Known for reliability, Toyota has a lineup of mundane-looking vehicles that have failed to generate excitement among buyers.

A survey finds that many consumers have grown weary of the often complicated and time-consuming process of planning and booking a trip online.

Reports on manufacturing and housing sent the S. & P. index past 1,000 for the first time since early November.

UBS, Switzerland's biggest bank, reports a loss of 1.4bn Swiss francs for the April to June quarter.

Car giant Toyota reports a loss of 77.8bn yen for the second quarter of 2009 as global car sales slumped.

Northern Rock reports a loss of £724.2m for the first six months of 2009, compared with a loss of £585.4m last year.

Reuters - Asian stocks climbed to an 11-month high on Tuesday on hopes a V-shaped recovery may be forming in the United States, while the Australian dollar hit its highest since late September after solid housing and retail sales data.

Reuters - U.S. retailers could post their 11th consecutive drop in monthly same-store sales this week as cool weather, a weak job market, and a lack of tax-free holidays had shoppers picking through the clearance racks in July instead of buying full-priced back-to-school clothes.

Reuters - UBS said it remained cautious about its prospects after client withdrawals spurred by protracted U.S. tax litigation dragged the Swiss bank into another big quarterly loss on Tuesday.

Apple wants its iPhone to be the only cellphone to link effortlessly to its service, but Palm is putting up a fight.

Casino group MGM Mirage sees second-quarter profits fall to $212.6m, as the recession hit its US gambling empire.

Uefa general secretary David Taylor says there is 'significant concern' about the financial state of some English Premier League clubs.

Twenty employees of the Thomas Cook travel agency, who had been taking part in a sit-in at its offices in Grafton Street, Dublin, have been arrested.

Reuters - Asian stocks hit an 11-month high on Tuesday before profit taking pulled them back, while the Australian dollar also pared gains after the country's central bank left interest rates unchanged but offered no clues on when tightening would begin.

Reuters - Swiss bank UBS posted another big loss in the second quarter as wealthy clients continued to take their cash elsewhere, but there were signs of improvement in its best underlying performance in two years.

Reuters - Global miner BHP Billiton Ltd/Plc has named veteran former Ford Motor Co Chief Executive Jac Nasser as its new chairman to succeed Don Argus, it said on Tuesday.

Sales remain sluggish, but the Japanese automaker trimmed its fiscal year loss forecast by about 18 percent to $4.7 billion.

Switzerland's biggest bank cited costs linked to its reorganization program and gave a bleak outlook.

The German automaker sold 18 percent fewer vehicles from April to June and said government trade-in programs were not boosting sales of luxury cars. Asia was one bright spot.

The Royal Bank of Scotland sold Asian assets to Australia and New Zealand Banking Group on Tuesday for $550 million, helping the British lender to raise cash.

Carmaker BMW says there are few signs of a long-lasting recovery as it reports a 76% drop in quarterly profits.

Optimism about the banking sector and the UK economy lifts the pound above $1.70 for the first time since October.

Eric Schmidt's resignation from Apple's board because of competing products fails to halt a government investigation.

France says its fruit and vegetable growers will have to start paying back hundreds of millions of euros in subsidies deemed illegal by the EU.

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Bookmaker William Hill says the uncertain economic times are deterring punters, particularly at weekends.

Reuters - General Motors is taking more time to negotiate with Magna (MGa.TO) and RHJ International over the planned sale of its European arm Opel, the U.S.-based company said on Tuesday.

The Japanese automaker is struggling with the aftermath of decisions to emphasize profit over quality.

The German automaker sold 18 percent fewer vehicles from April to June and said government trade-in programs were not boosting sales of luxury cars. Asia was one bright spot.

European stocks fell as mixed corporate earnings led some investors to book profits from recent market highs.

Jacques A. Nasser will succeed Don Argus as chairman at the mining company.

The agribusiness company said that its fourth-quarter results were also pressured by higher corn costs and lower average selling prices.

The drugstore operator said its second-quarter profit rose 15 percent, helped by strong pharmacy benefits revenue and a retail sales boost due to a later Easter.

