Financial News in Brief

Intel – The world’s biggest chip supplier will soon have chips in phones, but they have a long way to go in mobile.

US auto sales – Shiny new cars are flying off dealer lots in America as lenders loosen the spigot on loans.

Deutsche Börse / NYSE – European competition officials have recommended blocking the tie-up between the German and US exchange operators. The CEOs of the companies are meeting today.

Eurozone – Germany grew 3 per cent last year but is already slowing down. The eurozone still faces a recession in 2012.

Tepco – Someone is trading the Japanese nuclear operator’s shares, and actively. But this isn’t the time to make long-term bets on its future

Spanish banks – As the financial sector continues to struggle, there is no let-up in government reforms.

UK retail – The numbers are all in. What do they tell us?