Investors had hoped that the biggest U.S. banks would boost dividend payments substantially in 2015, but recent events including slumping oil prices will make it harder for banks to pay out more.
North America
PetSmart discloses talks with rival before sale to BC Partners
Pet supply retailer PetSmart Inc (PETM.O) disclosed on Tuesday it was in talks to acquire or merge with a privately held rival, but ended talks over competition and antitrust concerns.
Tesla to hike electric car output to 'a few million' by 2025
Tesla Motors Inc (TSLA.O) plans to boost production of electric cars to "at least a few million a year" by 2025 from fewer than 40,000 last year, Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said Tuesday.
Roche seals licensing deal for antibiotic-boosting drug to battle superbugs
Roche has boosted its efforts to tackle antibiotic resistance, striking a deal worth up to $750 million with Japan's Meiji Seika Pharma and Canada's Fedora for a drug that can restore the power of antibiotics to combat infections.
U.S. small business confidence at eight-year high; job openings rise
U.S. small business optimism jumped in December to its highest level in more than eight years, the latest sign of strength in the economy even as dark clouds settle over global growth.
Latest News
United Airlines is assessing whether to outsource jobs at airports around the country in a cost-cutting effort that could impact some 2,000 workers.
The Twitter and YouTube accounts for the U.S. military command that oversees operations in the Middle East were hacked on Monday by people claiming to be sympathetic toward the Islamic State militant group being targeted in American bombing raids.
North Dakota oil producer Oasis Petroleum welcomes having hedge fund SPO Partners & Co as its largest shareholder, Chief Executive Tommy Nusz said in an interview on Monday, commenting on a fund that has been a shareholder since Oasis went public in 2010.
Microsoft Corp has complained publicly about tech rival Google Inc revealing a security flaw in its Windows 8.1 system just days before Microsoft was scheduled to roll out a fix for the problem, potentially exposing users to hacking.
The chief executive of Smith & Nephew, the medical device maker that has been the subject of persistent takeover rumors, on Monday said mergers designed to gain size do not change market share dynamics in the hip and knee replacement business.
Lululemon Athletica Inc (LULU.O) issued a robust forecast for the current quarter on Monday that topped market expectations and lifted its shares as strong holiday sales signaled the Canadian yogawear maker's comeback efforts may be paying off.
Oil fell 5 percent to its lowest in nearly six years on Monday, extending the second-deepest rout on record, after Goldman Sachs warned that prices would fall further and Gulf oil producers showed no sign of cutting output.
The Federal Reserve should stop talking about the need for a "patient" interest rate policy just before it thinks it will begin hiking rates, a top Fed policymaker said on Monday.
Volkswagen's latest push to become more than just a niche player in the United States builds on a truism the German carmaker has long ignored: tune in to U.S. customers.
