Apple choice
Apple Computer, the American computer maker, said that Eric Schmidt, the Google chief executive who is joining the company as a non-executive director, had turned down the offer of stock options. He will instead buy shares on the open market.
Ford sales slide
Ford, the carmaker, reported an 11.6 per cent slide in US sales for August, affected by a drop in sales of trucks. The figures compared with a period last year when the group had been forced to offer heavy discounts to attract buyers.
Deutsche eyes sale
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Deutsche Bank is considering offloading its Italian asset management business. Gianni Testoni, chairman of the German bank’s Italian unit, said he was considering the possibility of a sale. He said the plans were at an early stage.
Veolia delay
The European Commission said it had extended its review of Veolia Environnement’s acquisition of the UK waste management arm of Brambles Industries, the services group. The deadline for a decision has been moved from September 7 to September 21.
Airbus job freeze
Airbus, the European aircraft maker, has ordered a global hiring freeze as Christian Streiff, its new president and chief executive, carries out a study on the company’s personnel needs. Airbus employs 57,000 people worldwide.