Business and Finance news

The official in charge of rescue efforts for the Costa Concordia says unregistered passengers might have been aboard the cruise liner when it struck a reef and capsized.
Civil protection chief Franco Gabrielli also told reporters Sunday that relatives of a Hungarian woman have told Italian authorities that she had telephoned them from aboard the ship […]

U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne said he sees some reason for optimism in Europe, while acknowledging that 2012 is set to be a challenging year.

Home sales and construction will improve this year, contributing

A national strike fueled by widespread dissent over spiraling gas prices paralyzed Nigeria on Monday, as tens of thousands of protesters took over the empty streets to criticize government corruption in one voice.
Protests remained largely peaceful across the country on the strike’s first day, though a police shooting in Lagos left one dead and four […]

SPREAD THE REGION: Sandy Weber, VP and district director with US Bank, has been elected to a one-year term as chairwoman of North County Inc., a regional development organization.
Weber succeeds Patty Gould, the Pattonville School District’s school and business partnership director, who was chair of the board for 2011.
In announcing Weber’s appointment, Gould said Weber […]

Yields on India

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 […]

+%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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