IBT Staff Reporter

Whole Foods Market Inc. beat analysts estimates despite reporting a 13 percent decline in its fiscal second-quarter profit on charges related to the acquisition of rival Wild Oats Markets for $565 million in 2007.

Technology stocks rose slightly on Tuesday on as Hewlett-Packard shares sank after announcing it would acquire EDS and a report that activist investor Car Icahn is mulling a proxy fight for making changes to the board of directors at Yahoo.

The dollar gained against the euro and yen on Wednesday after reports of better than expected retail sales in the U.S. and comments from a Federal Reserve official boosted the currency's strength.

J.M. Smucker Company reported on Tuesday it has acquired the Knott's Berry Farm from ConAgra Foods, Inc. for an undisclosed amount.

Online classifieds leader Craigslist.com filed a countersuit on Tuesday against business rival eBay, accusing the company of using its minority stake in Craigslist to gain access to trade secrets.

Immucor Inc. replied on Tuesday to a warning letter from the Food and Drug Administration that pointed out problems of manufacturing practices in the company.

Copper prices fell slightly on Tuesday as the dollar rallied against the euro on better U.S. retail sales data, but prices may rise on supply concerns from South America.

Liberty Media Corp. and IAC/InterActiveCorp announced on Tuesday they had resolved their dispute over the proposed breakup of IAC.

Software giant Microsoft Corp launched a new online service in 20 countries on Tuesday that allow users to watch video clips at the same time as a network of friends while chatting via Windows Live Messenger.

Rating agency Moody's Investors Services said today that bond insurers MBIA Inc and Ambac Financial Group Inc had meaningfully higher losses than expected within their asset backed portfolios relative to their top-level Aaa rating.

Crude oil prices rose on Tuesday to a new of $127 a barrel after Iran said it is reviewing a plan to cut output and renewed concerns that refiners are not satisfying demand of distillate fuels including heating oil.

Investors looking to buy Clear Channel Communications will get the financing they need after reaching a settlement with their bankers today to avoid a trial, according to CNBC.Shares of Clear Channel rose $1.55, or 4.72 percent to $34.42.

Toyota Motor Corp. said Tuesday it will invest $214.6 million to raise annual vehicle output capacity at a joint venture plant in north China.

Gold fell the most in two weeks on Tuesday as the U.S. dollar rebounded against the euro, hindering the investment demand for the precious metal.

Billionaire investor Carl Icahn has bought as much as 3.6 percent of Yahoo and is considering mounting a proxy fight for the Internet portal, according to people who have spoken with him, CNBC reports.

EchoStar Corp. swung to a first-quarter profit in its first quarter as a public company on revenue from providing satellite services to sibling Dish Network Corp, the company reported on Tuesday.

California and Florida are driving losses in Bank of America's global-consumer and small business banking segment, said the president of the unit on Tuesday.

South Korea has approved a plan on Tuesday that will allow BlackBerry electronic devices to be sold in the country, following a two-year effort by the Canadian company with SK Telecom and the Korean Government.

Abbott Laboratories said its medical trial shows that its Xience Eluting coronary stent system delivers clinically superior benefits for patients compared to the Taxus paclitaxel-eluting coronary stent system from Boston Scientific Corp.

European aircraft manufacturer Airbus on Tuesday admitted further delays in the delivery of its A380 super-jumbo jet, saying that the projected production timetable needs more time and resources to produce the world's largest passenger aircraft.

U.S. stocks fell at Tuesday's start, after the government said soaring fuel prices did not hinder consumers from shopping as much as expected and Oppenheimer & Co.'s Meredith Whitney cut profit projections for Wall Street's biggest securities firms.

Wal-Mart Stores reported a profit and revenue which matched analysts estimates, however its shares fell as the company anticipates possible flat sales in the coming quarter. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc said profit grew nearly 7 percent in its first quarter as sales grew 10 percent despite the slowdown in the U.S. economy.

Hewlett-Packard's services sales will more than double from fiscal 2007 after its acquisition of EDS with combined yearly revenues of $38 billion, the company said on Monday.

Westpac Banking Corp entered into an agreement to buy the smaller St. George Bank Ltd for A$18.6 billion ($17.6 billion) in an all stock deal to create the largest Australian home lender and one of the biggest banks by market value.

The dollar was slightly higher against the euro on Tuesday, ahead of speeches from Federal Reserve who may shed light on the chances for further cuts in interest rates or a pause.

The former chief executive and major stakeholder insurer in American International Group Inc Maurice Greenberg called on the company to delay this week's annual meeting.

Forest Laboratories Inc. ended its agreement with Daiichi Sankyo Co Ltd to help promote Sankyo's pill Azor for blood-pressure, the companies said in a press release.

Toyota has delayed plans to begin production at a new auto assembly plant in Mississippi after considering the slowing U.S. economy, a senior Toyota executive said on Monday.

India's biggest drug manufacturer Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd. and Merck & Co. agree to develop new anti-infective products, the companies reported in a statement on Monday.