Marathon Oil sees production boost

Oil producer and refiner Marathon Oil Corp. said Thursday it expects its worldwide production to increase at least 8% in 2008, excluding sales and acquisitions.
In its annual meeting with Wall Street analysts in New York, Marathon predicted global upstream production between 380,000 to 420,000 barrels of oil equivalent this year, up from 351,000 barrels […]

New-home sales slowest in 13 years, durables down

Sales of new U.S. single-family homes fell to the slowest pace in 13 years while orders for durable goods tumbled unexpectedly last month, according to government data that added to signs the economy has stalled.
New orders for long-lasting U.S.-made manufactured goods like refrigerators unexpectedly fell 1.7 percent during February and a key gauge […]

Aloha Airlines back in bankruptcy

Aloha Airlines filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Thursday, a little more than two years after emerging from bankruptcy.
Aloha said it will continue to fly as long as a bankruptcy court accepts the airline’s financial plan to keep operating.
The airline said in its filing that it was unable to generate sufficient revenue due to […]

The dollar

The U.S. dollar has looked like a troubled celebrity lately, occupying the headlines every other day.
But the currency’s hard luck is anything but glamorous.
Don’t look to the U.S. government for help in bolstering the greenback.
Having already reached the lowest level since it began trading against the euro in 1999, […]

Wireless firms win airwaves auction

The top bidders in the recently completed airwaves auction have been announced and the nation’s top cell phone companies won big.
Top bidders named Thursday included AT&T Inc. (ATT) and Verizon Wireless (VZ, Fortune 500), the nation’s two biggest cell phone carriers, dampening hopes that the auction would dramatically increase competition.
Google Inc. (GOOG, Fortune 500) […]

Americans in sour mood over economy: Reuters poll

Americans are in a sour mood over the sagging U.S. economy, worried about their jobs and overwhelmingly of the opinion the country is on the wrong track, according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Wednesday.
The Reuters/Zogby Index, which measures the mood of the country, fell sharply to 87.7, down from 99.3 in February, putting […]

Bear

China’s Citic Securities Co. said late Sunday it can’t guarantee it will reach a final agreement to buy into U.S. investment bank Bear Stearns Cos. after Bear’s financial crisis triggered a bailout plan.
The statement coincides with Citic Securities’ latest final earnings reports showing its 2007 net profit more than quintupled from a year earlier […]

With high risk and cheap stock, will Bear be sold?

The emergency rescue of Bear Stearns Co Inc (BSC.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Friday left observers from all quarters wondering who would be the last man standing at the Wall Street bank.
When a Bear Stearns analyst moved to ask a question at a biotechnology investor meeting, Genentech Chief Executive Arthur Levinson quipped, “There’s […]

Lawmakers divided over budget

Congress is considering dueling fiscal plans for the upcoming year that illustrate the unappetizing budget choices facing the next president.
Democrats are backing a $3 trillion budget plan that would produce a balanced budget in a few years and provide generous increases for many domestic programs, but only by assuming major tax increases when President […]

Liberty CEO says he was point man in IAC talks

Liberty Media Chief Executive Greg Maffei said on Wednesday that he was the point man in talks with IAC/InterActiveCorp over disengaging the two companies despite a long-standing relationship between Liberty Chairman John Malone and IAC CEO Barry Diller.
“John Malone considered Barry Diller a friend” after a business partnership of nearly 12 years, Maffei told […]