Red Flag in Bank Lending?

U.S. bank lending stumbled in the first quarter after nearly a year of growth, raising fresh questions about the economic recovery.

Chrysler Open to Building Mazdas

Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne said he would be willing to build Mazdas anywhere in the world, including at its affiliate Chrysler plants in the U.S.

Sony to Sell Stake in LCD Venture

Sony said it will pull out of its liquid-crystal-display joint venture with Sharp by selling its entire stake in Sharp Display Products less than three years after its state-of-the-art factory opened.

'Idol' Finale Audience Shrinks

The "American Idol" finale on Fox drew 27% fewer viewers than it did last year, according to the network's preliminary estimates. But as the highest-rated series in the U.S., 'Idol' will return next year for its 12th season.

H-P Shows Age With Layoffs

H-P plans to lay off 27,000 employees. The tech giant also said its quarterly profit slumped 31% amid relatively flat revenue in its PC business and lower printing sales.

Shell Extends Offer for Cove Energy

Shell extended its offer for Cove Energy, buying time to consider its options after its bid for the Mozambique-focused prospector was trumped by Thailand's PTT Exploration & Production.

Times-Picayune No Longer a Daily

The New Orleans Times-Picayune will be cut back to a three-day-a-week publication schedule, from its current seven. The move will make New Orleans the biggest U.S. city so far to be without a printed daily newspaper.

SpaceX Craft Rehearses Docking Moves

SpaceX's unmanned spacecraft successfully completed a series of maneuvers around the international space station, clearing the last major hurdle before a historic docking attempt planned for Friday.

Airbus Tables Output Increase

Airbus shelved a plan to boost output of its popular A320 single-aisle jetliner, a sign that global uncertainties are starting to affect the otherwise resilient aeronautic industry.

Minister Expressed Support for BSkyB Bid

A U.K. inquiry into British press practices heard further evidence related togovernment contacts with a News Corp. lobbyist amid a regulatory review of the company's proposal to buy 100% of BSkyB. Also presented was a memo from minister Jeremy Hunt supporting the bid.

Billionaire Lau Faces Charges in Macau

Hong Kong tycoon Joseph Lau,will face prosecution in Macau over charges of bribery and money laundering linked to a land deal.

Mature Beer Markets Lose Fizz

Brewing giant SABMiller said consumer spending in mature beer markets remains subdued despite a surge in its profit, driven by price increases and strong volume growth in emerging economies.

GE Bets on Brazilian Tycoon Batista

General Electric will pay $300 million for a small stake in Brazilian industrial conglomerate EBX, which is owned by billionaire businessman Eike Batista.

Goldman Breezes Through Protest-Free Meeting

Goldman Sachs shareholders voted to elect 10 directors and approved executive compensation at a protest-free annual meeting.

Assets in Funds Climb, Growing $1.26 Billion

Assets in money-market funds rose by $1.26 billion as taxable nongovernment funds' inflows outpaced outflows from taxable government funds and tax-exempt funds.

Lehman to Buy All of Archstone for $1.58 Billion

Lehman Brothers has struck a deal to buy the 26.5% stake that it doesn't already own in apartment giant Archstone for $1.58 billion, giving competing bidder Sam Zell's Equity Residential $150 million.

BMW to Boost China Investment

BMW and its joint-venture partner Brilliance China Automotive Holdings will jointly invest €500 million to increase production capacity in China, the German car maker said.

Delphi Offers $970 Million for U.K. Automotive Business

Delphi Automotive agreed to buy FCI Group's motorized-vehicles division in a deal valued at about $970 million.

China Hits Back on Solar Tariffs

Beijing accused the U.S. of illegally helping its own solar-panel industry, while Chinese solar firms teamed up to speak against the decision to impose tariffs.

Some Big Firms Got Facebook Warning

The Facebook offering illustrates one of Wall Street's best-kept secrets: Securities firms are allowed to selectively confer with favored large investing clients about crucial information as they prepare IPOs, while small investors are left out.