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TMCNet: AP Business NewsBrief at 9:38 a.m. EDT

[April 16, 2012]

AP Business NewsBrief at 9:38 a.m. EDT

(Associated Press Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) US retail sales rose 0.8 pct., helped by job gainsWASHINGTON (AP) _ U.S. retail sales rose at a solid pace last month, as a healthier job market and warmer weather encouraged more consumers to shop. The Commerce Department said Monday that retail sales rose 0.8 percent in March. That's below February's 1 percent increase but above January's pace.

Citigroup made $2.9 billion in 1Q, missing StreetNEW YORK (AP) _ Citigroup made $2.9 billion in the first three months of the year, helped by record revenue from processing transactions for its international clients and more customers paying back loans on time. The bank earned 95 cents per share, falling short of the $1.01 expected by analysts surveyed by FactSet, a provider of financial data.

US futures up on strong retail sales reportNEW YORK (AP) _ Stock futures rose on growing evidence of resilient spending by consumers and investors expect more of the same later Monday in a government report on businesses. Dow Jones industrial average futures jumped 82 points to 12,870 on the retail report and Standard & Poor's 500 index futures rose 7.8 points to 1,372.8. Nasdaq composite futures rose 15 points to 2,708.5.

Mattel 1Q net income falls, Barbie sales downEL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) _ Mattel Inc. said Monday that its first-quarter profit dropped 53 percent, pulled down by costs tied to an acquisition and lower sales for Barbie and Hot Wheels, particularly in North America. The largest U.S. toy maker said timing related to shipping "Cars 2"-related toys last year, plus cautious retailer orders, caused North American revenue to slide 9 percent.

Moody's downgrades struggling Nokia's debt ratingHELSINKI (AP) _ Moody's says it has downgraded Nokia Corp.'s debt rating because of a sharp decline in expected first-quarter cell phone sales that led to a 35 percent fall in revenue in the period. The agency on Monday dropped the struggling Finnish company's long-term credit rating by one notch to Baa3 following last week's profit warning.

Feds find 16 crashes, 5 injuries in BMW probeDETROIT (AP) _ U.S. safety regulators have found 16 crashes and five injuries in an eight-month investigation of transmission control problems with BMW 7-Series luxury cars. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began the probe in August and has now upgraded it to an engineering analysis, which is a step closer to a recall. However the cars have not been recalled.

Gatwick Airprot reopens after emergency landingLONDON (AP) _ Gatwick Airport says flight arrivals and departures have resumed after a closure due to an emergency landing. A Virgin Atlantic flight from Britain to Orlando, Florida made an emergency landing Monday because of what officials called a "technical problem." Oil falls to near $102 after Iran nuclear talksSINGAPORE (AP) _ Oil fell to near $102 a barrel Monday in Asia after negotiators said meetings over Iran's nuclear program last weekend began on a positive note, easing tensions that had sent crude higher. Benchmark oil for May delivery was down 82 cents to $102.01 a barrel at late afternoon Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 81 cents to settle at $102.83 in New York on Friday.

Big gaps found in nursing homes' disaster plansWASHINGTON (AP) _ Tornado, hurricane or flood, nursing homes are woefully unprepared to protect frail residents in a natural disaster, government investigators say. Emergency plans required by the government often lack specific steps such as coordinating with local authorities, notifying relatives or even pinning name tags and medication lists to residents in an evacuation, according to the findings.

Spain's bond yields jump as bailout fears growMADRID (AP) _ Spain's cost of borrowing on the international debt markets rose sharply again Monday, increasing concern that the country may become the latest member of the eurozone to seek a financial bailout. The yield _ the interest rate Spain would have to pay to raise money on the debt markets _ on the country's 10-year government bonds jumped to 6.10 percent on the secondary market, according to financial data provider FactSet. It had closed at 5.93 percent Friday after a week of persistent market tension.

(c) 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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