Business

The level of radioactive carbon in whiskeys made after 1950 is higher due to nuclear bomb testing, making it easy to identify new whiskey posing as century-old vintage.

The number of existing home sales went up in March, construction spending is improving and Estee Lauder’s recent quarterly report shows hope for luxury beauty products.

Among May’s first upbeat business stories: the Reuters/University of Michigan Consumer Confidence Index and the Institute for Supply Management’s manufacturing index both see growth; repair shops benefit from tightened budgets.

The month of April closes out with promising U.S. consumer spending figures, better-than-expected performance from Procter & Gamble and Dow Chemical and hope for the global economy, courtesy of China’s stimulus package.

April 29’s upbeat news from the financial world: Q1 numbers for telecom Qwest, defense contractor General Dynamics and film studio DreamWorks are looking positive.

U.S. Census data released Monday and two cases before the Supreme Court focus on perceived racial disparities in issuing high-interest loans, workers’ salaries and hiring decisions.

While many law firms are delaying new employees' start dates until the demand for their services increases, they are also offering them alternatives.

Former private eye and paroled ex-con Larry Levine has made a business out of explaining the nuances of prison society to potential white-collar inmates.

Pharmaceutical company Pfizer and clothing label Under Armour outperformed Wall Street projections during the first three months of 2009. Meanwhile, the latest Conference Board confidence index shows the highest monthly jump in four years.

Twenty years ago, half of male car buyers wanted a stick shift; these days, manual transmission cars make up only about 7 percent of new car sales, but why?

Bright spots in business April 27, 2009: An industry analyst says swine flu is not the next SARS, Verizon is the latest communications company to beat earnings projections and a private equity investor feels confident about investing in India’s emerging market economy.

While the worldwide recession seems to be driving some to suicide, India has long grappled with the problem of desperate farmers killing themselves.

Pet Airways, an airline just for pets that allows them to travel in the cabin of the plane, will begin service in five cities this July.

Despite the recession, a New Zealand town has been banned from a hotel, calling to mind various odd and extreme hotel banning measures in recent years.

Business news to feel good about this Friday: Ford is poised on the road to recovery. Meanwhile, Amazon and Microsoft post encouraging earnings and Netflix smashes analyst estimates.

Traditionally, law school graduates have jobs lined up before they’ve even passed the bar exam, but many now face unemployment. Business and nursing school students also face a weak job market.

A new bill would require anyone under 21 to have parental consent before obtaining a credit card, the latest indication of the government's crackdown on potentially manipulative banking policies.

Positive business news for April 23, 2009: Radio Shack and Apple post significant year-on-year Q1 profits and Packaging Corp. of America beat earnings estimates.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner says the economy is showing “some signs of stabilization”; institutional investors’ confidence is at a nine-month high and Wells Fargo announced a 53 percent increase in profits during Q1 2009.

Kellermann, Freddie Mac acting CEO, was found dead in his home Wednesday morning. His death, still under investigation, is a suspected suicide.

Hilton Garden Inn and the military join the many organizations that use video games for training; with many virtual experiences replacing real world interaction, has it gone too far?

Upbeat news from the business world on April 21: Q1 numbers are on track to beat analyst projections; gypsum wallboard maker USG shows signs of rebound, suggesting recovery in the construction sector; a British business group says the UK economy has bottomed out.

Blogger Park Dae-sung was found not guilty on false information charges which came from his authoritative predictions about the national and global economy.

Encouraging business and financial news of April 20, 2009: Bank of America and pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Co. both posted growth in first-quarter net income. Meanwhile, heart-valve manufacturer ATS Medical is looking increasingly healthy.

Private equity firm Black Oak Partners has made a public bid to take over Saturn, the GM subsidiary established in the 1980s as the auto maker ideal.

Feel-good business and financial news of April 17, 2009: Citigroup and GE’s first-quarter reports surpass projections; the Reuters/University of Michigan preliminary consumer sentiment index shows shoppers are feeling better about the economy.

On April 18, independent record stores will hold an event aimed at promoting the experience of buying albums from knowledgeable staff. But some say it may be too late.

A YouTube video showing Domino’s employees recreating consumers’ greatest fears about fast food has turned into a PR nightmare for the 50-year-old chain, emphasizing the risks—and benefits—that the Web poses to companies.

Among today’s positive news from the business and financial world: JPMorgan Chase posts Q1 revenues of nearly 48 percent; Regions Financial expects Q1 profits and the movie theater segment is poised for continued strong performance.

JPMorgan Chase reported better-than-expected results for first-quarter 2009 on the back of insulating itself against toxic debt, a business practice highlighted in CEO Jamie Dimon's feted shareholder letter.