After official figures showed that US business productivity has increased at its highest rate for six years, US shares have also increased strongly.   Productivity, as measured by output per hour of work, rose at an annual rate of 9.5 percent between July and September, and the data suggests that firms, which have cut jobs in the downturn, are now increasing their output, leading to a possible need for more staff.

New car sales recorded their biggest increase for the year in October, helped by the scrappage incentive scheme.
 

US media firm Time Warner posted higher-than-expected quarterly profit and has raised its full-year profit forecast after an improved performance at its film and cable network units.

For the first time since the 1950s, Marks and Spencer has confirmed it will start selling branded goods at its stores across the UK.
 

General Motors (GM) has announced plans to cancel the sale of a majority stake in its European car business Opel, including its UK brand Vauxhall, to Canadian auto-parts maker Magna International, Inc. ┬á The US car makerÔÇÖs decision to sell its main European business was made after it was forced to announce a group-wide loss of $30.9 billion for 2008, after its sales took a turn for the worst in the global recession.

General Motors (GM) has announced plans to cancel the sale of a majority stake in its European car business Opel, including its UK brand Vauxhall, to Canadian auto-parts maker Magna International, Inc.
 

General Motors (GM) has announced plans to cancel the sale of a majority stake in its European car business Opel, including its UK brand Vauxhall, to Canadian auto-parts maker Magna International, Inc.
 

General Motors (GM) has announced plans to cancel the sale of a majority stake in its European car business Opel, including its UK brand Vauxhall, to Canadian auto-parts maker Magna International, Inc.
 

Two leading tool and equipment makers, Stanley Works and Black & Decker, announced on Monday that they had agreed to merge in an all-stock transaction valued at about $4.5 billion.  Stanley is a diversified industrial company that sells hand tools and construction equipment, while Black & Decker is known for its power tools, and the combination would merge two companies whose product lines appear to go well together.  "Our lines complement each other," Black & Decker chief executive Nolan Archibald said in an interview.

German car manufacturer BMW, the worldÔÇÖs largest maker of luxury cars, has suffered a 74 per cent decline in third quarter profits after the recession hit demand for higher priced vehicles.