Citigroup shares drop as CEO plans to keep Smith Barney (Reuters)
Reuters - Citigroup Inc shares tumbled for a fifth straight day, as Chief Executive Vikram Pandit tried to downplay speculation the banking giant might sell major businesses to restore its health and investor confidence.
more
Bargain hunters lift stocks, but Citi sinks (Reuters)
Reuters - Stocks rose in choppy trade on Friday as investors snapped up cut-price shares in beaten down sectors, including commodities and energy, a day after Wall Street slid to 11-year lows.
more
Wal-Mart's Scott retiring as CEO, Duke to succeed (Reuters)
Reuters - * Lee Scott to retire as CEO February 1
more
Hundreds wait at Verizon stores for BlackBerry Storm (Reuters)
Reuters - Hundreds of people lined up at Verizon Wireless stores on Friday to buy the BlackBerry Storm, the first touch-screen phone from Research In Motion that aims to compete with Apple's iPhone.
more
GM cutting production amid slow demand (Reuters)
Reuters - General Motors Corp said on Friday it plans additional temporary plant shutdowns in the next two months in response to deteriorating market demand.
more
FTSE-100 up 27.94 at 3,902.93 (AP)
AP - Share prices on the London Stock Exchange were higher at midday Friday.more
Report: Ford Germany needs no state bailout money (AP)
AP - Bernhard Mattes, chief of Ford Motor Co.'s German unit, said that while the company can survive without a bailout from the German state, it hopes the European Union will help the ailing auto industry with a loan package.more
UK electronics retailer DSG's shares jump (AP)
AP - Shares in DSG International PLC rose 21 percent Friday from a 20-year low after Credit Suisse raised its rating of the stock to "outperform" on the basis that market concern over the economic slowdown had left the stock too cheap.more