More Breaking News
Lockheed F-35 at Risk of Missing Goals, GAO Says (Update1) Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-35 jet
fighter, its largest program, faces “substantial risk” of not
delivering “the expected number of aircraft and required
capabilities on time,” congressional auditors said today.
Rattner Said to Be in Talks With Cuomo to Settle Pension Probe Steven Rattner, co-founder of the
Quadrangle Group LLC, has been in discussions with New York
Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to resolve the investigation into
his role in the state pension fund corruption probe, according
to a person familiar with the inquiry.
Ex-Cazenove Partner Gets 21 Months in Jail for Insider Trading A former partner at JPMorgan Chase &
Co.’s Cazenove unit was today sentenced to 21 months in prison
for insider trading in London.
EMI Chief Has to Raise Money in ‘Make or Break’ Dash (Update1) Charles Allen, the new executive
chairman of EMI Music, needs to raise money in a “make or
break” dash, while stroking artists’ egos to prevent the loss-
making music company from being taken over.
Magnitude 7.2 Earthquake Hits Chile, Buildings Shake A preliminary magnitude 7.2
earthquake has hit Libertador O’Higgins, Chile, 92 miles
southwest of Satiago, the U.S. Geological Survey reported
on its Web site.
Sensata IPO Raises $569 Million at Low End of Range (Update1) Bain Capital LLC’s Sensata
Technologies Holding NV sold $569 million of shares at the low
end of its price range in the biggest U.S. initial public
offering this year.
Nomura Taps Puritz of Deutsche Bank for Convertibles (Update1) Nomura Holdings Inc., Japan’s
biggest brokerage, hired David Puritz, head of U.S. convertible
bond trading at Deutsche Bank AG, to run the business in New
York, two people familiar with the situation said.
Chavez ‘Crosshairs’ No Challenge to Mendoza’s Fortune (Update1) Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’s
“21st Century Socialism” is failing to rein in billionaire
Lorenzo Mendoza.
Ex-Cazenove Partner Gets 21 Months in Jail for Insider Trading A former partner at JPMorgan Chase &
Co.’s Cazenove unit was sentenced to 21 months in prison for
insider trading today in London.
Biden Says East Jerusalem Delay Will Give Talks Time (Update1) Vice President Joe Biden welcomed
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s expression of regret
that an east Jerusalem housing project was announced during his
visit and expressed hope that indirect peace talks will proceed.
Scotiabank Partner Thanachart to Buy Siam City Bank (Update3) Thanachart Bank Pcl, a Thai lender
partly owned by Canada’s Bank of Nova Scotia, will pay about
C$2.2 billion ($2.14 billion) for Siam City Bank Pcl in a two-
step purchase to become Thailand’s fifth-biggest bank.
CBOE Files to Raise as Much as $300 Million in IPO (Update1) The Chicago Board Options Exchange,
the last major member-owned U.S. bourse, filed to sell up to
$300 million in stock in an initial public offering.
Magnitude 7.2 Earthquake at Libertador O’Higgins, Chile: USGS A preliminary magnitude 7.2
earthquake has hit Libertador O’Higgins, Chile, the U.S.
Geological Survey reported on its Web site.
Senate’s Dodd Plans to Release Financial Overhaul Bill Senate Banking Committee Chairman
Christopher Dodd said he will release his financial overhaul
legislation next week while talks on an agreement continue.
Slim Passes Gates, Buffett to Become Forbes Richest (Update1) Mexico’s Carlos Slim beat Bill
Gates and Warren Buffett for the top spot on Forbes magazine’s
annual list of billionaires, becoming the first person from
outside the U.S. to lead the rankings in 16 years.
Fiat May Need to Convince on Chrysler Before Auto IPO (Update2) Fiat SpA, the Italian carmaker that
helped Chrysler Group LLC emerge from bankruptcy, may wait to
turn around the U.S. business before deciding on a share sale
or spinoff for its automotive division.
Treasury Yield Curve Near Record Before $13 Billion Bond Sale The difference in yields between 2-
and 30-year Treasuries was near the highest on record as the
U.S. prepares to sell $13 billion of bonds amid signs the global
recovery is gaining momentum.
Bratz Doll Maker MGA Entertainment Will Consider IPO, CEO Says MGA Entertainment Inc., the maker
of the Bratz doll, will consider selling shares in an initial
public offering, Chief Executive Officer Isaac Larian said.
Democrats Find No Haven in Job Growth in Districts (Update1) On the eve of the anniversary of
President Barack Obama’s economic stimulus plan last month,
Republicans targeted Democrat Betsy Markey’s Colorado district
with a mailing citing the “painfully high unemployment rate.”
OTC Swaps Clearing Must Be Open to All Firms, Gensler Says Clearinghouses for swaps
transactions should be open to any firm that wants to process
trades in the $300 trillion U.S. market, according to Commodity
Futures Trading Commission Chairman Gary Gensler.
