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…

Buybacks are a big factor behind stock market boom

By BERNARD CONDON

It's the narcissist rally.

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…

Stocks rise on hopeful signs for the US economy

By STEVE ROTHWELL

Encouraging news about the U.S. economy extended the stock market's rally Friday.

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…

Futures rebound ahead of Conference Board report

The Associated Press

U.S. stock futures are rising with markets headed for a positive week overall, as investors shrug off some unsettling reports from retailers t…

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 …

A late fade on Wall Street; Wal-Mart, Disney slump

By STEVE ROTHWELL

Weak sales from Wal-Mart and discouraging economic reports resulted in a down day on the stock market.

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…

Trade group slams safety pact for Bangladesh

By ANNE D'INNOCENZIO

The largest U.S. retail-industry group on Wednesday criticized an international pact aimed at improving factory conditions in Bangladesh's gar…

JPMorgan asks Bloomberg for privacy breach data

By RYAN NAKASHIMA

Lawyers for JPMorgan Chase & Co. are asking financial news and data company Bloomberg LP to turn over any records it has of reporters look…

US wholesale prices fall 0.7 pct., most in 3 years

By CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER

Sharp drops in fuel and food costs reduced a measure of U.S. wholesale prices in April by the most in three years. Outside those volatile cate…

Retiring boomers driving sales of small businesses

By JOYCE M. ROSENBERG

Baby boomers preparing for retirement are driving a surge in small business sales, as they find more and more buyers confident enough in the i…

Foreign holdings of US Treasury debt up in March

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER

Foreign demand for U.S. Treasury securities rose to a record level in March, signaling further confidence in U.S. debt.

Stock indexes recover from a morning slide

By DANIEL WAGNER

Stock prices are shaking off a morning slump and turning higher in midday trading on Wall Street.

US factory output falls 0.4 percent in April

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER

U.S. manufacturers cut back on production in April, as auto companies cranked out fewer cars, factories made fewer consumer goods and most oth…

US homebuilder confidence rises in May from April

By ALEX VEIGA

Confidence among U.S. homebuilders rebounded this month, reflecting improved sales trends during the spring home-selling season and the strong…

Macy's 1Q profit rises 20 pct on solid sales

By ANNE D'INNOCENZIO

Macy's Inc. reported a 20 percent increase in first-quarter profit even though cool temperatures and economic worries dampened some of its sho…

US boom transforming global oil trade

By JONATHAN FAHEY

The surge in oil production in the U.S. and Canada and shrinking oil consumption in the developed world is transforming the global oil market.

Dell raises intrigue by rescheduling 1Q report

Struggling personal computer maker Dell will report its latest quarterly earnings ahead of schedule in a move likely to spur speculation that …

US stocks edge higher in early trading

By STEVE ROTHWELL

Stocks edged higher in early trading on Wall Street, led by gains for financial companies, putting markets back at record levels.

Benetton agrees to sign Bangladesh safety pact

By ANNE D'INNOCENZIO

Benetton has become the latest global retailer to agree to sign a one-of-a-kind pact to improve safety at Bangladesh factories following a bui…

Feds probe 3 Chrysler models for engine stalling

By TOM KRISHER

U.S. auto safety regulators are investigating complaints that the engines can stall without warning in three Chrysler and Dodge brand cars.

Airbus sales drive Q1 profits at parent company

European aerospace company EADS said strong deliveries by airplane maker Airbus helped drive higher earnings in the first quarter and laid out…

Nissan chief welcomes yen fall for luxury brand

By YURI KAGEYAMA

Nissan Motor Co. President Carlos Ghosn welcomed the yen's recent decline to what he called "neutral" levels for the Japanese automaker's prof…

Higher prices for MS drug help drug firm Merck

Higher prices for its multiple sclerosis treatment helped German pharmaceutical company Merck KGaA post a 54 percent rise in first-quarter net…

US retail sales rise in April on cars, clothing

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER

Lower-priced gas allowed Americans to step up their spending at retailers in April, from cars and clothes to electronics and appliances. The r…

Elan enters $1B royalty deal with Theravance

By The Associated Press

Irish drugmaker Elan Corp. PLC plans to pay $1 billion for the right to future royalties from four respiratory treatments being developed by T…

Huge drug cost disparities seen in health overhaul

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR

Cancer patients could face high costs for medications under President Barack Obama's health care law, industry analysts and advocates warn.

US business stockpiles flat in March, sales fall

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER

U.S. businesses left their stockpiles unchanged in March for a second straight month while their sales fell sharply.

German finance minister suggests 2-step bank union

Europe shouldn't rush to establish a central authority to wind up failing banks, but should rely at first on cooperation between national agen…

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