Mizuho hunting for banking assets in Asia, U.S

TOKYO (Reuters) - Mizuho Financial Group Inc , Japan's second-largest lender by assets, is looking to further expand overseas by acquiring either an Asian investment bank or a U.S. commercial bank over the next three years.

JP Morgan Chase takes job cuts up to 19,000

JP Morgan Chase has increased its planned job cuts to 19,000 by the end of next year.

Vodafone can invest in Europe without Verizon sale, says CEO

BARCELONA: Vodafone says that it does not need to sell part of its stake in the highly profitable Verizon Wireless joint venture in the United States to bolster its position in Europe.

Analysis: U.S. companies plan to spend, a boost for the economy

(Reuters) - U.S. companies' capital spending plans are holding up, and mostly exceeding Wall Street forecasts, in the face of policy concerns created by arguments in Washington over the fiscal cliff, the debt ceiling and now automatic spending cuts.

Wal-Mart warns of weak sales throughout quarter

Wal-Mart said sales were slow at the start of the month and warned they would remain sluggish throughout the February to April quarter.

Toyota aims for record global production in 2013

TOKYO: Toyota Motor Corp plans to make a record 8.79 million vehicles under the Toyota and Lexus brands in 2013 and 9.5 million in 2014, a member of the Toyota labour union federation said on Wednesday.

Boeing's latest problem: Strike threat

The last thing Boeing needs right now is a strike but that may just happen after 11,000 technical workers voted to reject a new contract in a dispute that could shut its assembly lines.

Ford, Peugeot and Toyota lead Europe auto sales to new low

PARIS: Ford, PSA Peugeot Citroen and Toyota led European car sales to a new low in January, kicking off 2013 with an 8.5 percent decline, the Association of European carmakers said on Tuesday.

US factory output falls on weak auto production

WASHINGTON: US factories slowed production in January after two solid months of cranking out goods. The weakness reflected a big drop in output at auto factories that is likely temporary.

Airbus A350 to avoid Boeing 787-style lithium-ion batteries

Airbus says it will not use lithium-ion batteries in its forthcoming A350 plane because of problems that have grounded rival Boeing's 787 Dreamliner.

Rolls-Royce sees good profit growth after 2012 jump

LONDON: Britain's Rolls-Royce reported a 24 percent rise in full-year profit, led by strong growth at its civil aerospace unit and a strong performance at Tognum, its marine and industrial engine joint venture with Daimler.

US companies restocked at slower pace in December

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. companies restocked their store shelves and warehouses at a slower pace in December, a sign of caution as sales weakened.

Coca-Cola warns of volatile year to come

Coca-Cola, the world's biggest soft-drinks maker, saw sales in Europe and China fall in the last quarter of 2012 and warned the year ahead would be unpredictable.

Barclays misled shareholders about source of £3bn

Barclays misled shareholders and the public about one of the biggest investments in the bank's history, a BBC Panorama investigation has found.

Dell shareholder rejects bid by founder Michael Dell

The largest independent shareholder in PC-maker Dell has vowed to oppose a plan by its founder, Michael Dell, to buy back the company.

McDonald's sales fall again amid weakness in Asia

NEW YORK: McDonald's says a key sales figure dropped again in January as the world's biggest hamburger chain struggled with ongoing weakness in Japan and supply chain issues in China.

Boeing gets permission for Dreamliner test flights

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has allowed Boeing to carry out test flights of 787 Dreamliner planes.

Sony cuts quarterly losses amid recovery hopes

Signs that Sony's recovery plan may be working came with news that the struggling electronics group has cut its quarterly losses.

Fujitsu, Panasonic to merge chip business in FY 2013: Report

TOKYO: Fujitsu Ltd and Panasonic Corp will merge their chip units in the next fiscal year, sources said, in the latest example of Japanese firms combining struggling units to compete with the likes of South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co Ltd..

Dell computers to be bought back by founder Michael Dell

Michael Dell has said he will buy back the world's number three PC-maker that he founded and that carries his name. Along with technology investor Silver Lake, and with financial backing from Microsoft, he will offer to buy the firm for $24.4bn (£15.5bn).

Samsung gains tablet market share as Apple lead narrows

Samsung doubled its share of the tablet PC market in the last three months of 2012, research firm IDC has said.

Suzuki hasn't posted profit in Europe since 2008: Report

FRANKFURT: Japanese carmaker Suzuki has failed to post a profit for its European operations in four years and cannot say when it will cease posting losses, its regional chief told Germany's WirtschaftsWoche.

January auto sales indicate strong start to 2013

DETROIT (Reuters) - U.S. auto sales rose 14 percent in January, kicking off the industry's fourth straight year of recovery since the depths of recession as American consumers increasingly sought to replace their aging cars and trucks.

Mattel raises prices after ho-hum holiday quarter

(Reuters) - Mattel Inc , the maker of Barbie dolls and Hot Wheels cars, is raising prices globally as it looks to rebound from a lackluster holiday selling season plagued by concerns about the U.S. economy.

Banks to pay for 'swap' mis-selling, FSA demands

Four banks will now compensate tens of thousands of small businesses who were mis-sold complex insurance deals, says the Financial Services Authority.