Need stamps for those holiday cards? Don't go to the post office, unless you're prepared to stand in line or pay with a credit card.

Stamp vending machines, where customers can buy a single 41-cent stamp or a book of stamps with coins or dollar bills, are on their way out.

The U.S. Postal Service is removing the stamp machines at post offices across the nation. By the end of next year, all of the machines will be gone. Customers still will be able to buy stamps at the post office window, online or at select stores.

NYers Seek Fixes in Mortgage Mess

Sen. Charles Schumer and the Rev. Al Sharpton had different answers Thursday for how to make it easier for homeowners at risk from the mortgage crunch.

Sharpton called for the Bush administration and the U.S. Senate to back off plans to restrict nonprofit downpayment assistance programs, which he said are crucial for many minority and working-class families trying to purchase a first home.

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Constellation Brands to buy rival's U.S. wine business for $885M

Constellation Brands Inc. is staking a bigger claim in the more profitable end of the U.S. wine market with a deal to add Clos du Bois to its collection of $8 to $11 wines led by Robert Mondavi Private Selection.

Even with its latest acquisition, Constellation will control less than 5 percent of the highly fragmented global wine market. But its share of the American market will expand 1 percent to around 20 percent.

14-11-2007: Credit Suisse: Outperform on BCHB

CREDIT Suisse Research is maintaining its Outperform recommendation on Bumiputra-Commerce Holdings Bhd (BCHB), which reported a net profit of RM1.03 billion for the third quarter (3Q) ended Sept 30, 2007.

It said that despite a 39% quarter-on-quarter decline (decline of 1% on-year) in 3Q core net profit to RM404 million, the nine-month net profit of RM2.3 billion (including RM628 million insurance gain) was well on track to meet its full-year estimate of RM2.77 billion and consensus estimates of RM2.69 billion.

The research house said the on-quarter dip in profit was due mainly to a 42% drop in non-interest income (lower investment banking and treasury income). Basically, BCHB only needs a flat on-quarter performance in 4Q to meet street's expectations.

“Management expects stronger 4Q as capital market conditions has improved (pick up in deal pipeline), loan base has grown and provisions could drop (potential writeback of general provisions)," it said.

AMD unveils ATI Radeon HD 3800 series

AMD has announced the introduction and immediate availability of the ATI Radeon HD 3800 series of graphics processing units (GPU). As the world's first series of graphics processors to deliver Microsoft's DirectX 10.1 support, 55nm process technology and tri and quad multi-GPU support with ATI CrossFireX, the ATI Radeon HD 3800 series ushers in a new era of enthusiast gaming performance at mainstream price points, said AMD.