More U.S. stocks are paying dividends that exceed bond yields than any time in at least 15 years as profits rise at the fastest pace in two decades.

The pound reached its highest level against the euro in more than a week as a gauge of U.K. house prices unexpectedly rose and concern that sovereign-debt quality is deteriorating drove investors from the single currency.

Gucci, the Italian luxury brand owned by Paris-based PPR SA , said it will introduce made-to- order speedboats next year, with prices starting from 590,000 euros ($750,000).

Shares of the following companies may have unusual moves in U.S. trading. Stock symbols are in parentheses, and prices are as of 7:50 a.m. in New York unless noted otherwise.

Anglo Irish Bank Corp. expects “certainty” from the government on the future of the lender today, which may help stem an outflow of deposits.

German exports fell and industrial production rose less than economists forecast in July, suggesting the recovery in Europe’s largest economy is losing momentum.

China’s President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao were among at least five ruling Politburo members who met with two key advisers to President Barack Obama this week, exchanges that Hu said had “gone well.”

Hewlett-Packard Co.’s lawsuit seeking to block former Chief Executive Officer Mark Hurd from working at Oracle Corp. may be hard to win because California’s courts favor letting employees move freely, Bloomberg News’ Joel Rosenblatt and Aaron Ricadela report.

Alkane Energy Plc , the U.K.’s biggest producer of electricity from coal-mine methane, is seeking to open two to three power plants a year that run on biogas after 2011 to branch further into new fuels.

Children infected in last year’s swine flu pandemic were no more likely to be hospitalized with complications or get pneumonia than those who catch seasonal strains, according to a study that challenges previous reports.

How to get it back. That’s what Republicans are wondering regarding citizens’ trust as they bask in the possibility of gaining control of both the House and Senate in the November elections.

Sotheby’s Chief Executive William Ruprecht stands to earn as much as $32 million through 2014 should the auction house’s business continue to improve.

The following is a roundup of soccer stories from U.K. newspapers, with clickable links to the Web.

Firing Bundesbank board member Thilo Sarrazin , whose comments about Jews and Muslims sparked outrage, may be hampered by legal protection for central bank officials, possibly leading to lawsuits that would delay any decision.