Confidence among the businessmen in Germany slipped for the first time in 11 months in February, according to a survey done by Ifo Institute.

A strong competitive position is one of a company's most valuable assets. Fast growth and healthy margins are all well and good, but they aren't worth much if any old competitor can easily waltz in and snatch them away.

Beijing -- Chinese exports are swinging away from the vast realm of light manufacturing to industrial goods, a private research group said.

Ottawa -- A decline in sales of aerospace and motor vehicle parts led a decline of 2.1 percent in Canadian manufacturing sales in August, Statistics Canada said Thursday.

New York, July 3: With 467,000 jobs lost in the month of June itself, the Labor Department Thursday reported a rise in unemployment rate to 9.5 percent.

Tempe -- U.S. manufacturing activity failed to grow in 13 of 18 U.S. manufacturing businesses in May, the Institute for Supply Management said Monday.

Chrysler, the nation's third largest automaker behind General Motors (NYSE: GM) and Ford (NYSE: F), will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and be eligible for $8 billion in federal aid. President Obama announced the news this afternoon in a press conference in which he blasted speculators for failing to stand behind the embattled company.