Exclusive

Obama Proving Pessimists Wrong as Rebounding Economy Converges With Stocks The political consensus may be that President Barack Obama’s handling of the economy has been weak. The judgment of money in all its forms has been overwhelmingly positive, and that may be the more lasting appraisal.

Mazda Mining Phelps's Chinese Gold as Automakers Press for Brand Loyalty After 8.6 million Chinese bought their first cars last year, General Motors Co., Volkswagen AG and Ford Motor Co. are positioning themselves to compete for return customers.

AIG's `Money in the Door' Asset Sales Garner $3.2 Billion for Bondholders American International Group Inc. bondholders reaped at least $3.2 billion after the bailed-out company announced deals to sell its two largest non-U.S. life insurance divisions for $51 billion.

J&J Pushed Drug's Sale to Elderly After U.S. Warned of False Safety Claims Johnson & Johnson made plans to reach $302 million in geriatric sales for its antipsychotic Risperdal just months after federal regulators said the company falsely claimed the drug was safe and effective with the elderly, according to internal documents.

Pink Floyd, Queen May Leave EMI as Guy Hands's Buyout Mission `Implodes' Pink Floyd and Queen, bands that have been with EMI Music for about four decades, may head for the door, according to two people familiar with their talks, as concern mounts about the U.K. record label’s finances.

Greece Must Follow Lithuania Adjustment, Avoiding Bailout, Sarkinas Says Lithuania’s central bank governor said Greece should avoid seeking international aid to solve its fiscal crisis and follow the example of the Baltic nation, which suffered the European Union’s second-deepest recession last year without a bailout.

Dollar Bond Sales Surge 35% in Asia as Evergrande, KDB Tap New Investors The lowest relative borrowing costs in more than two years and demand from international investors is driving Asian companies to sell record amounts of dollar- denominated bonds.

Exxon Lowers Investment Bar, Buys Projects Previously Deemed Too Piddling Exxon Mobil Corp., BP Plc and Total SA are investing in assets that previously weren’t worth their time or money after oil-rich nations reduced access to reserves and exploration drilling faltered.

`Cinderella' Wine Valley Razed by Chile Quake Signals Bankrupt Vineyards Chile’s strongest earthquake in 50 years may bankrupt smaller winemakers after vines collapsed, casks broke apart and millions of liters were spilled, a former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. banker-turned-winemaker said.

City of London Developers to Start Skyscrapers as Rents End Two-Year Drop Brookfield Asset Management Inc., owner of a stake in the U.K.’s tallest building, is about to start constructing an even higher tower in the City of London.

Cadillac Plays Down GM Ties to Avoid Bankruptcy Stigma, Craft Own Identity Cadillac, the luxury brand General Motors Co. acquired in 1909, is distancing itself from the Detroit-based automaker to avoid the stigma of the parent company’s $50 billion U.S.-backed bankruptcy last year.

Pound's Slide to Help U.K. Outpace Euro Economies, Goldman's Nielsen Says The pound’s drop last week to a 10- month low may help the U.K. economy grow faster than the region sharing the euro, which is hobbled by budget deficits and aging populations, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc.

Gates $44 million Ethanol Loss Before Rebound Means More Profit for Valero Ethanol, the commodity that cost Bill Gates more than $44 million the last time prices collapsed, is poised to rally as much as 20 percent as the fastest drop since 2008 spurs demand.

New Normal Becomes Old Normal With Exports Spurring Growth in New U.S. Mix The “new mix” is out to topple the “new normal” as the paradigm for America’s economic future.

Toyota Stigma Prompts Hatoyama to Turn Technology Salesman to Revive Japan French President Charles de Gaulle once labeled a Japanese premier a “transistor salesman.” Now Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama is hawking bullet trains and nuclear plants after Toyota Motor Corp.’s recalls hurt the country’s image as a top manufacturer.

`On the Edge' Banks Facing Writedowns After FDIC Auctions of Seized Loans A Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. plan to auction more than $1 billion in assets seized from failed banks next month, including a loan to build a W Hotel in Atlanta, may trigger writedowns that weaken lenders nationwide.

Vineyard Defaults Surge as Lost California Land Values Undermine Napa Wine In California’s Napa Valley, producer of the most expensive U.S. wines, 2010 may be a vintage year for foreclosures as the industry is squeezed by falling land values and a consumer shift to cheaper brands.

China to Nullify Local Governments' Loan Guarantees as Credit Risk Grows China plans to nullify all guarantees local governments have provided for loans taken by their financing vehicles as concerns about credit risks on such debt increases.

FDIC May Invite Pension Funds to Buy Stakes in U.S. Banks Facing Seizure The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. is trying to encourage public retirement funds that control more than $2 trillion to buy all or part of failed lenders, taking a more direct role in propping up the banking system, said people briefed on the matter.