Greece's future in Europe's common currency was in doubt after a last-ditch effort to form a new government failed and the country's political turmoil sparked a dramatic increase in bank withdrawals.

China's leaders typically call on state-owned banks to make loans to rev up activity when the economy slows. But that tactic may not work this time.

U.S. home construction grew in April, and a separate report noted that industrial output rebounded last month, signs of stabilizing recovery.

The FTC said Skecherswill pay $50 million to settle charges that it deceived the public by making unfounded claims that its "toning shoes" would help tone muscles and lose weight.

General Electric is again able to take cash out of its hulking finance arm in the form of a $475 million quarterly dividend.

Peter Sands, Standard Chartered's group chief executive, is warning that more bank lending and more government spending is needed to boost the global economy.

Target Corp. raised its full-year earnings outlook as the "cheap chic" retailer reported that profit for the latest quarter edged up. Sales were stronger than expected, but costs related to its expansion in Canada held down the bottom line.

Hedge-fund manager Bill Ackman has been racking up shareholder support in his effort to install new board members and replace the management team at Canadian Pacific Railway.

Euro-zone inflation slowed too little in April to dispel concerns consumer prices will damage the region's growth prospects in coming months.

Spanish oil firm Repsol YPF said it had filed a lawsuit against Argentina in a court in New York after the country nationalized the company's local unit.

Staples' fiscal first-quarter earnings fell 5.6% as the office-supply company grappled with weaknesses in international operations, particularly Europe.

Deere's fiscal-second-quarter earnings rose 17% as the world's leading manufacturer of farm tractors and combines benefited from continued strength in the global farm economy.

Relational Investors, an activist shareholder firm, disclosed it has a $600 million stake in PepsiCo, a move that could step up pressure on the beverage and snack giant.

A shareholder rebellion over executive pay rippling through the U.K. is exposing fissures inside some of the nation's biggest firms.

Rebekah Brooks, the former head of News Corp.'s U.K. newspaper unit, and five others were charged with conspiring to obstruct justice, the first criminal charges in a tabloid probe.

Energy companies from China, South Korea and Japan, along with Shell, agreed to ship billions of dollars worth of Canadian liquefied natural gas to Asian markets.

J.C. Penney swung to a loss in its latest quarter on restructuring costs and a 20% drop in sales. Its shares fell sharply, as the retailer also suspended its dividend.

Cardinal Health agreed to settle with the Drug Enforcement Administration over the distribution of addictive pain pills in Florida.

Chinese online game and messaging company Tencent Holdings said its first-quarter net profit rose 2.8% from a year earlier, driven by higher revenue from online advertising and gaming.

EADS took a €158 million charge in the first quarter to fix wing cracks in its iconic A380 superjumbo, but the aerospace giant raised its projection for earnings for the full year on increased commercial jet production.

The Bank of England said that inflation in the U.K. will probably take longer to return to target than previously thought, while economic growth will be weaker.

A.P. Møller-Maersk poured cold water on the prospects for the global shipping industry in the second half of the year with an earnings outlook that fell well short of investors' expectations.