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A year that started in gloom and doom could end in cheers for U.S. corporate profits and leave the stock market positioned for a strong start to 2010.
Analysts have been forecasting a big jump in fourth-quarter earnings compared to a year earlier when the entire Standard & Poor’s 500 index ended in a per-share […]

Honda Motor Co. nearly tripled its annual profit forecasts and more upside may be ahead, with the company taking a conservative view on the yen and with the effect of easing government incentives unknown.
Honda (HMC), the world’s seventh-biggest car maker, has weathered the industry turmoil that drove two U.S. automakers to bankruptcy this year […]

When last week the federal government arrested Raj Rajaratnam of the Galleon Group for masterminding a $25 million insider-trading ring, the biggest head-scratcher was the inclusion of Anil Kumar in the government’s complaint.
Kumar is a director of consulting powerhouse McKinsey & Co., owner of one of the world’s most respected brands, and he is […]

Private equity firm Blackstone is preparing to float theme park operator Merlin Entertainments next year, hoping to take advantage of buoyant equity markets, a source familiar with the situation said.
The U.S. buyout house has called in Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, UBS and Nomura to advise on the initial public offering, which could value […]

Mortgage applications plunged last week as rates ticked higher above 5%, an industry group said Wednesday, as the expiration of a home buyer tax credit drew nearer.
The Mortgage Bankers Association said its index of mortgage application volume fell 13.7% in the week ended Oct. 16 from the prior week.
The decline in activity came as […]

Senate leaders on Monday unveiled their proposal to tackle overdraft fees, the penalties banks charge customers who spend more than they have in their accounts.
Echoing legislation offered in the House by Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., the Senate bill would require banks to ask customers before enrolling them in overdraft programs. In addition, like the […]

Citigroup’s ongoing crusade to return to its former glory as a financial giant may have to wait just a bit longer.
On Thursday, the company reported a slim profit of just $101 million as credit problems, particularly within its consumer-related businesses, weighed down its third-quarter results.
But after taking into account the recent conversion of part […]

Millions of lottery players will be able to double their bets because of a deal announced Wednesday by the two powerhouses of the business.
Mega Millions and Powerball, the country’s largest lotteries, will allow stores in many states to sell both lotteries.
"We have reached an agreement to see if we can work together and cross-sell […]

Retail sales fell in September after a popular program aimed at boosting auto sales ended, but the drop was smaller than economists had expected, government data showed Wednesday.
The Commerce Department said total retail sales fell 1.5% last month, down sharply from an increase of 2.7% in August, when overall sales were boosted by […]

If only everyone had Goldman Sachs Group Inc’s chief problem — too much success leading to a surplus of riches.
It’s a growing public relations nightmare for Wall Street’s dominant firm as it prepares to report another round of robust profits and update its bonus pool, which is on a pace to top $20 billion […]