In killing himself German billionaire Adolf Merckle has become the latest casualty of the global financial crisis, his family saying on Tuesday he was broken by the struggle to salvage their business empire.

The New York Times recapps some of the high and low points in advertising in 2009.

Shares in European automotive companies traded lower Thursday after Morgan Stanley revised down its ratings and price targets for most of them.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety designated 72 vehicles as winners of their top safety pick award. The award recognizes vehicles that do the best job of protecting motorists in front, side and rear crashes and have anti-rollover technology called Electronic Stability Control, or ESC.

The German government on Wednesday approved a stimulus package aimed at helping Europe's biggest economy weather the financial crisis, with measures including tax breaks on new cars and credit assistance for companies.

Wall Street went on a bargain-hunting bonanza, with a frenzy of activity in the final hour of trading, sending shares up 10 percent.

Investors went on a late-day buying spree, scooping up shares of beaten down stocks and sending the major indexes soaring 7-8 percent.

Volatility reigned again on Wall Street Tuesday as jittery investors had a hard time committing to the morning's early rally -- or to the subsequent paring of gains.

Stocks opened higher Tuesday after Monday's late selloff as international markets bounced back amid expectations of a U.S. rate cut.

Scarcity of Volkswagen stocks after Porsche bought up nearly all the remaining free float triggered a short squeeze that pushed VW's market capitalization above that of Exxon at some point Tuesday.

Stock index futures pointed to a substantial gain at the open Tuesday, following Monday's late selloff, as international markets rebounded and investors pondered the effect of an upcoming expected interest-rate cut.

Honda Motor posted a surprise 8 percent increase in quarterly net profit after it raised car prices and cut costs, helping it overcome a stronger yen, crumbling U.S. auto market and higher commodity prices.

Second-quarter operating profit at Volkswagen rose, the world's fourth-largest carmaker said on Wednesday, easily beating market expectations.

The European car market suffered another month of heavy declines in June and its fourth drop overall this year as rapidly deteriorating economic conditions kept new car buyers from leaving the house.