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House Republicans Announce They Won’t Seek Earmarks (Update1) House Republicans announced they won’t request any so-called earmarks in an election-year attempt to outdo Democrats in clamping down on the practice of adding money for pet projects to legislation.

Sensata IPO Raises $569 Million at Low End of Range (Update2) Bain Capital LLC’s Sensata Technologies Holding NV sold $569 million of shares at the low end of its price range in the biggest U.S. initial public offering this year.

United’s Bonds Jump Most of 2009 Airline Issues as Travel Rises Bonds issued last year by U.S. carriers including UAL Corp.’s United Airlines and Delta Air Lines Inc. are all trading at or above par for the first time amid improving demand as business travel returns, according to RBS Securities Inc.

U.S. 30-Year Bond Rises as Sale Draws Lower Than Forecast Yield Treasuries rose after the U.S. sold $13 billion of 30-year debt, the final of three note and bond auctions this week totaling $74 billion. The difference in yield between 2- and 30-year debt was near the highest on record.

Foreclosure Filings Rise at Slowest Pace in 4 Years (Update1) U.S. foreclosure filings rose at the slowest pace in four years in February as the government sought to reduce record bank seizures, RealtyTrac Inc. said.

U.S. Household Worth Rose at Slower Pace Last Quarter (Update2) Household wealth in the U.S. grew in the fourth quarter at a slower pace, limited by a drop in home values that indicates the recovery in consumer spending will take time to gain speed.

Toning Shoes May Find Untapped Market in Men, NPD Data Find Skechers USA Inc. and other makers of toning and shaping shoes may be poised for faster sales growth if they can figure out how to lure men.

Obama’s $79 Billion Tech Plan May Favor Web Programs (Update1) Vivek Kundra, the Obama official with $79 billion to spend on technology, said the government can be more efficient by putting programs on the Web, paving the way for companies like Microsoft Corp. and Google Inc. to win business.

Airline Loss Estimate Cut by 50% as Demand Rebounds (Update3) Airlines worldwide will lose a collective $2.8 billion in 2010, half the previous forecast, as emerging markets lead a rebound in traffic, the International Air Transport Association said.

U.S. Economy: Trade Deficit Unexpectedly Shrinks (Update1) The trade deficit in the U.S. unexpectedly narrowed in January as imports fell for the first time in five months, indicating demand is cooling following the fastest pace of growth in six years.

Quake Shakes Pinera’s Plan to Spur Chilean Economy (Update2) Sebastian Pinera was inaugurated as Chile’s president today minutes after powerful earthquakes shook buildings in Santiago and Valparaiso, stirring memories of last month’s devastating 8.8-magnitude temblor.

University of Southern California Names New President (Update1) The University of Southern California, the largest private institution of higher learning on the U.S. West Coast, named Provost C.L. Max Nikias its next president, succeeding Steven Sample.

Curbs on Media, Internet Rise Worldwide, U.S. Says (Update1) Crackdowns on the media and on Internet use rose last year in China, Iran, Russia and other nations in an effort by governments to clamp down on dissent, according to the annual U.S. report on human rights.

Hedge Fund-Backed Farm Group Tejar Weighs U.S. IPO (Update2) El Tejar SA, Argentina’s largest agricultural producer, is weighing an initial public offering in New York to tap rising investor demand for farming assets.

Goldman Sachs Hedge Fund Head Flamand Said to Start Own Firm Pierre-Henri Flamand, the head of Goldman Sachs Group Inc.’s largest internal hedge fund, is retiring from the world’s most profitable securities firm to start a hedge fund, according to three people with knowledge of his plans.

New York Times Won’t Be Sold or Split, Chairman Says (Update1) New York Times Co. won’t be sold or split apart and the company is “delighted” to have billionaire Carlos Slim as an investor, Chairman Arthur Sulzberger Jr. said.

Elliott Said to Plan Sale of Novell Business If Offer Succeeds Elliott Associates LP, the fund manager that made an unsolicited $2 billion offer for Novell Inc., would sell the NetWare networking-software unit if its bid succeeds, a person familiar with the matter said.

VW, BMW Forecast Growth as German Carmakers Lead (Update1) Volkswagen AG plans a second consecutive record year for deliveries and BMW, helped by the new 5-Series sedan, aims for an increase in sales as China, Brazil and the U.S. propel a recovery in the global car market.

Most U.S. Stocks Fall on Chinese Inflation; Banks, Tech Rally Most U.S. stocks fell as higher- than-estimated inflation in China spurred speculation the nation will be forced to raise interest rates while technology companies and banks rallied.

Roach Says China Will Seek to Limit Inflation Rate to 5% China won’t allow its inflation rate to exceed 5 percent, said Stephen Roach, chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia Ltd., after a report today showed the country’s consumer prices rose at the fastest pace in 16 months.

