Business and Finance news

The U.K. is home to this year

Asian stock markets were mostly lower Thursday amid new signs of pressure on Europe’s banking system and a downturn on Wall Street.
Benchmark oil lingered above $99 per barrel while the dollar rose against the euro but fell against the yen.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 index fell 0.7 percent to 8,367.73. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index was 0.9 […]

Japan is poised to unveil a currency-swap line with India in its second international financial agreement with top Asian powers this week.
Finance Minister Jun Azumi told reporters today in Tokyo that Japan is negotiating an agreement with India, the third- largest economy in Asia behind China and Japan. The deal is likely to be […]

Sears Holdings says its hasn’t yet determined which 100 to 120 Kmart and Sears stores it will close after a disappointing holiday sales season.
The company, which has 4,000 stores in the U.S. and Canada, announced today that it would close this number of stores after same-store sales have dropped 5.2 percent so far this quarter.
For […]

Yemen’s outgoing president said Saturday he would leave the country for the United States to help calm tensions in his country as forces commanded by his son and nephew opened fire on more than 100,000 protesters marching into the capital, killing at least nine.
The protesters had marched on foot for four days from the city […]

+%3Cp%3E+Who+says+American+salaries+are+stagnating.%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3EAfter+two+years+of+lower+pay+packages%2C+chief+executives+at+the+nation%27s+major+companies+enjoyed+a+36.5%25+jump+in+pay+last+year%2C+according+to+a+leading+survey+of+CEO+compensation.%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3E%3Cp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3E%3Cp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3EThe+average+pay+hike+is+for+the+top+executive+at+each+of+the+Standard+%26amp%3B+Poor+500+companies%2C+according+to+GMI%2C+the+research+group+formerly+known+as+the+Corporate+Library.+A+broader+survey+of+CEO+pay+at+3%2C000+companies+posted+an+average+27%25+increase.%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3EPaul+Hodgson%2C+senior+research+associate+at+GMI%2C+said+the+sharp+rise+in+pay+was+out+of+line+with+the+relatively+modest+improvement+that+companies+typically+achieved+in+profits+or+share+price+during+2010.%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3EThe+most+lucrative+sector+for+CEO+pay+was+health+care%2C+which+included+three+of+the+nine+top-paid+executives%2C+including+the+two+most+lucrative+packages%3A+%3C%2Fp%3E%24145+million+for+John+Hammergen+of+McKesson+Corp.+%28%2C+Fortune+500%29%2C+which+distributes+drugs+and+health+and+beauty+care+products+to+pharmacies%3B+and%2498+million+for+Joel+Gemunder%2C+who+retired+in+July+2010+as+CEO+of+Omnicare+%28%2C+Fortune+500%29%2C+which+provides+drugs+to+nursing+homes+and+other+long-term+care+facilities.Top+paid+CEOs%3Cp%3EBoth+companies%2C+in+public+filings%2C+actually+reported+lower+pay+packages+for+the+two+executives.+McKesson+listed+Hammergen%27s+total+compensation+package+as+%2446.1+million+for+the+most+recent+fiscal+year%2C+while+Omnicare+listed+Gemunder%27s+pay+package+at+%2432.8+million.+Neither+company+returned+calls+seeking+comment.%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3EBut+GMI%27s+analysis+adds+up+total+%26quot%3Brealized+pay%26quot%3B+–+which+includes+not+just+salary%2C+bonus+and+the+estimated+value+of+stock+options+granted%2C+but+also+the+value+of+profits+from+exercising+those+options+and+pension+payments.+Those+items+are+not+typically+included+in+the+reports+companies+file+with+the+Securities+and+Exchange+Commission.+%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3E+%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3EGMI+also+said+Hammergen+exercised+more+than+3.3+million+stock+options+during+the+year%2C+netting+him+%24112+million.+His+retirement+benefits+also+grew+in+value+by+%2413.5+million.+And%2C+GMI+added%2C+his+severance+package+would+be+worth+%24469+million+if+he+were+fired.%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3EGemunder+also+benefited+from+a+large+exit+package+that+wasn%27t+included+in+the+company%27s+listing%2C+as+did+two+of+the+other+executives+who+made+GMI%27s+top+10+list.%26nbsp%3B+%3C%2Fp%3E++%3Cp%3E%3Ca+href%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fmoney.cnn.com%2F2011%2F12%2F15%2Fnews%2Fcompanies%2Fceo_pay%2Findex.htm%27+rel%3D%27nofollow%27%3ESource%3C%2Fa%3E%3C%2Fp%3E+

Marcellus Shale natural gas production is expected to keep rising in 2012, yet landowners may find that signing lease deals isn’t as easy as in years past.
Though still in its early stages, industry experts say that the business of Marcellus Shale gas drilling is starting to change, as new forces emerge.
Among them: lawmakers putting regulations […]

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