MONEY (MSM)

U.S., Alaska end quest for damages against Exxon over 1989 spill

U.S. and Alaskan authorities have ended their efforts to seek additional damages from Exxon Mobil Corp over the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill and the subsequent settlement, the Department of Justice said on Thursday. Alaska Attorney General Craig Richards said in the statement that although officials were not pursuing the additional damages, authorities will consider alternatives for dealing with lingering oil sites.

Goldman profit plunges as market turmoil hits bond trading

Revenue fell in all of the bank’s major businesses except investment banking, which benefited from a surge in takeovers.The results are the latest example of how the grim trading environment is gutting Wall Street. “We experienced lower levels of activity and declining asset prices during the quarter, reflecting renewed concerns about global economic growth,” Chief Executive Lloyd Blankfein said in a statement on Thursday. Goldman, which released its results through

Wal-Mart shares dive 10 percent on forecast of flat full-year sales

“We can deliver stronger financial performance in the short-term simply by running our core business better but that won’t be enough,” Chief Executive Doug McMillon said at an investor meeting in New York. Wal-Mart had previously forecast net sales growth of 1-2 percent for the current year ending January. The company also said it now expected earnings per share to decline by 6-12 percent next fiscal year.

Weak U.S. retail sales, inflation data cast doubt on rate hike

U.S. retail sales barely rose in September and producer prices recorded their biggest decline in eight years, raising further doubts about whether the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates this year. “The softness of September’s figures supports our view that the Fed probably isn’t going to hike interest rates until early next year,” said Paul Ashworth, chief U.S. economist at Capital Economics in Toronto. The Commerce Department said retail sales