WSJ.com: US Business


    Hershey Trustees Back Cadbury Bid
    The trust that controls Hershey is pushing it to launch a rival $17 billion bid for Cadbury that would include more cash than Kraft's offer.

    AIG Trustee Sought Exit, But Will Remain
    One of the three trustees who oversees U.S. taxpayers' nearly 80% stake in AIG recently said he wanted to quit his post, but was persuaded to stay on. Separately, the government is seeking possible candidates to add to the insurer's board.

    SkyTeam Willing to Invest More in JAL
    Richard Anderson, chief executive at Delta Air Lines, said the SkyTeam alliance of global carriers would be willing to invest more than $1.02 billion into ailing Japan Airlines as it tries to cement a trans-Pacific partnership.

    Reliance Makes Offer for LyondellBasell
    India's Reliance Industries made a nonbinding cash offer to take a controlling state in chemical maker LyondellBasell. The amount of the offer wasn't disclosed.

    Ohio AG Sues Credit Raters
    Ohio's attorney general filed suit against ratings agencies Standard Poor's, Moody's and Fitch, alleging they provided misleading ratings in exchange for money.

    TD, Lawyer Sued in Ponzi Case
    Investors contend a high-profile Florida attorney orchestrated a claim-sharing fraud with the help of TD bank's U.S. unit and several accomplices.

    Lewis to Consider Postponing Retirement
    BofA CEO Kenneth Lewis said he would consider postponing his retirement if directors need more time to find a successor or smooth the transition to the next CEO.

    Dividend Payers Return to the Fore
    Stocks with payouts had been trailing their yield-free rivals for most of the year, but are now pulling ahead. And the trend may last.

    Regulators Close Florida Bank
    Florida regulators closed Commerce Bank of Southwest Florida in the 124th U.S. bank failure.

    Morgan Unloads Crescent
    Morgan Stanley closed the book on its disastrous $6.5 billion acquisition of Crescent Real Estate Equities by handing the keys to lender Barclays.

    Weak Power Demand Dims Outlook
    Electricity sales remained weak in the third quarter, prompting speculation that the sluggishness could persist even after the U.S. economy rebounds.

    U.S. and India Hone Nuclear Pact
    India and the U.S. are pushing to tie up details of a nuclear-energy cooperation agreement approved by their legislatures last year, ahead of Prime Minister Singh's visit to the White House.

    Valero Will Close Delaware Refinery
    Valero Energy said it plans to close its Delaware refinery after failing to find a buyer for the facility at a time when refiners are contending with weak demand.

    Exxon Renews Leases in Nigeria
    Exxon ended months of negotiations with Nigeria by renewing three oil leases for fields the company operates in the country.

    Invesco PowerShares CEO Steps Aside
    Bruce Bond is stepping down as chief executive of exchange-traded fund provider Invesco PowerShares Capital Management.

    IPOs: Archipelago, 7 Days Gain
    The IPOs of U.S. online education company Archipelago Learning and Chinese hotel chain 7 Days Group attracted investors, while coal miner Cloud Peak and defense-technology firm Global Defense Technology & Systems didn't.

    Nook's Christmas Deadline Passes
    Barnes & Noble on Friday said customers who order its Nook electronic-book reader now won't get it until the week of Jan. 4.

    UPS to Raise Rates by 4.9%
    UPS said it will raise rates an average of 4.9% for packages shipping by ground and air, including packages sent overseas.

    J.P. Morgan Drops Arbitration Clauses
    J.P. Morgan Chase agreed to drop arbitration clauses from its credit-card agreements as it reached a tentative settlement of a lawsuit over cardholder disputes.

    AnnTaylor Swings to Profit
    AnnTaylor Stores swung to a third-quarter profit amid lower restructuring expenses and higher margins, even as revenue fell 12%.

    P&G Open to Deal Making
    P&G said it is open to deal making, but emphasized that acquisitions aren't a core part of its strategy and that it doesn't pursue hostile acquisitions.

    Fair Isaac Loses Antitrust Suit
    A federal jury ruled for the defendants in Fair Isaac's lawsuit accusing credit-scoring firm VantageScore and credit-reporting agencies Experian and TransUnion of trademark infringement and unfair competition.

    Boeing Breaks Ground on Plant
    Boeing on Friday broke ground in North Charleston, S.C., on a second assembly facility for its long-delayed 787 Dreamliner.

    Chrysler Offers Incentives On 2010 Models
    Chrysler will offer 0% financing or as much as $4,000 cash back on its 2010 vehicles in an effort to rejuvenate its sales.

    J.M. Smucker Profit Nearly Triples
    J.M. Smucker's earnings soared amid the addition of the Folgers coffee brand, while lower commodities prices boosted margins at its other businesses.

    Mohegan's Profit Slides
    The Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority's profit fell 24% as gambling revenue slid again.

    China Orders Bank to Curb Lending
    Regulatory memo says restrictions "are political requirements and are not negotiable" and come amid worry about asset bubbles and bank risk.

    D.R. Horton's Loss Narrows
    Home builder D.R. Horton posted a narrower loss amid year-earlier write-downs. Orders jumped 26%, but the company signaled caution on the strength of the industry.

    VW Board Clears Tie-Up Details
    The German auto maker said its supervisory board cleared the way for the planned integration of Porsche by approving contracts determining details of the complex tie-up.

    John Paulson Bets on Gold
    John Paulson, who scored about $20 billion of profits wagering against the housing market and financial companies, is launching a fund dedicated to bullion-related investments.