Business Briefs – January 11, 2018

Digital Currencies Dip as South Korea Considers Trading Ban

NEW YORK (AP) – The price of bitcoin fell and another popular currency, ethereum, wobbled after South Korea, a hotbed for currencies like bitcoin, said it was weighing a trading ban. The country’s justice minister said South Korea plans to ban trading in virtual currencies, but the presidential office said later that a ban is under review.

Delta’s Profit Dips 8 Percent But Tops Street’s Expectations

DALLAS (AP) — Delta Air Lines reports fourth-quarter profit of $572 million, down 8 percent from a year ago but easily beating expectations. The Atlanta company says a measure of average prices rose and will climb again in the first quarter, signaling that a 2-year slump in prices is over. The shares are higher in trading before the opening bell.

Toyota-Mazda Plant: Alabama Bids To Become a Major Auto Hub

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) – Alabama has taken to the fast lane it in its bid to become a major auto making hub in the South, landing a $1.6 billion joint venture plant of Toyota and Mazda that will ultimately employ 4,000 people. The new plant is to be located in Huntsville, Alabama — already a hub for the region’s aerospace industry — and will produce 300,000 vehicles per year, a combination of the Toyota Corolla compact car and a new small crossover SUV from Mazda. Officials made the announcement Wednesday.

Ford Says Some Rangers Should Be Parked Due to Air Bag Death

DETROIT (AP) – Ford is telling owners of about 2,900 2006 Ranger pickup trucks not to drive them after discovering that a man was killed in a wreck involving an exploding Takata air bag inflator. The death occurred July 1 in West Virginia.