Business and Finance
DAIMLERCHRYSLER AGREED with Aerospatiale Matra to combine their aerospace businesses and create the world's No. 3 aircraft and defense company. The pact between the German and French firms raised concerns at the Pentagon and is likely to intensify the fierce competition between U.S. and European rivals.</br></br>---</br></br>GM posted record third-quarter earnings, beating forecasts and reversing a loss, on strong results in North America. Still, shares eased on worries that momentum might slow and concern about labor costs.</br></br>---</br></br>Retail sales rose just 0.1% in September, cooling after two months of blistering growth. Prices of imported consumer goods rose a sharp 0.3%, though, fueling some inflation fears.