updated Wed January 02, 2008

Wall Street Economists Expect Manufacturing Index to Inch Up in December From Prior Month

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Wall Street economists expect a December report on the nation's manufacturing sector to show growth inched up from the prior month despite problems in the housing market.The Institute for Sup...

updated Wed January 02, 2008

Economists Expect Housing Downtown to Pull Down Construction Activity in November

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A government report due Wednesday is forecast to show that construction activity fell 0.3 percent in November, as a drop in residential building is likely to offset increases in spending on g...

updated Wed January 02, 2008

Two Reports to Provide Insight Into How Retailers Fared After Christmas

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Wall Street on Wednesday will find out just how irresistible stacks of price-slashed sweaters, reams of reduced wrapping paper and priced-to-go gadgets proved for after-Christmas shoppers. Tw...

updated Wed January 02, 2008

Tyco Electronics Declares Regular Quarterly Dividend of 14 Cents Per Share

PEMBROKE, Bermuda (AP) -- Tyco Electronics Ltd. said it will pay a regular quarterly dividend of 14 cents per share.The electronic components and wireless communications company said the dividend is payable Feb...

updated Wed January 02, 2008

Glacier Bancorp Declares Regular Quarterly Dividend of 13 Cents Per Share

KALISPELL, Mont. (AP) -- Glacier Bancorp said it will pay a regular quarterly dividend of 13 cents.The bank holding company said the dividend is payable Jan. 17 to shareholders of record Jan. 8.

updated Wed January 02, 2008

Hess Executive Vice President F. Borden Walker Exercises Options for 10,000 Shares

NEW YORK (AP) -- The executive vice president of oil and gas producer Hess Corp. exercised options for 10,000 shares of common stock under a prearranged trading plan, according to Securities and Exchange Commis...

updated Wed January 02, 2008

Reddy Ice COO Raymond D. Booth to Step Down to Pursue Other Business Opportunities

DALLAS (AP) -- Reddy Ice Holdings Inc. said Wednesday Chief Operating Officer Raymond D. Booth will step down on Thursday to pursue other business opportunities.The packaged ice maker, which is being acquired b...

updated Wed January 02, 2008

Crosstex Energy Executive VP James Wales Sells 6,000 Shares of Common Stock

NEW YORK (AP) -- An executive vice president of natural gas company Crosstex Energy Inc. sold 6,000 shares of common stock under a prearranged trading plan, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission fil...

updated Wed January 02, 2008

Nvidia VP Ajay K. Puri Exercises Options for 108,389 Shares of Company Stock

NEW YORK (AP) -- The vice president of worldwide sales at Nvidia Corp., which makes graphics cards for computers, exercised options for 108,389 shares of common stock, according to a Securities and Exchange Com...

updated Wed January 02, 2008

National Fuel Gas Senior VP John R. Pustulka Sells 38,835 Shares of Company Stock

NEW YORK (AP) -- The senior vice president of diversified energy company National Fuel Gas Co. sold 38,835 shares of common stock, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.In a Form 4 filed with...

updated Wed January 02, 2008

Southwestern Energy Executive Vice President Richard F. Lane Sells 6,500 Shares

NEW YORK (AP) -- The executive vice president and president, Southwestern Energy Production Co. and SEECO Inc., which are units of oil and natural gas producer Southwestern Energy Co., sold 6,500 shares of comm...

updated Wed January 02, 2008

IBM Purchases Privately Held XIV to Enhance Its Storage Technology Capabilities

ARMONK, N.Y. (AP) -- Computer company IBM Corp. said Wednesday it purchased privately held XIV to enhance its storage technology capabilities.Terms were not disclosed.Tel Aviv, Israel-based XIV will be folded i...

updated Wed January 02, 2008

South Korean Stock Index Opens 2008 With 2.3 Percent Decline

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- South Korean shares fell Wednesday on the first trading day of 2008 amid declines by some blue chips. The South Korean won also fell.The Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 43.68 p...

updated Wed January 02, 2008

Singapore's Private Home Prices Rise 31 Percent in 2007 Despite Slower Growth in 4th Quarter

SINGAPORE (AP) -- Singapore's private home prices rose almost a third over the whole of 2007 despite a slower pace of growth in the fourth quarter, the government said Wednesday.For the year, the housing price ...

updated Wed January 02, 2008

Nebraska State Senators Weigh Proposal to Relocate State Fair to Make Room for Research Park

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- A significant number of state lawmakers say they aren't sure whether the State Fair should stay put or move to another site to make room for a University of Nebraska research park. A consult...

updated Wed January 02, 2008

China's No. 2 Oil Producer Says It Aims to Become Global Competitor

BEIJING (AP) -- China's No. 2 oil producer, China Petrochemical Corp., also known as Sinopec, said Wednesday it will acquire more foreign oil and gas assets in a bid to become a global competitor."The company's...

updated Wed January 02, 2008

Hong Kong Index Slips on US Concerns; Property Stocks Remain Strong

HONG KONG (AP) -- Hong Kong shares slipped Wednesday on renewed concerns about the U.S. economy, although local property stocks remained resilient on expectations that further rate cuts would boost homes sales....

updated Wed January 02, 2008

Chinese Shares Rise As Investors Shift Interest to Food Companies, Airlines

SHANGHAI, China (AP) -- China's shares rose Wednesday as investors shifted their interest to food companies and airlines.The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index gained 0.2 percent to close at 5,272.81 points on ...

updated Wed January 02, 2008

Euro, Pound Slip Lower Against Dollar in First Trading Day of 2008

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) -- The euro and the pound were both lower against the dollar in trading Wednesday, the first of the new year, as markets looked to the release of a key report detailing the health of U.S...

updated Wed January 02, 2008

Austria's OEBB Railway Finalizes Acquisition of Hungary's MAV Cargo

VIENNA, Austria (AP) -- Austrian national railway OEBB said Wednesday it would finalize its acquisition of Hungarian rail shipping company MAV Cargo -- a euro400 million (US$584 million) deal that marks the Aus...