Business and Finance news

South Korea’s main opposition party said Wednesday it will not support a free trade deal with the United States unless a key sticking point is addressed, dimming prospects for a quick approval.
President Barack Obama signed off on the deal after congressional approval last month. But South Korea’s opposition lawmakers have refused to ratify the deal, […]

The Commerce Trust Co. has tapped David Krauss of The Stolar Partnership to oversee the bank’s wealth management services for ultra high-net worth individuals and families.
Krauss currently is a partner at The Stolar Partnership in downtown St. Louis and heads the law firm’s Stolar Family Office business unit, which provides investment oversight for high-net worth individuals.
Krauss will join Commerce in December as managing director of The […]

Higher fares helped Delta Air Lines post a bigger third-quarter profit even though fuel prices jumped and passenger traffic was flat.
But the company’s results missed Wall Street expectations and helped push down its stock price 2.3 percent in pre-market trading.
In the past, airlines struggled to make money in a weak economy or when fuel prices […]

U.S. stock futures are mixed after European leaders said they made progress on resolving the region’s debt problems at a weekend summit but delayed offering any details.
European leaders say they will unveil plans to help resolve the crisis by Wednesday. Worries about Europe’s debt problems have helped drag global stocks up and down over the […]

EU finance ministers neared agreement Saturday on forcing banks to raise just over euro100 billion ($140 billion) to make sure they have enough reserves to weather further losses on their Greek debt holdings and market turmoil, a European official said.
Finance ministers from the 17 nations that use the euro decided Friday that banks must take […]

Federal health officials said Wednesday more illnesses and possibly more deaths may be linked to an outbreak of listeria in cantaloupe in coming weeks.
So far, the outbreak has caused at least 72 illnesses _ including up to 16 deaths _ in 18 states, making it the deadliest food outbreak in the United States in more […]

Asian stocks enjoyed a vigorous rebound early Tuesday after a pledge by European officials to resolve the region’s debt problems helped soothe market sentiment.
Oil prices rose to nearly $82 per barrel while the dollar slipped against the euro and the yen.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 shot up 1.8 percent to 8,524.56. South Korea’s Kospi index jumped 4 […]

Investors in Asia dumped stocks Friday as weak economic indicators from major nations intensified fears of a new global recession, although a joint call to action by the Group of 20 nations helped calm markets in Europe.
Oil prices stabilized near $81 a barrel after diving to a near seven-week low on Thursday. The dollar was […]

Most personal finance commentators say you need an emergency fund to cushion you from unexpected events, such as losing your job or facing a big unforeseen expense.
For many years I resisted. As the father of two young children, and with a huge mortgage, I didn’t have much spare cash. It always made more sense to […]

The Obama administration was worried about the financial health of a troubled solar energy company even as officials publicly declared the company in good shape, newly released emails show.
An email from a White House budget official to a co-worker discussed the likely effect of a default by Solyndra Inc. on President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign.
“The […]