Obama’s Trade Goal Fights His Clean-Energy Plan (Update2) President Barack Obama’s goals of
boosting U.S. exports and combating climate change are colliding
as the U.S. Export-Import Bank expands financing for oil, gas,
mining and power-plant projects.
BofA ‘Comfortable’ Bank Can Absorb Home-Equity Losses (Update1) Bank of America Corp. Chief
Executive Officer Brian Moynihan said the lender, the biggest in
the U.S., can absorb losses on its $149 billion home-equity loan
portfolio even after the four-year slump in housing prices.
Trade Gap in U.S. Unexpectedly Shrinks as Imports Drop (Update2) The trade deficit in the U.S.
unexpectedly narrowed in January as demand for foreign oil and
automobiles dropped.
Jobless Claims in U.S. Declined Last Week to 462,000 (Update1) The number of Americans filing
first-time claims for jobless benefits fell for a second week to
a level that indicates companies are nearing the end of payroll
reductions as the economy recovers.
Billionaire Owner Gets EU230 Million From Hunter Douglas Payout Dutch billionaire Ralph Sonnenberg,
the majority shareholder of Hunter Douglas NV, stands to reap
230 million euros ($314 million) after the world’s biggest maker
of window blinds announced a special dividend.
U.S. Stock Futures Decline Amid Concern China Will Raise Rates U.S. stock futures fell, indicating
the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index will pare this week’s rally, as
higher-than-estimated inflation in China spurred speculation the
nation will be forced to raise interest rates.
Trade Gap in U.S. Unexpectedly Falls as Oil, Auto Imports Drop The trade deficit in the U.S.
unexpectedly narrowed in January as demand for foreign oil and
automobiles dropped.
SNB Keeps Rate Near Zero, Reiterates Stance on Franc (Update1) The Swiss central bank left its
benchmark interest rate near zero and reiterated its readiness
to sell the franc if needed to keep a lid on the currency.
Pink Floyd Contract Applies to Digital Sales, U.K. Court Rules EMI Group Ltd. should only sell the
music of Pink Floyd, the band that recorded the best-selling
album “The Dark Side of the Moon,” in full album format and
can’t sell single songs online, a London judge ruled today.
Alrosa to Sign $490 Million Diamond Deals on Putin India Trip ZAO Alrosa, the world’s largest
diamond company, will sign contracts to supply $490 million of
the stones to India in the next three years as it seeks to
double sales to the country.
HSBC Private Bank Reports Theft of 15,000 Accounts (Update1) HSBC Holdings Plc’s Swiss private
bank said a former employee stole details on 15,000 existing
accounts, as banking secrecy comes under growing pressure from
nations keen to crack down on tax evasion.
Greeks Strike Over Budget Cuts, Bonds, Stocks Decline (Update1) Greek hospitals, airports and
schools were shut and police scuffled with protesters as unions
staged the second general strike this year against government
budget cuts to curb the European Union’s biggest deficit.
British Airways Closer to Strike as Union Talks Fail (Update1) British Airways Plc’s 12,000 flight
attendants moved closer to a strike after talks with Europe’s
third-largest airline over pay cuts broke down.
Solar Prospectors Chase Italian, Israeli ‘Gold Mines’ (Update2) Olivier de Vergnies quit managing
family fortunes at Dexia Private Bank (Switzerland) Ltd. in 2008
to run a New York start-up at 100 Wall St. that’s trying to tap
riches in solar energy.
Brown Tries to Turn Double-Dip U.K. Threat to Benefit (Update2) Gordon Brown is trying to turn the
threat of a double-dip U.K. recession into an advantage.
Yanukovych Gets Old Ally Azarov as Premier in New Coalition Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych
secured a Cabinet led by an old ally who’ll seek to use a new
majority in parliament to pass this year’s budget and unfreeze a
$16.4 billion rescue loan.
Shun Spain on ‘Death by 1,000 Cuts,’ Merrill Says (Update1) Investors should avoid Spain’s
bonds as the euro region’s highest levels of joblessness stifle
the country’s ability to cut its budget deficit, according to
Invesco Ltd. and Bank of America Corp.’s Merrill Lynch unit.
Israel Plans First Bond Sale in Euros in Five Years (Update2) Israel is selling its first bonds
in euros in almost five years as the country seeks to diversify
its sources of funding.
Feldstein Says Euro’s Fall Due to ‘Panic’ Over Greece (Update1) Harvard University Professor Martin
Feldstein said the euro’s 4.6 percent decline against the dollar
this year has been “panic selling” stemming from the financial
crisis in Greece.
Bond Spreads at Narrowest This Year Lure GMAC: Credit Markets Corporate bond yields fell to the
lowest this year relative to benchmark government securities,
luring GMAC Inc. to sell its longest-maturity notes since 2004.