AP Breaking News
The latest breaking business, global, and technology news from the Associated Press
Martin Marietta CEO to retire next year
November 12, 2009, 1:28PM ET
Construction materials maker Martin Marietta Materials Inc. said Thursday that C. Howard Nye will take over as CEO on Jan. 1 ahead of Stephen P. Zelnak Jr.'s retirement in the middle of 2010.
Jobless claims fall, but hiring gains seem far off
November 12, 2009, 1:25PM ET
Fewer people are claiming unemployment benefits -- but still too many to signal that the economy is close to gaining jobs.
Dow Chemical to divest more assets in 2010
November 12, 2009, 1:23PM ET
Dow Chemical Co. said Thursday it plans to sell more assets in 2010 as it continues to work toward paying off debt from its $16.5 billion acquisition of Rohm and Haas in April.
XStream Systems plans IPO of up to 2.5M shares
November 12, 2009, 1:23PM ET
XStream Systems Inc. plans to offer 2.5 million shares in an initial public offering, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing Thursday.
United Technologies to buy GE's security business
November 12, 2009, 1:22PM ET
United Technologies Corp. said Thursday it will buy General Electric Co.'s fire detection and electronic security business for $1.82 billion in a deal to expand its similar operations in North America.
Continental Airlines to issue $644M in notes
November 12, 2009, 1:17PM ET
Continental Airlines Inc. said Thursday it will issue $644 million in equipment notes to finance 19 Boeing aircraft.
Churchill seeks bigger slice of online betting
November 12, 2009, 1:12PM ET
Churchill Downs Inc., which counts the Kentucky Derby in its stable of businesses, staked out a bigger share of the Internet wagering sector with its deal to buy online rival Youbet.com.
Latin America eyes economic rebound, officials say
November 12, 2009, 1:08PM ET
Latin America, led by Brazil and Mexico, is poised to rebound next year from recession thanks to improving export demand and higher prices for commodities such as oil and copper, regional economic officials said Thursday.
UN food summit to back new strategy against hunger
November 12, 2009, 1:05PM ET
A draft declaration for next week's U.N. food summit would commit world leaders to a new hunger-fighting strategy by pledging to increase agricultural development aid to help the world's 1 billion hungry people feed themselves.
Obama faces daunting challenges in Far East tour
November 12, 2009, 1:00PM ET
Facing a daunting array of Asian challenges, President Barack Obama left Thursday on his first major trip to the region, where a surging China and newly assertive Japan are chipping away at America's standing on diplomacy and trade.
Coca-Cola to invest $5.8B in Brazil through 2014
November 12, 2009, 12:58PM ET
Coca-Cola Co. said Thursday it is investing $5.8 billion in Brazil in the next five years, a steep increase from its current investment in Latin America's biggest economy.
Porsche: pretax loss euro4.4 bn in past fiscal year
November 12, 2009, 12:53PM ET
Porsche Automobil Holding SE said Thursday that it had a pretax loss of euro4.4 billion ($6.6 billion) in the past financial year, a result dragged down by costs related to its attempted takeover of Volkswagen AG.
Top cable programs for Nov. 2-8
November 12, 2009, 12:51PM ET
1. NFL Football: Atlanta vs. New Orleans (Monday, 8:30 p.m.), ESPN, 8.8 million homes, 12.37 million viewers.
Cost cuts, exclusive brands drive Kohl's 3Q profit
November 12, 2009, 12:50PM ET
Kohl's said it is set to battle it out for market share during the upcoming holiday season, as it reported Thursday that consumers responded to its exclusive brands and moderate prices and sent profit up 21 percent in the third quarter.
Syngenta acquires 2 seed companies in California
November 12, 2009, 12:47PM ET
Swiss agrochemicals company Syngenta AG said Thursday it has acquired two lettuce seed companies based in California.
Dollar edges up but developing nations still worry
November 12, 2009, 12:46PM ET
The dollar edged up Thursday, breaking a decline that's caused developing countries to worry that the sinking U.S. currency is making their exports expensive and threatening their fledgling economic recoveries.
Boeing expected to dump its stake in Sea Launch
November 12, 2009, 12:38PM ET
The president of Sea Launch Co. says he expects Boeing to drop all or most of its ownership of the satellite-launching business.
Fed: banks need customer consent on overdraft fees
November 12, 2009, 12:34PM ET
Banks will have to secure their customers' consent before charging large overdraft fees on ATM and debit card transactions, according to a new rule announced Thursday by the Federal Reserve.
FBI: Fla. lawyer's alleged fraud over $1 billion
November 12, 2009, 12:33PM ET
The suspected Ponzi scheme run by a high-profile South Florida lawyer is likely to exceed $1 billion and involved thousands of investors in the U.S. and abroad, a top FBI official said Thursday.
US adult smoking rate rises slightly
November 12, 2009, 12:31PM ET
Cigarette smoking rose slightly for the first time in almost 15 years, dashing health officials' hopes that the U.S. smoking rate had moved permanently below 20 percent.
