Daily report: Winner, loser and the top 10

Winner:

TOYOTA HYBRID’S

SALES TOP 1 MILLION

The Prius, which went on sale in Japan in 1997, started out as a risky experiment in green technology, but the popularity of the gas-electric hyrid is going strong amid surging gas prices and growing concerns about the environment. Of the more than 1 million Prius sales worldwide, nearly 592,000 were sold in North America and 315,000 in Japan, Toyota said. Japan’s top automaker sells other hybrid models, but the Prius has been by far the most popular model. Toyota has said it plans to sell a million hybrids annually sometime in the few years after 2010.

Loser:

INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT

PLUNGES AGAIN

The Federal Reserve reported Thursday that industrial production dropped 0.7 percent last month, more than double the decline that economists had expected. Manufacturing output fell by 0.8 percent with half of that weakness coming from large cutbacks in auto production which has been beset by falling demand for new cars and also problems related to a strike at a parts supplier for General Motors. The drop in overall production matched a 0.7 percent decline in February and followed a weak 0.2 percent increase in March.

Today’s Top 10

GE MAY SHED STORIED APPLIANCE UNIT

General Electric Co. is preparing to sell or divest itself of its century-old appliances business, one of the best-known American consumer brands. GE could receive between $5 billion and $8 billion from a sale of the business. Bankers said possible buyers for the division include appliance maker Haier Group of China, which has a plant in Camden.

CBS TO BUY CNET

Media and entertainment company’s $1.8 billion bid for the online news and information profider is its latest bid to expand its reach on the Internet

ICAHN TARGETS DIRECTORS

The billionaire investor is setting out to oust Yahoo Inc.’s board of directors for “irresponsible” and “unconscionable” actions that led Microsoft Corp. to withdraw a $47.5 billion offer to buy the slumping Internet pioneer.

BANKS TOLD TO DETECT RISKS

Fed chairman Ben Bernanke said the housing, credit and financial crises have exposed weaknesses in financial firms’ practices.

U.S. No. 1 COMPETITOR

Asian tigers Singapore and Hong Kong ranked just behind in Swiss study based on 2007 data.

PENNEY PROFIT FALLS 50%

The retailer predicted difficultconditions for the entire year as consumers pull back on spending. Shares climbed $2.07 to $46.32.

KOHLS PROFIT FALLS 27%

The department store chain saw consumers continue to pull back their spending in the first quarter. Shares rose 90 cents to $50.49.

BLOCKBUSTER SWINGS TO PROFIT

The movie rental chain said lower expenses and improved subscription service helped first-quarter results. Shares fell 2 cents to $3.05

LUXURY RETAILER FEELS PINCH

Nordstrom says its profit fell 24 percent in the first quarter as even wealthier consumers’ cut spending. Shares rose $1.15 to $37.29. shopping habits.

YUEN CHARGED WITH OBSTRUCTION

The former Gemstar chairman has been charged with hampering an investigation into accounting irregularities at the company.