Cisco Systems, the largest maker of networking equipment, reported that its net income in the fourth quarter rose 4.4 percent, to $2 billion, from a year ago.

The producer Nigel Lythgoe is leaving “American Idol” to concentrate on another Fox reality series and a new joint venture with Simon Fuller, the creator of “Idol.”

Bertelsmann will sell its 50-percent stake in Sony BMG to Sony, the companies announced, giving the Japanese company full ownership of the joint venture.

The new count, while more negative for Yahoo directors, will not change the outcome of the board election.

In what would be one of the biggest mining deals in Russia this year, the metals tycoon Mikhail D. Prokhorov announced that he would sell 16.6 percent of Norilsk Nickel to Vladimir O. Potanin.

Policymakers seemed to give less importance to the inflationary risks of keeping rates low than they had at their meeting on June 25.

With jobs leaking from the economy month after month, policymakers decided to keep the key interest rate they control at its current level, 2 percent.

The drop in oil prices fanned optimism that the crisis in commodities has eased and sent stocks higher.

Authorities said the scheme was spearheaded by a Miami man who hacked into the computer systems of retailers including TJX, BJ’s Wholesale Club , OfficeMax, Boston Market and Barnes & Noble.

The drop in oil prices fanned optimism that the crisis in commodities has eased and sent stocks higher, shortly before the Fed weighs in on the economic outlook.