Business - Page 14

Reuters - Stock investors will look to a slew of economic data next week to sustain Wall Street's recovery, but lingering worries about the economy and the subprime mortgage market could create more jitters. More Info...  

Business Reuters - U.S. stock investors will look to a slew of economic data next week to sustain Wall Street's recovery, but lingering worries about the economy and the subprime mortgage market could create more jitters. More Info...  

Reuters - A federal judge dealt a blow to Vonage Holdings Corp. that sent its stock reeling on Friday, when he agreed to bar the company from using Internet phone call technology patented by Verizon Communications Inc.

Reuters - Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. said on Friday it plans to sell its engineered products unit to private equity firm Carlyle Group for $1.475 billion under a multiyear program to focus on its tire business. More Info...  

Reuters - U.S. blue chips inched up on Friday, capping a rally in which the S&P 500 logged its biggest weekly gain since 2003 on speculation that the Federal Reserve's next move will be an interest rate cut.

AP - Rising foreclosures slightly dented the quality of Freddie Mac's holdings last year, the mortgage finance giant said Friday as it reported a slight increase in profit to $2.2 billion. Freddie Mac's chief executive foresees some degree of economic contagion in the future from the turmoil in the high-risk mortgage market.

Reuters - Blackstone's pending $4-billion initial public offering may be tempting for individual investors, but shareholders beware: the firm's growth will be tough to maintain, and its business difficult to grasp, IPO analysts said on Friday.

Business

Reuters - Blackstone's pending $4-billion initial public offering may be tempting for individual investors, but shareholders beware: the firm's growth will be tough to maintain, and its business difficult to grasp, IPO analysts said on Friday.

AP - Blackstone Group LP, one of the world's biggest private equity firms, on Thursday said it seeks to raise up to $4 billion in a highly anticipated initial public offering. The New York-based firm, known for multibillion dollar takeovers such as February's buyout of Equity Office Properties, announced its intentions to go public in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm plans to list on the New York Stock Exchange.

AP - Wal-Mart lawyers argued before the Arkansas Supreme Court on Thursday that the retailer should be allowed to break a multimillion-dollar retirement package with a former executive because he acknowledged defrauding the company.

Business

Reuters - Nike Inc. reported on Thursday an 8 percent rise in net profit, topping analysts' estimates, but soft sales at U.S. malls and a forecast of lower gross margins this quarter sent its shares down 3 percent.

Reuters - Office supplies maker Avery Dennison Corp. said on Thursday it would buy clothing label maker Paxar Corp. for $1.3 billion, in a bid to expand in the fragmented retail information and brand identification market. More Info...  

FT.com - European and Asian stock markets on Thursday rode the wave of euphoria that followed the Federal Reserve's apparent softening of its stance on interest rates, although Wall Street turned cautious as a profit warning from Motorola (NYSE:MOT) raised concerns about the US earnings outlook. More Info...  

Reuters - Oracle Corp. sued SAP AG on Thursday for "corporate theft on a grand scale," claiming its business software rival used customers' online access codes to steal copyrighted software.

Reuters - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. , which has battled criticism that it pays inadequate wages, said on Thursday that it was paying almost $530 million in bonuses to hourly U.S. store employees, marking the first time the retailer has disclosed such figures.

Reuters - Top U.S. booksellers Barnes & Noble Inc. and Borders Group Inc. provided lackluster financial outlooks on Thursday, leading some industry analysts to think that a merger or leveraged buyout could be in the offing.

FT.com - London equities mirrored the strong performance on Wall Street and in Asia overnight, opening sharply higher as investors were cheered by the Fed's decision to keep US interest rates on hold. More Info...  

Reuters - Motorola Inc. warned on Wednesday it would post a first-quarter loss and said its 2007 outlook was "substantially" worse than expected due to weak mobile phone sales, driving its shares down nearly 6 percent.

Reuters - Palm Inc., maker of Treo smartphones and handheld devices, continues to gather takeover interest although an imminent deal is seen unlikely, several sources familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

Reuters - Stocks rallied on Wednesday, with the S&P 500 notching its biggest percentage gain in eight months, after investors viewed a statement from the Federal Reserve as signaling the central bank's next move may be a cut in interest rates.