Category: Business

WASHINGTON, June 1 (UPI) — A panel in Washington is on the verge of tagging three non-bank companies as systemically important to the economy, a market financial reform advocate said. Dennis Kelleher,

TOKYO, June 2 (UPI) — U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Saturday Africa is “on the rise” and urged economic development on the continent. Ban, delivering the keynote address at the fifth Tokyo

BEIJING, June 1 (UPI) — A closely watched barometer of manufacturing activity in China rose slightly in May, showing the goods-producing sector is still growing, albeit slowly. The Purchasing Managers Index or

SEATTLE, June 1 (UPI) — U.S. coffee shop chain Starbucks said it was banning smoking within 25 feet of its stores, effectively including its outdoor seating areas. AdWeek reported the ban would

NEW YORK, May 31 (UPI) — Rising interest rates on home loans could be a sign of a U.S. bond market bubble bursting, some analysts on Wall Street are saying. The prevailing

WASHINGTON, May 31 (UPI) — The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s consumer complaint database has been expanded to include state-by-state information, the watchdog said Friday. The complaint database also now includes complaints

WASHINGTON, May 31 (UPI) — The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on the Iranian petrochemical industry Friday to further derail Iran’s alleged nuclear weapons program. The department said one petrochemical company had

NEW YORK, May 31 (UPI) — U.S. markets closed lower Friday after the Commerce Department said consumer spending dropped slightly in April. Spending fell 0.2 percent, while economists had predicted a 0.1

WASHINGTON, May 30 (UPI) — The number of businesses with no paid employees rose 1.7 percent in 2011, gaining in all states except two, the U.S. Census Bureau said Thursday. The number

NEW YORK, May 28 (UPI) — Favorable economic data pushed U.S. stocks higher Tuesday, sending the Dow Jones industrial average to a new closing high. The S&P/Case-Shiller home price report said home

NEW YORK, May 28 (UPI) — U.S. consumer confidence rose for the second consecutive month in May, the Conference Board said Tuesday. The index had been trending lower, but May’s gain is

BATTLE CREEK, Mich., May 28 (UPI) — Kellogg has agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit over claims that Mini-Wheat cereal improved childhood attentiveness, a U.S. settlement administrator said. The settlement, which must

WASHINGTON, May 24 (UPI) — U.S. durable goods orders jumped 3.3 percent in April, about twice the gain economists had expected, the U.S. Commerce Department said Friday. Factory orders climbed by $7.2

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., May 28 (UPI) — The head of the Cruise Lines International Association says its new “Cruise Passenger Bill of Rights” adopts many practices U.S.-based lines already use. The CLIA,

Tesla Motors, an electric car maker headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif., has paid off its entire $451.8 Department of Energy loan nine years early with interest. The automaker, riding the success of

By MICHELLE GROENKE CHICAGO, May 26 (UPI) — Hotels in hip, culturally diverse neighborhoods and stylish cabins in rustic locales offer travelers this summer the opportunity to approach popular tourist destinations from

By AL SWANSON The Detroit Three automakers are scaling back their annual summer production shutdowns to keep up with demand for top-selling models. General Motors, Ford and Chrysler usually idle plants for

WASHINGTON, May 27 (UPI) — In the U.S. non-federal sector, older workers are more likely than younger counterparts to report being able to put their best skills to use, a survey says.

LOS ANGELES, May 26 (UPI) — Stone Temple Pilots sued former frontman Scott Weiland for allegedly using the band’s name to promote his solo career even though he was fired from the

SEASIDE HEIGHTS, N.J., May 26 (UPI) — The Jersey Shore, which sustained billions of dollars in damage last year from Hurricane Sandy, is 80 percent restored, Gov. Chris Christie said Friday. Walking

SINUIJU, North Korea, May 26 (UPI) — Tourism companies say they are preparing for North Korea to allow visitors to cross from Dandong City, China, to Sinuiju, North Korea’s largest border town.

SEOUL, May 26 (UPI) — Authorities in South Korea said they had raided the offices of Daewoo Engineering & Construction seeking evidence of bribery. The raid that took place Friday concerns a

WASHINGTON, May 26 (UPI) — About 33 percent of the American public says economic conditions are good right now, up from 26 percent in December, a CNN/ORC International poll found. The poll,

WASHINGTON, May 24 (UPI) — U.S. lawmakers say the White House’s proposed overhaul of the $1.4 billion food aid program will need to be scaled back significantly. Sen. Mike Johanns, R-Neb., said

WASHINGTON, May 25 (UPI) — Bank industry analysts are saying the U.S. Federal Reserve has disrupted mid-sized bank mergers, if not derailed them, with a recent regulatory ruling. The Wall Street Journal

BEIJING, May 24 (UPI) — The Chinese government is making what amounts to “radical” changes in its role in the country’s economy, an expert on the Chinese economy said. “This is radical

NEW YORK, May 24 (UPI) — U.S. stock indexes closed mixed on Friday, with the Dow Jones industrial average closing just above break-even on the New York Stock Exchange. The Dow was

NEW YORK, May 23 (UPI) — U.S. stock indexes complied with a timeless adage Thursday: What goes up must come down. After setting a series of record closing highs in a rally

WASHINGTON, May 23 (UPI) — U.S. mortgage activity fell 9.8 percent last week with refinancing activity off sharply as long-term interest rates rose, the Mortgage Bankers Association said. The association said mortgage

BETHESDA, Md., May 22 (UPI) — More than half of U.S. doctors and other health providers adopted electronic health records, the head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says.

CHICAGO, May 22 (UPI) — Nutritionists are urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to reject a milk industry petition to drop artificial sweeteners from front labels on containers. The International Dairy

DEARBORN, Mich., May 22 (UPI) — U.S. automaker Ford Motor Co. said it will bump up production in 2013 by 200,000 vehicles, due in part to increased demand on the West Coast.

CUPERTINO, Calif., May 22 (UPI) — U.S. technology giant Apple’s Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said the company would build a factory in Texas to assemble Macintosh computers. Cook and Apple made

PHILADELPHIA, May 22 (UPI) — A mixed martial arts fighter is suing a Philadelphia adult shop, saying a product he bought to enhance his sex life had the opposite effect. Michael Waylon

CHARDON, Ohio, May 22 (UPI) — The families of three students killed in an Ohio school shooting have sued United Way over its distribution of the Chardon Healing Fund. The lawsuit filed

NEW YORK, May 22 (UPI) — U.S. stock indexes turned down Wednesday following comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. In a prepared statement to the Joint House and Senate Economic Committee,

ROANOKE, Va., May 21 (UPI) — ITT Exelis has received a $48 million follow-on order from the U.S. Army for enhanced night vision goggles. The order, which is expected to be completed

RICHLAND, Fla., May 21 (UPI) — A Washington state florist who refused to provide bouquets for a same-sex wedding has filed a countersuit in the case against her. Flower shop owner Barronelle