In the latest sign of turbulent times at J.C. Penney Co. (NYSE: JCP), the mid-price department store chain said Michael Francis, the former Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT) executive brought in to help redefine the brand, is leaving the company.

Microsoft Corp. needs to shed its image as the world’s biggest purveyor of workplace software and draw on its success selling the Xbox gaming console if it wants a shot at introducing a tablet to challenge Apple Inc.’s iPad.

After more than a year of planning using computers, laser levels and measuring devices accurate to a fraction of a millimeter, it took engineers with tape measures and construction workers with sledgehammers to finally bring the 83-year-old Checkered House Bridge into the 21st century.

Any new buying of government-backed mortgage bonds by the Federal Reserve will be limited to no more than $500 billion to $600 billion per year by supply constraints, according to Barclays Plc.

VeriFone Systems Inc., the largest maker of credit-card terminals, posted its biggest one-day gain since early March after an analyst upgraded the stock, saying a recent price decline made it attractive.

The rise of smartphones and tablets has made it harder than ever to whip up enthusiasm for a plain old laptop computer.

As the Federal Reserve prepares to meet this week, policy makers are under conflicting pressure to do more to stimulate the economy and to swear off quantitative easing. And that’s just from inside the Fed.

There's a form of extra-sensory perception called psychometry, whose practitioners claim to learn things about objects by touching them. Smartphones set to be released this month by Samsung and Sony will have some of that ability: they'll learn things when you touch them to pre-programmed “tags.”

Shares of eBay Inc. rose to their highest price in more than six years on Monday, after a Keefe, Bruyette & Woods analyst initiated coverage of the company with an “Outperform” rating, saying that it's “uniquely positioned” to benefit from the continued global shift toward e-commerce.

For court watchers, the drama is becoming unbearable. With just two Mondays left on the U.S. Supreme Court’s calendar to announce opinions — June 18 and 25 — the five most important cases of the term all remain undecided.

American exporters from Dow Chemical Co. to Hewlett-Packard Co. are preparing for a further decline in demand from Europe as the region’s deepening debt crisis threatens to derail a source of strength for the U.S. economy.

Oracle Corp.'s stock slipped Monday amid unsubstantiated reports that the business software maker is preparing to announce a reorganization that could include the departure of the company's top sales executive in North America.

Facebook Inc., owner the world’s largest social network, says it’s working on a location-based mobile-advertising product that will allow companies to target users with real-time data showing their whereabouts.

Warren Buffett, whose prediction last year of a housing recovery was premature, is raising his bet on a rebound with his $3.85 billion bid for a mortgage business and loan portfolio from bankrupt Residential Capital LLC.

Verizon Communications Inc., the second-largest U.S. phone company, introduced an Internet service called FiOS Quantum that doubles its broadband speed while increasing prices.

Confidence among U.S. builders ticked up this month to a five-year high, an indication that the housing market is slowly improving.

The price of oil fell Monday as investors' worries about Europe shifted to Spain.

June 18 (Bloomberg) -- Oil dropped for the first time in three days on concern that the worsening European debt crisis will slow global economic growth and reduce demand for crude.

I often get asked a Wall Street variation of the Ronald Reagan 1980 campaign saw, “Are you better off than you were four years ago?”

During a focus group in Denver last week, Jeffrey Penny laid out his “criteria” for giving President Barack Obama his vote this year as he did in 2008.

Market relief over Greece's election results faded quickly on Monday, with Spain suffering a jump in its borrowing rates as investors worried that the crisis shaking the 17 nations that use the euro was far from over.

U.S. stock futures are falling with markets still focused on Europe, where an election in Greece provided only a brief bump in optimism over the continent's ability to withstand tenacious debt problems.

June 18 (Bloomberg) -- Oil dropped in New York as rising Spanish borrowing costs pushed the dollar higher, curbing demand for commodities.

Covering all the bases ahead of a momentous Supreme Court ruling, the Obama administration plans to move ahead with major parts of the president's health care law if its most controversial provision does not survive, according to veteran Democrats closely involved with the legislation.

_The Congressional Research Service says 43 jurisdictions _ 40 states plus D.C., Guam and The Virgin Islands -- employ what is called “broad-based categorical eligibility” that allows individuals with assets greater than the food stamp limit to receive benefits as long as they receive some other federal benefit such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).

June 18 (Bloomberg) -- Tesla Motors Inc. rose the most in almost a month as the maker of electric cars prepares to deliver its first Model S models this week.

June 18 (Bloomberg) -- Groupon Inc., the largest daily coupon website, rose the most in a month after Morgan Stanley analysts upgraded the stock to overweight from equalweight, citing international sales opportunities.

Former U.S. assistant attorney general Joel Klein is relinquishing his role as head of News Corp.'s internal probe into phone hacking at its British newspaper unit. He is surrendering the duties to Gerson Zweifach, a company lawyer.

Facebook is bringing one of its long-term vendors, facial-recognition technology company Face.com, in-house.

Yahoo is turning to a former colleague of its interim CEO to oversee the troubled Internet company's efforts to sell more online advertising.

Pfizer Inc. said Monday that the Food and Drug Administration has asked the company to run another clinical trial of its neurodegenerative disease drug Vyndaqel.

Oracle's latest quarterly earnings climbed 8 percent, beating analysts' expectations.

June 18 (Bloomberg) -- Insight Venture Partners topped a $25.50-a-share bid that Quest Software Inc. received from an unidentified suitor, intensifying a takeover battle for the software maker, according to a person familiar with matter.

Spain's ability to manage its debt without an international bailout was thrown into doubt Monday after investors pushed its borrowing rates up to the level at which Greece, Portugal and Ireland had sought help.

June 18 (Bloomberg) -- Abril Educacao SA, Energisa SA, Lojas Renner SA, MGI-Minas Gerais Participacoes SA and Restoque Comercio e Confeccoes de Roupas SA are among issuers that plan to sell bonds in Brazil’s debt markets.

June 18 (Bloomberg) -- Most European stocks advanced on optimism Greece will stay in the euro after pro-bailout parties won enough seats in yesterday’s election to form a government with a workable majority. U.S. index futures retreated, while Asian shares climbed.

June 18 (Bloomberg) -- Gunmen from Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula attacked vehicles carrying Israelis who are building a border fence, killing one of the workers, an Israeli army spokeswoman said.

June 18 (Bloomberg) -- Swiss stocks climbed for a second day amid optimism Greece will stay in the euro after pro-bailout parties won enough seats in yesterday’s elections to form a government.

June 18 (Bloomberg) -- Saudi Arabia, whose institutions have raised a record sum from bond sales this year, is struggling to spur trading of debt on its bourse as investors hold listed securities to maturity due to short supply.

June 18 (Bloomberg) -- German stocks advanced to a one-week high, led by carmakers, as gains by pro-bailout parties in Greece’s election calmed speculation that the country would be forced out of the euro area.

June 18 (Bloomberg) -- Coffee fell in New York and London on concern slowing economies in Europe will dent demand just as the summer approaches and supplies from Indonesia and Brazil, the world’s top grower, improve. Sugar declined.

June 18 (Bloomberg) -- Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Ltd.’s bid for the London Metal Exchange, the most expensive bourse merger over $1 billion, may succeed in gaining the approval of regulators who’ve scuttled $32 billion of similar cross-border deals.

June 18 (Bloomberg) -- Citigroup Inc. is in talks with Brazilian regulators to create global depositary notes tied to local corporate bonds as the government seeks to boost trading in the domestic market by luring foreign investors.

Mobile phone chipmaker Qualcomm Inc. has purchased programmable circuit developer Summit Microelectronics, which will broaden its product offerings.

June 18 (Bloomberg) -- Tesco Plc, the U.K.’s largest retailer, said it will sell a 50 percent share in its Japanese unit to Aeon Co. and invest 40 million pounds ($63 million) in the business to end a nine-year foray into the Asian nation.

Greek election victor Antonis Samaras says he will continue efforts to build a broad coalition government, despite a refusal from the second-placed Syriza radical left party to join in.

June 18 (Bloomberg) -- Indian government bonds fell the most in nearly two months after the central bank unexpectedly left interest rates unchanged, citing inflation risks.

June 18 (Bloomberg) -- Copper traded little changed in New York as investors weighed gains by pro-bailout parties in a Greek election against speculation the Federal Reserve will refrain from further economic stimulus.

Egypt's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces has decreed an interim constitutional declaration following the dissolution of parliament by a court ruling. The document, published in the official gazette late Sunday, defines the authorities of the nation's next president and the authorities of the ruling military.

Two Russian navy ships are completing preparations to sail to Syria with a unit of marines on a mission to protect Russian citizens and the nation's base there, a news report said Monday. The deployment appears to reflect Moscow's growing concern about Syrian President Bashar Assad's future.

European leaders at the G-20 summit struggled to reassure the world Monday that they were on the path to solving their continent's relentless economic crisis, defending the pace of their response even as market pressures pushed Spain closer to needing a bailout that would strain the world's ability to pay.