IN BRIEF

Samaritan Pharmaceutical of Las Vegas said Thursday that the American Stock Exchange gave the company more time to comply with exchange standards before its stock will be delisted. Its listing on the exchange will continue until May 31.

In November, Amex notified Samaritan that it no longer qualifies for listing, because it has less than $4 million in shareholders’ equity and net losses in the past five years.

Samaritan is a biotech company that researches treatments for patients with AIDS, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease and cancer. Shares in the company were unchanged at 25 cents when the market closed Thursday.

SAN FRANCISCO

Now on Yahoo: foreclosed homes

Yahoo has included a foreclosure center on its Web site to help bargain hunters capitalize on the slumping real estate market.

The new section unveiled this week is similar to other Internet services like foreclosurefreesearch.com, foreclosuredeals.com and realestateforeclosures.net that identify repossessed homes.

But Yahoo’s foreclosure feature will likely have more mass appeal because the Sunnyvale-based company’s Web site consistently ranks among the busiest online destinations.

Besides pinpointing the locations of foreclosed homes, Yahoo’s section also provides buying tips and other relevant market information.

NEW YORK

Lexus LS 460 named World Car of the Year

Toyota Motor Corp.’s Lexus LS 460 was named the 2007 World Car of the Year by a panel of 44 automotive journalists from around the world.

The Audi TT and the MINI were the other finalists for the annual honor, which was announced Thursday at the New York International Auto Show.

The LS 460 features the world’s first automatic parking system, along with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Safety features include forward radar designed to help drivers avoid collisions.

The LS 600h version includes a V-8 hybrid engine and light-emitting diode headlamps, while an executive seating package is available with the LS 460L version. The package has a right rear seat that reclines 45 degrees and comes with an ottoman leg rest, along with other comforts such as a seat massager, sunshades, video screen and a refrigerator for drinks.

DALLAS

TXU could be forced to shutter power plants

Texas utility TXU Corp. says it could be forced to shut down some power plants if it can’t settle charges by state regulators that it manipulated the state wholesale electric market.

TXU, Texas’ largest power generator, didn’t say how many of its older, natural gas-fired plants it might shutter or turn over to other operators. But it warned the result would be disruption of the state’s wholesale electric market.

Since the utility issued the warning, it has begun negotiating a settlement with regulators, a TXU spokeswoman said Thursday.

CHICAGO

Magnate reportedly in deal for newspaper

Movie and music mogul David Geffen is negotiating with Sam Zell on a possible deal for the Los Angeles Times following Zell’s successful bid for Tribune Co., a published report said Thursday.

Geffen has spoken with Zell since the Chicago real estate magnate’s $8.2 billion deal to acquire Tribune was announced Monday, and is optimistic he may gain control of the Times in either a spinoff or joint-venture partnership, The Washington Post reported, citing an unidentified source familiar with Geffen’s thinking.

The report quoted Geffen as saying Wednesday: “Yes, I continue to want to buy the Los Angeles Times.”

Representatives for Zell and Geffen declined to comment Thursday.

Barrick Gold may sell all NovaGold shares

Barrick Gold Corp., the largest shareholder of NovaGold Resources, said it will consider selling all of its NovaGold shares months after a hostile takeover bid failed.

The shares may be sold in the open market through negotiated or private deals, and Barrick still may decide not to sell, the Toronto-based company said in a statement. Barrick’s attempt to buy Vancouver, British Columbia-based NovaGold for $1.71 billion failed in December.

Barrick, the world’s biggest gold producer, owns 13.6 million NovaGold shares, or 13 percent of 107 million fully diluted shares outstanding.

NovaGold investors rejected Barrick’s $16-a-share cash offer after NovaGold Chief Executive Officer Rick Van Nieuwenhuyse said it was too low.

BRUSSELS, Belgium

EU wants Microsoft to give rivals access

European Union regulators want Microsoft Corp. to give rivals access — at little or no cost — to information that would help their products work better with Windows, according to a published report Thursday. But the software maker says its current charges are fair and the EU has not provided clear guidance on what fair pricing would be.

The Financial Times cited a confidential document the commission sent to Microsoft on March 1 and said the EU was asking the company to set little or no license fee for information it must share with rivals as part of a March 2004 antitrust order. The software information must allow competitors to produce server software that works smoothly with Windows.

Web registration fees raised by VeriSign

VeriSign, the main manager of the Web-address database, raised the fees for registering dot-com and dot-net domain names for the first time since 1999.

The cost will increase 7 percent to $6.42 for dot-com names and 10 percent to $3.85 for dot-net sites, the Mountain View, California-based company said in a statement. The new fees take effect Oct. 15.

NEW YORK

Bond prices decline ahead of payroll news

U.S. Treasury bond prices declined Thursday, with investors shuffling portfolios and closing out bets ahead of today’s March payrolls number.

At 5 p.m. EDT, the 10-year Treasury note was down $2.19 per $1,000 in face value, or 0.22 points, from its level at 5 p.m. Wednesday. Its yield, which moves in the opposite direction, rose to 4.68 percent from 4.65 percent.

The 30-year bond fell 0.47 points. Its yield rose to 4.87 percent from 4.84 percent.

U.S. financial markets will be closed today for Good Friday.