Thursday, December 17, 2009 3:28 PM Click here for free shipping Chaya Cooperberg I f you have been ordering holiday gifts online, you’ll likely agree that getting to the checkout page and seeing the high cost of shipping is an unpleasant part of the experience. I’ve often abandoned my shopping cart at that critical part of the transaction. A new website aims to help Canadian shoppers buy online without the annoyance of shipping fees

T oday’s top stories from Report on Business : BCE boosts dividend Investors pushed up the stock price of BCE Inc. BCE-T today after the telecom giant announced it is boosting its dividend by 7 per cent, buying back $500-million in shares and making a voluntary payment of $500-million to its pension plan.

Shares in Citigroup Inc. fell 7% on Thursday as the struggling bank botched its attempt to free itself of the federal government’s clutches.

December 17, 2009 by Elaine Frei Natural gas prices were higher Thursday after the US Energy Information Administration reported that inventories dropped the most ever last week, falling 207 billion cubic feet to 3.57 trillion cubic feet , still nearly 14 percent above the five-year average for this time of year. The drawdowns came as cold weather hit major population centers in the US Northeast and Midwest during the week. In afternoon trade, March natural gas futures were 29 cents higher to $5.79 per million British thermal units in New York, while at mid-morning January futures had added nearly 40 cents to $5.85.

C opper prices HG-FT faltered on Thursday as the U.S. dollar hit three-month highs against a currency basket, but analysts said a healthier global demand outlook was expected to fortify sentiment and prices. Benchmark copper on the London Metal Exchange closed at $6,870 (U.S.) a tonne from $7,039 at the close on Wednesday, when the metal used in power and construction touched $7,067, the highest since Dec

G old prices GC-FT fell 3 per cent in Europe on Thursday, pressured by the U.S. dollar’s rise to 3-1/2 month highs against the euro as new concerns emerged over Greece’s fiscal health.

Mutual funds could invest directly in commodities under legislation introduced Wednesday by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., and Select Revenue Measures Subcommittee Chairman Richard Neal, D-Mass. The Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2009 (HR 4337) includes a number of provisions to update the tax laws that apply to mutual funds. The rules have been changed little since the 1930s.