Unilever PLC said Tuesday it has signed a deal to sell its Bertolli olive oil and vinegar business to Spain's Grupo SOS for 630 million euros ($999 million).

Ben & Jerry's has done it again: Hoping to honor rocker Elton John before his first-ever Vermont performance, Vermont's crazy-cool confectioner has whipped up a flavor just for him — "Goodbye Yellow Brickle Road."

Telecommunications, consumer goods, banking and the drinks business have quarterly earnings in common, as a flurry of companies, such as Deutsche Telekom, Unilever, UniCredit and Diageo all reported results Thursday.

It was a week to rattle the nerves of even the most unshakable investor, with another wave of credit concerns, indecisive retail sales results, and sobering employment numbers. 

Unilever beat analysts’ forecasts with a 6.1 percent rise in its fourth-quarter sales Thursday.