Economy

Italian bank seeks to calm investors over trades
Italian bank Monte dei Paschi di Siena sought Thursday to calm investors over a trading scandal that has caused its share price to slump and led to ...
Southwest's 4Q profit slips on higher costs
Southwest Airlines Co. said Thursday that fourth-quarter earnings fell by nearly half as costs rose for fuel, labor and maintenance. The airline's ...
United Continental posts 4Q loss as traffic falls
Travelers avoided United Airlines last year, leaving it with a fourth-quarter loss as it continues to pay for its stumbles in absorbing Continental.
As layoffs keep dropping, hopes rise for job gains
Employers are laying off fewer workers, a trend that normally suggests hiring is picking up. The January jobs report next week will show whether ...
Union Pacific railroad's 4Q profit rises 7 percent
Union Pacific managed to overcome weak coal demand and sluggish agricultural shipments by raising rates at the railroad in the fourth quarter.
Cameron: I don't want a country called Europe
British Prime Minister David Cameron wants nothing to do with a United States of Europe, an idea that's gaining currency as the countries that use the ...
UK judge rejects Barclays' LIBOR anonymity bid
A British court has rejected an attempt by Barclays to shield the names of more than 100 present and former employees of the bank allegedly involved ...
In Davos, examining the Arab Spring's mixed bag
The convulsions of the Arab world are taking center stage at this year's World Economic Forum gathering in Davos, where leaders and experts are much ...
Greek gov't forcing end to Athens metro strike
Greece's government announced emergency powers Thursday to force striking subway workers back to work, with those defying it risking dismissal, arrest ...
3M says 4Q profit rose 3.9 percent
Post-it notes and other office products helped lift 3M's fourth-quarter profit, despite a slowdown in other parts of its business. The Maplewood, Minn
Measure of future growth up 0.5 pct. in December
A measure of the U.S. economy designed to signal future activity increased in December from November, suggesting growth may strengthen in early 2013.
Nokia returns to profit but sales keep dropping
Struggling Nokia Corp. turned a fourth-quarter net profit of €202 million ($270 million) compared with a loss of $1 billion a year earlier, but ...
Russian plane crash caused by equipment failure
Investigators say equipment failure caused a Russian airliner to crash in Moscow last month, killing five people. The Russian-made Tupolev Tu-204 ...
Spanish unemployment jumps to record 26 pct
Spain's unemployment rate shot up to a record 26 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012, leaving almost six million people out of work, the National ...
AP Interview: Cameron wants UK to remain in EU
British Prime Minister David Cameron shrugged off the possibility that his country may vote to leave the European Union, and argued Thursday that his ...
Cyprus signs gas drilling deal with consortium
Cyprus signed a deal on Thursday allowing a consortium of foreign companies to drill for natural gas off the island's southern coast.
Slovenian PM to stay on despite coalition breakup
Slovenia's embattled prime minister refused to step down Thursday despite the breakup of his ruling coalition, saying an election now would hurt the ...
ArcelorMittal to close steel plants in Belgium
The world's leading steel and mining company ArcelorMittal said Thursday it will close a coke plant and six production lines in Belgium, in a move ...
US futures mixed as earnings roll out
Stock futures are mixed for the third straight day as U.S. companies, particularly in the tech sector, are being either trounced or adored by ...
Oil prices get boost from China manufacturing
The price of oil recovered slightly on Thursday, after a large fall the previous day, thanks to a survey showing China's manufacturing sector is on ...
American to use Republic Airways for some flights
American Airlines says it will use Republic Airways Holdings Inc. to operate regional flights using 76-seat planes. American said Thursday that it ...
Imagining a future when machines have all the jobs
Martin Ford saw it everywhere, even in his own business. Smarter machines and better software were helping companies do more work with fewer people.
Manufacturers cutting white-collar jobs now, too
Manufacturers have been using technology to cut blue-collar jobs for years. Now, they're targeting their white-collar workers, too. Factory Automation ...
Polish unemployment rate rises to 13.4 percent
Poland's unemployment rate climbed to 13.4 percent in December, from 12.9 percent the previous month, due to an economic slowdown and a seasonal loss ...
Hyundai Motor's 4Q profit dented by won's rise
South Korea's Hyundai Motor Co. reported its lowest quarterly profit in nearly two years Thursday due to lackluster car sales at home and a surge in ...