MICHIGAN

Oil rose further above $72 on Friday after snapping a two-day fall from 10-month highs a day ago, boosted by better-than-expected GDP and jobs data in the United States that signal the economic recovery is on track.

Ford Motor Co said on Thursday it is adding shifts at its truck plants in Michigan and Missouri in response to increased demand for its F-150 pickup trucks and Escape SUVs.

Ford Motor Co said on Thursday it is adding shifts at its truck plants in Michigan and Missouri in response to increased demand for its F-150 pickup trucks and Escape SUVs.

Energy Conversion Devices Inc swung to a quarterly loss as demand for its products continued to fall, sending shares of the solar company down 5 percent.

The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for jobless benefits fell last week to 570,000, and those collecting long-term unemployment benefits dropped to the lowest level since April, government data showed on Thursday.

Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) is recalling about 95,700 Toyota and Scion vehicles sold in the United States because ice could accumulate on their braking systems and make it harder for drivers to slow down.

Last November, General Motors was burning cash on a fast-track to failure and desperate to cut any deal to save itself and its German unit Opel.

Packing on the pounds may be an unintended consequence of the U.S. Food Stamp Program, according to research that shows that getting food stamps may help contribute to obesity, at least among women.

Apple was the only one of the top-tier PC manufacturers whose customer satisfaction went down in the second quarter of 2009, yet still managed to secure the highest overall satisfaction among customers.

Mohamed El-Erian, the chief executive of top bond fund manager PIMCO, on Tuesday said the rally in U.S. stocks had topped out because valuations have shot up too quickly.

General Motors Co [GM.UL] is stepping up production at car plants in Michigan and Ohio, Bloomberg said, citing people familiar with the matter.

Chrysler Group is planning to produce Fiat SpA's (FIA.MI) Fiat 500 subcompact at a Chrysler plant in Mexico, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

Latin American stocks and currencies posted losses on Friday after U.S. consumer sentiment weakened unexpectedly in August, raising questions about the strength of the economic recovery and increasing global aversion to risk.

BB&T Corp. and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. have reached an agreement to take over Colonial BancGroup in Alabama the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg reported citing anonymous sources. Colonial is Alabama's second-largest bank with $26.4 billion in assets and 355 branches in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Nevada and Texas. The takeover would make BB&T the ninth-biggest U.S. bank by assets.

Oil prices posted their biggest loss in more than two weeks on Friday after a report showing weak U.S. consumer confidence darkened the economic outlook and tanked stocks on Wall Street.

Energy prices plunged on Friday after the Reuters/University of Michigan index of consumer sentiment fell sharply in the first period of August. The index gave signals to traders that consumers will be tight on spending.

Consumers retreat, Boeing's late report, China backs down

A federal court on Thursday froze $1 billion of Colonial Bank's assets after a judge ruled in favor of Bank of America which had requested a temporary restraining order to keep Colonial from liquidating or transferring assets. According the federal judge the bank is on the verge of failure. Individual depositors are protected through the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

General Motors Co said on Thursday it would invest $43 million to create a plant in Michigan where it will build lithium-ion battery packs for its Chevrolet Volt and other electric vehicles.

Ford Motor Co said on Thursday it was increasing production after a surge in sales ignited by the U.S. Cash for Clunkers program.

Ford Motor Co (F.N) said on Thursday it will increase production over the rest of the year after a surge in sales triggered by the U.S. government's