finance

A crucial first Senate vote on President Barack Obama's health care overhaul in a rare Saturday night session looms as a test of Democratic unity and the president's prestige.

Homebuilder D.R. Horton Inc., saw new home orders spike 26 percent from a year ago in the latest quarter as buyers raced to close deals and take advantage of a federal tax credit. But a wider-than-anticipated loss fueled by write-downs sent shares tumbling more than 15 percent Friday.

In a sharp improvement, more than half of U.S. states added jobs in October, though economists said many of the gains likely occurred in temporary employment.

Investors can't shake their fears that the economy isn't keeping up with the stock market.

Former Vivendi CEO Jean-Marie Messier told a jury Friday he made mistakes in his troubled bid to turn the French water company into a global media giant, but he never misled shareholders about the risks.

The Texas Supreme Court on Friday said it will again hear arguments in the nearly 15-year legal battle over accusations that Exxon Mobil Corp. loaded abandoned wells with junk, sludge and even explosives to keep other companies from drilling there.

The U.S. is finally becoming a nation of savers. Now if only we could get something for our money.

Florida banking regulators on Friday shut down Commerce Bank of Southwest Florida, marking the 124th U.S. bank to succumb this year to the struggling economy and rising loan defaults.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. said Friday it is dropping a clause from its credit card contracts that required disputes with customers to be handled through binding arbitration, a move that could lead to consumers filing class-action and other lawsuits.

J.M. Smucker Co. nearly tripled its profit in the second quarter as the addition of Folgers coffee gave a jolt to its lineup and lower commodity prices for coffee beans and other items fattened its profit margins.

U.S. stocks could sputter next week as volumes dry up in holiday-shortened trading and with a slew of economic reports likely to illustrate the recovery is still fragile.

U.S. chocolate maker Hershey Co is considering launching a bid of at least $17 billion for British chocolatier Cadbury Plc as it seeks to trump a hostile offer by Kraft Foods Inc, a source familiar with the matter said on Friday.

Bank of America Corp Chief Executive Kenneth Lewis has said he would consider postponing his retirement if directors need more time to find a successor or smooth the transition to the next CEO, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

Talks between General Electric and Vivendi over the future of NBC Universal have stalled, the New York Times reported on Friday night.

News Corp, Time Warner Inc and Qualia Capital LLC are interested in buying Hollywood's Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio, home of the James Bond movies, Bloomberg News reported on Friday.

The U.S. economy's return to growth in the third quarter was less brisk than previously thought as the trade deficit worsened and companies still aggressively cut inventories, a Reuters survey predicted.

The chief executive of Delta Air Lines Inc says the SkyTeam alliance of global carriers would be willing to invest more than its proposed $1.02 billion in Japan Airlines <9205.T>, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Investors tempted to put money into star hedge fund manager John Paulson's new gold portfolio will have to commit at least $10 million and leave the money locked up for at least one year, according to a prospectus.

When the U.S. holiday shopping season kicks off on the day after Thanksgiving, retailers can expect to see millions of less frightened but even more bargain hungry customers cross their thresholds.

Investors bet on growth in the IPOs of a Chinese hotel chain and an online education company on Friday, but were less enthusiastic about a spin-off of mining giant Rio Tinto.

The owner of Sears and Kmart stores lost $127 million in the quarter, but said it did see improved business at at Kmart stores open at least a year.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development on Thursday delivered a cautious assessment of the global economy.

The company’s net loss for the third quarter narrowed to $127 million as comparable-store sales at its Kmart discount chain rose for the first time in several quarters.

Standard & Poor’s has joined Moody’s in withdrawing its application to supply ratings of corporate bonds and other debt-based securities to retail investors after new rules were announced this month.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development on Thursday delivered a cautious assessment of the global economy.

Asian stock markets turned in a mixed performance Thursday as signs of weakness in the U.S. economy aggravated worries about the strength of the global recovery.

At bank after bank, the coroners of the financial crisis are discovering that regulators knew lenders were engaging in hazardous practices but failed to act.

About one million laid-off workers will see their benefits end in January unless federally paid extensions are renewed.

Crossing between the men’s and women’s aisles feels right to young customers today.

Go beyond a short-term view of Bank of America’s prime assets, and Jamie Dimon, the JPMorgan Chase chief and unofficial winner of the credit crisis, may need to watch his back.

The former movie-rental giant could face its end credits.

Gold continues to march higher on a strong fundamental footing.

These disruptive developments could determine the market's future.

Heelys stock never had a chance.

An online scam is being validated by some companies you know.

Growth is going great guns -- but the stock's a dud.

MFS Investment Management chairman Bob Pozen visits the Fool.

Many mutual funds may be going against investors' wishes and against what's best for American industry.

All we need is just a little patience.

It won't be a tough decision for patients to make.

He may yet head off a trade war.

Firm tied to indicted Democratic moneyman Hassan Nemazee manages $200 million for New Mexico.

Don't let the rising unemployment rate keep you out of the market. The economy is recovering.

YieldPlus cases indicate the odds are better when you hire a pro.

Can the country avoid the pitfalls other African nations have faced?

India's richest top their Chinese counterparts when it comes to the size of their fortunes.

Estimates of the cost of the reform bills wending through Congress should be received skeptically.

What the Algonquin Round Table got right.

President Obama wraps up his Asia trip in South Korea. The BlackBerryphile will be in wireless heaven.

States in New England top a new set of rankings, while the South still lags.

33 Recommendations

The holidays may not be so sweet this year.

12 Recommendations

JPMorgan Chase & Co. said Friday it is dropping a clause from its credit card contracts that required disputes with customers to be handled through binding arbitration, a move that could lead to consumers filing class-action and other lawsuits.

11 Recommendations

J.M. Smucker Co. nearly tripled its profit in the second quarter as the addition of Folgers coffee gave a jolt to its lineup and lower commodity prices for coffee beans and other items fattened its profit margins.

5 Recommendations

Consumers who haven't yet ordered Barnes & Noble's electronic book reader, the Nook, won't see one before Christmas.

3 Recommendations

Florida banking regulators on Friday shut down Commerce Bank of Southwest Florida, marking the 124th U.S. bank to succumb this year to the struggling economy and rising loan defaults.