However, Merrill Lynch will not sell a portion of its stake in BlackRock, people briefed on the matter said.

The parent of the KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut chains posted a larger quarterly profit on strong China growth and raised its full-year forecast to match analysts’ target.

A Harvard study claims the tobacco industry in recent years has manipulated menthol levels to hook youngsters.

The business services company reported second-quarter net income of $46.9 million, beating market estimates, lifted by a 31 percent jump in its loyalty services segment.

A new Harvard study claims that the tobacco industry in recent years has manipulated menthol levels in cigarettes to hook youngsters and maintain loyalty among smoking adults.

Fears that a U.S. economic slowdown could lead to lower energy consumption pushed oil down for a second day and the Dow gained more than 270 points.

The company said revenue climbed 20 percent, to $2.20 billion, from the same period a year ago, fueled primarily by growth in advertising and the payment service PayPal.

McDonalds is sponsoring a song-contest using the jingle on MySpace. The official reason is the 40th anniversary of the Big Mac, but the then-and-now similarities are not entirely lost on the company.

Ms. Elsenhans, 52, previously served as executive vice president of global manufacturing at Shell Downstream, a unit of Royal Dutch Shell. She succeeds John Drosdick, who is retiring.

The two-day decline might signal a break in the oil price rally that began more than six years ago, although it remains unclear how far prices will fall or whether the respite is temporary.