Industrials

Blackstone Group inked a deal on Wednesday to buy home automation provider Vivint for $2 billion.

Private-equity giant Carlyle Group continued its torrent buyout pace on Thursday, scooping up DuPont’s car paint business for $4.9 billion.

Isaac weakened to a tropical storm Wednesday afternoon and a gradual weakening is forecast during the next 48 hours as it continues to move farther inland, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said in its latest bulletin.

While Joy Global said there is evidence showing that both the U.S. and China markets have bottomed, the company said it anticipates a sluggish recovery.

Producer prices increased in July at the fastest pace in five months. The increase was driven by gains in consumer goods although falling energy prices pointed to muted inflation pressures. 

Business inventories rose despite sales at companies falling the most in over three years.

Tropical Storm Isaac strengthened to become a Category 1 hurricane with winds of 75 mph as it looks to strike New Orleans almost seven years after Hurricane Katrina.

Shares of the world's largest agricultural equipment maker are falling after the company reported weaker-than-expected earnings.

The pharmaceutical company now expects net earnings per share to range between $3.72 and $3.82.

The fertilizer producer reported a lower-than-expected profit, suffering falling demand after an aggressive spring planting season.

The cigarette manufacturer lowered its reported fiscal 2012 earnings forecast citing one-time charges related to a plan to buy back as much as $2 billion of its long-term debt.  

The automaker will employ a new manufacturing process to make transmissions at its Indiana plant that will save costs and be replicated in its other plants down the road.

In its first earnings report since returning to the public markets, Burger King Worldwide revealed a 60% leap in second-quarter profits as the fast-food chain enjoyed stronger same-store sales growth than archrival McDonald’s.

Harley-Davidson posts better-than-expected 30% increase in earnings and stronger sales but shares fall on demand concerns. 

Factory activity in the U.S. mid-Atlantic region shrank in August, though the pace of contraction eased.

Altria Group more than doubled its second-quarter profit on demand for smokeless tobacco and higher cigarette prices.

Hurt by a strong dollar and economic turmoil in Europe, the soda bottler said it narrowed second-quarter profit and sales.

Ingersoll Rand topped profit expectations in the second quarter but posted lower sales.

General Electric logged an 18% slide in second-quarter earnings, but the blue-chip conglomerate managed to narrowly surpass Wall Street’s expectations.

Profits at United Technologies inched up just 0.8% in the second quarter amid weaker-than-expected sales, prompting the blue-chip manufacturer to slash its full-year earnings guidance.