House GOP health plan would cover relatively few
11:30
Congressional budget umpires say the House Republican health plan would only make a small dent in the number of uninsured Americans. In an analysis released late Wednesday, the Congressional Budget Office said the GOP...
Ancestry.com raises $100 million in IPO
11:14
Genealogy Web site Ancestry.com has succeeded in raising $100 million in its initial public offering. With more than a million paying subscribers, little competition, a small debt load and a record of increasing...
Exec to plead guilty in tomato price-fixing case
10:59
A former executive for a California-based tomato processor agreed to plead guilty to participating in a conspiracy to drive up food prices nationwide, federal prosecutors said Wednesday. Alan Scott Huey, who served as...
JPMorgan settles SEC 'pay-to-play' charges in Ala.
10:27
JPMorgan Chase & Co. has agreed to pay $75 million in fines and forfeit $647 million in fees to settle federal regulators' charges that it made unlawful payments to friends of public officials to win municipal bond...
DynCorp 2Q profit rises on revenue growth
9:27
Military contractor DynCorp International Inc. said Wednesday that its second-quarter profit jumped 60 percent on strong revenue growth. The company, which trains police, provides aviation support in Iraq, and helped...
Chrysler aims to pump life into struggling lineup
9:19
Chrysler hopes to make billions of dollars to repay government loans and revamp all of its cars and trucks with an ambitious plan that hinges on doubling sales in five years. The plan, which includes spending $23...
Thoratec 3Q profit surges on heart pump success
8:55
Heart device maker Thoratec Corp. said Wednesday that its third-quarter profit almost doubled on strong growth in its cardiovascular division. The company also raised the low end of its full-year revenue forecast, and...
AP sources: Obama plans trip to Capitol on Friday
8:45
President Barack Obama intends to visit the Capitol on Friday to meet with House Democrats and make a final pitch for health care legislation scheduled for a weekend vote, according to congressional officials. The...
House panel votes to increase clout of regulators
8:41
The House Financial Services Committee voted Wednesday to give federal regulators more power and money to police major players in the stock market, four months after Bernard Madoff was sentenced for the biggest...
Correction: Buffett Adds Rails story
8:35
In a Nov. 3 story about Warren Buffett's plan to acquire Burlington Northern, The Associated Press reported erroneously that Berkshire will pay $34 billion in cash and stock for Burlington. Berkshire will pay $23.6...
Ohio casinos to hit Mich., Ind. gambling taxes
8:33
Ohio voters have approved the opening of casinos in Toledo and three other cities, leaving officials and gambling interests in neighboring Indiana and Michigan worried that millions of dollars in gambling revenues _ and...
Career Education posts 3Q profit on higher revenue
8:23
Trade schools operator Career Education Corp. said Wednesday it climbed to a profit in the third quarter on rising revenue from record-high enrollment and number of new students. The company's stock price climbed more...
Hyatt Hotels raises $950 million in IPO
8:05
There's talk of infighting among its founder's heirs and a sluggish appetite for hotel reservations around the globe. But Hyatt Hotels Corp. shares are set to begin trading Thursday now that the company raised $950...
Markel posts 3Q profit, reversing 2008 loss
7:57
Specialty insurer Markel Corp. on Wednesday posted a third-quarter profit, reversing a year ago loss, as the company benefited from market gains, a mild hurricane season and strong international operations. For the...
Value Line, execs paying $45M to settle with SEC
7:47
Investment adviser Value Line Inc., its CEO and its former compliance chief have agreed to pay about $45 million to settle regulators' allegations the firm charged more than $24 million in bogus commissions on mutual...
NY prosecutors ask billionaire's bail stay high
7:43
A billionaire hedge fund manager charged in a $25 million insider trading case must remain held under $100 million bail because he is one of the richest men in the world and could easily flee, prosecutors told a judge...
Valley in Washington state prepares for flood
7:40
On a sunny fall Saturday, friends and neighbors gathered at Bobby Kendall's place to help him build a 2-foot barrier of sandbags around his suburban Seattle home. Such get-togethers have become a familiar ritual on the...