Conan O’Brien Plans 30-City Tour After Exit From ‘Tonight Show’ Conan O’Brien, ousted as host of “The Tonight Show” by NBC, plans a 30-city comedy and music show beginning next month.

Americans Less Concerned About Climate Change, Gallup Poll Says Americans are less concerned about the threat of climate change than they were two years ago and almost half say the seriousness of global warming is overblown, a Gallup Organization Inc. poll shows.

US Airways Jet Returns to Airport After Bird Strike (Update1) A US Airways Group Inc. flight bound for Charlotte, North Carolina, returned to the airport in Rochester, New York, after reporting that birds hit the plane.

U.S. Auto Regulator Had ‘Years of Stagnation,’ Dingell Says The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, faulted for its handling of Toyota Motor Corp.’s vehicle defects, “suffered years of stagnation in funding,” Representative John Dingell said today.

GameStop Shares, Options Climb on Speculation It May be Bought GameStop Corp. rose the most in three months and trading of bullish options jumped to a record on speculation that the world’s largest video-game retailer may be acquired.

Lockheed F-35 at Risk of Missing Goals, GAO Says (Update2) Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-35 jet fighter, its largest program, faces “substantial risk” of not delivering “the expected number of aircraft and required capabilities on time,” congressional auditors said today.

Chevron May Proceed With Arbitration Over Ecuador (Update1) Chevron Corp., the second-largest U.S. oil company, may proceed with an arbitration stemming from a court fight over an environmental cleanup in Ecuador that might cost as much as $27 billion, a judge ruled.

House, Senate Leaders Agree on Health-Care Language (Update1) U.S. House and Senate leaders have agreed on legislative language to push forward President Barack Obama’s proposed overhaul of the nation’s health-care system, a top House Democrat said.

Triple Whammy Drags Down Returns on U.S. Stocks: Chart of Day U.S. stock investors made far less in the past half century than the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index’s performance would suggest, according to David Bianco, chief U.S. equity strategist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

Biggest Rally in 76 Years Not Dead as Seers See Gains (Update1) Laszlo Birinyi will never forget the moment a year ago when the last ounce of confidence disappeared. Everyone from billionaire Warren Buffett to New York University Professor Nouriel Roubini was convinced that the economy was in a free-fall, that exploding deficits would devastate the dollar and that home prices were heading down as much as 20 percent.

Two-Year Yield May Exceed Level in January: Technical Analysis The Treasury two-year note’s yield may climb beyond 1.045 percent, a level last reached in January, as the Federal Reserve prepares to phase out economic stimulus measures, according to Royal Bank of Scotland Plc.

Rattner, Cuomo Said to Be in Talks on Pension Probe (Update1) Steven Rattner, co-founder of Quadrangle Group LLC, has been in discussions with New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to resolve his role in a state pension fund corruption investigation, according to a person familiar with the inquiry.

Treasury Yield Curve Near Record Before $13 Billion Bond Sale The difference in yields between 2- and 30-year Treasuries was near the highest on record as the U.S. prepares to sell $13 billion of bonds amid signs the global recovery is gaining momentum.

Greeks Strike Over Budget Cuts, Bonds, Stocks Decline (Update2) Greek hospitals, airports and schools were shut and police scuffled with protesters as unions staged the second general strike this year against government budget cuts to curb the European Union’s biggest deficit.

Dodd to Unveil Own Financial Rules Overhaul Measure (Update1) Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd said he will release his version of legislation to overhaul financial rules, signaling that talks on a compromise with Republican Bob Corker have collapsed.

Ex-Cazenove Partner Gets 21 Months for Insider Trades (Update1) A former partner at JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s Cazenove unit was today sentenced to 21 months in prison for insider trading in London.

Republican Gregg Says Democrats Have Edge on Health-Care Bill Senator Judd Gregg, the Republican lawmaker charged with leading his party’s floor fight against legislation to overhaul the health-care system, said today the bill is more likely to pass than fail.

Magnitude 7.2 Earthquake Hits Chile, Buildings Shake (Update1) A preliminary magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit southern Chile today, less than two weeks after the Feb. 27 temblor that killed more than 400 people.

Italian Municipalities May Face a Ban on Derivatives (Update1) Italy, whose cities, regions and government face potential losses of 2.5 billion euros ($3.4 billion) on derivatives, may restrict their use among municipalities by boosting oversight and banning upfront payments.

EMI Chief Has to Raise Money in ‘Make or Break’ Dash (Update1) Charles Allen, the new executive chairman of EMI Music, needs to raise money in a “make or break” dash, while stroking artists’ egos to prevent the loss- making music company from being taken over.