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IDB Management Questioned as Funding Increase Pared (Update1) The Inter-American Development Bank may get $50 billion to $100 billion in funding when shareholders meet this week, according to President Luis Alberto Moreno -- as little as a third of what an advisory panel recommended for Latin America’s biggest infrastructure lender.

U.S. Stocks Fluctuate on Economic Reports, Greece Bailout Talks U.S. stocks fluctuated as a drop in jobless claims and no change in consumer prices added to evidence the economy is recovering without stoking inflation, offsetting concerns a European bailout of Greece may fall apart.

Montclair Sees Schools ‘Bludgeoning’ as Christie Cuts (Update1) Montclair, the northern New Jersey town with a median income almost twice the U.S. level, may fire more than 5 percent of its workers because of Governor Chris Christie’s proposed $29.3 billion budget. The Chathams, 15 miles southwest, may lose state funds that could pay for 45 teachers.

General Growth to Submit New Proposal, Lawyer Says (Update1) General Growth Properties Inc. will submit by next week a new proposal to reorganize its holding company that would give it more than $6 billion in cash and another $250 million to back a rights offering. It also won permission to reorganize five property-owning units.

Graco Recalls 1.2 Million High Chairs After Children Fall Graco Children’s Products Inc. recalled 1.2 million high chairs because screws can loosen in the legs, causing the product to tip and children to fall, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said.

Florida Suspends Build America Sales, Official Says (Update1) Florida temporarily suspended the sale of Build America Bonds because it is concerned that the U.S. Internal Revenue Service may withhold interest cost subsidies available through the federal program, according to Ben Watkins, who oversees the state’s debt sales.

Birinyi Likes Google, ‘Well-Managed’ Goldman Sachs (Update1) Investors should buy shares of Google Inc. because of its growth opportunities and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. given that it’s a “well-managed company,” said Laszlo Birinyi, the founder of research firm Birinyi Associates Inc.

Gaza Rocket Attack Kills Foreign Worker in Israel (Update2) A rocket fired from the Gaza Strip killed a Thai worker in Israel, the first such fatality since Israel ended a military operation against Hamas in January 2009.

Merkel Favors IMF in Greece Crisis as Germans Oppose Bailout Chancellor Angela Merkel is moving toward an International Monetary Fund-led solution to the Greek budget crisis as she navigates between European Union leaders who say the EU should take charge and a German public unwilling to foot the bill.

UN Convention Rejects Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Trade Ban (Update1) The United Nations-sponsored Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora rejected a proposal to ban trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna, after less than three hours of debate.

Pope Urges Investing in Economy, Not ‘Quick Return’ Markets Pope Benedict XVI called on businessmen to put profits earned from production and services back into the “real economy” rather than seeking a “quick return on the financial markets.”

‘Jihad Jane’ Pleads Not Guilty for Role in Terror Plot A Pennsylvania woman who used the alias ‘Jihad Jane’ pleaded not guilty to charges she plotted to recruit jihadist fighters and conspired to murder a Swedish resident.

Factories in Philadelphia Region Grow at Faster Pace (Update3) Manufacturing in the Philadelphia region expanded in March at the fastest pace so far this year as factories lead the U.S. economic recovery.

Hungarian Broker Says Large Trader Bought Recycled CO2 Credits One of “the biggest trading houses” in the European Union bought used UN credits coming from Hungary before they re-entered the bloc’s emissions market, intermediary Hungarian Energy Power Kft said today.

Delta Petroleum Surges After Agreement to Sell Vega Interest Delta Petroleum Corp., the U.S. energy producer whose largest shareholder is Kirk Kerkorian, soared as much as 43 percent, the most since September, after agreeing to sell a stake in Colorado natural-gas fields for $400 million to revive drilling in the area.

AstraZeneca Wins Trial on Seroquel Diabetes Claim (Update1) AstraZeneca Plc’s Seroquel antipsychotic drug isn’t responsible for a Vietnam veteran’s diabetes, a jury decided in the first case over the medicine to go to trial.

Leading Economic Index in U.S. Rose 0.1% in February (Update2) The index of U.S. leading indicators rose 0.1 percent in February, the smallest gain in almost a year, pointing to an economy that may expand at a slower pace in the second half of 2010.

Teva Beats Pfizer to Win Ratiopharm for $5 Billion (Update2) Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. agreed to buy Ratiopharm GmbH for 3.63 billion euros ($5 billion), ending a nine-month battle for Germany’s second- biggest maker of generic medicines.

Nissan, McLaren, Ford Plan 2 Billion Pounds in U.K. Investments Britain’s auto industry won investment pledges of 2 billion pounds ($3.1 billion) as Nissan Motor Co. and McLaren Automotive Ltd. announced plans for new cars and the government backed loans for Ford Motor Co. engines.

