03/20/13 The Business Newswire

THE RAW BUSINESS NEWS FEED

• Law would give pregnant women more workplace protection _{2013-03-20, 06:40 pm}
  Companies would have to adjust the duties of women who can't perform their normal jobs because they are pregnant under legislation passed by the House of Delegates Wednesday.
• Report: Downtown Baltimore gained 10,000 jobs in 2012 _{2013-03-20, 05:34 pm}
  Downtown Baltimore gained 10,000 jobs in 2012 - after losing the same number of jobs in 2011, according to the annual State of Downtown report to be released Thursday by the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore Inc.
• Bernanke keeps U.S. economy on drip feed _{2013-03-20, 04:39 pm}
  The Federal Reserve is continuing its therapy of low interest rates and bond purchases to nurse the U.S. economy back to health.
• Bernanke: Stimulus hinges on sustained improvement _{2013-03-20, 04:00 pm}
  Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Wednesday that even though the U.S. economy has improved in recent months, the Fed won't alter its aggressive stimulus policies until it is convinced the gains can be sustained.
• Amvets awarded $250,000 grant to open veterans career centers _{2013-03-20, 03:32 pm}
  Lanham-based veterans group Amvets has been awarded a $250,000 grant to bring veterans' job services to 20 new markets around the country.
• RBS Said to Narrow Field of Bidders for 316 British Branches _{2013-03-20, 08:30 pm}
  Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc is starting to whittle down bidders for the 316 branches regulators are forcing it to sell as some of the U.K.'s biggest fund managers face off against offers from U.S. private equity firms, people with knowledge of the discussions said.
• Oracle Posts Flat 3rd-Quarter Profits, Shares Slip _{2013-03-20, 08:24 pm}
  Oracle Corp. posted flat fiscal third-quarter earnings as the technology company's hardware revenue continued to weaken and license revenue slipped, though overall software revenue improved.
• Market Snapshot: U.S. Stocks Rise After Getting Fed's All-clear _{2013-03-20, 08:24 pm}
  U.S. stocks climbed Wednesday, with the S&P 500 snapping its first three-day losing run this year, after the Federal Reserve said it would continue to support the U.S. economy.
• ADRs End Higher After Fed Decision _{2013-03-20, 08:24 pm}
  International companies trading in New York closed higher Wednesday after the Federal Reserve reiterated its commitment to support the economy for the foreseeable future.
• Oracle Gives Mixed Fourth-quarter Forecast _{2013-03-20, 08:24 pm}
  Oracle Corp. on Wednesday forecast a fiscal fourth-quarter profit, excluding one-time items, of 85 cents to 91 cents a share.
• Oracle blames sales force for Q3 miss, projects Q4 growth _{2013-03-20, 08:22 pm}
  Oracle Corp forecast a return to growth in new software sales this quarter, after blaming its rapidly expanding salesforce for a severe miss in third-quarter revenue that drove its shares 8 percent lower on Wednesday.
• Oracle 3Q Disappoints on Softer Software Licenses _{2013-03-20, 08:22 pm}
  The Redwood Shores, Calif.-based software maker reported net income of $2.5 billion, or 53 cents a share, compared with a year-earlier profit of $2.49 billion, or 49 cents.
• HP's Lane, several others narrowly keep board seats _{2013-03-20, 08:22 pm}
  Hewlett-Packard Co's shareholders re-elected the company's board on Wednesday, but Chairman Ray Lane and three others only narrowly kept their seats after criticism about their roles in the botched $11 billion acquisition of Autonomy Plc.
• H-P Ceo Urges Shareholder Patience as Transformation Continues _{2013-03-20, 08:22 pm}
  Hewlett-Packard Co. Chief Executive Meg Whitman urged investors to continue supporting the technology company, saying she is pleased with the progress that's been made since she took charge in September 2011.
• How to Prevent Financial Abuse of Elderly Parents _{2013-03-20, 08:22 pm}
  Pamela H. and her husband lived in another state, so when a couple right around the corner from her 83-year-old mother took a neighborly interest in her mom, it seemed the answer to a prayer.
• Five Home Insurance Benefits Away from Home _{2013-03-20, 08:21 pm}
  When you leave home, your homeowners insurance typically follows you, protecting you and your family from loss or theft of personal possessions and from liability for accidental injuries or property damage.
• Can I Sue my Bank for Cashing My Check? _{2013-03-20, 08:21 pm}
  Dear Dr. Don, I wrote a check to a nonlicensed contractor to work on my rental property.
• The Buzz Surrounding - Queen Bee': True or False? _{2013-03-20, 08:21 pm}
  Former Secretary of State Madeline Albright's statement that there is "a special place in hell for women who don't help other women" might have been declared back in 2006, but it's made its way back into headlines recently.
• Sanofi investors may sue as a class: Judge _{2013-03-20, 08:21 pm}
  A U.S. judge certified on Wednesday a class of investors who have filed a lawsuit accusing Sanofi of misleading them about the status of regulatory approval for a failed anti-obesity pill.
• Market Comment: S&P/Asx 200 Poised to Rise Before China Manufacturing Data _{2013-03-20, 08:21 pm}
  The data have potential to eclipse recent concern about Cyprus. Investors have been anxiously awaiting China economic data for March to see whether it confirms signs of a double dip, or whether the February data was affected by the Lunar New Year holidays.