal with the maker of the upcoming Alex electronic reader that will prominently feature the U.S. bookseller's e-bookstore on the device when the site is launched later this year.

Boeing Co on Thursday announced an overhaul of its defense business that includes a name change for the unit and consolidation of two divisions, moving to position the company to pursue new markets in the face of a tougher U.S. defense spending environment.

The Australian Dollar opens lower on Friday at 0.9180 after a stronger greenback overnight weighed on the high-yielders and eroded yesterday's solid gains.

U.S. regulators on Thursday urged banks to protect themselves against hikes in interest rates, which could threaten the easy earnings that have helped heal the banking system during the credit crunch.

President Barack Obama took ultimate responsibility on Thursday for security lapses that allowed an attempted Christmas Day bombing of a U.S. airliner and ordered reforms aimed at thwarting future attacks.

The Dow and the S&P 500 rose on Thursday after Bank of America and General Electric rallied on positive broker comments, but investors were cautious a day before the release of key monthly non-farm payrolls data.

A New York judge has ordered billionaire financier Ron Perelman to pay more than $4 million to a film development company he co-founded with his ex-wife, actress Ellen Barkin.

Wall Street's confidence in the nascent U.S. economic recovery is about to be tested as fourth-quarter earnings season gets under way next week.

General Motors Co said on Thursday it will seek to sell its Nexteer Automotive business -- the steering unit the U.S. automaker took back from former parts subsidiary Delphi Corp last year.

Sony Corp said U.S. electronics sales are looking positive after the holiday season, and that it was optimistic about meeting its full-year target for PlayStation 3 video game console sales.

A former McKinsey & Co director told a court on Thursday that Galleon hedge fund founder Raj Rajaratnam paid him $1.75 million in exchange for confidential information on clients to make illegal stock trades.

Intel Corp, which unveiled a new line of computer processors today, is packing more performance, feature and energy savings into its chips to help power a variety of laptops and desktops and other devices.

The Dow and the S&P 500 ended at fresh 15-month highs on Thursday as shares of financial companies and big manufacturers advanced following positive broker comments on Bank of America and General Electric .