St Louis

NEW YORK, April 5- U.S. The jobs news when combined with weaker global equity markets, the Bank of Japan's recently announced monetary stimulus program, and escalating tension in the Korean peninsula encouraged investors to buy bonds, pushing yields lower. "

ST. LOUIS-- Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander announced action Thursday against a financial management company connected to the failed Mamtek artificial sweetener plant in mid- Missouri. Kander filed a cease-and-desist order against Morgan Keegan& Co. Inc., which was the underwriter for bonds for the Mamtek project at Moberly.

Panera Bread Co. shares rose Thursday after a Goldman Sachs analyst upgraded his rating on the restaurant chain's stock based on improving consumer demand. THE SPARK: Analyst Michael Kelter said that based on his firm's survey, consumers are more optimistic and willing to spend, especially those in high-income households.

NEW YORK-- A Raymond James analyst upgraded four restaurant chains Wednesday, citing falling prices for ingredients and a return to more normal consumer demand levels in recent weeks after a weak February. Analyst Bryan Elliott upgraded Brinker International, which owns Chili's, to "Outperform" from "Market Perform."

FULTON, Mo.-- Three employees have been injured during an accident at an Ameren Corp. nuclear plant in central Missouri. St. Louis- based Ameren said the incident did not affect operations of the nuclear plant. Ameren said it was not providing details about the status of the three injured workers out of respect for their privacy.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.-- With Kansas as the reference point, Missouri business groups urged lawmakers to cut income taxes Tuesday while education officials expressed fears that reduced revenues could result in school funding cuts.

ST. LOUIS-- Zoltek Cos. Inc. said Tuesday that it has hired J.P. Morgan Securities LLC to help the company evaluate its strategic alternatives. Zoltek has been under pressure from shareholders to make changes. Zoltek refused such a meeting.

CHARLESTON, W.Va.-- United Mine Workers of America President Cecil Roberts was among 16 people arrested Monday in the latest demonstration about bankrupt Patriot Coal's plan to eliminate health care benefits for 23,000 current and retired miners and their families. Earl Ray Tomlin and AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.-- A trio of measures that could reduce taxes for some businesses won approval Wednesday in the Missouri House, as lawmakers continued pushing to keep pace with recent tax breaks in Kansas and other neighboring states. One of the bills would cut income taxes for thousands of corporations in Missouri.

TORONTO, March 27- Canada's main stock index was little changed on Wednesday, with declines in bank stocks partly offset by a jump in gold miners, as weak economic data from the euro zone and worries about the Cyprus bailout dragged on investor sentiment.

STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga.- Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke speaks before a dinner at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta Financial Markets Conference, 1915 EDT/ 2315 GMT.

*DuPont gains broad licensing of Monsanto technology. *Deal throws out $1 bln court verdict DuPont owed Monsanto. *DuPont shares fall, Monsanto's rise on news.

*DuPont gains broad licensing of Monsanto technology. *Deal throws out $1 bln court verdict DuPont owed Monsanto. *DuPont shares down 0.6 percent; Monsanto up 3.8 percent.

Traditional phone providers such as AT&T argue the requirement is outdated and unfair, burdening them as they compete with wireless and cable companies that offer phone service but lack the same regulation.

*Deal throws out $1 billion court verdict DuPont owed Monsanto. *Shares of DuPont dip; Monsanto up 1.5 percent. March 26- Monsanto Co and DuPont have settled a bitter legal battle over rights to technology for genetically modified seeds and will drop antitrust and patent lawsuits against each other in U.S. federal court, the companies said on Tuesday.

STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga.- Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke speaks before a dinner at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta Financial Markets Conference, 1915 EDT/ 2315 GMT.

*Deal throws out $1 billion court verdict DuPont owed Monsanto. *DuPont shares down 0.9 percent; Monsanto up 3.7 percent.

The storm was part of the same system that blanketed parts of Colorado and northwest Kansas with heavy snowfall on Saturday, said Ariel Cohen, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

The weather system forced the cancellations of more than 100 flights in and out of Denver International Airport on Saturday and blowing and drifting snow closed several roads in Colorado, including Interstate 70 in both directions east of Denver to the Kansas state line.