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AP Business NewsBrief at 8:44 a.m. EDT(Associated Press Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) American orders 460 new planes from Boeing, AirbusFORT WORTH, Texas (AP) _ American Airlines is buying at least 460 new planes over the next five years in what it calls the biggest airline order in history. And in a victory for Airbus, it's splitting the work between the European plane maker and Boeing. American said Wednesday it will buy 260 planes from Airbus and 200 from Boeing Co. It expects the new, better-mileage planes to provide much-needed savings on fuel costs. American's current fleet is among the least fuel-efficient in the industry. Kodak explores 'alternatives' for digital patentsROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) _ Eastman Kodak says it is examining its "strategic alternatives" for 1,100 patents on digital imaging, which could include a sale. Its shares rose almost 5 percent in premarket trading on the disclosure. The 131-year-old photography company's announcement Wednesday comes as it is suing Apple Inc. and Research In Motion Ltd., the maker of the BlackBerry phones, for infringement of some of those patents. Ecolab to agrees buy Nalco for about $5.4 billionST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) _ Cleaning and pest-control services company Ecolab Inc. is buying the water treatment company Nalco Holding Co. for about $5.4 billion in part to better position itself in the water management business. Nalco, based in Naperville, Ill., provides services to industrial, energy and institutional market customers. News Corp ends legal fees for hacking investigatorLONDON (AP) _ News Corp. says it has terminated legal payments to Glenn Mulcaire, the private investigator implicated in the phone hacking scandal roiling Britain's establishment. The termination of the payments Wednesday came one day after media baron Rupert Murdoch told lawmakers that he would try to find a way to stop the payments "provided it is not in breach of a legal contract." Stocks rally on upbeat US earnings, US debt hopesLONDON (AP) _ Global stocks rallied further Wednesday as a raft of positive U.S. earnings reports and signs of progress over raising the U.S. debt ceiling helped offset debt concerns afflicting Europe. Investor sentiment has been buoyed by better than expected earnings from the likes of Coca-Cola, IBM and Apple, all three considered bellwethers of the U.S. economy. Further earnings from the likes of Ebay, Intel and American Express will be of interest on Wednesday. Trying a new approach to primary care: preventionINDIANAPOLIS (AP) _ A budding model for primary care that encourages the family doctor to act as a health coach who focuses as much on preventing illness as on treating it has shown promising results and saved insurers millions of dollars. Growth in emergency room visits and hospital admissions slowed and prescription drug costs have been tamed with this approach, known in the industry as patient-centered medical homes, or just medical homes. Abbott Labs 2Q profit jumps on tax benefitWASHINGTON (AP) _ Drug and medical device maker Abbott Laboratories says its second-quarter profit jumped 48 percent on lower expenses and a one-time tax benefit. The North Chicago, Ill.-based company says total sales increased 9 percent to $9.62 billion, led by double-digit growth of drugs and nutritionals in emerging markets. Sales of the company's blockbuster inflammatory drug Humira continued to grow, increasing 25 percent to nearly $2 billion in the quarter. US stock futures up with a new batch of earningsNEW YORK (AP) _ Stock futures are heading higher a day after the Dow Jones industrial average posted its largest gains this year. Apple is up 5 percent in premarket trading Wednesday after the company's quarterly net income doubled. Sales of iPhones quadrupled in Asia, helping Apple trump analysts' earnings estimates. Oil rises above $98 after US crude supply dropSINGAPORE (AP) _ Oil prices rose to above $98 a barrel Wednesday in Asia after a report showed U.S. crude supplies dropped more than expected, a sign that demand may be improving. Benchmark oil for August delivery was up 99 cents to $98.49 a barrel at late afternoon Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Crude rose $1.57 to settle at $97.50 on Tuesday. United Technologies 2Q profit up 19 percentHARTFORD, Conn. (AP) _ United Technologies Corp. posted a 19 percent jump in its second-quarter profit on Wednesday, citing strong orders for its heating and cooling building systems and exports that got a lift from a weaker dollar. The results from the Hartford company that owns Carrier heating and cooling, Otis elevator, jet engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney and other businesses beat Wall Street estimates. (c) 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |