French tire plant shuttered for security reasons after worker rampage

PARIS — An auto parts factory in northern France was closed Wednesday after employees angry over job losses ransacked offices and prompted new concern about increasingly violent French worker protests.

Carrefour launches new low-cost range of products for the budget-conscious amid recession

PARIS — French retailer Carrefour SA said Wednesday it is launching a new low-cost range of products to attract cost-conscious consumers hurt by the recession and to win market share on its home turf.

THE INFLUENCE GAME: Insurance industry sees financial overhaul as chance for long-sought rules

WASHINGTON — Large insurers are lobbying Congress to free them from a web of state rules by adding a new federal insurance regulator and letting the companies choose which rules to obey.

Bank of New York Mellon, General Motors, Delta, Broadcom are big market movers Tuesday

NEW YORK — Stocks that moved substantially or traded heavily Tuesday on the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq Stock Market:

RadioShack set to release first quarter results, analysts expect better performance

CHICAGO — RadioShack Corp. reports its first-quarter results on Thursday. The following is a summary of key developments and analyst opinion related to the period.

AK Steel reports 1Q loss vs. year-ago profit as reeling auto industry dents steel demand

PITTSBURGH — AK Steel Holding Corp., a supplier of steel for cars and trucks, on Tuesday reported a first-quarter loss compared with a year-earlier profit, as the recession continued to dampen demand for the metal.

Spam, Kool-Aid, other staples in limelight as companies raise ad spending on low-price items

NEW YORK — The frill is gone.

Calendar of major business events scheduled for Wednesday

Major business events scheduled for Wednesday

Coca-Cola 1st-qtr profit drops 10 percent on charges, write-downs and strong dollar

MILWAUKEE — Consumers overseas bought more Coca-Cola products in the first quarter than a year earlier, but the company’s first-quarter profit fell 10 percent because of one-time costs and the dollar’s strength abroad, Coca-Cola Co. said Tuesday.

Chinese dairy company launches first line of products since tainted milk scandal

BEIJING — The Chinese dairy that bought the company at the heart of a tainted milk scandal that sickened hundreds of thousands of children has launched a new line of milk powder products, state media reported Tuesday.

Shanghai Auto Show a showdown for global, Chinese car makers fighting over only growth market

SHANGHAI — China’s up-and-coming automakers unveiled a smorgasbord of new vehicles Monday at Shanghai’s auto show, from compacts and electric vehicles to the biggest, brassiest SUVs and luxury sedans, maneuvering to upstage their global rivals in the world’s only major growing market.

GM executives say car maker plans continued expansion in China, despite US financial woes

SHANGHAI — Dealing with the crisis at General Motors Corp. kept new CEO Fritz Henderson from traveling to Shanghai’s auto show, but executives say the company intends to continue growing in China regardless of how its financial mess is resolved.

Shanghai Auto Show a showdown for automakers zeroing in on world’s only major growth market

SHANGHAI — International automakers are converging on China’s commercial capital for a show that, once marginal, is now a key showcase — and battleground — for the world’s only major growing car market.