WSJ.com: What's News US
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1 in 4 Borrowers Under Water
The proportion of U.S. homeowners who owe more on their mortgages than the properties are worth has swelled to about 23%.
Mad Rush as Gold Bugs Get the Boot
HSBC has told retail clients to remove their small holdings of gold from its New York vault so the bank can make room for more lucrative institutional customers.
AIG's Rescue Bedevils U.S.
Some federal officials are pressing the U.S. pay czar to ease up on AIG compensation curbs for 2010, arguing that the firm and taxpayers would suffer if they are too severe.
Heir to Gucci Empire Reveals Plan
François-Henri Pinault, PPR's chief executive, is stripping the company of its once-core French retail business in order to focus entirely on global consumer and luxury brands.
Early Spending Suggests Hot Season for Electronics
Consumers are generally cautious heading into the critical holiday shopping season, with preseason trends suggesting that electronics sales may be solid while sales of apparel, particularly women's styles, could get pummeled.
H-P Profit Rises on Cost Cutting
Hewlett-Packard's quarterly profit rose 14% as cost cutting boosted profit margins in its services business and offset lower sales in its computer and printer divisions.
Icahn Places Starting Bid for Fontainebleau
Carl Icahn outbid Penn National Gaming to place a starting bid of $155 million for the Fontainebleau, the stalled Las Vegas hotel-and-casino project whose construction is expected to cost nearly $3.5 billion.
JAL Slumps; Resources Gain
Asian stock markets were mixed Tuesday with the Nikkei down 0.5% as Japan Airlines slumped and resource shares higher on recent gains in commodity prices.
Fitch Cuts Mexico's Rating
Fitch Ratings lowered its rating on Mexico's debt, in another blow for a country pummeled by falling oil production, a recession and drug violence.
Playboy Strips Away Expenses
Playboy magazine reached a deal to outsource most of its business tasks to American Media Inc., publisher of Star and Men's Fitness, in order to conserve dwindling cash.
OECD Exits Recession Amid Warnings
The world's developed economies emerged from recession in the third quarter, but IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn said further stimulus is needed before governments can let down their guard.
EU to Coordinate Opel Spending Plans
EU governments agreed to hold off striking individual deals with GM for aid to its Opel unit and instead coordinate their spending plans.
Banks Scramble as Debt Comes Due
Banks that have spent the past year dealing with a mountain of bad assets now face the prospect of refinancing, at sharply higher costs, trillions of dollars of debt maturing over the next few years.
MAN's Chief Executive Resigns
MAN SE's chief executive, Hakan Samuelsson, unexpectedly resigned his post at the European truck maker, effective immediately.
Lehman to Try to Thaw $11 Billion in Assets in U.K.
Lehman's bankruptcy estate in the U.K. is set to launch a proposal to hedge-fund creditors aimed at unfreezing about $11 billion in assets.
China Banks Warned on Capital
China's banking regulator told banks to comply with capital requirements or face sanctions, the latest signal that Beijing is worried about risks in the financial system.
Existing-Home Sales Jump 10.1%
Home resales jumped 10.1% in October, rising far more than expected as a fat tax credit offset fears about joblessness.
Campbell Soup Net Rises 17%
Campbell Soup's earnings rose 17% as margins improved. The company raised its forecast and said soup sales began rising as the quarter closed.
Peet's Coffee Raises Offer for Diedrich
Peet's and Green Mountain Coffee are in a bidding war for Diedrich Coffee, highlighting the sudden popularity of single-serve coffee pods.
Lloyds Raises $14 Billion
Lloyds said it had raised $14 billion in new debt, a major step in a recapitalization aimed at freeing the U.K. bank from government support.
J.P. Morgan Appoints China Chief
J.P. Morgan said it has appointed Linklaters LLP's Asia managing partner Zili Shao as its new China chairman and chief executive.
1 in 4 Borrowers Under Water
The proportion of U.S. homeowners who owe more on their mortgages than the properties are worth has swelled to about 23%.
For Jobs, Bring R ésum é, Bowling Shoes
The Unemployment League, a weekly job fair held at a Michigan bowling alley, is a bid to lift the prospects of residents in a state leveled by the downturn.
