91ÊÓƵ

Oil held over $96 a barrel in early trading Friday as forecasters kept an eye on Tropical Storm Isaac, which is likely to move into the Gulf of Mexico next week as a low-level hurricane, Bloomberg reported.

Durable goods orders rose in July but declined excluding transportation orders, the Commerce Department said Friday.

Truck and trailer parts supplier FleetPride Inc. , said it has acquired Great Lakes Truck & Trailer, Westlake, Mich., for an undisclosed sum.

Chinese government regulators have approved a joint engine-making venture between Navistar International Corp. and Chinese truck maker Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Co. Ltd., Navistar said.

Mack Trucks said its defense division will supply the U.S. Army with 100 Mack Granite trucks destined for Iraq.

Sixteen local governments on or near Interstate 95 in Virginia have come out in opposition to the state’s plan to impose tolls on I-95, a group opposing the plan said.

New home sales rose 3.6% in July to match a two-year high, the Commerce Department said Thursday.

Ceva Logistics, Houston, said it has cut four days off some delivery times by routing inbound less-than-container load shipments to its container freight station in Elk Grove, Ill.

Initial jobless claims rose by 4,000 last week, the Labor Department said Thursday.