Deutsche Bahn Confirms Arriva Interest, May Make Bid (Update2) Deutsche Bahn AG, Germany’s state rail company, confirmed its interest in U.K.-based Arriva Plc, saying it may make a cash bid for a company with train and bus operations across 12 European countries.

Health Bill to Cost $940 Billion, Reduce Deficit, Democrats Say Legislation to overhaul the U.S. health-care system will cost $940 billion over 10 years and reduce the federal budget deficit, meeting a target set by Democrats, party leaders said.

IMF to Assist Greece After ‘Game of Chicken,’ El-Erian Says The International Monetary Fund will come to the rescue of debt-strapped Greece after a “game of chicken,” according to Mohamed El-Erian, co-chief investment officer at Pacific Investment Management Co.

Interbank Repos Show European Money Market Recovery (Update1) The European repurchase market grew between June and December, showing an improvement in interbank lending as central banks prepare to withdraw support to the industry, the International Capital Market Association said.

U.S. Judge Rejects Change to 2003 Analyst Settlement (Update1) A federal judge in New York rejected a proposed change to a 2003 settlement that would have relaxed the separation between research analysts and investment bankers.

Porsche, Lincoln Lead J.D. Power Dependability Study (Update1) Porsche SE’s namesake brand led J.D. Power & Associates’ annual study of vehicle dependability, while Ford Motor Co.’s Lincoln topped General Motors Co.’s Buick, last year’s leader, and Toyota Motor Corp.’s Lexus.

Brazilian Future Yields Sink Most in Nine Months (Update1) Brazil interest-rate futures plunged the most in nine months after central bank President Henrique Meirelles held off raising benchmark borrowing costs ahead of his decision on whether to run for elected office.

Health-Care Bill Costs $940 Billion Over Decade, Hill Aide Says The final version of comprehensive legislation to overhaul the U.S. health-care system will cost the government $940 billion over a decade and result in net reductions in budget deficits in the long-run, a congressional aide said.

Papandreou Seeks EU Aid Deadline, Challenging Merkel (Update2) Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou set a one-week deadline for the European Union to craft a financial aid mechanism for Greece, challenging Germany to give up its doubts about a rescue package.

Nike Rises After Profit More Than Doubles, Topping Estimates Nike Inc., the world’s largest maker of athletic shoes, jumped to its highest level in more than 27 years in U.S. trading after reporting third-quarter profit that more than doubled and exceeded analysts’ estimates.

Palm’s Lone Bulls Bank on Buyout as Most ‘Bail Out’ (Update1) Tero Kuittinen, an analyst at MKM Partners, is swimming against the tide on Palm Inc.

Google, Goldman Sachs Are Top Stock Picks for Laszlo Birinyi Investors should buy Google Inc. because of its growth opportunities and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. given that it’s a “well-managed company,” said Laszlo Birinyi, the founder of Birinyi Associates Inc.

Starwood, TPG, Five Mile to Invest in Extended Stay (Update1) Starwood Capital Group, TPG Capital and Five Mile Capital Partners agreed to invest as much as $905 million in Extended Stay Hotels Inc. in a recapitalization plan that would allow the hotel chain to emerge from bankruptcy.

Hoyer Says Health Bill Reduces Deficit More Than $100 Billion U.S. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said the health-care bill would reduce the deficit by $100 billion in the first decade and $1 trillion in the next.

SLM Sells Debt at Higher Rate Than Students Pay: Credit Markets SLM Corp., the biggest U.S. student-loan company, tapped the bond market for the first time in almost two years, paying more than it charges some borrowers as $11 billion of bonds mature through 2011.

Central Bank Gold Holdings Expand at Fastest Pace Since 1964 Central banks added the most gold to their reserves since 1964 last year amid the longest rally in bullion prices in at least nine decades, data compiled by the World Gold Council show.

FedEx Falls After Earnings Climbed Less Than Expected (Update1) FedEx Corp. fell in New York trading after the world’s largest cargo airline reported quarterly results that rose less than expected.

Consumer Prices in U.S. Unchanged as Fuel Decreases (Update2) The cost of living in the U.S. was unchanged in February, underscoring the Federal Reserve’s forecast that inflation will remain low as the economy recovers.

Jobless Claims in U.S. Decreased By 5,000 Last Week (Update1) Fewer Americans filed first-time claims for jobless benefits last week for the third consecutive time, a sign the labor market is gradually improving along with the economy.

Anglo Irish Bank Ex-Chairman Fitzpatrick Questioned by Police Former Anglo Irish Bank Corp. Chairman Sean Fitzpatrick is being questioned by police in connection with an investigation into the lender, a person familiar with the probe said.

U.S. Stock-Index Futures Advance After Jobless, Prices Data U.S. stock-index futures rose after government reports showed a drop in jobless claims and no change in consumer prices.