"Wallstreet" Reader

"Wallstreet" Reader

Race Is On to Make Cars Greener

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 06:52 PM PST

As the auto industry faces tougher fuel-economy standards, engineers are working on longer-term fixes for what ails today's models.

Nikkei Up on U.S. Jobs Data

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 06:04 PM PST

Asian stock markets were mixed. The Nikkei gained 1.2% on strong U.S. private-sector jobs data.

GM to Install Phone Recharging Mat in Cars

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 06:50 PM PST

General Motors plans to install in some vehicles a special mat that will allow cellphones to be recharged without connecting them to a cable.

Health Spending Eats Up Record Chunk of GDP

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 04:47 PM PST

Health spending rose to a record 17.6% of the U.S. economy in 2009, as the overall economy shrank and higher federal Medicaid spending helped to push up health costs.

Chips Makers Aim Beyond Computers

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 07:55 PM PST

Chip makers, already competing to get their products into computers and cellphones, are preparing for a wider battle as more devices connect to the Internet.

Goldman Flooded With Facebook Orders

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 06:43 PM PST

The Wall Street firm plans to stop taking orders for Facebook shares on Thursday, and has told some investors to expect a fraction of the shares they requested.

White House Probe Blames BP, Industry in Spill

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 07:01 PM PST

The Gulf of Mexico oil spill resulted from management failures by BP and its contractors, a presidential commission concluded. But the accident also reflected "systemic failures."

The Graying of the Barbarians

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 07:59 PM PST

A generation of buyout billionaires still rules the roost—and has no plans of stepping down. The issue of succession is of growing importance to clients.

BofA to Test New Account Structure, Fees

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 05:30 PM PST

Bank of America will soon begin testing fees of roughly $6 a month on its most basic account, and divide its customer base into four categories with varying fees.

IMF Sees India Growth Above 8%

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 02:24 PM PST

India's economy is expected to expand rapidly in the coming years, but the country should boost interest rates to curb inflation and push ahead with fiscal and financial reforms to maintain that growth, the International Monetary Fund said Wednesday.

Microsoft to Change Windows Chips

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 04:47 PM PST

Microsoft, feeling the heat from Apple's iPad, demonstrated the next version of its Windows operating system and showed how it is being adapted to run on mobile gadgets.

Corporate-Tax Overhaul on Horizon

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 06:39 PM PST

The White House, congressional Republicans and business groups are moving from different directions toward a consensus that the U.S. corporate-tax code needs a fundamental overhaul.

AT&T Pins 4G Label on Existing Network

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 07:14 PM PST

Facing a marketing challenge by competitors' 4G wireless claims, AT&T relabeled its existing wireless technology as 4G.

Citi Probe Could Hinder Access to India Banking

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 07:45 PM PST

For years, foreign banks have been trying to gain greater access to India's vast financial services market, but a scandal at a Citibank branch near New Delhi threatens to complicate those efforts, banking experts say.

Chapter 11 Sale Could Save Banks

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 03:27 PM PST

The recent sale of a Washington state bank out of Chapter 11 created a new tool that potentially could rescue hundreds of similarly troubled institutions and save the FDIC billions of dollars, according to banking experts.

Boehner Elected Speaker, Vows Change

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 01:16 PM PST

John Boehner became the 61st speaker of the House, promising to make "tough decisions" and restore a measure of civility to a chamber beset by partisan rancor.

Global Food Prices Hit Record

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 07:56 PM PST

A prominent indicator of international food prices hit a record high in December, sounding a warning about looming threats to the world's poor and to global growth.

Judge Allows Wiretaps in Galleon Case

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 03:25 PM PST

A judge ruled that federal prosecutors can use secretly recorded telephone conversations of an ex-Galleon Group employee and other defendants in a closely watched insider-trading case.

Size Poses Challenge in Treasury's Next Asset Sales

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 09:46 AM PST

The Treasury Department's profitable sale of its Citigroup stake could help the agency as it plans to sell its large holdings in Ally Financial and AIG.

Google Wins One Against Microsoft

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 07:58 PM PST

Google won a key victory in its lawsuit against the U.S. Interior Department, after the Web giant accused the agency of improperly favoring Microsoft in a contract proposal for a new email system.