Second-quarter earnings fell to $276 million as demand for power from industrial customers continued to slide amid the recession.

Standard Chartered says it will raise £1bn to take advantage of opportunities in Asia in the wake of the financial crisis

China's job outlook remains 'very grave' and could deteriorate further, despite faster economic growth, a senior official says.

Sales of white shirts have soared by 60% in 2009, says shirt retailer Charles Tyrwhitt.

The competition watchdog recommends the government establish an ombudsman to rule on any disputes on supermarkets and suppliers

Whisky producer Whyte & Mackay confirms plans to cut dozens of jobs at sites across Scotland as part of a major review.

Scottish sausage-skin maker Devro has more than doubled its profits in the first half of this year, the company announces.

Reuters - U.S. stock futures slipped on Tuesday as investors paused to gauge if the recent run-up will hold, while retreating oil prices looked set to weigh on energy shares.

Reuters - Oil fell more than $1 to below $71 per barrel on Tuesday, paring three days of gains as expectations for a rise in U.S. crude inventories offset optimism over positive U.S. and Chinese manufacturing data.

AP - CVS Caremark, one of the nation's biggest drugstore operators, said Tuesday its second-quarter profit rose 15 percent, helped by strong pharmacy benefits revenue and a retail sales boost due to a later Easter.

PepsiCo has reached a deal to buy the outstanding shares of its two main bottlers, ending a months-long standoff over price, a person briefed on the matter told DealBook.

American consumers spent slightly more as prices rose, and personal incomes sagged as employers continued to cut wages and reduce working hours.

Some investors are taking advantage of a recent buying trend in equities prompted by positive economic reports.

New York City cabbies have been banned from using cellphones for a decade, but the rules remain almost entirely unenforced.

The loan provider reported the loss as it transformed from an arm of General Motors into an independent bank.

Losses at finance group GMAC have risen by more than a half after bad debts increased at its mortgage business.

Reuters - Pending sales of previously owned U.S. homes rose at a faster-than-expected pace in June, a real estate trade group said on Tuesday, more evidence the housing market was starting to claw out of a three-year slump.

Reuters - U.S. stocks trimmed losses and the Dow Jones industrial average turned positive on Tuesday after data showed pending sales of previously owned homes rose at a faster-than-expected pace in June.

AP - Only 15 percent of homeowners eligible for the Obama administration's $50 billion loan modification program have been offered help so far.

PepsiCo has reached a deal to buy the outstanding shares of its two main bottlers, ending a months-long standoff over price, a person briefed on the matter told DealBook.

Consumers spent more in June because prices of food and energy were rising, not because they were ready to spend freely again.

Jacques A. Nasser will succeed Don Argus as chairman at the mining company.

The company agreed to pay the civil penalty to settle charges that it had misled investors with some fraudulent accounting in 2002 and 2003.

US consumer spending rose for a second consecutive month, despite rising unemployment, the Commerce Department says.

The minimum pay rate for apprentices has risen from £80 to £95 a week after the numbers joining schemes dropped.

Reuters - Stocks traded near break-even on Tuesday as an advance in financial shares offset caution over the sustainability of the market's recent rally.

Reuters - General Electric Co will pay a $50 million civil penalty to settle charges that it had misled investors with some fraudulent accounting in 2002 and 2003, the largest U.S. conglomerate said on Tuesday.

Reuters - PepsiCo Inc agreed to buy Pepsi Bottling Group Inc and PepsiAmericas Inc in a sweetened cash-and-stock deal worth $7.8 billion, the second-largest soft drink maker said on Tuesday.

Reuters - Leading global automakers reported forecast-beating quarterly results on Tuesday, but continued to give cautious outlooks for the industry, which remains hard hit by weak demand and a lack of consumer credit.

Sen. Charles Schumer had requested a ban on a technique that enables some firms to peek at investors? stock orders.

Some investors are taking advantage of a recent buying trend in equities prompted by positive economic reports.

The continuing development of high-speed Internet could create two million new jobs by 2015, the E.U. telecommunications commissioner said.

