Business news for Mon, 31 Dec 2007 & with word expected. 18 news.

Soybean futures fell in light trading Monday, the last day of the year, but prices were expected to continue their overall rise in 2008 to meet growing demand in China.

British American Tobacco and Japan Tobacco are expected to come head-to-head in the auction for Turkey's state-owned cigarette maker later this month

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - In a hint of stability, sales of existing homes rose 0.4% in November to a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 5.00 million, the National Association of Realtors reported Monday. Sales of existing homes are down 20% in the past year and are down 31% from the peak of 7.21 million two years ago. Inventories of unsold homes on the market declined by 3.6%, representing a 10.3-month supply at the current sales pace. The median sales price fell 3.3% compared with a year ago to $210,200. November sales were in line with the 4.99 million annual pace expected by economists surveyed by MarketWatch.

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Technology stocks began the last trading day of the year in the red Monday on what was expected to be a relatively light session ahead of the the New Year's Day holiday. Among bellwether tech stocks, Google Inc. shares fell $4.67 to $697.81 amid a report that the company is in discussions with several newspaper publishers to sell advertising space online. Declines also came from Apple Inc. , Microsoft Corp. , Dell Inc. and Texas Instruments Inc. . The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index fell 11 points to 2,663.

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- IDM Pharma Inc. said Monday that Sanofi-Aventis has decided to stop participating in the development of investigational melanoma therapy Uvidem. As a result, IDM Pharma, an Irvine, Calif.-based biotechnology company, said it expects to restructure, cut its workforce and review the assets and costs associated with products under development. The board is expected to approve the final restructuring plan during the first quarter of 2008. Shares of IDM Pharma closed Friday at 94 cents.

The stockbroker said it expected tough conditions in the IPO market to continue.

LONDON (MarketWatch) -- The U.S. dollar fell Monday against the Japanese yen and the British pound before the highlight of what's expected to be a low-volume day, the release of existing-home sales figures for November. The British pound was back over $2, up to $2.0058 from $1.9963, and the dollar slipped 0.3% to 111.95 yen. The euro edged lower to $1.4715 and fell from record levels against sterling.

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Penn Treaty American Corp. said Monday that it has retained Friedman, Billings, Ramsey & Co. to assist its board in reviewing strategic alternatives, which could include partnerships or the sale of certain assets. Based on a preliminary report by its actuarial consultants, the Allentown, Pa., insurance company believes that it will have to increase claim reserves and that there may be offsetting or partially offsetting reductions in active life reserves. The valuation analysis is expected to be completed during the first quarter of 2008. Shares of Penn Treaty closed Friday at $6.49.

The housing market plunged deeper into despair last month, with sales of new homes plummeting to their lowest level in more than 12 years. The slump worsened even more than most analysts expected, heightening fears that the country might be thrust into...

Ccomputer and video games retailer Game Group said it expected its full-year profit to be ahead of an average market forecast

Reuters - British computer and video games retailer Game Group Plc said it expected its full-year profit to be ahead of an average market forecast after continued strong sales in the run-up to Christmas, boosting its shares.

Game Group, the high street video game retailer, has kicked off the post-Christmas selling period with the news that profits will be higher than expected, defying the prevailing gloom from the high street.

1. The housing market suffered its worst slump since the Depression and foreclosures soared as the collapse of the subprime mortgage market rattled banks around the world. Financial service companies were expected to report one of their worst years ever, and the Federal Reserve is proposing tighter lending rules to protect consumers and rein in irresponsible lenders.

The loss or theft of personal data such as credit card and Social Security numbers soared to unprecedented levels in 2007, and the trend isn't expected to turn around anytime soon as hackers stay a step ahead of security and laptops disappear with sensitive...

BOSTON -- The loss or theft of personal data such as credit card and Social Security numbers soared to unprecedented levels in 2007, and the trend isn't expected to turn around anytime soon as hackers stay a step ahead of security and laptops disappear with sensitive information.

The loss or theft of personal data such as credit card and Social Security numbers soared to unprecedented levels in 2007, and the trend is not expected to turn around any time soon as hackers stay a step ahead of security and as laptops disappear with sensitive information.

After a disappointing 2007, profits are expected to rebound in the coming year. But there's a lot that could go wrong

Sales of Rolls-Royce cars for 2007 are expected to be up by nearly 25 per cent on the previous year, fuelled partly by strong demand for its Phantom Drophead Coupé, which was launched this year. The marque, which is owned by BMW, will detail its performance for 2007 shortly as it embarks on a substantial expansion at its factory at Goodwood, West Sussex.