Economy

Elan holders OK buyback, vote down 3 deals
Shareholders of Irish drugmaker Elan Corp. PLC have potentially ended a takeover bid from Royalty Pharma by voting in favor of an Elan share buyback ...
Lowe's offers to buy Orchard Supply for $205M
Lowe's plans to expand its California presence with an acquisition of Sears spinoff Orchard Supply Hardware Stores for about $205 million in cash.
Greek coalition avoids collapse over TV shutdown
The Greek government has avoided collapsing over a dispute stemming from Prime Minister Antonis Samaras' move to close the state-owned television ...
Investors guess Fed's actions, push stocks higher
Investors on Wall Street are playing a guessing game with the Federal Reserve. On Monday, they guessed that the central bank will continue trying to ...
Starboard says Smithfield sale undervalues company
One of Smithfield Foods Inc.'s largest shareholders says a $4.72 billion takeover bid from China's largest meat producer falls short of what the ...
US stocks rise ahead of Fed policy meeting
Stocks are closing higher as traders hope that the Federal Reserve will decide to continue its economic stimulus program when it meets this week.
US homebuilder confidence soars to 7-year high
For the first time in seven years, most U.S. homebuilders are optimistic about home sales, a sign that construction could help drive stronger economic ...
Pro-Obama group airing health ads
An outside group supporting President Barack Obama's agenda plans to air a series of ads this summer promoting Obama's health care overhaul.
Stocks open higher on Wall Street ahead of Fed
Stocks are opening higher on Wall Street ahead of a two-day meeting of Federal Reserve policymakers. Traders have been trying to figure out when the ...
Oil rises past $98 on Syria, ahead of Fed meeting
The price of oil climbed to above $98 a barrel Monday amid concerns over an escalation in the civil war in Syria and as traders awaited a critical ...
Porsche family buys back stake from Qatar fund
Descendants of German automobile entrepreneur Ferdinand Porsche have bought back a 10 percent stake in their holding company from Qatar's sovereign ...
Dreams turn bitter for Bangladeshi garment workers
Moushumi's family now has one of the largest homes in their village — two bedrooms plus a living area with walls made of sturdy brick. Her father and ...
Canada to provide $ 98.4 million in aid to Jordan
Canada will give Jordan an additional $98.4 million in aid to help the Arab country cope with the costly fallout from the worsening crisis in ...
Little joy in Croatia as it enters the EU
There will be festivities and fireworks, but Kata Secic can't muster much enthusiasm for Croatia's historic entry into the European Union.
Israeli, Palestinian finance ministers meet
Israeli and Palestinian finance ministers have agreed on a series of economic cooperation projects. Sunday's meeting between Israel's Yair Lapid and ...
Iran market welcomes partial election results
Iran's stock exchange and currency markets reacted positively to early election results showing moderate candidate Hasan Rowhani taking a wide lead.
Pope taps trusted prelate to oversee Vatican bank
Pope Francis took a first big step in reforming the troubled Vatican bank on Saturday by tapping a trusted prelate to help oversee its management, in ...
Police: 1 dead, 7 hurt in 2nd La. plant blast
A second blast in two days has killed a worker at a south Louisiana chemical plant, just miles from the site where two workers were killed a day ...
Explosions remind La. that plants not always safe
By some measures, chemical plants like the sites of separate fatal explosions this week in Louisiana are among the safest manufacturing workplaces in ...
USDA: Modified wheat appears to be isolated
The Agriculture Department says it has no indications that genetically modified wheat found in Oregon last month has spread beyond the field in which ...
Help wanted: Lululemon's cheeky CEO ad
If you can hold a headstand for at least 10 minutes, communicate in Sanskrit and enjoy downing wheatgrass and tequila shots on Fridays for work-life ...
Greek PM raises stakes on broadcaster's closure
Greece's prime minister has raised the stakes in a fight with key government allies over his decision to shut "sinful" state-run TV, offering a minor ...
First flight of Airbus A350 reopens wide-body race
Airbus sent a new wide-body plane into the skies Friday that sets the stage for intensifying competition with U.S. rival Boeing - with consequences ...
Europe seeks ways to ease youth unemployment
Germany, France, Italy and Spain agreed Friday to find ways to help small- and medium-sized companies as part of a broader plan to create badly needed ...