Business News

WASHINGTON - Consumers' spending and income showed bigger-than-expected gains in February, and construction posted the first increase in nearly a year, hopeful signs that the economic slowdown will not worsen.

US and European government bonds benefited from a brief surge of safe haven buying on Friday, as the prospect of growing tension in the Middle East offset stronger than expected data on the US economy.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A raft of stronger-than-expected U.S. economic reports on Friday, including data on personal income, inflation and manufacturing, buttressed the view that the economy was on solid footing and interest rates were unlikely to fall any time soon.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Consumer sentiment slid in March to its lowest in six months as worries about rising prices and slowing income gains weighed amid an uncertain economic outlook, a survey showed on Friday.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US economy expanded at a 2.5 percent annualized pace in the fourth quarter of 2006, a bit faster than earlier estimates, revised data showed Thursday.

Stocks finished a volatile session mixed on Friday as investors remained nervous about rising inflation and dollar weakness. They also gleaned some hope from data showing resilient consumer spending and steady economic growth. The Dow Jones industrials finished the session 5 points higher, but closed the first quarter down about 108 points.

NEW YORK - Stocks rose, dropped and then recovered Friday — just as they did over the course of the first quarter, as Wall Street showed nervousness about rising inflation and dollar weakness but took solace in resilient consumer spending and slow economic growth.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks ended the last session of a turbulent quarter little changed on Friday as word the United States had imposed duties on some Chinese imports offset strong economic news and a pullback in oil prices.

World stock markets retreated this week against a backdrop of rising oil prices and fresh uncertainty about the outlook for US growth, inflation and interest rates.

The FTSE 100 retreated by the close of trade on Friday, dragged lower by weakness in market heavyweight Vodafone and amid concerns over mounting tensions between Britain and Iran.

CarMax managed to grow its profits during recent months, but disappointed investors sold the used car retailer s stock on Mar. 29 nonetheless.

DETROIT (Reuters) - CarMax Inc. , the largest retailer of used cars in the United States, posted a 15 percent rise in quarterly earnings on Thursday, but missed estimates, sending shares lower by 8 percent.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Discount retailer Family Dollar Stores Inc. posted higher quarterly profit on Thursday, helped by a 12 percent rise in sales, and year-ago results that were hurt by a charge.

London equities started higher on Thursday, shrugging off a weak performance on Wall Street overnight, as Alliance Boots was boosted by bid rumours and DSG International was shaken by news of fraudulent activity.

MONTREAL (Reuters) - Bombardier Inc. (BBDb.TO) reported a 30 percent higher quarterly profit on Wednesday as a robust business jet market offset weaker regional aircraft sales and its rail-making unit rebounded with record revenues.

DETROIT - Coming soon to a minivan near you: Satellite television. DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group on Thursday announced limited satellite TV service for its 2008 Dodge and Chrysler minivans and several other models, continuing its plan to turn the family cruiser into a living room on wheels.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. will launch its backseat television service exclusively in several DaimlerChrysler cars and minivans later this year, the companies said on Thursday.

WASHINGTON - Federal testing of recalled pet foods turned up a chemical used to make plastics but failed to confirm the presence of a cancer drug also used as rat poison. The recall expanded Friday to include the first dry pet food.

GENEVA (AFP) - Swiss pharmaceutical group Novartis announced Friday that it was reviewing its financial outlook for 2007 after US sales of a key drug were suspended owing to health concerns.

San Francisco (IDGNS) - A judge has approved U.S. Department of Justice conditions attached to two major telecommunication mergers that closed in late 2005 and early 2006.

There s been a widespread belief that in the face of the housing meltdown, businesses would help to provide a stable foundation for the U.S. economy. First of all, companies have continued to hire workers. Secondly, many economists, including Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, expect investment spending to pick back up this year.

CarMax managed to grow its profits during recent months, but disappointed investors sold the used car retailer s stock on Mar. 29 nonetheless.

Movado Group managed to push ahead with sales and profit growth during recent months. But the company s shares fell on Mar. 29 after the Paramus (N.J.) watchmaker s forecast for this year disappointed investor hopes.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Investors are looking ahead to the coming week's economic data for signs that the U.S. economy is still on track to grow at a moderate pace.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - In the latest test of IPO investors' appetite for risk, wireless networking start-up Aruba Networks Inc. is set to float its shares this week, another in a raft of risky technology investments to go public this year.

BOSTON (Reuters) - Shares of cancer vaccine makers soared on Friday after an advisory panel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended approval of a product made by Dendreon Corp.

NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - Private equity firms Bain Capital and Blackstone Group are among the bidders for Ceridian Corp. , sources familiar with the matter said on Friday, raising the chances that the entire business services company will be sold.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A raft of stronger-than-expected U.S. economic reports on Friday, including data on personal income, inflation and manufacturing, buttressed the view that the economy was on solid footing and interest rates were unlikely to fall any time soon.

WASHINGTON - Troubles plaguing lenders and borrowers with risky mortgages may challenge the notion that widespread access to credit is always a good thing, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke suggested Friday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. law that requires banks to serve the less affluent has widened access to credit and helped increase home ownership, but needs to evolve to address the rise in nonbank lenders, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Friday.