November 20, 2009 by News Editor
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Investors bet on growth opportunity in the IPOs of a Chinese hotel chain and an online education company on Friday, but saw murkier prospects for a spin-off of mining giant Rio Tinto, sending its shares lower.

November 20, 2009 by News Editor

CHICAGO (Reuters) – When the U.S. holiday shopping season kicks off on the day after Thanksgiving, retailers can expect to see millions of less frightened but even more bargain hungry customers cross their thresholds.

November 20, 2009 by News Editor

NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. stocks fell for third straight day on Friday as investors took weaker-than-expected results from computer maker Dell and homebuilder D.R. Horton as a further sign that the recovery would be anemic.

November 20, 2009 by News Editor

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. economy’s return to growth in the third quarter was less brisk than previously thought as the trade deficit worsened and companies still aggressively cut inventories, a Reuters survey predicted.

November 20, 2009 by News Editor

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Former Vivendi CEO Jean-Marie Messier told a U.S. jury he “never, never, never” committed fraud as he took the stand on Friday in a civil trial pitting international shareholders against the French conglomerate and former top executives.

November 20, 2009 by News Editor

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The pace of job losses slowed in many U.S. states in October, and the unemployment rate slipped in hard-hit Michigan, the Labor Department said on Friday, hinting the recession may be easing in some areas.

November 20, 2009 by News Editor

Investors are concerned about shareholder rights plans and ask for improved transparency and more effective engagement from boards.

November 20, 2009 by News Editor

NEW YORK (Reuters) – NYSE Euronext , LCH.Clearnet, BATS Global Markets and other firms partnered with banks have urged two U.S. legislators to drop a proposed “rigid” cap on dealer ownership of clearinghouses, according to a letter sent this week.

November 20, 2009 by News Editor

New York (Reuters) – Sales of existing U.S. homes likely rose for second consecutive month in October, reaching their highest level since July 2007, according to a Reuters poll, as buyers scrambled to take advantage of greater affordability and a first-time home buyer tax credit.

November 20, 2009 by News Editor

NEW YORK (Reuters) – D.R. Horton Inc , the No. 2 U.S. homebuilder, reported a much larger-than-expected quarterly loss on Friday, sending its shares down 13.5 percent even though it also said orders increased.

November 20, 2009 by News Editor

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The number of mass layoffs reported by U.S. employers fell last month from September, a government report showed on Friday, suggesting job losses were close to bottoming.

November 20, 2009 by News Editor

BANGALORE (Reuters) – J.M. Smucker Co , best known for its peanut butter and jelly, posted higher-than-expected quarterly results, driven by strong margins at its Folgers coffee business, and raised its full-year profit outlook, sending its shares up 5 percent.

November 20, 2009 by News Editor

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Banks risk becoming addicted to cheap central bank cash used to fight the financial crisis and must prepare for its eventual withdrawal, the head of the ECB warned at a Frankfurt banking conference on Friday.

November 20, 2009 by News Editor

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Big shareholders at Goldman Sachs have asked the U.S. bank, which is on track to pay out the biggest bonuses in the company’s history, to pass more profit to investors, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

November 20, 2009 by News Editor

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Women’s clothing retailer AnnTaylor Stores Corp reported lower-than-expected quarterly revenue on Friday and gave a cautious forecast for the current holiday quarter, sending shares down 2.2 percent in premarket trade.

November 20, 2009 by News Editor

PARIS/NEW YORK (Reuters) – General Electric and Vivendi are at least $1 billion apart in their valuation of the French group’s stake in NBC Universal, the Financial Times said, dampening hopes of a swift sale.

November 20, 2009 by News Editor

SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Dell, the world’s No.3 PC brand, said on Friday that its core business of selling computers to companies was returning, after a sharp drop-off during the global downturn led to disappointing quarterly results.

November 20, 2009 by News Editor

LONDON/MILAN (Reuters) – Cadbury suitors Ferrero and Hershey would likely break the UK confectioner up into separate businesses if a mooted bid for the company succeeds, an Italian newspaper reported.

November 20, 2009 by News Editor

(Reuters) – Supermarket mogul Ron Burkle and his investment arm, Yucaipa, have purchased a large amount of U.S. luxury retail chain Barneys New York’s debt, the Wall Street Journal said, citing people familiar with the matter.

November 19, 2009 by News Editor

WASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner says Congress must keep pushing forward to overhaul the nation’s badly flawed financial rules because revamping the system is essential for the health of the economy….