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Obama’s influence, limitations on display at G-8

Now a veteran of the international summit scene, President Barack Obama wielded significant influence over the agenda at this week’s Group of Eight meetings, but had only modest success in achieving the results he sought.

Court: Ex-Im Bank needs to explain Air India loan

A federal bank that backed a huge airplane loan for Air India will have to explain that the loan didn’t hurt U.S. airlines.

Suit: McDonald’s wages put on costly debit card

A Pennsylvania woman has filed suit to avoid fees she may be charged to get her McDonald’s wages from a debit card.

Icahn changes tack, seeks $16B Dell stock buyback

Activist investor Carl Icahn on Tuesday proposed a $16 billion share buyback in his latest effort to thwart Dell Inc. founder Michael Dell’s effort to take the struggling computer maker private.

Japan’s trade deficit climbs to $10.5B in May

Japan’s trade deficit rose nearly 10 percent in May to 993.9 billion yen (nearly $10.5 billion) as rising costs for imports due to the cheaper yen matched a rebound in exports, the Ministry of Finance reported Wednesday.

Chrysler freezes pension plan for 8,000 employees

Chrysler Group LLC said Friday that it is freezing the pensions of roughly 8,000 U.S. salaried employees at the end of the year.

Grocers allege potato group pumped up spud prices

A U.S. wholesale grocer says America’s potato farmers have run an illegal price-fixing cartel for a decade, driving up spud prices while spying on farmers with satellites and aircraft fly-overs to enforce strict limits on how many tubers they can grow.

Businesses await relief as Japan OKs reform plan

Japan’s Cabinet approved a blueprint for reforms Friday meant to improve competitiveness and shore up long-term growth in the world’s third-largest economy as its population ages and shrinks.

Satellite boost for Greece's public TV holdouts

Journalists from axed Greek state broadcaster ERT returned to the airwaves Thursday amid an escalating crisis that saw the country rocked by a general strike, a sharp rebuke from Europe's top human rights official and widening divisions in the fragile coalition government.

8 ex-mutual fund directors settle SEC claims

Eight former mutual fund directors have settled federal claims that they allowed others at the firm to set values for subprime mortgage securities that were held by funds on which investors lost about $1.5 billion.

Lilly stops mid-stage Alzheimer’s drug study

Eli Lilly and Co. said Thursday that it stopped a mid-stage clinical trial of an experimental Alzheimer’s disease drug because of potential side effects on patients’ livers.

DuPont dampens 2013 net income expectations

Chemicals maker DuPont says it will reach only the low end of its net income forecast in 2013 because of the cool, wet spring weather, which is expected to reduce farmers’ harvests.

6 tips on getting a good deal on an auto lease

Leasing has its perks, especially if you want to drive a new car every couple of years while keeping monthly payments low. But understanding whether leasing is right for you and how complex lease agreements work is essential to avoid ending up paying more than you bargained for.

GM targets 10 pct. pretax margin by mid-decade

Cost-cutting efforts and fresh new vehicles should help General Motors Co. boost its North American pretax profit margin to 10 percent by the middle of this decade, company officials said Wednesday.

NY faults 17 life insurers for shifting risks

New York financial officials on Wednesday criticized 17 New York-based life insurers for shifting $48 billion of claim risks to affiliates elsewhere with lower reserve and collateral requirements.