Factory, labor market data offer bright signs for economy
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – New claims for jobless benefits fell last week and factory activity picked up in the Mid-Atlantic region in early July, signs of a stronger economy that could help push the Federal Reserve to ease its monetary stimulus.
Bernanke sees need for backstop for mortgage market
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke weighed into the contentious debate over the future of the housing finance system on Thursday, saying some sort of backstop for mortgages was needed to protect the financial system in times o…
Vivendi rejected $8.5 billion Softbank bid for Universal Music: FT
PARIS (Reuters) – Japanese telecoms group SoftBank Corp offered to pay $8.5 billion to acquire Universal Music but its owner, French media and entertainment conglomerate Vivendi , rejected the bid, the Financial Times reported on Thursday, citing peopl…
Dell postpones meeting on buyout as more votes needed
NEW YORK/ROUND ROCK, Texas (Reuters) – Dell Inc postponed a shareholder vote on its chief executive’s $24.4 billion buyout offer to Wednesday after failing to get enough support to seal the deal, despite winning over several large investors at the elev…
Exclusive: GM planning strict diet for new pickup trucks: sources
DETROIT (Reuters) – General Motors Co is preparing to put its full-size pickup trucks on a severe diet to meet future U.S. fuel economy standards and stay competitive with rival Ford Motor Co , according to several people familiar with its plans.
Honeywell backs UK recommendation on 787 emergency beacons
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Honeywell International Inc on Thursday said it backed a proposal by British authorities to switch off its emergency beacons on Boeing Co’s 787s after a fire on a parked plane in London, but said it was premature to jump to concl…
Apple, Google, dozens of others urge surveillance disclosures
(Reuters) – Dozens of companies, non-profits and trade organizations including Apple Inc, Google Inc and Facebook Inc sent a letter Thursday pushing the Obama administration and Congress for more disclosures on the government’s national security-relate…
UnitedHealth upbeat on growth, copes with Medicare cuts
(Reuters) – UnitedHealth Group Inc posted a bigger-than-expected rise in quarterly profit as it enrolled more people in private and government-sponsored health insurance plans and said it expects long-term growth after U.S. healthcare reform takes effe…
Dell postpones meeting on buyout as more votes needed
NEW YORK/ROUND ROCK, Texas (Reuters) – Dell Inc postponed a shareholder vote on its chief executive’s $24.4 billion buyout offer to Wednesday after failing to get enough support to seal the deal, despite winning over several large investors at the elev…
German finance minister chides Greeks for seeking debt cut
ATHENS (Reuters) – Greeks should stop lobbying for more debt relief, Germany’s finance minister said on a visit to Athens on Thursday that forced a lockdown of the city center and a ban on protests against the deeply unpopular champion of austerity.
