Business news

[AP] - Stocks edged higher Friday as investors placed more bets that the economy will continue to grow. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 23 points in very light morning trading. Broader indexes also rose, and Treasury prices eased as traders became more willing to take on risk.

[AP] - Inventories held by wholesalers surged in July by the largest amount in two years while sales rebounded after two straight declines.

[AP] - Dubai World said Friday it has won over nearly all its creditors to a $24.9 billion debt restructuring plan, bringing the struggling conglomerate a key step closer to resolving a financial crisis that has dragged on for months.

[AP] - U.S. investigators have widened their probe of alleged kickbacks paid to Russian authorities by employees of a Hewlett-Packard Co. subsidiary in Germany.

[AP] - Nokia Corp. is replacing CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo with top Microsoft executive Stephen Elop as the world's top handset maker aims to regain lost ground in the fiercely competitive smartphone market.

[AP] - Oil prices climbed to near $76 a barrel Friday after a pipeline in the US shut down and as better economic indicators from Japan to the U.S. boosted confidence that demand for fuel will improve.

[AP] - Shares of Deutsche Bank AG have dropped sharply on reports that Germany's biggest lender is considering a stock issue worth as much as euro9 billion .

[AP] - It may take a while yet to phase out the special credit support that was given to banks in the wake of the financial crisis, the European Central Bank's president has said.

[AP] - Japan's economy isn't quite as weak as first thought, but it still needs help, the government said Friday as it unveiled details of a new $11 billion stimulus package.

[AP] - Stocks extended their September rally Thursday after more encouraging news on the job market. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 17 points in afternoon trading, putting it back into positive territory for the year, after the Labor Department said first-time claims for unemployment benefits fell last week to the lowest level in two months.

[AP] - Burger King's soon-to-be new owners have named a former Latin American railroad executive to be CEO of the fast-food chain after the $3.26 billion deal goes through.

[AP] - The trade deficit narrowed significantly in July as exports climbed to the highest level in nearly two years, reflecting big gains in sales of U.S.-made airplanes and other manufactured goods while imports declined.

[AP] - Oil prices rose again Thursday, to around $75 a barrel, after the government said jobless claims fell and crude inventories shrank more than expected.

[AP] - The nation's health care tab will go up -- not down -- as a result of President Barack Obama's sweeping overhaul. That's the conclusion of a government forecast Thursday, which also predicts the increase will be modest.

[AP] - The global economic recovery could be slower than expected but another recession remains unlikely -- especially if governments don't overdo their spending cuts, a leading international economic body said Thursday.

[AP] - Mortgage rates mostly edged up last week as investors' fears about the economy eased. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac says the average rate for a 30-year fixed loan was 4.35 percent, up from 4.32 percent the week before.

[AP] - The number of people signing up for unemployment benefits dropped to the lowest level in two months, an encouraging sign that companies aren't resorting to deeper layoffs even as the economy has lost momentum.

[AP] - The Bank of England held interest rates steady at a record low of 0.5 percent for the 18th consecutive month on Thursday amid growing fears about a double-dip recession.

[AP] - Britain's financial regulator hit Goldman Sachs International with a 17.5 million pounds fine on Thursday for failing to notify U.K. authorities about an investigation in the United States.

[AP] - Stocks resumed their rally Wednesday after a successful auction of Portuguese government debt eased worries about Europe's financial system.