Japan's trade deficit hits $8.6B due to weaker yen

By ELAINE KURTENBACH

Japan's trade deficit widened to a larger-than-expected 879.9 billion yen ($8.6 billion) in April as its weakening currency accentuated surgin…

JPMorgan's Dimon survives shareholder referendum

By CHRISTINA REXRODE

Jamie Dimon, the CEO and chairman of JPMorgan Chase, easily survived a vote Tuesday that would have called on him to give up his role as chair…

Best Buy reports 1Q loss on restructuring costs

Best Buy Co. on Tuesday reported a loss for its fiscal first quarter as it sold its stake in Best Buy Europe and works on a turnaround plan th…

Stocks gain on reassurance from a top Fed official

By MATTHEW CRAFT

Reassuring comments from a Federal Reserve official and better earnings from two big retailers helped push the stock market higher Tuesday.

Stock indexes close higher on hopes for Fed

By STEVE ROTHWELL

Stocks are closing higher on Wall Street as investors bank on continued support from the Federal Reserve.

Does France have right plan to revive its economy?

By SARAH DiLORENZO

The man charged with reviving France's shrinking economy and attracting businesses to invest here is gaining a reputation for doing the opposite.

Indexes edge higher on Wall Street in midday trade

By DANIEL WAGNER

Stock indexes are edging higher in midday trading on Wall Street as investors look ahead to the Federal Reserve's next moves.

Lew: IRS actions "unacceptable and inexcusable"

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER

Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew says the Internal Revenue Service's targeting of conservative political groups was "unacceptable and inexcusable"…

Indexes edge higher on Wall Street in early trade

By The Associated Press

Stock indexes are edging higher in early trading on Wall Street as investors look ahead to the Federal Reserve's next moves.

German central bank: Economy to improve 'markedly'

By DAVID McHUGH

Germany's central bank expects the country's economy to improve "markedly" in the second quarter _ a development that could boost the wider eu…

Futures fall as markets await hints from Fed

The Associated Press

U.S. stock futures are down in light trading ahead of an appearance this week by Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke before Congress.

Vodafone annual profits up 1.9 percent

U.K.-based mobile telecoms company Vodafone has reported a 1.9 increase in annual profits despite a slowdown in much of its European operations.

Housing recovery boosts Home Depot 1Q results

Even though the weather was poor, Home Depot posted an 18 percent increase in its net income for the first quarter thanks to the ongoing housi…

Average credit card debt, late payments fall in 1Q

By ALEX VEIGA

Americans got better about paying their credit card debt on time in the first three months of the year, a period when many borrowers use incom…

British inflation eases by more than expected

By DANICA KIRKA

Official figures show that consumer price inflation in Britain eased in April, largely on the back of lower fuel prices and airfares.

Lew taps government retiree pension fund

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER

Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew said late Monday he will begin tapping into two government employee retirement funds to buy more time before the …

Actavis buying Warner Chilcott in $8.5B deal

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN and TOM MURPHY

Actavis is buying Warner Chilcott in an all-stock deal valued at about $8.5 billion that would create the third-biggest specialty pharmaceutic…

United restarts 787 flights after grounding

By JOSHUA FREED

United Airlines is again flying the 787, four months after smoldering batteries forced the plane to be grounded worldwide.

Special K churns out products in brand evolution

By CANDICE CHOI

Special K was once just a line of cereals. Today, it's a diet food empire.

Warren Buffett meets with young entrepreneurs

Billionaire Warren Buffett is spending his day listening to business pitches from a select group of kids, but the ideas aren't likely to gener…

Chesapeake names Anadarko executive as new CEO

Chesapeake Energy has named Anadarko Petroleum executive Robert Douglas Lawler as its new CEO.

Economists predict increase in consumer spending

Consumer spending is likely to pick up this year, while government spending declines at a faster rate, according to a survey of business economists.

Ryanair keeps growing, reports record profits

By SHAWN POGATCHNIK

Ryanair reported record profits Monday as Europe's largest budget airline relentlessly expanded its route network across the continent and int…

Consumer group flags high SPF ratings on sunscreen

By MATTHEW PERRONE

Sunbathers headed to the beach this summer will find new sunscreen labels on store shelves that are designed to make the products more effecti…

Buybacks are a big factor behind stock market boom

By BERNARD CONDON

It's the narcissist rally.

