Talbots profit tops estimates, but sales miss

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Women’s clothing retailer Talbots Inc posted a higher-than-expected quarterly profit as tighter inventory management boosted its margins, but its shares fell as sales missed Wall Street forecasts.

Talbots profit tops estimates, but sales miss

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Women’s clothing retailer Talbots Inc posted a higher-than-expected quarterly profit as tighter inventory management boosted its margins, but its shares fell as sales missed Wall Street forecasts.

HSBC faces thorny issues in hunt for new chairman

LONDON (Reuters) – For a bank that prides itself on smooth successions, HSBC is suddenly scrambling to pick its next chairman.

HSBC faces thorny issues in hunt for new chairman

LONDON (Reuters) – For a bank that prides itself on smooth successions, HSBC is suddenly scrambling to pick its next chairman.

Home buying up in week, but down 40 percent in year

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Americans applied to buy homes at the highest pace last week since May, but more than 8 of every 10 loan requests was for a refinancing, Mortgage Bankers Association data show on Wednesday.

Home buying up in week, but down 40 percent in year

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Americans applied to buy homes at the highest pace last week since May, but more than 8 of every 10 loan requests was for a refinancing, Mortgage Bankers Association data show on Wednesday.

BP probe to spread blame for spill: report

HOUSTON (Reuters) – BP Plc’s internal probe of the deadly April 20 blowout that unleashed the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill will assign blame to BP as well as other companies involved in the well’s operations, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.

Asian shares slip as rising yen hits Nikkei

SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Asian stocks fell on Wednesday, with Japan’s big exporters among the heaviest losers as a rise in the yen to a new 15-year high threatens to erode their overseas earnings.

Japan’s intervention hints fail to stop yen rally

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s government sharpened its rhetoric on foreign exchange intervention on Wednesday as a rise in the yen to a 15-year high underlined concerns that the currency’s strength could threaten the economic recovery.

Foster’s knocks back $2.5 billion offer for wine unit

MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Foster’s Group Ltd , Australia’s largest brewer, said it rejected a private equity offer worth up to $2.5 billion for its wine unit as too cheap and would continue with the split of its beer and wine businesses.