Correction: Product recalls story
7:39
In the initial version of a Nov. 3 story about a recall of dietary supplements, The Associated Press, relying on information from distributor Bodybuilding.com LLC, erroneously described select products as "APS (aka...
News Corp. 1Q up but online paper fees delayed
7:22
Media conglomerate News Corp. posted a surprise increase in quarterly profit Wednesday, but Chief Executive Rupert Murdoch said the company might not meet its goal of charging fees for online versions of its newspapers...
Whole Foods profit jumps; outlook weighs on shares
7:21
Whole Foods Market Inc. appears to be adjusting to its new economic reality. The natural and organic grocer, known for its high-end products and similarly high prices, says lower prices are bringing shoppers back in...
Andersons shares fall on weak 3Q profit
7:12
The Andersons Inc., a diversified agricultural and transportation company, said Wednesday that its third-quarter profit fell 90 percent as fertilizer retailers kept inventories lean and its rail group suffered from...
Bankruptcy trustee in Del. holds private meeting
7:12
Federal officials began the process of choosing creditor representatives in the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington's Chapter 11 bankruptcy by meeting with diocesan officials behind closed doors Wednesday. The U.S....
Hindus, yoga teachers question Mo. sales tax
7:04
Yoga practitioners are criticizing a Missouri sales tax that applies to yoga classes, claiming they should be exempt because the lessons include spiritual elements. A Missouri Department of Revenue official sent...
States with jobless rates of 8.5 percent and above
6:56
Legislation passed by the Senate Wednesday would extend unemployment insurance benefits by 14 weeks for jobless people in all states that have exhausted their benefits. The jobless living in 27 states, plus the District...
Corrections Corp. of America 3Q profit jumps
6:55
Prison operator Corrections Corp. of America said its third-quarter profit jumped 19 percent as more prisoners were locked up in its California and Arizona facilities. The company said it earned $45.3 million in the...
Qualcomm fiscal 4Q profit slips 9 percent
6:43
Qualcomm Inc. says its fiscal fourth-quarter profit slipped 9 percent as revenue from the mobile phone technology it licenses and mobile-phone chips it makes declined. Qualcomm, based in San Diego, said Wednesday...
Allstate swings to profit, catastrophe losses dip
6:41
A milder hurricane season this year helped Allstate Corp. turn a third-quarter profit as its losses for storms and other catastrophes dropped sharply. The property and casualty insurer said Wednesday its net income...
Prudential posts 3Q profit on market, sales gains
6:33
Prudential Financial Inc., an insurance and investment company, on Wednesday posted its second straight quarterly profit, buoyed by market gains and strong sales of its investment products. The results led the Newark,...
Microchip Technology declares dividend
6:26
Microchip Technology Inc., which makes semiconductors and microcontrollers, said Wednesday it would pay a quarterly cash dividend next month. The company said the dividend of 34 cents per share would be payable Dec. 2...
S&P may downgrade Berkshire, upgrade Burlington
6:26
Standard & Poor's warned Wednesday that Warren Buffett's bid for Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp. could sap the liquidity and capital position of the legendary investor's insurance operations at Berkshire Hathaway...
Zumiez Oct. sales comparison drops 8.9 percent
6:24
Sports apparel and equipment retailer Zumiez Inc. on Wednesday said sales at stores open at least a year fell 8.9 percent in October. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters forecast sales to drop 6.7 percent for the...
STR Holdings to launch first solar IPO in 15 mos
6:22
STR Holdings Inc. plans to go public this Friday, a move that would launch the first solar initial public offering on a U.S. index in over a year. The maker of solar module encapsulants and consumer product quality...
Acne, wrinkle treatments help Medicis post profit
6:21
Medicis Pharmaceutical Corp. posted a third-quarter profit on Wednesday, as sales of its skin products surged, and a research and development charge came off the books. Medicis said it earned $21.1 million, or 33 cents...
