Strong sales of brands like Ballygowan and MiWadi drove a 4.1% rise in revenues at the Irish arm of international soft drinks producer Britvic in the first half of its current financial year.

US retailers adopting cage-free eggs — laid by non-battery hens — sooner rather than later could gain a profit advantage over competitors.

It remains to be seen if Amazon will succeed where others failed in trying to make selling groceries online profitable, writes Alistair Barr.

At least three major grocery store chains in the United States are recalling certain packages of ground beef due to possible E. coli contamination.

US stocks finished a lacklustre session slightly higher today as many investors opted to keep to the sidelines after a disappointing report on retail sales and another increase in oil prices.

Fears over a lack of job growth and a sluggish US economy sent stocks sharply lower today, with the Nasdaq composite index wiping out its gains for all of 2004 and the Dow Jones industrial average nearly following suit.

A burst of optimism about second-quarter earnings propelled stocks sharply higher today, lifting the Dow Jones industrials more than 140 points.

Wall Street stumbled through a choppy session today and ended mixed, with blue chips giving up a modest gain and tech stocks holding on to their own moderate advance.