You?re head of the company. And you?ve thought about who your successor will be, right? If not, here are some tips to help make the transition.

The Transportation Department will convene a meeting about text-messaging and cell phone use while driving.

Reuters - U.S. stocks edged lower on Tuesday as economic data showing contracts for home sales rose more than expected in June was offset by investors booking profits after the recent rally.

Reuters - A U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ban on so-called flash orders is 'imminent,' a senior lawmaker said on Tuesday -- just before the agency itself said it was drawing up plans to ban the controversial services offered by some stock exchanges.

Reuters - General Electric Co will pay a $50 million civil penalty to settle charges by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that it misled investors with some fraudulent accounting in 2002 and 2003.

Reuters - PepsiCo Inc won over its two largest bottlers by raising its takeover offers more than 20 percent to $7.8 billion, giving investors a welcomed but not unexpected windfall.

The secretary of transportation and Senate majority leader expressed confidence that the Senate would revived the auto-purchase program.

The Postal Service?s largest vacant property, at 2.7 million square feet, will be auctioned after several proposals to rehabilitate the site for other uses foundered.

Two new health education buildings are set on barely an acre of land in New Brunswick, N.J., bounded on one side by Amtrak rails.

Shares in PepsiCo rise 5% after it agrees to buy its two biggest bottlers - PepsiAmericas and Pepsi Bottling Group.

Reuters - Stocks edged higher on Tuesday as much stronger-than-expected housing data pulled the financial sector higher, extending the rally that has taken the market to nine-month highs.

Reuters - Pension managers and mutual fund houses have been among the biggest buyers of the Dow Jones industrial average (.DJI) in recent weeks, underscoring the growing belief the recession is over, according to an analysis conducted by Thomson Reuters.

Sen. Charles Schumer had requested a ban on a technique that enables some firms to peek at investors? stock orders.

Consumers spent more in June because prices of food and energy were rising, not because they were ready to spend freely again.

Sony Electronics says it plans to lower prices for new and bestselling books in its e-book store to $9.99, ratcheting up tensions in the publishing world over the pricing of electronic books.

Residential prices are still down 15 percent from their 2007 peak, but they increased in July for the third straight month.

The Postal Service?s largest vacant property, at 2.7 million square feet, will be auctioned after several proposals to rehabilitate the site for other uses foundered.

Electronic Arts, the video game maker, said Tuesday that its first-quarter loss was larger than a year ago, dragged by lower revenue.

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Kraft Foods Inc. said Tuesday its second-quarter profit rose 11 percent even though its revenue slipped as the dollar's strength weighed down international sales.

Whole Foods posted third quarter earnings that beat Wall Street?s expectations, as sales rose, and the grocer raised its full-year earnings forecast.

Reuters - Stocks edged higher on Tuesday, led by the financial sector as economic data pointed to a sustained if slow recovery from the recession, taking the Dow and the S&P 500 to nine-month highs.

Reuters - SEATTLE (Reuters) -Whole Foods Market Inc on Tuesday posted third-quarter earnings that beat Wall Street's expectations, as sales rose, and the seller of organic and gourmet food items raised its full-year earnings forecast.

Reuters - Kraft Foods Inc reported a higher-than-expected 11 percent rise in quarterly profit on Tuesday as price increases, cost-cuts and people eating more food at home helped boost results.

The secretary of transportation and Senate majority leader expressed confidence that the Senate would revive the auto-purchase program.

To meet growing demand, India will probably have to import 20 to 30 percent of the sugar it needs in the current fiscal year.

The giant beverage company says the combination will allow it to respond more quickly to changing consumer tastes.

Defensive stocks were weak while riskier financials gained as investors continued to bet on an economic recovery.

Twenty-three percent of European homes are connected to high-speed lines, compared to 20 percent of American homes.

The company agreed to pay the civil penalty to settle charges that it had misled investors with some fraudulent accounting in 2002 and 2003.

The British bank was in need of cash, and the buyer, the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group, wanted to raise its profile in Asia.

Jacques A. Nasser will succeed Don Argus as chairman at the mining company.

