Exxon profit up 53%, best quarter since 2008

Exxon Mobil earned $9.25 billion in the last three months of 2010, its most profitable quarter since the record third quarter of 2008.

World Trade Organization finds Boeing guilty of receiving illegal subsidies

Confirming preliminary reports from September, a World Trade Organization ruling released Monday found Boeing Co. guilty of receiving illegal...

Consumer spending up 0.7% in December

WASHINGTON Americans increased their spending sharply in December and consumer purchases for all of 2010 rose at the fastest pace in three years.

Indexes close higher, pushed by energy stocks

Energy stocks led indexes higher Monday, the first day of trading since the growing unrest in Egypt caused the largest one-day drop in the broad stock...

AMB Property and ProLogis agree to combine

The combination of real estate investment trusts AMB Property Corp. and ProLogis will create a global powerhouse in warehouses and other industrial...

New SBA programs aim to boost loans to small firms

A small-business owner could get up to $250,000 in capital under new loan initiatives being rolled out by the federal government.

Mexico violence makes business travelers wary

With drug violence on the rise in Mexico, business travelers venturing abroad might want to think twice about traveling south of the border.

Small business advice: Young entrepreneur wants respect

Gold mine scheme is alleged

Here is a roundup of alleged cons, frauds and schemes to watch out for.

Twitter tries to turn 140 characters into money

On "The Tonight Show," Conan O'Brien used to get big laughs for mocking Twitter as an egotistical stream of mundane updates from celebrities.

Box Office: 'The Rite' on top as several Oscar movies get bump from nominations

"The Rite," from Warner Bros.' New Line Cinema label, had a so-so start of $15 million, according to studio estimates.

Time to shine a harsh light on California's redevelopment agencies

Nobody expected Gov. Jerry Brown's first budget to be a painless affair, not least because he announced in advance that it would be ugly.

Couple's grand plans fraught with peril

Michael Abedor and Maria Magallanes are a couple reaching for a bright, secure future.

Twitter CEO Dick Costolo is determined to get the last laugh

Before embarking on a career as a technology entrepreneur, Dick Costolo took part in an improvisational comedy troupe in Chicago that relied on...

Is now the time to buy muni bonds?

Worries about out-of-control state deficits, underfunded municipal pension plans and rising interest rates have been kicking the teeth out of the...

Bank can close savings account that has sat idle

Dear Liz: A friend of mine had a savings account for many years but didn't put any money in it for some time. When he went to take money out,...

How I Made It: Frank Saucedo, GM car-design studio chief

The gig: Frank Saucedo is director of General Motors Co.'s Advanced Design Studio in North Hollywood, one of 10 the automaker has worldwide....

Independent film market rebounds at Sundance Film Festival

The festival market for independent films is again attracting Hollywood's attention after several years in the economic doldrums.

GDP shows moderate growth in fourth quarter

The American economy registered moderately stronger growth in the final three months of last year, buoyed by rising exports and the biggest increase...

Feds nab raw-milk cheese in food safety case

Federal prosecutors in Central California have busted outlaws they describe as pale-skinned and somewhat smelly, with mug shots worthy of Bon Appetit:...

Mergers mean green for airline painting company

Airlines typically profit from mergers by making cuts: combining ticket counters, uniting reservation systems and laying off excess staff.

Oil prices climb on unrest in Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon and Yemen

Oil prices surged Friday as concerns mounted that anti-government protests in Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon and Yemen could affect Middle East oil...

Economy's rebound isn't waiting for a housing recovery

Let's say there's no big rebound in the housing market this year.

Compounded drugs bring big profits to California doctors, study finds

Many California doctors are making large profits by prescribing and directly dispensing custom-made "compounded" drugs to people with work-related...