Oil And Protests: Putin's Double Trouble

U. S. crude-oil futures fall, as the market grapples with weak manufacturing-activity figures from China, an increase in U. S. oil supply and the signaling by the Federal Reserve that it may slow bond purchases this year.

Online retailer, which bills itself as the "Amazon of Southeast Asia," hopes to tap a market where online shopping has yet to gain traction. [Read more]

The overnight repo rate in China has just hit 25%, an indication the credit market is now frozen. This month, liquidity tightened considerably.  Two government bill auctions failed, and several banks defaulted on their interbank obligations.  Overnight rates in the last few weeks surged to about 15% but had fallen back, settling in at just north of 7%.  The 25% rate indicates credit is becoming unavailable.

Device makers based in Asia are not keen on Windows RT. That has become painfully clear. [Read more]

Powerful GM All of GM’s US brands ranked above average in J. D. Power & Associates’ Initial Quality Study, led by its GMC truck brand, which trailed only the Porsche sports-car line. FedEx fallFedEx’s fourth-quarter profit fell 45 percent as international customers traded down to less-expensive delivery options and