Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said Wednesday it will review its ratings for gourmet coffee chain Starbucks Corp. for a possible downgrade.

Shares of Starbucks Corp. rose in premarket trading Wednesday, but analysts said the company's plan to close 600 stores, while a step in the right direction, will not cancel out the problems posed by a weak U.S. economy.

By Lisa Baertlein

Starbucks Corp <SBUX.O> said on Tuesday it plans to close 600 underperforming U.S. stores and cut up to 12,000 full- and part-time positions, as it copes with an economic downturn and increasing competition.

Some high-profile supporters of former White House chief of staff Andrew Card want him to be the next president of the University of South Carolina, but Card is keeping quiet about his aspirations.

Manitowoc Inc <MTW.N> said on Monday it had beat out Illinois Tool Works Inc <ITW.N> (ITW) in the official auction for British kitchen equipment maker Enodis Plc <ENO.L>.

A $2.1 billion bid by Manitowoc Company Inc. for Enodis PLC was endorsed by the British cooking equipment supplier Tuesday, ending a takeover fight with Illinois Tool Works.

A trade group representing major U.S. advertisers spent $250,000 in the first quarter lobbying on legislation and regulations affecting the industry, according to a recent disclosure form.

After watching its bigger rival McDonald's try to woo mothers and grab a share of the family budget, Burger King is launching a new marketing and promotional campaign targeted to moms.

After watching its bigger rival McDonald's Corp. try to woo mom, Burger King Corp. is launching a new marketing and promotional campaign Monday meant to grab her attention.

The Cleveland Clinic, highly regarded for its cardiac care, doesn't hire smokers or allow trans-fats on its menus, and now it's joining with a nationally known weight control program to help its employees shape up and slim down.

As oil hit a staggering high of $142 a barrel, and stocks flirt with a bear market, CNBC visited the Chicago Mercantile Exchange to discuss the overall economic picture and the state of U.S. business.

GM's shares  have plummeted to less than $12, the lowest level since 1955. That means the  world's largest auto maker has a stock market value of only about $7 billion.

Chemicals company Huntsman Corp. said Monday it is seeking more than $3 billion in damages in a lawsuit that claims a private equity group and its partners never intended to honor a $6.5 billion buyout deal.

Mainstream advertisers normally gravitate toward wholesome characters from mainstream shows that steer clear of hot buttons. But in recent months, big brands like Coca-Cola, Subway and White Castle have been borrowing for their marketing efforts characters from “Family Guy,” which has been criticized for everything from anti-Semitism and sexism to homophobia and overall disgustingness, the New York Times reports.