"Wallstreet" Reader

"Wallstreet" Reader

'Lightning Bolt' Led Caterpillar to Look Outside

Posted: 12 Dec 2010 07:12 PM PST

Long known for promoting senior executives from within, Caterpillar increasingly is looking outside as it tries to overcome management shortcomings, including a need for more sophisticated procurement of parts.

A&P Files for Bankruptcy

Posted: 12 Dec 2010 07:34 PM PST

A&P, the troubled grocer, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Sunday, weighed down by a crushing debt load and competition from low-price rivals.

News Corp. Crams for Classes

Posted: 12 Dec 2010 06:31 PM PST

With two moves in two weeks, News Corp. has become one of the biggest players in the increasingly crowded field of corporate investors chasing the next technology to transform education.

Suicide Won't End Madoff Lawsuits

Posted: 12 Dec 2010 06:40 PM PST

Mark Madoff was feeling increasingly despondent about his worsening legal situation in the days leading up to his death. But the trustee recovering assets for victims of his father's Ponzi scheme says the suits will continue.

Spotlight On Banks' Exposure in Europe

Posted: 12 Dec 2010 04:12 PM PST

Banks' total exposure to Ireland and the southern rim of the euro zone in the second quarter was greater than previously thought, according to data from the Bank for International Settlements.

Whistleblower Bounties Pose Challenges

Posted: 12 Dec 2010 03:54 PM PST

The SEC and CFTC expect to be inundated with whistleblower tips, but a similar system launched by the IRS four years ago has yet to pay out a cent.

Housing Shaky as Lenders Tighten

Posted: 12 Dec 2010 04:15 PM PST

Economists are worried that the housing sector may be heading into another downdraft as mortgage lenders continue to tighten already restrictive lending standards.

Aurelius Crosses the Ocean for Its Debt Bet

Posted: 12 Dec 2010 06:58 PM PST

Amid the swarm of U.S. hedge-fund managers seeking to capitalize on the maelstrom gripping Europe and its periphery, one unusual suspect has popped up: Mark Brodsky.

Commodities' Paths Are Diverging

Posted: 12 Dec 2010 07:15 PM PST

For much of 2010, prices of basic commodities have moved in sync with one another and in step with the global economic beat. But in recent weeks, markets for commodities have been driven more by their own supply-and-demand dynamics.

Simon Is Rebuffed On Offer of Funds

Posted: 12 Dec 2010 06:11 PM PST

Capital Shopping Centres of Britain rejected a proposal from U.S. mall giant Simon Property to finance the British shopping-center owner's proposed purchase of a big mall in Manchester, England.

E-Books Entice as New Frontier for Ads

Posted: 12 Dec 2010 03:23 PM PST

As e-books proliferate, advertisers are experimenting with ways to pitch to consumers while they read, a trend that could change the publishing business but faces opposition from some traditionalists.

Wal-Mart Seeks Union Support for City Stores

Posted: 12 Dec 2010 07:38 PM PST

After failing in earlier efforts to enter the New York City market, Wal-Mart is in advanced talks with politically powerful construction unions over a deal to build stores with unionized workers.

White House Confident Tax-Cut Deal Will Pass

Posted: 12 Dec 2010 11:31 AM PST

White House advisers expressed confidence the tax deal President Obama struck with Republicans would pass as they attempted to deflect congressional Democrats' concerns.

'The Voyage of the Dawn Treader' Tops Weekend Box Office

Posted: 12 Dec 2010 09:21 AM PST

"The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" topped at the box office this weekend.

Envoy Holbrooke in Critical Condition

Posted: 12 Dec 2010 07:19 AM PST

Richard Holbrooke, the U.S.'s special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, is in critical condition at a Washington hospital after undergoing emergency heart surgery Saturday, according to the State Department.

Sweden Calls Bombs Terror Attack

Posted: 12 Dec 2010 11:31 AM PST

Swedish authorities are treating as a terrorist attack two explosions near Christmas shoppers on Stockholm streets Saturday afternoon that killed an apparent suicide bomber and injured two other people, officials said.

EADS Backs Executives in Insider-Trading Probe

Posted: 12 Dec 2010 03:58 PM PST

EADS said it remains convinced that several former and current executives aren't guilty of having profited from insider information to enrich themselves in 2005 and 2006.

Blasts Kill 17 in Iraq

Posted: 12 Dec 2010 04:12 PM PST

A suicide bomber blew up his car Sunday outside government offices west of the Iraqi capital, killing 17 people.

BYD's Battery Car Draws Nearer in U.S.

Posted: 12 Dec 2010 06:29 PM PST

Chinese battery and car maker BYD plans to test market an all-electric battery in the U.S. next year, after almost a year's delay.

Metrodome Roof Collapses in Blizzard

Posted: 12 Dec 2010 09:30 AM PST

A storm that spanned parts of eight states continued to dump heavy snow in the upper Midwest on Sunday, collapsing the roof of the Metrodome in Minneapolis and forcing numerous road closures.