LCD firms in $553m US price fixing settlement

The world's largest electronics manufacturer, Samsung, and six other LCD screen manufacturers have settled claims they conspired to fix prices.

Fujifilm: too early to say if it will invest in Olympus

(Reuters) - Japan's Fujifilm Holdings is watching developments at scandal-ridden Olympus Corp but it is too early to say if it will invest in the rival endoscope maker, a senior executive told Reuters in an interview on Monday.

Tepco seeks an extra $9bn in aid to pay compensation

Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) has asked the government for an extra 690bn yen ($9bn; £5.6bn) to compensate victims of the nuclear crisis.

Samsung buys Sony's entire stake in LCD joint venture

Samsung Electronics has agreed to buy out Sony's entire stake in their liquid crystal display (LCD) joint venture.

Investors brace for a rocky 2012

Investors face yet another year of uncertainty in 2012, but this time around, they don't appear as willing to wait to see how things will play out.

After a year of disasters, Toyota sees record sales

(Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp forecast a 20 percent jump in global sales to a record 8.48 million vehicles next year as it claws back from this year's output losses caused by natural disasters in Japan and Thailand.

Prosecutors raid the HQ of Olympus in earnings probe

Japanese prosecutors have raided the headquarters of camera and medical equipment maker Olympus as part of an ongoing investigation.

U.S. Backs Apple in Patent Ruling That Hits Google

A federal agency ruled on Monday that a set of important features commonly found in smartphones are protected by an Apple patent, a decision that could force changes in how Google’s Android phones function.

Osborne confirms banks must ringfence retail banking

Chancellor George Osborne has backed most of the recommendations in the Vickers' banking report, including protecting retail banking from riskier investment activities.

Cable & Wireless Worldwide: a call for more reinvention or break up?

Gavin Darby, installed this month as chief executive of Cable & Wireless Worldwide (CWW), is keen to distance himself from the financial excesses of the previous regime, which saw senior managers take £88m of cash out of the struggling business in just five years. During contract negotiations, Darby set a new tone, declining the offer of a chauffeur-driven car as part of his pay package.

Olympus retains listing but shares fall again

Japan's scandal-hit camera maker Olympus has retained its listing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange but has seen its shares fall sharply again.

Kodak Shifts Focus, Zooms In On Commercial Printing

The photography pioneer Kodak has been dogged by bankruptcy rumors, its stock has tumbled, and its cash reserves have shrunk.

China-Based Hacking of 760 Companies Shows Global Cyber War

Dec. 14 (Bloomberg) -- Google Inc. and Intel Corp. were logical targets for China-based hackers, given the solid-gold intellectual property data stored in their computers.

Insurers face ratings downgrade threat from S&P

Some of Europe's top insurance companies have been warned their credit rating could be downgraded as a result of the European financial crisis.

HP donates WebOS to open sourcers

The code behind the mobile operating system, WebOS, is being released to open source software developers by Hewlett Packard.

Olympus Auditors Face Scrutiny

TOKYO—In May 2009, Olympus Corp.'s external auditor was so troubled by transactions it had found while going through the company's books that it asked Olympus's top executives to resign.

Multinational firms placing less importance on China -survey

Dec 7 (Reuters) - Multinational companies operating in China are placing less importance on the world's second-biggest economy amid rising local competition and concern over intellectual property (IP) rights, a survey showed on Wednesday.

Exclusive: Apple vs. Samsung ruling divulges secret details

(Reuters) - A U.S. court error on Friday offered a brief glimpse at information that Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics have tried to shield from the public during their high-stakes patent litigation.

Let Companies Manage Their Own Risk: Donohue, Engler and Timmons

In the coming months, regulators will address many critical and complex issues in the new financial reform legislation, but perhaps none as misunderstood as the regulation of derivatives.

Palm Oil Companies Slow in Meeting Sustainability Goal

JAKARTA — Sustainability is the catchword in the palm oil industry these days, with many multinational companies having pledged to use oil only from sustainable sources by 2015. But with only three years left, they will have to move a lot faster to achieve that goal.

Gucci sales not slowing yet, has plan B ready

PARIS (Reuters) - Luxury brand Gucci has not seen any impact on its business from global economic woes but it would be prepared to react quickly and cut costs if sales slowed, its chief executive said in a newspaper interview.

The best way to play emerging markets

FORTUNE -- Ever since the great crash of 2008, when emerging markets plummeted more than 50%, one strategy has jumped in popularity: buying multinationals to play the fast-growing markets.