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US Business

Hasbro's Net Edges Lower

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:24:27 EST

Hasbro's earnings slipped as the toy maker booked double-digit sales declines in the girls and games categories.

Citigroup to Issue China Credit Cards

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:04:59 EST

Citigroup plans to issue credit cards on its own in China, as it looks to capitalize on the country's consumption power and expand in the world's second-largest economy.

Japan Tobacco's Net Jumps 67%

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 04:30:48 EST

Japan Tobacco, the world's third-largest tobacco company by sales, raised its full-year net profit outlook due a steady recovery of its domestic business.

Humana's Net Jumps 86%

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:25:02 EST

Humana's earnings surged 86% as the health insurer continued to benefit from membership growth and light use of health benefits.

Suzuki's Net Falls 4.7% on Yen, India Crunch

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:40:48 EST

Suzuki Motor said net profit fell 4.7% in the first nine months of its fiscal year, as the strong yen and a slump in sales in its key India market squeezed the bottom line at the Japanese maker of cars and bikes.

Used-Car Prices Climb

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 21:56:18 EST

The average prices of used cars are on track to rise 1.8% in 2012, with much of that increase expected in the second half of the year. It will mark the third-consecutive year that prices—already running at or near record highs—have risen.

Randgold Net Profit Surges

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 07:10:40 EST

West Africa-focused gold producer Randgold Resources Ltd. reported a more than fourfold rise in fourth quarter net profit due to higher gold prices and a significant increase in production.

Casino Presses Ahead in Florida

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 21:51:44 EST

Las Vegas Sands and Malaysia's Genting are regrouping after a bill to authorize three casinos in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties stalled last week in the state legislature.

Foreclosure Deal Is Closer

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:41:14 EST

Federal and state officials aim to wrap up this week a multibillion-dollar agreement with five major banks to settle probes of alleged foreclosure abuses.

Lazard Swings To Loss

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 07:44:30 EST

Lazard swung to a loss in the fourth quarter as the midsize investment bank struggled under a slump in advisory revenue and a slowdown in its asset-management business.

Action Film 'Chronicle' Leads Weekend Sales

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 22:30:22 EST

Action film "Chronicle," about three teenagers who gain superpowers, grossed $22 million at the weekend box office, putting it in the top position.

Weather Deal Backfires for BMW's Mini

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 23:30:32 EST

A deal with a German meteorology institute to sponsor a weather system backfired on BMW's Mini brand, after the "Cooper" cold front brought arctic temperatures, icy winds and dozens of deaths to much of Europe.

Adelson Cashes In on Turnaround at Sands

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:03:57 EST

A financial turnaround at Las Vegas Sands Corp. is beginning to pay off for chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson, who during the financial crisis put $1 billion of his own money into the struggling casino operator.

Julius Baer Expects Fine in U.S. Tax Row

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:09:24 EST

Julius Baer, Switzerland's largest private bank, said it expects to pay a fine as a result of a U.S. campaign to track down Americans with assets hidden overseas, as it reported a decline in full-year net profit.

NTT Posts 56% Slump in Profit

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 03:10:11 EST

NTT, Japan's biggest telecommunications service company, said its net profit for the fiscal third quarter fell 56% due to a write-down in tax assets.

Mitsubishi Ending Dutch Production

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 04:24:53 EST

Mitsubishi Motors said it will end vehicle output in the Netherlands, making it the first Japanese auto maker to pull out of production in Western Europe since the outbreak of the financial crisis.

The Wrong End of Lawsuits

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 22:37:14 EST

Law firms are finding they increasingly are landing on the wrong end of lawsuits, getting sued by clients or facing claims of employment discrimination and firm mismanagement.

Vodafone, Largo End Talks

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:23:03 EST

Vodafone said that talks with Largo about merging their operations in Greece have been terminated.

China Bans Airlines From Paying EU Emissions Fees

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:14:48 EST

China said it prohibited its airlines from paying for carbon emissions under the European Union's system to limit greenhouse emissions, in an escalation of Beijing's opposition to the plan.

PepsiCo, Coke to Update Investors

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:45:14 EST

PepsiCo and Coca-Cola likely will show solid profit growth when they share their 2011 results this week, but this year could be tougher.

Hindustan Unilever Beats View

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:25:51 EST

Hindustan Unilever, India's largest consumer goods maker by sales, beat market estimates with an 18% jump in net profit for the quarter through December, but failed to impress investors as its sales didn't match expectations.

TPG Raises 4 Billion Yuan

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:38:31 EST

Private-equity firm TPG has secured about 4 billion yuan so far as it raises capital for China investments.

Animator Looks to Break Through

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 22:28:12 EST

Disney and John Lasseter hope to boost the U.S. box-office punch of Studio Ghibli, the Japanese company behind 'Spirited Away' and other award-winning movies, with "The Secret World of Arrietty," based on "The Borrowers."

Storm Clouds Gather Over Florida Insurers

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:51:46 EST

State-run entities that expanded over the past decade to provide affordable homeowners insurance in hurricane-threatened Florida are in danger of becoming so big they threaten to wreak havoc on the local economy.

Resolution on Dexia Is Near

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 04:32:54 EST

The French government and two state-controlled entities are in the home stretch to create a new municipal lender from the remains of Franco-Belgian bank Dexia.

Stats on Corn Called Flaky

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 04:27:35 EST

Farmers and analysts are expressing fresh skepticism about Agriculture Department data on the corn market in the wake of the latest figures, which stunned traders and sent prices on another wild ride.

Mining Deals to Pile Up

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:19:40 EST

A Glencore-Xstrata merger would create a true rival to global mining heavyweights and pressure midsize players to either team up or grow through acquisitions.

CNA Financial Profit Falls 37%

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 07:11:20 EST

CNA Financial reported a 37% decline in profit as the insurer recorded a wider operating loss in its noncore life and group lines of business.

Target at Post-Bailout GM: $10 Billion a Year

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:03:23 EST

The auto maker is expected to report 2011 net income of more than $8 billion and has set its sights on a once-unthinkable goal: make more than $10 billion a year.

New York Fashion Week Takes Shape

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:54:55 EST

New York Fashion Week, which begins Thursday, is looking like one of the busiest and most upbeat the city has seen in recent years.

Nabors Ex-CEO Waives Right to $100 Million

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:56:39 EST

Nabors said its former Chief Executive Eugene Isenberg agreed to terminate his employment pact and will waive his claim to a $100 million payment.