Orders and revenue declined as the long housing slump eroded demand, the nation?s two largest home builders said.

The lender, which has received various forms of aid from the government, said it lost $3.9 billion in its second quarter.

Electronic Arts, the video game maker, said Tuesday that its first-quarter loss was larger than a year ago, dragged by lower revenue.

Whole Foods posted third quarter earnings that beat Wall Street?s expectations, as sales rose, and the grocer raised its full-year earnings forecast.

General Electric will pay a fine of $50m after being accused of improper accounting in order to make its results look better.

Reuters - Stocks edged higher on Tuesday, led by the financial sector as economic data pointed to a sustained if slow recovery from the recession, taking the Dow and the S&P 500 to nine-month highs.

Reuters - Whole Foods Market Inc on Tuesday posted third-quarter earnings that beat Wall Street's expectations, as sales rose, and the seller of organic and gourmet food items raised its full-year earnings forecast.

The work of the industry?s chief lobbyist, Karen Ignagni, over the last three years to reach agreements among insurers may be undercut.

The secretary of transportation and Senate majority leader expressed confidence that the Senate would revive the auto-purchase program.

Court documents suggest that the level of hidden industry influence on medical literature is broader than previously known.

In his first board meeting, Edward E. Whitacre Jr. left no doubt that he would be pushing the management team hard to reverse G.M.?s decades-long slide.

The Treasury Department identified banks that had been slow to offer more affordable mortgages to eligible homeowners.

The S.E.C. chairwoman said she would push to eliminate a technique that enables some firms to peek at investors? stock orders.

The city claimed that Lehman underpaid taxes for years, and asked a bankruptcy court to allow a claim of $627 million.

The White House is undertaking a big sell this week on behalf of its economic policies, but a jobs report to be released Friday may well get in the way.

Residents of Elkhart County, Ind., suggest that a visiting President Obama will find some who wonder how soon they might begin feeling the effects of any economic recovery.

The new head of the Bureau of Consumer Protection at the Federal Trade Commission has asked Congress for a bigger budget and for a streamlined way to create rules.

Mortgage approvals hit a 14-month high in June and home prices rose in July for the third consecutive month.

With six weeks of promotions for 'The Jay Leno Show,' NBC says 'life needs more laughter' and subtly knocks the competition?s crime dramas.

The Transportation Department will convene a meeting about text-messaging and cell phone use while driving.

After two days of a denial-of-service attack, the company?s popular blogs were back up on Tuesday and withstanding hackers? efforts.

New guidelines for communicating on the social networking site Twitter issued by ESPN Tuesday say ?write it once, publish it everywhere.?

Media Cloud is a system that tracks hundreds of newspapers and thousands of Web sites and blogs, and archives the information in a searchable form.

The maker of luxury cars said that the second quarter was better than the first because sales volume decreased at a slightly slower rate.

Reuters - China will stick to its loose fiscal policy for at least three years despite a growing budget deficit, a government economist said in comments published on Wednesday.

The S.E.C. chairwoman said she would push to eliminate a technique that enables some firms to peek at investors? stock orders.

With six weeks of promotions for 'The Jay Leno Show,' NBC says 'life needs more laughter' and subtly knocks the competition?s crime dramas.

Safety advocates call the Transportation Department?s action a shift in the federal government?s recognition of the dangers of behind-the-wheel multitasking.

The price for new and popular e-books appears to be settling at $9.99, making traditional publishers nervous.

Consumers spent more in June because prices of food and energy were rising, not because they were ready to spend freely again.

The British bank was in need of cash, and the buyer, the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group, wanted to raise its profile in Asia.

The real estate mogul has managed to get his Atlantic City casinos out of bankruptcy for a third time. Equity firms could take lessons.

Britain's leading companies have seen their pension schemes drop to a record deficit over the past year, a report finds.

Reuters - General Growth Properties Inc , the large U.S. mall operator that filed for bankruptcy in April, on Tuesday reported a 2.1 percent decline in quarterly net operating income from its retail properties, citing weakness in the economy and falling occupancy rates.