How to apply for homebuyer tax credit
6:15
The Senate voted Wednesday to extend and expand a popular tax credit for homebuyers that was scheduled to expire Nov. 30. The House is expected to schedule a quick vote on the bill, part of a package that also extends...
Expanded tax breaks for money-losing companies
6:15
The Senate voted Wednesday to expand a tax break for money-losing companies as part of a bill to extend and expand a tax credit for homebuyers and unemployment benefits for people without jobs for more than a year. Here...
Business Highlights
6:12
Fed again pledges to hold rates at record-lows WASHINGTON (AP) _ The Federal Reserve pledged Wednesday to keep a key interest rate at a record low for an "extended period," signaling that the weak economy remains...
Petters team tries to turn recordings to advantage
6:07
An attorney for the Minnesota businessman accused of orchestrating a massive Ponzi scheme attacked the credibility of the prosecution's star witness Wednesday, playing recordings in which she and other key figures in...
Smith Micro Software posts profit but cuts outlook
5:54
Smith Micro Software Inc. said Wednesday it turned a profit in the third quarter but cut its 2009 revenue estimate, sending shares tumbling nearly 20 percent in aftermarket trading. The company, which makes software...
Stocks give up gains in last hour, finish mixed
5:54
A late-day slump left stocks mixed Wednesday as investors couldn't hold on to their optimism after the Federal Reserve gave an encouraging assessment of the economy. The Dow Jones industrial average, up more than 150...
5:53
Senate votes to extend benefits to jobless, expand tax credit program for homebuyers. ...
Obama offers schools money for backing initiatives
5:52
Pushing for a link between student test scores and teacher pay, President Barack Obama on Wednesday dangled $5 billion in federal grants to states willing to undertake a top-to-bottom overhaul of their schools in...
House votes to accelerate credit card rules
5:51
The House voted on Wednesday to impose immediately tough new rules for credit card companies after voters complained of increased interest rates and steep new fees. The bill, approved 331-92, would accelerate the...
ON Semiconductor shares rise on 3Q profit, 4Q view
5:51
ON Semiconductor Corp.'s third-quarter profit fell from a year earlier, but its adjusted results beat Wall Street expectations and its shares rose in late trading on a bullish outlook. The chipmaker's profit dropped 40...
American Eagle
5:49
American Eagle, the regional sister carrier to American Airlines, said Wednesday that October traffic rose 6 percent in contrast to a decline at American. Eagle said paying passengers flew 680.1 million miles last...
Wilmington Trust says it is not a CIT creditor
5:45
Wilmington Trust Corp. said Wednesday it has not loaned money to CIT Group Inc. and therefore is not a creditor in the commercial lender's bankruptcy. Wilmington Trust issued a statement to clarify that while some news...
Schweitzer-Mauduit ups 2009 view after 3Q report
5:33
Specialty paper maker Schweitzer-Mauduit International Inc. said its third-quarter profit plunged by one-third, but its adjusted results widely exceeded Wall Street expectations and it raised its 2009 outlook. Shares...
Long-term Treasurys sell off after Fed decision
5:31
Long-term Treasurys sold off sharply Wednesday after the Federal Reserve reaffirmed its pledge to keep interest rates low for "an extended period." In late trading, the 10-year Treasury, often used as a benchmark for...
Merck, now No. 2 drugmaker, set for future buys
5:18
The new Merck & Co. has become the world's second-biggest drugmaker overnight with a huge acquisition, but it still has a fat wallet and plans more wheeling and dealing. A day after closing its $41.1 billion...
FAA chief: Pilots must refocus on professionalism
5:13
The Northwest Airlines pilots who overshot Minneapolis are part of a larger problem _ eroding professionalism among commercial airline pilots, Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Randy Babbitt said Wednesday. ...
Fed again pledges to hold rates at record-lows
5:10
The Federal Reserve pledged Wednesday to keep a key interest rate at a record low for an "extended period," signaling that the weak economy remains dependent on government help to grow. The Fed said economic activity...