IBT Staff Reporter

The Dow and the Nasdaq declined on Monday, weighed by Boeing's disappointing outlook, a pullback in oil prices and worries about General Motors' fate.

Express Scripts Inc will buy health insurer WellPoint Inc's NextRx prescription business for $4.68 billion, becoming the No. 2 U.S. pharmacy benefit manager while gaining more leverage in driving down drug prices.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc's asset management unit on Monday said it has raised $5.5 billion from investors to start a fifth fund dedicated to buying private equity investments on the secondary market.

Citigroup Inc's and Bank of America Corp's shares rose Monday on hopes that the two banks will post the same sort of first-quarter profits that Wells Fargo & Co forecast late last week.

Indian soldiers killed four rebels in the country's revolt-racked northeast on Monday, officials said, as authorities continued to flush out militants before the country's general election gets underway this week.

China has promised its citizens stronger legal protection, improved incomes and expanded channels to complain as part of its first human rights action plan, which casts the Communist Party government as guardian of rights.

Stocks cut losses on Monday and the benchmark S&P 500 briefly turned positive, as investors snapped up financials shares on hopes that quarterly results of major banks will show stabilization returning to the financial sector.

The U.N. Security Council will meet on Monday to approve a statement condemning North Korea's rocket launch and demanding enforcement of existing sanctions against Pyongyang, a Mexican diplomat said.

The issue of executive pay has resurfaced again in the wake of questionable AIG bonuses, and exorbitant compensation packages for banking executives. Pundits see the problem largely as a consequence of a lack of independence among boards of directors. They criticize compensation committees for being too cozy with top management – showering them with lavish pay, outsize option packages, and a host...

U.S. President Barack Obama said on Monday that thousands of major infrastructure projects being undertaken as part of his economic stimulus plan were ahead of schedule and under budget.

China has unveiled plans to establish a $10 billion investment fund for south-eastern Asian countries.

Ebay shares fell on Monday after analyst downgraded the stock this morning to “sell” from “hold”, due to share loss and gross margin pressure in the current economic downturn.

Oil fell more than $1 a barrel on Monday after the International Energy Agency slashed its forecast for oil demand, offsetting the impact of data showing Chinese crude imports rose to their second highest ever.

China had planned to announce a $10 billion infrastructure investment fund and offer credit to neighbors at a canceled weekend summit of Asian leaders in Thailand, its foreign minister said. Anti-government protestors forced the cancellation of the summit in Pattaya after they swarmed into the summit venue.

U.S. stocks fell on Monday as energy shares slid along with oil prices' sharp drop on worries that demand will fall further, while Boeing's profit warning increased caution before earnings later this week.

Oil fell toward $49 a barrel on Monday after the International Energy Agency cut deeply its forecast for oil demand, offsetting the impact of data showing Chinese crude imports rose to their second highest ever.

The chief executives of Microsoft Corp and Yahoo Inc met last week to discuss potential partnerships between the companies' Internet search and advertising operations, the technology blog All Things Digital reported on Friday.

The U.S. Treasury Department announced on Monday that Group of Seven finance ministers will meet in Washington on April 24 and follow that gathering up with a Group of 20 ministerial session.

In a move to ensure that all of the personal assets of jailed swindler Bernard Madoff are used to pay his defrauded customers, some investors filed court papers on Monday to force him into involuntary bankruptcy.

Microsoft Corp has sold more than 90 percent of its advertising inventory across its web, mobile, and video game businesses to the Discovery Channel for a one-day campaign to promote the television series Deadliest Catch, the companies said on Monday.

Boeing Co shares sank more than 6 percent on Monday as analysts said cuts in production would hurt the plane maker's earnings this year.

Britain said on Saturday it was still looking into the possibility of introducing a car scrappage scheme to boost the recession-hit vehicle industry, despite a report that the Treasury was blocking the idea.

Genworth Financial Inc shares sank 29 percent in early trading on Monday after the U.S. Treasury Department rejected the money-losing life and mortgage insurer's bid for new capital.

Diversified U.S. manufacturer SPX Corp slashed its 2009 profit forecast by about 18 percent, warning that it expects revenue to be weaker than forecast as a global downturn hurts demand for its products.

Boeing Co shares sank more than 6 percent on Monday as analysts said cuts in production would hurt the plane maker's earnings this year.

Stocks fell on Monday as energy stocks retreated on falling oil prices and Boeing Co slid after it issued a profit warning, giving investors jitters ahead of key earnings reports this week.

Sudan's leader welcomed on Monday positive signs sent by U.S. President Barack Obama to the Islamic world, striking a more conciliatory tone toward Washington, seen as an enemy of Khartoum in the past.

Iran said on Monday it would welcome constructive dialogue with six world powers, including the United States, in its clearest signal yet it will accept an invitation for talks on its disputed nuclear work.

President Barack Obama will try to establish a cooperative new relationship with Latin America this week, but U.S. resistance to change on highly symbolic issues like Cuba and immigration could undercut the effort, analysts said.