Wall Street advanced sharply Monday, boosted by news that Merrill Lynch & Co. will receive an investment of up to $6.2 billion from two investment groups.

Shoppers jammed stores over the last weekend before Christmas. But the spending surge may not be enough to offset what is shaping up to be a mediocre December for some retailers.

Merrill Lynch & Co Inc., buffeted by huge write-downs of mortgage-related securities, said on Monday it would sell most of its middle-market lending business to General Electric Co.'s commercial finance arm in a deal to free up capital.

Buyers of ultra-high-end cars have fallen into two camps — performance or luxury. But now automakers are betting more big-spenders fall somewhere in between the two extremes.

Flapping into the top slot on this year's list is the first non-mammal to rank as fiction's richest: Scrooge McDuck.

The past year has seen some wonderful and bizarre new business buzzwords come to prominence. Among our favorites: subprime, narcissurfing, and meatball sundae.