Business

Monitoring Tools Help Cut Home Energy Use, Study Finds

Giving people the tools to monitor and adjust their electricity use lowers their bills and could reduce the need to build new power plants, according to a government study.

Fighting Inflation, China Freezes Energy Prices

Responding to growing public anxiety about inflation, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao announced that China would freeze prices of oil products, natural gas and electricity in the near term.

Taxpayer Advocate Urges ‘Apology Payments’

Taxpayers who endure excessive expense or drain on their time when the I.R.S. mishandles a case should receive payments of up to $1,000 each, the National Taxpayer Advocate told Congress.

Wall Street Ends Volatile Session Higher

Stocks rebounded in the final hour of a back-and-forth session as investors tried to look for bargains while contending with concerns about the economy and upcoming corporate results.

Apple Agrees to Cut iTunes Prices in Britain

Settling an antitrust case brought by European regulators, Apple agreed to align the prices on its iTunes digital music store in Britain with those in Continental Europe.

Alcoa Reports Rise in Quarterly Profit

The company reported net income for the fourth quarter of $632 million on restructuring moves and tax benefits, which more than offset lower aluminum prices.

Extrication Time at Bear Stearns

James E. Cayne ended his tumultuous 14-year run as chief executive of the battered Bear Stearns, passing the baton to Alan D. Schwartz.

• Times Topics: Bear Stearns Companies
• CNBC: Bear's New C.E.O. Speaks

Target President to Succeed Chief in May

In a long-expected move, the retailer announced that its chief executive, Bob Ulrich, would retire May 1 and be replaced by its president, Gregg Steinhafel.

E*Trade Rises on Modest Sales Loss

The online brokerage said that it sold $3 billion of mortgage-backed securities and municipal bonds, with a modest realized loss of $5 million.

MBIA Slashes Dividend to Preserve Ratings

The world’s largest bond insurer slashed its common stock dividend 62 percent as part of a plan to strengthen capital and preserve its “triple-A” credit ratings.

California Pension Fund Takes Big Stake in Silver Lake, at $275 Million

Silver Lake, the largest technology-focused private equity firm, announced a deal to sell a 9.9 percent stake to the California Public Employees’ Retirement System.

F.T.C. Asks if Carbon-Offset Money Is Well Spent

Corporations and shoppers in the United States spent more than $54 million in 2007 on carbon offset credits, but where exactly is that money going?

A Regulator Not Stymied by Red Tape

Warren Buffett’s new firm, Berkshire Hathaway Assurance Corporation, takes its first steps into the bond insurance market.

Citigroup Combining Mortgage Operations Into One Unit

Badly bruised by the sharp downturn in the housing market, Citigroup is bringing its mortgage-related activities under one roof.

Wireless Start-Up Fails to Get Financing

Failing to raise the $14 billion needed to bid in government auctions of wireless spectrum later this month, Frontline Wireless has left.

Trying to Be Heard Above the Din, and Be Trusted

A new JPMorgan Chase campaign aims to overcome cluttered airwaves, nervous customers and cuts in marketing budgets.