Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced a five-year spending plan with cuts to defense, international aid and government operations in a bid to be the first Group of Seven country to erase its deficit after the global financial crisis.

Originally posted here:
Canada’s Harper Targets Defense to Eliminate Deficit (Update1)

Canadian two-year interest-rate swaps widened to the most in almost two years versus similar- maturity U.S. contracts, bolstering the loonie, on speculation the Bank of Canada will raise rates before the Federal Reserve.

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Canada, U.S. Swap Spread Rises, Bolstering Currency (Update1)

Royal Bank of Canada, the country’s largest lender by assets, said first-quarter profit rose 35 percent as earnings from investment banking more than doubled and provisions for bad loans declined.

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Royal Bank of Canada Profit Rises on Capital Markets (Update3)

Canada’s economy expanded at a 5 percent annualized rate in the fourth quarter, faster than predicted by the Bank of Canada, raising pressure on policy makers to increase interest rates later this year.

Credit:
Canada’s Fourth-Quarter Economic Growth Is Fastest Since 2000

SINGAPORE (Reuters) – A tepid rally in Asian shares faltered early on Thursday and the dollar rose after Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke’s reaffirmation of an extended period of low U.S. rates boosted risk-seeking but also raised some concerns about global growth.

Continued here:
Asia stocks rally falters after Bernanke

PHILADELPHIA/NEW YORK (Reuters) – Coca-Cola Co is in talks to buy most of its largest bottler for roughly $15 billion, including debt, marking a shift in its strategy to keep its bottling operations separate, a person familiar with the situation said on Wednesday.

Credit:
Coca-Cola close to buying its largest bottler: source

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Toyota Motor Corp President Akio Toyoda apologized to lawmakers probing the automaker’s safety record but ended the day in tears, worried his message went lost in translation.

Excerpted from:
“Deeply sorry” Toyoda worries message was lost

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) – Coca-Cola Co is in talks to buy most of its largest bottler, marking a shift in its strategy to keep its bottling operations separate, a person familiar with the situation said.

Credit:
Coca-Cola close to buying NA bottling ops: source

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Reuters) – Morgan Stanley Chairman John Mack said on Wednesday he is disappointed that decisions coming from the Obama administration are being motivated by politics.

Original post:
Morgan Stanley’s Mack concerned about politics

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Coca-Cola Co is close to buying most of its largest bottler, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

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Coca Cola close to buying its largest bottler: report

Corrects paragraph 3 to show that National Broadband Plan will be released March 16, not March 17; changes headline for space consideration

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Corrected: U.S. may pay broadcasters for mobile spectrum

DETROIT (Reuters) – General Motors Co will wind down its iconic but tarnished Hummer brand after Chinese regulators rejected a $150 million bid by an obscure Chinese machinery maker to buy the money-losing SUV line.

Credit:
GM to shut down Hummer after China deal fizzles

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress on Wednesday a weak job market and tame inflation warrant low interest rates for “an extended period,” curbing speculation the central bank was moving closer to raising borrowing costs.

Excerpted from:
Grim outlook from Bernanke damps rate hike talk

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Toyota Motor Corp’s chief Akio Toyoda said he was taking personal responsibility for the company’s safety crisis and vowed to take customer complaints more seriously.

Toyoda faces critical lawmakers over safety flaws

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Securities regulators on Wednesday delayed plans to allow domestic companies to use international accounting standards because it will take businesses at least four years to switch to new rules.

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SEC delays plan to adopt IFRS