Business and Finance news

The largest solar project in the San Francisco and the third largest in the country is coming to a city rooftop near you.
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission authorized a new 5 megawatt solar power project that will grace the roofs of the newly retrofitted Sunset Reservoir and the Pier 96 which houses […]

Japan's bank lending accelerated for the fourth straight month in April as local companies increased exports and quickening inflation forced them to borrow more.
Loans excluding credit associations rose 1.3 percent from a year earlier, after growing 1.2 percent in March, the Bank of Japan said today. Bank lending has climbed for 27 months, […]

ML Macadamia Orchards reported a net loss of $264,000, or 4 cents per share, for the first quarter of 2008.
The Hilo-based company said the loss was a result of lower production, lower nut prices and higher cost of sales. In the same period last year, the company reported a net income of $346,000, […]

American International Group Inc. , the world's biggest insurer by assets, said it needs to raise $12.5 billion after two straight quarterly losses as pressure builds on Chief Executive Officer Martin Sullivan.
AIG fell 7 percent in German trading after the New York- based company reported a first-quarter net loss yesterday of $7.81 billion, […]

The University of Hawaii has named two finalists to succeed Peggy Cha as chancellor of Kauai Community College.
Cha will retire this fall after 10 years in the position.
The candidates are:

Helen Cox, associate vice president of instruction at Salt Lake Community College in Utah for the past five years. […]

Wal-Mart will sell 90-day prescriptions of about 350 generic treatments for $10, the nation's biggest retailer said Monday.
Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT), which has 30 stores in Oregon, said the plan is an expansion of its push to offer affordable drugs to consumers. The company's first move in that plan came in 2006, […]

The Dow closed up 47.88 at 13,057.88 on Friday.
The NASDAQ finished down 3.72 at 2,476.99.
The S&P 500 ended up 4.42 at 1,413.76.
Here's how some leading Colorado companies performed Friday:
Apartment Investment and Management Co. (NYSE: AIV) — up $1.05 at $39.25.
Ball Corp. (NYSE: BLL) — […]

A new special events venue beneath what's being described as a "mega tent" in downtown Denver will be built in time for the Democratic National Convention.
Developer Evan Makovsky owns the land where the tent will be erected and is leasing the space to Wright Group Event Services based in Denver.
Installation […]