Caribbean talks conservation on Branson's island

By JASON SMITH and DAVID McFADDEN

Surrounded by a turquoise sea and a menagerie of exotic animals on a billionaire's private island, political and business leaders gathered Fri…

NIPSCO employees teach Hammond kids about financial literacy, more

Anna Ortiz anna.ortiz@nwi.com

HAMMOND | NIPSCO employee volunteers visited three Hammond schools Friday to teach students about financial literacy, entrepreneurship and eco…

Energy Dept. backs Texas LNG export plan

By MATTHEW DALY

The Energy Department on Friday conditionally approved a Texas company's proposal to export liquefied natural gas, only the second such projec…

GM stock rises above $33 for first time in 2 years

By TOM KRISHER

Shares of General Motors reached an important milestone on Friday, closing above their initial public offering price of $33 for the first time…

Mexico cuts growth outlet from 3.5 to 3.1 percent

The Mexican government says it has cut its economic growth forecast for 2013 from 3.5 percent to 3.1 after exports stagnated and first-quarter…

Retirement tests if Beckham built lasting brand

By LORI HINNANT

David Beckham's pecs are at least as much a part of his brand as his kick; his brand of shoes ultimately more lucrative than the game he's giv…

Unemployment falls in 40 US states, rises in 3

By CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER

Solid hiring helped lower unemployment rates in 40 U.S. states last month, the most since November. The declines show the job market is improv…

Falling yen to make Japan's goods more affordable

By The Associated Press

Attention, bargain-hunters around the world: Japanese goods _ from cars to televisions _ are going on sale.

Bloomberg appoints ex-IBM CEO as privacy adviser

Bloomberg LP, the financial news and information service, on Friday said it has appointed Samuel Palmisano, the former CEO of IBM, as an indep…

Gauge of US economy's future health up in April

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER

A measure of the U.S. economy's future health rose solidly in April, buoyed by a sharp rise in applications to build homes and a better job market.

Tableau Software soars in trading debut

Tableau Software shares soared in their trading debut Friday after the company and some of its investors raised about $254.2 million in its in…

IMF says Cyprus at risk of even deeper recession

By MARJORIE OLSTER

The International Monetary Fund said Friday that substantial risks still loom for the Cypriot economy even after a multi-billion dollar intern…

European car sales up for first time since 2011

By COLLEEN BARRY

The European auto industry may be showing the first signs of a slowdown in its sales free-fall, according to data from the European automaker'…

Wal-Mart's 1Q profit, sales disappoint

By ANNE D'INNOCENZIO

The first few months of the year were tough for Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

J.C. Penney posts bigger 1Q loss than expected

By ANNE D'INNOCENZIO

The legacy of J.C. Penney's former CEO is being felt at the department-store chain.

Centier Bank regional vice president named Volunteer of the Year

Anna Ortiz anna.ortiz@nwi.com

GRIFFITH | The Lake Area United Way named Jeremy Miller, Centier Bank regional vice president, its 2012 Volunteer of the Year on Thursday.

CFTC adopts weakened rule on derivatives trading

By MARCY GORDON

A rule intended to loosen the largest U.S. banks' control over the trading of complex investments and help safeguard the financial system was …

Senate panel considers labor board nominees

By SAM HANANEL

Senate Republicans said Thursday they would not support five nominees to the National Labor Relations Board, raising the possibility the troub…

Airlines losses narrowed in 1Q to $552 million

By SCOTT MAYEROWITZ

U.S. airlines charged more in fares and fees and reduced debt as they improved their financial performance in the first quarter.

Merkel, Hollande at odds over path to growth

By GEIR MOULSON

Germany and France recognize that their cooperation is key to overcoming Europe's persistent economic crisis, but comments Thursday by the lea…

US rate on 30-year mortgage rises to 3.51 pct.

Average U.S. rates on fixed mortgages rose this week but stayed near their historic lows. Cheaper mortgages have helped the economy by spurrin…

Only 2 of 13 small SUVs do well in crash tests

By TOM KRISHER

Only two of 13 small SUVs performed well in front-end crash tests done by an insurance industry group. Several popular models fared poorly.

US housing starts fell in April but permits surged

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER

U.S. builders broke ground on fewer homes in April, one month after topping the 1 million mark for the first time since 2008. But most of the …

US consumer prices fall 0.4 pct. on cheaper gas

By CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER

A plunge in the cost of gas drove down a measure of U.S. consumer prices last month by the most since December 2008. Excluding the drop in fue…

US jobless claims jump to highest level in 6 weeks

By CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER

The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits rose 32,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 360,000, the most since late March. The j…

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