Vital Signs for the Week of Oct. 3 (BusinessWeek Online

Vital Signs for the Week of Oct. 3 (BusinessWeek Online via Yahoo! UK & Ireland Finance)
On tap: September employment report, business activity reports from the Institute for Supply Management, August factory orders, and more

GM, Toyota, Delphi, Yum Brands, Wendy's in focus (CBS Market Watch)
Top stories before the start of U.S. trading on Wednesday.

Katrina Contributes To Drop in Spending (Washington Post)
Katrina propels largest drop in spending since September 2001; experts predict rebound as funds pour into rebuilding effort.

Hybrids Are Hot
Automakers that used to downplay the viability of gasoline-electric hybrids are now embracing them.
Ann Job

Lowest-Priced New Vehicles for 2006
Low price doesn't mean skimping on safety equipment anymore; some lowest-priced new cars include six standard airbags.
Ann Job

Concentra Completes Acquisition of Beech Street Corporation; Company Announces Refinancing of Senior Credit Agreement (RedNova)
Concentra Operating Corporation ("Concentra" or the "Company") today announced that it has completed the previously announced acquisition of Beech Street Corporation in a $165 million cash transaction.

America's Most Loved New Vehicles
Discover which new cars and trucks Americans love the most . . .
Editors of MSN Autos

Top Sport Utilities on MSN Autos
The most popular sport-utility vehicles on MSN Autos, based on visits to the site's vehicle research pages during the third quarter of 2005.
compiled by MSN Autos

Economy wobbles in wake of Katrina (Seattle Times)
Consumer spending fell in August at the steepest rate since the Sept. 11 attacks as Hurricane Katrina slashed Americans'...