H eavy oil producer Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. CNQ-T is teaming with a smaller partner to build a technologically advanced upgrading plant near Edmonton aimed at reducing its carbon emissions. The Calgary-based company said Thursday it will acquire 50 per cent of the assets of privately held North West Upgrading Inc

A mazon.com Inc. AMZN-Q said Thursday its fourth-quarter earnings skyrocketed 71 per cent, as shoppers spent more than ever during the holiday season – a time that was somewhat brighter this year than last for retailers on and off the Web. Shares in Amazon fell, however, in after-hours trading

A friend in the mutual fund business, whom I respect, has shared some observations about money market funds that are alarming and worthy of note. He observes that, according to recent statistics from the Investment Company Institute, nearly 70% of all cash sitting in money funds is institutional. That’s is an extremely high percentage, and even more alarming is that institutions now account for more than 80% of all the cash sitting in government money funds

Syracuse University, Baylor College of Medicine, Harvard University, Carnegie Mellon University and Yale University were the top five losers among the 100 largest college endowments for the fiscal year ended in June 2009 Each school’s endowment fund lost around 30% from a combination of market losses and spending. A report released today by the National Association of College and University Business Officers and the Commonfund Institute, measured the market values of college endowments.

Embattled Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke won confirmation for a second term Thursday, but only by the closest vote ever for the crucial post and after withering criticism from lawmakers for bailing out Wall Street while other Americans suffered in recession. The Senate confirmed Mr.

Bank of New York Mellon Corp. is in talks with PNC Financial Services Group Inc.

M ost top-ranked competitors are as interesting as a mouldy ice skate when they’re away from their events. But Richard Jenkins, who runs Black Creek Investment Management Inc.