Smaller Cars Lift Ford’s Profit to $2.55 Billion

By NICK BUNKLEY 20 minutes ago

It was Ford’s best first quarter since 1998, despite a shift to smaller cars, which usually result in lower profits.

Jim R. Bounds/Bloomberg News

Ford Fiestas on display at a dealership in Raleigh, N.C., in February.

U.S. Home Prices Fell Again in February

By DAVID STREITFELD 28 minutes ago

The decline leaves housing prices on the verge of a new low for a real estate downturn that seems to have no end.

Earnings Push U.S. Shares Higher

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 10:52 AM ET

The latest round of strong quarterly results were led by Ford and 3M. In Europe, traders shrugged off the latest bad budget news from Greece.

DealBook

Lactalis Bids $4.95 Billion for Rest of Parmalat

By CHRIS V. NICHOLSON 6 minutes ago

The deal would create the largest dairy company in the world.

DealBook

Net Inflows Help UBS Beat Expectations

By DAVID JOLLY

UBS on Tuesday reported strong growth in its core wealth management business, a development it described as "a sign of client confidence" in the bank.

The New York Stock Exchange, which has a 74-foot ceiling and Georgia marble walls, would remain open, bidders say.

Preserving a Market Symbol

By GRAHAM BOWLEY

As a fight for ownership of the New York Stock Exchange continues, both bidders have pledged to preserve the 219-year-old capitalist symbol.

Wi-Fi hot spots, like this cafe in Norton, Kan., can provide valuable location information.

Apple and Google Use Phone Data to Map the World

By MIGUEL HELFT

Apple and Google use data about users’ locations to better pinpoint specific spots, which could lead to lucrative advertising.

Rivet Manufacturing Flaw Suspected in Jet’s Roof

By MATTHEW L. WALD and JAD MOUAWAD

Investigators say they found rivet holes that were too big and appear to be misshapen from wear in a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 that peeled open in flight earlier this month.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology plans to announce that Joichi

M.I.T. Media Lab Names a New Director

By JOHN MARKOFF

Joichi Ito is a 44-year-old Japanese venture capitalist who has played important roles in the development of the Internet and invested in many high-tech start-ups.

DealBook

Jury Deliberation Begins on Fate of Galleon Chief

By AZAM AHMED and PETER LATTMAN

After nearly four hours of deliberation, the jurors in the insider trading trial of Raj Rajaratnam retired for the day. They will resume on Tuesday morning.

Televisions on display in a shop in Istanbul. Turkish banks have found a creative way to finance swelling consumer appetites by approving loans via text messages and ATMs.

Turkey Spends Freely Again, and Some Analysts Worry

By LANDON THOMAS Jr.

The country’s economy, which crashed in 1994 and 2001 and was set back by the global financial crisis, is showing signs of overheating, fueled by consumer spending.

Insight & Analysis

DealBook

The Big Board Tunes Out Its Own Rules

By ANDREW ROSS SORKIN

The New York Stock Exchange is missing a chance to be a model for good governance as it defends its planned merger with Deutsche Borse and fights off a rival bid from Nasdaq and ICE.

Economix Blog

A Time for Radical Centrists

By EDWARD L. GLAESER 8:08 AM ET

Common sense may not be crowd-pleasing, but it is sorely needed to bring the federal budget under control, an economist writes.

You’re the Boss Blog

Making a Profit

By PAUL DOWNS 9:32 AM ET

For all of the years that my company was unprofitable, I felt like a fraud.

Advertising

Taking Pickles Out of the Afterthought Aisle

By ANDREW ADAM NEWMAN

Vlasic, the pickle brand, is placing small ads for its products in the meat and cheese aisles as it tries to get consumers to buy them as grilling season starts.

On the Road

Piecing Together the True Cost of Flying

By JOE SHARKEY

Travelers are beginning to notice the fees that airlines are adding on.

Frequent Flier: At the Controls, While the Pilot Takes a Break

The Executive Club Lounge is on the 43rd floor of the Toronto Sheraton Centre Hotel.

Hotels Spruce Up Their Executive Lounges

By TANYA MOHN

With business picking up after the recession, many hotel chains are refurbishing the décor, amenities and food in their exclusive retreats for premium customers.