"Wallstreet" Reader

"Wallstreet" Reader

Brazil Raises Key Rate

Posted: 20 Apr 2011 07:17 PM PDT

Brazil's central bank increased its benchmark interest rates less than what many economists say is needed to keep inflation in check, in a gamble that the soaring global food prices helping drive inflation higher will eventually ease off by themselves.

Railroads Riding Strong Volume Gains

Posted: 20 Apr 2011 05:56 PM PDT

Two of the nation's largest North American railroads steamed ahead in the first quarter, hauling more coal, automobiles and industrial chemicals despite winter-related slowdowns.

Regulators Serve Up Alphabet Soup

Posted: 20 Apr 2011 06:05 PM PDT

The Dodd-Frank financial overhaul has unleashed a blizzard of new acronyms, buzzwords and insider phrases—from DCOs and MSPs to Living Wills and "Hotel California"—that only a small army of lawyers, lobbyists and regulators can understand.

MLB Takes Over Dodgers Operations

Posted: 20 Apr 2011 06:03 PM PDT

Major League Baseball is taking over the operations of the Dodgers from owner Frank McCourt because of what Commissioner Bud Selig called "deep concerns" over finances and operational problems.

AmEx Profit Jumps as Customer Spending Rises

Posted: 20 Apr 2011 05:08 PM PDT

American Express saw its first-quarter profit jump by a third as card-member spending leapt 17% and it set aside less to cover potential losses.

Loan Uptick Could Aid Businesses

Posted: 20 Apr 2011 06:13 PM PDT

Small-business lending and the use of existing lines of credit, both slow to rebound after credit markets froze, are showing faint but intelligible signs of recovery, another indicator the credit crisis is on the mend.

Filmmakers Pan DirecTV Plan

Posted: 20 Apr 2011 04:36 PM PDT

A group of filmmakers criticized DirecTV's plan to begin letting customers at home watch movies 60 days after they hit theaters.

Boeing to Fight Order to Move 787

Posted: 20 Apr 2011 05:25 PM PDT

Boeing will challenge a National Labor Relations Board complaint that calls for it to shift some 787 Dreamliner production to a unionized plant in Washington state from a non-union South Carolina factory.

IPhones Power Apple's Growth

Posted: 20 Apr 2011 07:26 PM PDT

Apple's fiscal second-quarter profit jumped 95% as the company posted record iPhone sales, as well as strong sales of its multimedia iPad device and Macintosh computers.

Director of 'Restrepo' Killed in Libya

Posted: 20 Apr 2011 01:51 PM PDT

Tim Hetherington, the Oscar-nominated co-director of the 2010 film "Restrepo" was killed Wednesday in Libya amid a battle between rebel and government forces.

China Signals Yuan May Be Inflation Tool

Posted: 20 Apr 2011 07:26 PM PDT

In official comments that have fueled speculation about faster appreciation of the yuan, senior Chinese leaders seem to be acknowledging an argument long made by Washington and others that a stronger yuan may be helpful in taming the country's rising inflation.

Signs of Strain at UBS Investment Bank

Posted: 20 Apr 2011 11:22 AM PDT

A year after UBS mounted an ambitious effort to restore its investment bank to past glory, the efforts have been undercut on several fronts. Poor pay packages have sparked an exodus of talent.

Fuzzy Data Help Roil Oil Markets

Posted: 20 Apr 2011 07:08 PM PDT

Unreliable data on oil production—starting with the world's largest exporter, Saudi Arabia—are adding to the price volatility triggered by unrest in the Middle East, despite efforts to improve transparency.

Two Poker Sites Can Use Domain Name

Posted: 20 Apr 2011 02:13 PM PDT

Federal prosecutors have agreed to let two of the three online gambling companies targeted in a federal crackdown, to use their domain names to facilitate U.S. players' withdrawal of funds in accounts.

Traders Unload Dollar

Posted: 20 Apr 2011 05:11 PM PDT

The dollar declined broadly, falling near its lowest levels since before the financial crisis of 2008 against a trade-weighted basket of its rivals. The euro hit a 15-month high.

Nasdaq Profit Jumps 70%; CEO Keeps Sights on NYSE

Posted: 20 Apr 2011 05:03 PM PDT

The top executive of Nasdaq OMX Group said a 70% jump in first-quarter profits proved the strength of the share-trading business, as the the exchange company continues to pursue a deal with NYSE Euronext.

Quake, Fuel Prices to Trim U.S. Auto Sales

Posted: 20 Apr 2011 09:03 AM PDT

A prominent auto industry forecaster reduced its estimate of 2011 U.S. vehicle sales by 3% to 12.9 million cars and light trucks, citing the impacts of the Japanese earthquake and rising fuel prices.

EU Firms Complain of China Access

Posted: 20 Apr 2011 08:34 AM PDT

European companies are being unfairly shut out of much of China's huge market for public procurement, according to a study by the EU Chamber of Commerce in China, which echoed previous complaints by foreign firms.

Home Resales Tick Up, but Prices Slip

Posted: 20 Apr 2011 05:16 PM PDT

Sales of previously owned homes rose slightly in March, but prices continued to fall, underscoring the fragility of the housing market's recovery.

New Rules Target Lost Baggage, Delays

Posted: 20 Apr 2011 08:31 AM PDT

The U.S. said it would start requiring airlines to refund baggage fees when luggage is lost as part of new rules that also target ticket surcharges and lengthy tarmac delays.