| Business News |
House passes housing bill; Bush lifts veto threat
(Reuters)
Reuters - The House of Representatives passed
a massive housing rescue bill on Wednesday while the White
House dropped a threat to veto it, paving the way for measures
aimed at shoring up the worst U.S. housing market since the
Great Depression.
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Amazon profit, sales above view and shares rise
(Reuters)
Reuters - Amazon.com Inc said on
Wednesday quarterly profit doubled and sales grew 41 percent,
indicating to Wall Street that many cost-conscious shoppers are
heading online to save money in a tough economy.
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SemGroup gets court OK for initial bankruptcy motions
(Reuters)
Reuters - SemGroup LP, an Oklahoma-based oil
trading services company, on Wednesday said it received
approval from the Bankruptcy Court for its initial motions
related to its bankruptcy.
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Microsoft exec who led Yahoo bid leaving company
(Reuters)
Reuters - Microsoft Corp said on
Wednesday that Kevin Johnson, who as president of Microsoft's
largest business division spearheaded the company's pursuit of
Yahoo Inc , is leaving the software maker.
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China's Zhongxing in talks with GM, FAW: source
(Reuters)
Reuters - China's Hebei Zhongxing Automobile Co
is in talks with General Motors and major Chinese
automaker FAW Group to explore opportunities for cooperation,
including equity ties, a source close to the situation said on
Thursday.
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Sluggish Economy Slows 'Somewhat' As Oil Squeezes Spending, Fed Reports
(Investor's Business Daily)
Investor's Business Daily - The economy has slowed "somewhat" as rising energy prices and the credit crunch force consumers to cut back, the Federal Reserve said Wednesday.
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| AIG sees no need to honor ex-CEO request to delay AGM - 13, May 2008 |
By Lilla Zuill
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Maurice "Hank" Greenberg, former chief executive of American International Group (AIG.N), has said the insurer is in "crisis" and urged a delay in its annual general meeting scheduled for Wednesday, according to a letter he sent to the board.
But AIG said late on Monday its board sees no need to postpone the meeting, according to a spokesman.
"Several top shareholders of AIG have called me expressing deep concern about the persistent and seemingly endless destruction of value at AIG," Greenberg said in the May 11 letter to the board, a copy of which was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday.
AIG shares fell nearly 5 percent after news of the letter, with the stock ending the day at its lowest point since October 1998.
The letter followed AIG's reporting last Thursday a $7.8 billion first-quarter loss, its largest-ever, as a result of a large write-down to the value of securities linked to subprime mortgages. Overall results also disappointed, with lackluster operating results reported by a number of units. The company also said it was raising capital to bolster its balance sheet.
The company late on Monday raised $11.9 billion, according to an underwriter -- more than the $7.5 billion that the offerings of common stock and mandatory convertibles were expected to raise. AIG plans to raise $5 billion more at a later date with the issue of fixed-income securities.
AIG's loss came after it a quarter earlier posted a then record net loss of $5.3 billion, also as a result of writing down the value of the same securities -- credit default swaps -- which basically guaranteed subprime mortgage bonds and other assets against default.
"AIG is in crisis," Greenberg said, in the letter calling on AIG's board to postpone its annual general meeting.
(c) 2008 Reuters
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| Other news from Business category: |
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SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc said on Wednesday quarterly profit doubled and sales grew 41 percent, indicating to Wall Street that many cost-conscious shoppers are heading online to save money in a tough economy.
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WILMINGTON, Delaware (Reuters) - A group of SemGroup LP creditors on Wednesday raised the prospect that unauthorized energy trading may have caused the $3.2 billion loss that sank the 12th-biggest privately held U.S. company.
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NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks rose on Wednesday as financial shares climbed on optimism about a rescue plan for mortgage finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and as the price of oil fell.
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NEW YORK (Reuters) - Pulte Homes Inc posted a smaller quarterly loss on Wednesday, but said buyer confidence remained shaky.
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SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc's quarterly net income doubled from a year ago and beat Wall Street targets, though much of the gain was related to the sale of European DVD rental assets, confusing some investors.
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States faced increasing inflationary pressures in recent weeks amid slowing economic growth, the Federal Reserve said on Wednesday, as it described conditions in some areas as "grim," "morose" or "bleak."
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The House of Representatives passed a massive housing rescue bill on Wednesday while the White House dropped a threat to veto it, paving the way for measures aimed at shoring up the worst U.S. housing market since the Great Depressi
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NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York Times Co reported
lower quarterly profit and revenue on Wednesday as newspaper
advertising revenue fell nearly 12 percent.
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NEW YORK (Reuters) - Top phone company AT&T Inc posted on Wednesday a higher quarterly profit as stronger-than-expected growth in wireless subscribers compensated for shrinking traditional landlines.
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LONDON (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline's new chief executive set out plans to make the world's second largest drugmaker a broader business with lower costs, but kept a cautious view on short-term prospects that knocked its shares.
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