Industrials

German carmaker Volkswagen will keep its plants in Europe despite weak markets in the region that will require flexible manufacturing and could entail cuts to temporary staff, Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn said.

German carmaker Volkswagen will keep its plants in Europe despite weak markets in the region that will require flexible manufacturing and could entail cuts to temporary staff, Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn said.

Tyremaker Pirelli plans to offset weakening demand in Europe for its premium tyres by shipping tyres produced in Europe to emerging markets, where demand is growing, said an industry source on Sunday.

General Electric agreed to pay $40 million to settle a lawsuit accusing it of misleading investors about its health during the 2008 financial crisis.

3M’s earnings missed Wall Street estimates, as the diversified manufacturer posted a 0.4% increase in profit and less-than-expected sales growth. 

Proxy advisory firm Glass Lewis said Timken Co shareholders should vote for a non-binding proposal to break up the company's ball-bearings and steel businesses.

An odd thing happened on Monday when Caterpillar Inc , the world's largest maker of earth-moving equipment, posted disappointing profits and cut its full-year forecast, blaming weakness in the mining industry it bet on so heavily in recent years.

In an effort to step up its presence in the growing solar inverters market, the automation technology group purchased the renewable energy firm.

General Electric reported a 16% rise in first-quarter earnings on Friday as it sold more equipment for oil and gas drilling and shed its stake in NBC Universal.

Rockwell Collins Inc, a supplier of aircraft parts and systems, posted flat quarterly profit on Friday as sales fell on defense weakness.

A massive explosion at a fertilizer plant near Waco, Texas, killed an unknown number and leveled surrounding buildings, according to reports from the area.

Procter & Gamble Co is increasing the time it takes to pay for supplies and offering financing to help mitigate the impact a longer payment cycle could have on small and midsize businesses, the household products maker told suppliers earlier this month.

Procter & Gamble Co plans to increase the time it takes to pay its suppliers by as much as 30 days, which could free up to $2 billion in cash, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

China's Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday conditionally approved commodities trader Glencore's multi-billion dollar acquisition of miner Xstrata Plc .

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc is close to buying genetic testing equipment maker Life Technologies Corp for more than $12 billion, two people familiar with the matter said on Sunday.

Footwear maker Skechers USA Inc is the second company from which KPMG has resigned as auditor following insider trading in its stock by a senior partner of the accounting firm.

Carrefour expects to have a plan in place by 2014 to expand in Brazil and China, its second- and fifth-biggest markets by sales, the Financial Times quoted the French retailer's chief executive as saying.

German steelmaker ThyssenKrupp was surprised by the low value of bids for its Cia Siderurgica do Atlantico mill in Brazil and is seeking talks with bidders to raise the offer prices, the Agencia Estado news agency reported Saturday.

Codelco, the world's No.

Codelco, the world's No.