Latest Business Wires

The Spanish-based oil company Repsol YPF has started drilling its first well in Caribbean waters off the South American nation of Guyana.

Shares of some top utilities companies were up at the close of trading:

A look at the 10 biggest percentage decliners on New York Stock Exchange at the close of trading:

Shares of some top oil companies were down at the close of trading:

Shares of some top coal companies were up at the close of trading:

State governor Henrique Capriles leads polls to win an opposition primary in Venezuela on Sunday and face President Hugo Chavez in the October presidential election.

Venezuela's opposition supporters vote on Sunday in a primary vote seen backing Henrique Capriles, governor of the country's second-most populated state, to face socialist President Hugo Chavez in the October presidential election.

Shares of some top oil companies are down at 1 p.m.:

Shares of some top utilities companies are mixed at 1 p.m.:

Shares of some top coal companies are up at 1 p.m.:

Lufkin Industries Inc. said Thursday that its fourth-quarter profit rose 42 percent on strong demand for its oilfield pumping units and automation products.

Noble Energy lost $296 million in the fourth quarter, due to a severe decline in the price of natural gas.

Gov. Tom Corbett is expected to sign a sweeping bill that could force Pennsylvania's booming natural gas industry to help pay for a wide range of state and local government programs, toughen safety standards and limit the ability of local officials to keep drilling out of their towns.

Shares of some top oil companies are mixed at 10 a.m.:

Shares of some top utilities companies are down at 10 a.m.:

Shares of some top coal companies are up at 10 a.m.:

President Bashar al-Assad still has support from Syria's middle class and the opposition is fragmented, raising the risk of a slide into full-scale civil war that inflames the region, Turkey's ambassador to the European Union has warned.

Iran's seaborne trade is withering as sanctions are stepped up against the Islamic Republic, freezing bank finance and deterring many international trade and shipping companies from getting involved in deals, industry sources say.

Greece will aim to raise 19 billion euros from state asset sales by 2015 to pay down its debt, instead of a previous 50 billion euro target, an official at the country's privatizations agency told Reuters on Thursday.

Singaporean firms have stopped supplying Iran with Indonesian palm oil on concerns over the country's ability to make payments in the wake of Western sanctions, trading sources in Singapore said on Thursday.