Thursday, March 11, 2010

News From Reuters

Business Index From Reuters

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TOP BUSINESS ARTICLE

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Citigroup Inc Chief Executive Vikram Pandit told investors on Thursday that he views the troubled bank as "well positioned to return to sustained profitability.".

Appetite For Reform Fading: NYSE Euronext CEO

BOCA RATON, Florida (Reuters) - The appetite and sense of urgency for world financial reform have waned as markets have rebounded and the world economy has shown signs of recovering, the head of exchange operator NYSE Euronext said on Thursday.

How Free Markets Sank The U.S. Economy

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Two years ago, a poisonous brew of bad economics, lax regulation, and egregious behavior boiled over, scalding the financial system and pitching the United States into its steepest downturn since the Great Depression.

CFTC Head Scolds Wall Street For Resisting Reforms

BOCA RATON, Florida (Reuters) - The head of the top U.S. futures regulator chided Wall Street on Thursday for resisting calls to make over-the-counter derivatives markets more transparent, arguing major reforms are required after the recent financial crisis.

Big Majority Of Americans Wants Wall Street Regulation

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An overwhelming majority of Americans wants Wall Street subjected to tougher regulation in the aftermath of the bank bailout and the bonus scandals that have rocked the U.S. financial sector, according to a Harris poll released on Thursday.

Financial Reform Deal Fails, Hopes For 2010 Dim

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Chances of a broad overhaul of U.S. financial regulation this year dimmed on Thursday after bipartisan Senate talks collapsed.

EADS to Cut Bonuses, Not Jobs After A400M: Exec

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Top executives at aerospace group EADS will see their bonuses hit after the cost debacle surrounding the delayed A400M military transport aircraft, but staff will mostly be spared, its top personnel executive said on Thursday.

Exxon Mobil Boosts 2010 Capital Spending 4 Percent

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Exxon Mobil Corp will increase its capital spending nearly 4 percent this year to $28 billion in part as the largest U.S. oil company seeks to increase its share of the global market for natural gas.

Simon CEO: No Pressure From Rival Gen Growth Plan

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The chief executive of Simon Property Group Inc said on Thursday a revised plan by management of General Growth Properties Inc to emerge from bankruptcy would not put pressure on his company to sweeten its own $10 billion offer.

Jan Trade Gap Narrows Unexpectedly Due to Oil

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. trade deficit narrowed unexpectedly in January as oil imports fell to their lowest since February 1999, a government report showed on Thursday.

Jobless Claims Fall, Trade Gap Narrows on Oil

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell only slightly last week, indicating that rapid job growth would probably continue to elude the economy for a while.

Foreclosures Drop For 2nd Month In February: RealtyTrac

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. mortgage foreclosure filings dropped for a second straight month in February, and notched the smallest annual increase in four years as housing-rescue efforts contained activity, a report released on Thursday showed.

Airlines Recovering Strongly, Still In Red: IATA

GENEVA (Reuters) - Airlines are recovering strongly from the crisis, as passengers, freight and pricing power return, the airline industry association IATA said on Thursday, halving its forecast for a 2010 loss.

Markets Slip as China Inflation Raises Concerns

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks edged lower on Thursday as China inflation data raised worries about reduced demand from one of the world's largest economies, but gains in big-cap technology shares limited losses.

EU Defends Hedge Fund Rules Against U.S. Critics

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union hit back Thursday against U.S. criticism of plans to crack down on hedge funds, saying its push for openness in the industry met a commitment also given by Washington and others.

HSBC Says Swiss Data Theft Affects 24, 000 Accounts

LONDON/GENEVA (Reuters) - HSBC , Europe's biggest bank, said a theft of data by a former employee affected up to 24,000 Swiss client accounts, dealing a hefty blow to the reputation of its private bank.

EADS Sees No Financial Hit From U.S. Tanker Loss

PARIS (Reuters) - The apparent loss this week of a U.S. in-flight refueling tanker contract worth up to $50 billion will not affect EADS's finances, the European aerospace group's chief executive said on Thursday.

BP to Pay Devon $7 Billion For Oil Fields

LONDON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - BP will pay $7 billion to Devon Energy for assets that will extend its reach into Brazil and bulk up its position in the Gulf of Mexico, as the world's top oil companies look to acquisitions to refill depleting reserves.

China Inflation Spike Weakens Equities

LONDON (Reuters) - A spike in Chinese inflation weakened equity markets on Thursday, as investors pondered the prospects of interest rate hikes in one of the world's main economic drivers.

Toyota Hands Over 2006 Dissident Memo to U.S. Panel

TOKYO (Reuters) - Toyota Motor said on Thursday it has handed over to a U.S. congressional committee a letter sent to its management by a splinter union in 2006 seeking reforms to improve safety after a recall crisis at the time.

Toyota Unit Daihatsu Recalls Over 274, 000 Vehicles

TOKYO (Reuters) - Daihatsu Motor Co <7262.T>, a unit of Toyota Motor Corp <7203.T>, said on Thursday it would recall more than 274,000 Hijet and Atrai wagon models in Japan to fix a loose knuckle joint in the front wheels.

U.S. Dollar Still Rules, But Debt Level A Risk: S&P

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar is still the most important world currency, Standard & Poor's said on Thursday, but added that rising levels of U.S. debt and dependence on foreigners to finance much of pose risks to the currency's primacy.

U.S. Bailout Watchdog Criticizes Treasury Over GMAC

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury's decision against a bankruptcy restructuring for GMAC may have increased taxpayer bailout costs for the auto finance company and made it less viable, an oversight group said on Thursday.

Macquarie In Push to Expand U.S. Presence: Report

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Macquarie Group Ltd , Australia's largest investment bank, wants to add more bankers in the United States to advise energy, industrial and technology companies, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing an interview with a top company executive.

Best Buy Bets on 3D TV, But No Quick Payoffs Seen

NEW YORK (Reuters) - While James Cameron's 3D sci-fi epic "Avatar" took the box office by storm instantly, the road to success will be much longer for Best Buy Co Inc, which is making a big bet on 3D televisions this year.

BofA Under Regulatory Pressure to Shrink: Report

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Reuters) - Regulators have told Bank of America Corp Chief Executive Brian Moynihan and other executives that the largest U.S. bank by assets must become "much smaller," Fox Business Network's Charlie Gasparino reported on Wednesday.

Private Sector Eyes Opportunity In Haiti Rebuilding

MIAMI (Reuters) - Rebuilding Haiti after its catastrophic earthquake should generate major contracts for private companies specializing in construction, logistics, transport and security, but U.S. executives say they need a clear reconstruction strategy to shape their business plans.

Walmart Returns Items to Shelves After Lost Sales

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc has put roughly 300 items back on its U.S. store shelves after the retailer said it "disappointed" customers by not stocking certain products.

Senate Passes $149 Billion For Jobless Aid

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate on Wednesday passed a $149 billion package of jobless aid and tax breaks, as Democrats continued efforts to lower the 9.7 percent unemployment rate before congressional elections in November.

GM CEO Says U.S. Will Make Money on Bailout

SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) - General Motors Co will pay back roughly $8 billion in debt to the United States and Canada before June and could go public in a way that would allow taxpayers to make a profit on the bailout, Chief Executive Ed Whitacre said on Wednesday.