Despite the overall financial gloom, German engineering giant Siemens got off to a good start in the new year. The company reported an earnings increase Tuesday, Jan. 27, while expressing a bit of cautious optimism. Earnings for the first quarter climbed 7 percent from a year ago to 19.6...

John Thompson, outgoing chief executive of security company Symantec, is being considered for the post of secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce, according to a news wire report on Tuesday. “He (Thompson) is the leading candidate,” Reuters quoted an unidentified senior Democratic source as saying. “He is still...

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government agreed to implement a second economic stimulus package on Tuesday, Jan. 27. The program calls 50 billion euros ($66 billion) worth of investments, aid to businesses and tax breaks. The stimulus program, agreed to by Merkel’s Christian conservatives and Social Democratic Party earlier this month,...

Brand-new Chief Executive Carol Bartz deserves exactly zero blame or credit for the fourth-quarter financial results Yahoo will announce Tuesday afternoon, but the judgment of her abilities will begin in earnest when she bears the Internet pioneer’s tidings. That’s because Bartz so far has spent only 20 minutes on...

Some financial analysts believe that Europe might have reached its economic low point, with recovery on the way. But economists say they are waiting for some key statistics which will be released next week. The 16-member euro zone might still be in the grip of a severe economic slump,...