Business News: U.S. retail sales rise 0.2% in August

11:40 am ET Sep 14, 2006
U.S. retail sales rise 0.2% in Augus

U.S. retail sales inched ahead by 0.2% in August, boosted by a
surprising gain in auto sales that offset the drag from lower gasoline
prices, the Commerce Department reported Thursday.
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China closes brokerage market to foreign firms

HONG KONG -- Chinese regulators will stop taking applications by foreign
firms looking to acquire stakes in Chinese brokerages, as well as
applications to open new domestic brokerages, according to media reports
Thursday.
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Miners BHP, Rio Tinto buck trend in lower Europe

LONDON -- European shares closed lower Thursday after Wall Street stocks
sagged in early trading, although declines were offset by positive
earnings from retailers such as Swiss luxury-goods group Richemont and
home-improvement chain Kingfisher, along with gains in the mining
sector.