Retail

Coca-Cola Fourth-Quarter Profit Rises 55% as Sales Gain in India, China Coca-Cola Co., the world’s largest soft-drink maker, said fourth-quarter profit gained 55 percent as volume sales grew in China and India. The shares rose the most in more than five months.

McDonald's January Sales Rise 2.6%, Top Estimates, on Demand in Asia, U.K. McDonald’s Corp., the world’s largest restaurant company, said global sales rose 2.6 percent in January, topping some analysts’ estimates, as demand in Asia and the U.K. countered a decline in the U.S.

Toyota Extends Recall to 437,000 Hybrids Including Prius to Repair Brakes Toyota Motor Corp. will recall 437,000 Prius and other gasoline-electric hybrids globally to fix a brake software glitch, complicating efforts by the world’s biggest carmaker to ease consumer concerns about its quality.

Fancl Aims to Expand Cosmetics Sales in China to Half Its Revenue by 2015 Fancl Corp., a Japanese cosmetics maker, said it expects to earn about 10 percent of its sales in China this fiscal year and use the market as a base to expand exports to half of its revenue within three to five years.

U.S. Wholesale Inventories Unexpectedly Fall 0.8% in Sign of Higher Demand Sales at U.S. wholesalers climbed in December for a ninth consecutive month, leading to an unexpected drop in stockpiles that may keep spurring orders.

Johnnie Walker Holdouts Leave Diageo Playing Five-Year Catch-Up on Whisky Diageo Plc, the world’s largest distiller, may take five years to recover sales lost in the recession as emerging markets fail to fill the void left by U.S. and European drinkers shunning pricier drinks.

China Shuts Three Ice Cream Makers for Using Melamine-Tainted Milk Powder China shut three ice cream makers in the northern province of Liaoning for using materials tainted with the chemical melamine as the government widens its scrutiny of dairy-based products.

Loews CEO Tisch Says U.S. Rang Hotel `Death Knell,' Hurt AIG With Pay Curb Jim Tisch, the leader of Loews Corp., said the U.S. did a “good job of killing” the hotel business by lambasting corporate travel and hurt American International Group Inc.’s ability to return bailout funds by curbing pay.