Greek Parliament to vote on debt writedown deal

Greek lawmakers are debating emergency legislation to approve a massive bond swap that would shave euro107 billion ($142 billion) off the country’s privately held debt.
Parliament will vote late Thursday on the proposed deal, which has already been approved at committee level. The governing coalition controls a strong enough majority to easily pass the law.
The writedown […]

Air Canada pilots provide overwhelming strike vote but won

With the Air Canada Pilots Association expected to release the results of its strike vote later Tuesday, Labour Minister Lisa Raitt is offering to appoint another mediator to avoid any disruptions to airline travel.
Late Monday night, just 20 minutes before the legal strike or lockout deadline passed, Raitt issued a news release to say she […]

As Facebook IPO nears, the case for dull stocks

Investors thinking of buying a piece of Facebook after it goes public are hoping it will perform like Google, whose stock has risen 500 percent since its debut seven and a half years ago.
But they may want to spare a thought for companies slightly less exciting _ a truck leasing company, perhaps, or a manufacturer […]

China

China

Former Bush chief of staff joins Emerson board

For much of the 2000’s, Josh Bolten helped steer the country. Now he’ll help steer Emerson.
The Ferguson-based manufacturer said Wednesday that Bolten, who held several top posts in the George W. Bush administration, has joined its board of directors. He was White House chief of staff from 2006 until 2009, director of the Office of […]

FTC opposed to Express Scripts-Medco deal, Reuters reports

Key officials at the Federal Trade Commission are gathering evidence in an effort to halt Express Scripts’ planned acquisition of rival Medco Health Solutions, Reuters reported today.
The deal between the two major pharmacy benefit managers , which was announced in July, still needs approval from Federal Trade Commission, which handles antitrust inquiries for that industry.
Reuters, […]

Asian stocks extend global rally on economy hopes

Asian stocks extended a global rally Thursday amid investor optimism that the U.S. economy may grow more than previously expected this year.
Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 rose 0.8 percent to 8,881.27 while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 1.2 percent to 20,585.44 and Seoul’s Kospi added 1.4 percent to 1,985.82.
Signs of an improving U.S. economy have helped bolster […]

Stocks headed for best January since 1997

The stock market appeared headed Tuesday for its best January finish since 1997. Stocks climbed because of hopes that Greece was finally close to resolving its debt problem, then lost ground after an unexpected drop in consumer confidence.
The Dow Jones industrial average was down two points at 12,652 just before 10:30 a.m. EST. The Standard […]

Spain

Economy Minister Luis de Guindos said Spain is sticking to its deficit goal even as the economy shrinks, underlining a rift in the month-old Cabinet over whether the nation can halve its shortfall during a recession.
De Guindos said the government

Fed

Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond President Jeffrey Lacker said the U.S. economy will expand at a