"Wallstreet" Reader

"Wallstreet" Reader

BBC Rocked by Sex-Abuse Accusations

Posted: 12 Oct 2012 06:38 PM PDT

The BBC is facing one of the biggest scandals to rock the network in years: allegations that one of its TV personalities, now dead, had molested numerous girls, at times on BBC premises.

Racy Programming Hits Ratings at Nick Jr.

Posted: 12 Oct 2012 04:42 PM PDT

Viacom's Nick Jr. children's network scheduled a block of racy adult programming called NickMom to draw new viewers, but the move sparked an outcry and sent ratings down 74%.

Cablevision Explores Sale of Bresnan

Posted: 12 Oct 2012 03:57 PM PDT

Cablevision Systems is exploring a potential sale of Bresnan Broadband Holdings, a cable operator it bought for $1.4 billion less than two years ago.

U.K. Blames Berlin For Merger's Failure

Posted: 12 Oct 2012 10:15 AM PDT

Political tension from the failed merger between EADS and BAE Systems intensified when the U.K.'s chancellor of the exchequer said Germany had vetoed the deal and he was disappointed in the country's attitude.

Paris Looks Into Hermes Accusations against LVMH

Posted: 12 Oct 2012 01:06 PM PDT

French prosecutors opened a preliminary investigation into accusations made by luxury goods company Hermès that larger rival LVMH used insider-trading tactics to accumulate a stake in Hermès.

Ecolab to Buy Chemical Firm Champion Technologies

Posted: 12 Oct 2012 02:33 PM PDT

Ecolab has agreed to buy chemical maker Champion Technologies in a $2.21 billion deal that will move the cleaning-products company deeper into the chemical market for the energy industry.

Santander Ends Pact With RBS

Posted: 12 Oct 2012 07:56 PM PDT

Banco Santander abruptly pulled out of an agreement to buy a collection of U.K. branches from Royal Bank of Scotland, a surprising development that underscores challenges that both of the big European banks face.


China Dispute Casts Pall Over Japan Growth

Posted: 12 Oct 2012 05:03 PM PDT

The recent flare-up in a territorial dispute between China and Japan is emerging as a potential new threat to Japan's economy, broader regional growth and multinationals' global supply chains.

Bakrie Confident in Its Offer for Bumi Coal Assets

Posted: 12 Oct 2012 10:38 AM PDT

Indonesia's Bakrie Group is confident investors in coal company Bumi will accept its more-than-$1 billion offer to buy back Bumi's coal mines.

Japan Utility Says Crisis Avoidable

Posted: 12 Oct 2012 04:54 PM PDT

In a stunning reversal, the operator of Japan's Fukushima Daiichi power plant said it knowingly avoided implementing some safety measures for the nuclear plant out of fear of causing lawsuits, protests, or the need to close the plant.

J.P. Morgan, Wells Fargo: Housing on Mend

Posted: 12 Oct 2012 06:31 PM PDT

J.P. Morgan Chase and Wells Fargo both reported solid gains in profit and pointed to a recovery in the housing market. Low interest rates, however, continue to pose problems.

Softbank Risks Debt Rerun with Sprint Deal

Posted: 12 Oct 2012 06:33 PM PDT

Softbank's potential acquisition of Sprint Nextel would reload the Japanese mobile operator with heavy debt.

Cloud-Computing Firm Workday's IPO Soars

Posted: 12 Oct 2012 05:15 PM PDT

Workday's shares surged 74% in their public-trading debut, underscoring investor interest in cloud computing.

Profit Jumps, but Low Rates Pinch Wells Fargo

Posted: 12 Oct 2012 08:34 AM PDT

Wells Fargo's third-quarter profit jumped 22% as the nation's fourth-largest bank by assets posted higher revenue, but low interest rates crimped profit margin more than expected and mortgage-banking revenue was less than expected.

Agricultural Lending a Bright Spot for Banks

Posted: 12 Oct 2012 12:50 PM PDT

While economic uncertainty is threatening to slow business expansion and loan demand, the third-quarter earnings season for banks will likely reveal at least one sector where borrowing is on the upswing: food producers.

RBS Moves to Shed State Support

Posted: 12 Oct 2012 07:35 AM PDT

Royal Bank of Scotland Group hopes to announce its exit from a costly government asset insurance program next week.

Africa's Growth Vulnerable to Turmoil

Posted: 12 Oct 2012 07:25 AM PDT

Sub-Saharan Africa looks set to record strong economic growth through next year, but the world's poorest region remains vulnerable to events far beyond its borders, the International Monetary Fund said.

Wholesale Prices Rise

Posted: 12 Oct 2012 07:01 PM PDT

U.S. wholesale prices rose for the second consecutive month in September led by energy and food costs. A separate report showed consumers increasingly confident about the economy and its prospects.

Dow Snaps Losing Run by a Hair

Posted: 12 Oct 2012 05:41 PM PDT

The Dow Jones Industrial Average squeezed out a tiny advance for its first gain of the week, as worries about bank profits balanced off against a jump in consumer sentiment.

'Distressed' Investors Circle AMR

Posted: 11 Oct 2012 09:46 PM PDT

A group of bondholders that specialize in buying debt of distressed companies has, among other proposals, offered to provide between $1 billion and $2 billion in financing in exchange for big ownership stakes in a restructured AMR.