Business - Page 29

Reuters - Toyota Motor Corp.'s (7203.T) North American chief said on Thursday that the product recalls the automaker suffered in recent years had shaken the company and that it was now determined to widen the margin by which its cars outperform U.S. rivals in industry performance surveys.

Reuters - This just in from London: the U.S. subprime mortgage market is in a tizzy.

Business

Reuters - Singapore Telecommunications Ltd. (STEL.

Reuters - Johnson & Johnson said on Wednesday its new type of treatment for psoriasis was highly effective in a mid-stage trial, but was linked to an increased risk of serious adverse events, including heart attacks. More Info...  

Reuters - U.S. technology stocks rose on Wednesday as Cisco Systems'profit and outlook reinforced optimism over earnings, while blue chips ended little changed as an oil price drop weighed on energy shares.

Reuters - Walt Disney Co. said on Wednesday that first-quarter net earnings more than doubled, driven by DVD sales of the movies "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," "Cars" and the sale of a stake in E! Entertainment Television.

Reuters - Boeing Co. said on Thursday it was on track to deliver its new 787 Dreamliner planes in the latter part of 2008, and expected a good year for new orders.

AP - Workers stepped up their efficiency in the final three months of 2006, yet productivity still turned in the weakest yearly performance in almost a decade. More Info...  

AP - Consumers increased their borrowing at a more modest pace in December as credit card debt increased at the slowest rate in nine months. More Info...  

Reuters - U.S. satellite TV operators DirecTV Group Inc. and EchoStar Communications Corp. are expected to report steady subscriber growth in the fourth quarter, but face a slowdown this year due to increased competition from cable, analysts said.

Reuters - Japanese government bond futures edged up on Wednesday on a dip in the stock market as investors awaited more clues on whether the Bank of Japan will lift interest rates later this month. More Info...  

Business

Reuters - Exxon plans to keep some refinery workers living in the plants to keep them going. A small Southern grocery chain is thinking about drive-through pickup of soup and bread.

Reuters - China's central bank has pledged to strengthen efforts to effectively manage the amount of cash in the financial system, according to the summary of a meeting held earlier this week that was published on Wednesday. More Info...  

Reuters - Nike Inc. Chief Executive Mark Parker said on Tuesday worldwide revenue could rise 53 percent to $23 billion within five years, as it tries to foster more loyalty among customers to its iconic brand.

AFP - A federal appeals court gave the green light for the largest sex discrimination case in US history to proceed against giant retailer Wal-Mart Stores.

Investor's Business Daily - Exchange-traded funds have captured investors' fancy in a big way, growing exponentially faster than traditional mutual funds. Assets of all ETFs rose $121.66 billion, or 40.4%, to $422.48 billion in 2006, according to data collected by the Investment Company Institute. More Info...  

Reuters - Shares in BHP Billiton Ltd. , the world's top miner, opened 5.3 percent higher on Wednesday after it surprised the market with an additional US$10 billion share buyback.

Reuters - Exxon Mobil Corp. is set to argue in front of the Alabama Supreme Court on Tuesday that a $3.6 billion fraud judgment against the company is unconstitutional and should be overturned.

Business

Reuters - Lawyers for Merrill Lynch and Co. Inc. and Credit Suisse Group on Monday told a U.S. appeals court a $40 billion lawsuit alleging the banks helped hide financial misdeeds that led to Enron's collapse should not proceed as a class-action complaint.

Reuters - Billionaire investor Carl Icahn on Monday said he offered to buy auto parts supplier Lear Corp. for $36 a share in cash, or $2.43 billion, saying the company is poised for a turnaround amid a downtrodden auto sector.