OMC

When IBM raised its buyback authorization by $10 billion on Oct. 26, it was the 259th company to announce repurchase plans in October alone. Citi Investment Research says a long-term trend of rising buybacks has only just begun.

The award-winning cable drama "Mad Men" portrays advertising men of the early 1960s as working hard and playing even harder. These days, however, few people in the advertising agency are having much fun. WPP Group Plc. (WPPGY), the world's largest advertising agency, today announced plans to slash...

If the economy has a canary in the coal mine, it's advertising. Companies tend to slash their budgets at the first sign of a slowdown, and this recession is no exception. Global advertising spending is forecast to drop 6.9 percent this year, the biggest decline in at least 29 years, according to...