Money and Financial Lifestyle

Retail gasoline prices rose again overnight and are now up nearly 40 percent from the start of the year, while the price for crude on Tuesday topped $60 a barrel for the first time since early November.

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Gasoline nears $2.25, crude briefly above $60 (AP)

A bankruptcy judge says GMAC can become Chrysler’s preferred lender. Pending the completion of certain documentation, U.S. Judge Arthur Gonzales on Tuesday approved the deal between Auburn Hills, Mich.-based Chrysler LLC and GMAC Financial Services.

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Judge OKs deal to make GMAC top Chrysler lender (AP)

Improved credit markets have brought stabilization to the economy but it is still not clear when growth will resume, General Electric Co Chief Executive Jeff Immelt said on Tuesday.

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GE CEO says economy stabilized, growth a question (Reuters)

Shares of drugmaker Pfizer Inc. jumped nearly 7 percent Tuesday after an analyst issued a report citing benefits of its planned acquisition of rival Wyeth and stating that those were “not yet reflected in the stock.”

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Pfizer shares jump after analyst backs Wyeth deal (AP)

MBIA Inc. shares jumped in premarket trading Tuesday after the bond insurer posted a first-quarter profit, its first after five straight quarters of losses.

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Ahead of the Bell: MBIA shares jump on earnings (AP)

The financial health of the government’s two biggest benefit programs may have slipped over the past year, reflecting the deep recession that has already bitten into other areas of the budget.

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Annual report due for Social Security and Medicare (AP)

China’s exports slumped for the sixth straight month amid warnings that weak overseas demand was hindering a recovery, even as government spending helped boost factory investment.

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China’s exports sink, but factory investment rises (AP)

Cash-rich private equity firms are preparing to deploy newly-raised funds, dispelling some of the gloom in the sector and raising hopes that buy-out deals are in the pipeline.

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Strong buyout firms ready to profit from crisis (Reuters)

Citigroup Inc. is using its $45 billion in government capital to make nearly that much in new loans. Citigroup said its committee overseeing the use of taxpayer money approved $44.75 billion in lending initiatives as of March 31.

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Citigroup: TARP loans near $45 billion mark (AP)