The Wall Street Journal-20080202-No Headline Available- -1-
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Full Text (312 words)Microsoft made a $44.6 billion unsolicited bid for Yahoo, placing a bold bet that a combination can transform both companies' efforts to catch Google. The deal would be the biggest financially in Microsoft's history and carry immense complexity. Yahoo said it would study the proposal "carefully and promptly." A1, A4, B16
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UBS is being investigated into whether it booked inflated prices of mortgage bonds. Merrill faces fraud charges over the sale of debt securities. B1, B5
Major banks are racing against a deadline as they work on a possible bailout of Ambac. B1
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Details are emerging that Societe Generale trader Jerome Kerviel knew the risks but thought he could beat them. A1
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Alcoa and Aluminum Corp. of China teamed to buy a $14.5 billion minority stake in Rio Tinto. The deal may cloud BHP's bid. A3
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Payrolls fell by an unexpected 17,000 jobs in January, the first drop in over four years. The jobless rate fell to 4.9% from 5%. A2
The Dow industrials rose 92.83 to 12743.19, up 4.4% for the week, as investors set aside concerns about the economy. B1
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U.S. auto sales fell in January to their slowest level in years. GM's rose 2%, while Ford, Toyota and Chrysler saw declines. A2
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OPEC kept oil output unchanged but struck a gloomy note as it pointed to signs of "economic crisis" in the U.S. A3
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Exxon earned $40.61 billion in 2007 as soaring oil prices helped it report the largest annual profit in U.S. corporate history. A3
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Carl Icahn named his four nominees to Motorola's board as the company prepares to sell or spin off its cellphone division. A3
Icahn has amassed a large stake in J.C. Penney that is among his top five holdings. B3
