Fed weighed slowing its pace of bond purchases
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Several Federal Reserve policymakers this month favored slowing the Fed's efforts to maintain record-low long-term interest rates as early as summer - if the economy showed strong and sustained growth. But those officials appeared at odds over what evidence would demonstrate such gains....

Median CEO pay rises to $9.7 million in 2012
CEO pay has been going in one direction for the past three years: up....

Stocks rise on Fed stimulus hopes, home sales
NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks are moving higher Wednesday after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said it was too soon for the central bank to pull back on its economic stimulus programs....

College fossil-fuel divestment movement builds
SWARTHMORE, Pa. (AP) -- In an effort to slow the pace of climate change, students at more than 200 colleges are asking their schools to stop investing in fossil fuel companies....

Bernanke signals Fed to maintain stimulus efforts
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress Wednesday that the U.S. job market remains weak and that it is too soon for the Federal Reserve to slow its extraordinary stimulus programs....

US home sales tick up to highest in 3 1/2 years
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes ticked up last month to the highest level in three and a half years, helped by a jump in the number of houses for sale....

Weak yen a help for Japan, but headache elsewhere
TOKYO (AP) -- A steady fall in the value of the yen is proving a godsend for exporters such as Toyota. The cheaper yen is making their products more affordable overseas....

Lowe's 1Q profit rises, but results miss Street
NEW YORK (AP) -- Lowe's said Wednesday that its first-quarter net income rose nearly 3 percent, but results fell short of expectations as rainy weather hurt spring gardening sales....

Target's 1Q profit drops 29 pct on weak sales
NEW YORK (AP) -- Target Corp. reported a 29 percent drop in first-quarter profit as unusually cool spring weather and financial pressures chilled customers' appetite for spending....

House takes up GOP bill to speed pipeline approval
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The House has taken up a Republican-sponsored bill that would speed approval of the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada to Texas....