Companies squeezing in dividends to avoid ‘fiscal cliff’

For shareholders of companies trying to get ahead of tax hikes at the end of the year, this December will include an especially big Christmas gift.

Thomas Cook losses hit £485m during annus horribilis

A disastrous year for Thomas Cook has been laid bare as the travel company revealed that losses increased to £485m in a period in which the business nearly collapsed and its chief executive resigned.

Renault to set up in China: industry source

BEIJING: French car maker Renault is planning to build a 200,000-vehicle a year plant in China, but needs political support to go ahead, a source with knowledge of the scheme said Tuesday.

Samsung audit finds 'inadequate practices' at China suppliers

Samsung says an audit of 105 of its suppliers in China has identified "several instances of inadequate practices at the facilities".

UBS fined £30m over rogue trader

UBS has been fined £30m by the UK's Financial Services Authority – and could see its investment banking activities hampered by the Swiss regulator – after its former trader Kweku Adoboli was jailed for fraud.

Tata Steel job cuts hit Wales hardest

Around 900 UK staff have lost their jobs at Tata Steel, with nearly 600 leaving its Port Talbot operations in Wales, the company has said.

Kay Review: Government to be more active on takeovers

The government says it will take "a greater interest" in mergers and acquisitions involving UK companies as part of its response to the Kay Review. Its comments came in response to the Kay Review into how to discourage short-termism in markets.

Apple ordered to share HTC deal details with Samsung

A US judge has ordered Apple to disclose details of its patent-sharing deal with HTC to its rival, Samsung.

HP accuses UK unit Autonomy as takes $9 bn hit Story Comments Increase font size

SAN FRANCISCO/NEW YORK: Hewlett-Packard Co has levelled a charge of dodgy accounting at Autonomy, the British software company it bought last year, and is taking an $8.8 billion charge in the latest of a string of setbacks.

France in talks with Google over tax audit: Minister

France is in talks with Google over an ongoing tax audit and payment of back taxes, the country's budget minister said on Tuesday, adding the administration had "convincing" proof to back up its claims.

One in four German firms 'to slash jobs' in 2013: Survey

BERLIN: Gloomy German companies are preparing to slash their workforces next year as the eurozone crisis bites, a survey showed on Monday, with more than one in four firms saying they would cut jobs in 2013.

Vince Cable attacks corporate 'tax abuse'

Business Secretary Vince Cable has condemned corporate tax avoidance as "completely unacceptable", saying there are "appalling stories of abuse".

MPs: Sale of RBS or Lloyds 'not for years'

There is a risk that the £66bn invested in RBS and Lloyds Banking Group by the government may never be recovered, a parliamentary committee has warned In a report into the sale of Northern Rock, the Public Accounts Committee said the sale of the bank in 2011 was "fortunate", and Lloyds and RBS may not be sold "for many years".

Hyundai Engineering Co implementing $534 mn Turkmen refinery revamp

ASHGABAT: South Korea's Hyundai Engineering Co is implementing a $534 million modernisation project at Turkmenistan's largest oil refinery in the west of the country, the head of the company's local unit said on Friday.

Wal-Mart sales slow as customers feel the pinch

Sales growth at Wal-Mart has fallen short of market expectations, with the world's biggest retailer saying customers are feeling the pinch.

Vince Cable convinced that Britain's car industry needs its foreign friends

Car manufacturers love a glitzy product launch, but the ceremony to welcome a new model at Toyota's Derby plant last week was modest by industry standards.

China derides US 'Cold War mentality' towards telecoms firm Huawei

BEIJING: The United States is exhibiting a "Cold War mentality" with its fears that Chinese telecommunications equipment manufacturer Huawei poses a security risk because of its ties to the Communist Party, China's commerce minister said on Saturday.

Toyota to Double Capacity, Build Engine Plant in Indonesia

Toyota Motor Corp. (7203), Asia’s biggest carmaker, will more than double vehicle production capacity and build a new engine factory in Indonesia to meet rising demand in the Southeast Asian country.

HSBC probing loss of client data in Jersey

HSBC has launched an internal inquiry into an alleged loss of client data in Jersey following damaging revelations that the bank is at the centre of an HMRC investigation into offshore accounts.

Burger King to open in South Africa

Burger King has added South Africa to its menu, with the fast food chain planning to open its first restaurant in the country early next year.

Jaguar Land Rover sees sales rise nearly 60% in China

Demand for Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) cars in China remains strong after the UK manufacturer posted a 58% increase in second-quarter sales in the world's largest car market.

Suzuki to stop U.S. auto sales, exit market

HONG KONG (CNNMoney) -- Japan-based Suzuki said Tuesday that it was closing its American auto distributor and exiting the U.S. car market.

HSBC raises money laundering provisions by $800m

HSBC bank has put aside a further $800m (£500m) to cover potential money-laundering fines in the US and has announced a fall in quarterly profits.

GM badly lags Ford in Europe restructuring

PARIS/DETROIT: Ford Motor Co, which clung to the road with a timely swerve before the 2009 crisis that bankrupted General Motors Co, may now be pulling a similar stunt in Europe.

Foreign firms could owe UK £11bn in unpaid taxes

Foreign companies, including Starbucks and Google, could be responsible for as much as £11bn in unpaid British taxes, it has been disclosed.HM Revenue & Customs has identified £25bn of unpaid taxes that may have been wrongly withheld by corporations, of which almost 44pc are overseas companies, according to Pinsent Masons, the tax specialists.

RBS raises PPI claims bill by a further £400m

Royal Bank of Scotland has set aside a further £400m to cover the cost of claims for mis-sold payment protection insurance (PPI).

Starbucks raises full-year forecast, shares rise

(Reuters) - Starbucks Corp reported higher quarterly profit on Thursday, as overall sales at its established coffee shops topped analysts' estimates, and it raised its forecast for fiscal 2013.

GM sees European operations breaking even mid-decade

DETROIT: General Motors Co posted a surprisingly strong profit on Wednesday and said it was targeting a return to break-even levels in its European operations by mid-decade after a loss of as much as $1.8 billion in that region this year.