Investors hope the lower gasoline cost is putting more money in consumers' wallets for spending on apparel and other retail goods. The next two weeks will indicate whether that's happening.
Regions
China to allow online sales of prescription drugs as early as this month: sources
China will allow online sales of prescription drugs as early as this month, a policy that will open up an over 1 trillion yuan ($161 billion) market to online pharmacy operators like Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
Keystone clears hurdles, stage set for Washington showdown
The Keystone XL oil pipeline cleared two hurdles on Friday, setting up a showdown between Congress and President Barack Obama who has raised new questions about the project after more than six years of review.
Citigroup makes last-minute cut in year-end bonuses for traders
Citigroup Inc (C.N) this week cut its bonus pool for fixed-income and equity market traders after market revenues plunged during the last two weeks of the year, according to a person familiar with the matter.
20 states join U.S. antitrust probe of Family Dollar merger
Some 20 state attorneys general have joined the federal antitrust investigation of competing bids by Dollar General Corp (DG.N) and Dollar Tree Inc (DLTR.O) to buy Family Dollar Stores Inc (FDO.N), a development that potentially complicates the companies' efforts to win U.S. approval for a deal.
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Daimler (DAIGn.DE), maker of Mercedes-Benz and Smart-branded cars, said deliveries rose 11.4 percent in 2014, to a record 1,739,854 cars, thanks to a 30 percent sales jump in China and 25 percent higher registrations of Mercedes compact cars.
Starbucks Corp on Thursday said Chief Operating Officer Troy Alstead, who as finance chief helped lead the coffee chain's extensive restructuring a few years ago, is taking an extended unpaid leave to spend more time with his family.
Tripadvisor (TRIP.O) has agreed to acquire top Dutch online restaurant review and booking sites Iens, the companies said on Thursday, giving the travel website a leading position in the Netherlands.
Sony Corp will delay sales of the PlayStation 4 gaming console in China, originally scheduled for Jan. 11, due to "various factors", the company said in a statement on Thursday.
Activist-investor Starboard Value LP has reiterated that Yahoo Inc (YHOO.O) should consider a merger with AOL Inc (AOL.N) and cut costs to improve profits, spurred by media reports that Yahoo is exploring other large-scale acquisitions.
Google Inc (GOOGL.O) may be moving into the U.S. auto insurance market with a shopping site for people to compare and buy policies, an analyst said on Thursday, as it continues to shift its attention to the automotive industry.
China's transport ministry has banned taxi hailing apps such as Uber Technologies Inc and local rivals Kuaidi Dache and Didi Dache from using cars and drivers without taxi licenses in a bid to regulate the rapidly growing sector.
Apple Inc won the dismissal on Thursday of a lawsuit accusing it of defrauding consumers by selling MacBook laptop computers that contained "logic boards" it knew were defective, and which routinely failed within two years.
China's annual consumer inflation hovered at a near five-year low of 1.5 percent in December, signaling persistent weakness in the economy but giving policymakers more room to ease policy to support growth.
