FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The central banks for Europe and Britain are facing similar quandaries but are expected to take two different paths when they make interest rate decisions Thursday….

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Cisco Systems Inc. CEO John Chambers’ troubling assessment of the health of U.S. technology spending late last year triggered a stock sell-off that chopped Cisco’s market value by one-third….

CINCINNATI (AP) — Macy’s Inc. hopes to tailor individual stores to the needs of customers by concentrating more managers in local markets where they will make more decisions - a move that means combining three regional divisions and cutting about 2,300 management jobs….

WASHINGTON (AP) — Worker productivity, the key factor in rising living standards, slowed sharply in the final three months of the year as overall economic activity weakened considerably while labor pressures increased….

ATLANTA (AP) — Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines are inching closer to a combination that would create the nation’s largest carrier, and if a deal is reached it could be announced next week, a person briefed on the discussions told The Associated Press on Wednesday….

CINCINNATI (AP) — Macy’s Inc. said Wednesday it will cut about 2,300 management jobs as the department store operator consolidates three regional divisions and decentralizes buying in a bid to reduce costs and boost sales….

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Cisco Systems Inc.’s second-quarter profit matched Wall Street’s subdued expectations, but shares of the world’s largest Internet networking supplier plunged on signs that economic jitters will continue to hurt sales growth….

SYDNEY, Australia (AP) — Rio Tinto rejected a sweetened formal offer from mining rival BHP Billiton on Wednesday, saying the all-share offer worth $147.4 billion still did not reflect the value of the company and its prospects for expansion….

NEW YORK (AP) — Bond insurer MBIA Inc. said Wednesday it plans to sell $750 million in common stock as it tries to maintain its crucial “AAA” financial strength rating….

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Over a year ago, the chief executive of luxury-home builder Toll Brothers Inc. thought the housing slump could be touching close to the bottom….