NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Goldman Sachs Group Inc.’s GS -1.90% latest public-charm initiative may soon involve a closer view of key conferences, long-closed affairs where clients hobnob with Goldman bankers and invited speakers. It is part of an effort to refurbish an image that became tarnished by the financial crisis and its aftermath. Goldman’s top brass have said they need to do... 

Petron Energy, Inc. was incorporated October, 1998 as a Texas corporation. Petron Energy, Inc. is a small independent oil and gas corporation, engaged in the development of oil and natural gas properties in Texas and Louisiana. The firm looks to capitalize on the enormous energy opportunity created by emerging global markets and domestic supply shortfalls. Since their inception they’ve provided... 

MELBOURNE — Telstra Corp. (TLS.AU) is working with investment bank Credit Suisse on its media strategy, which may include a play for casino mogul James Packer’s stake in Consolidated Media Holdings Ltd. (CMJ.AU), the Australian Financial Review reported Wednesday. The newspaper said Credit Suisse wasn’t formally engaged in any Consolidated Media deal, but has been linked with a review... 

Cowen Group Inc.’s COWN +0.41% first-quarter earnings jumped from a weak year-earlier quarter as the financial services firm saw fewer expenses. The company reduced non-compensation expenses sequentially, and achieved its run-rate full-year cost reduction target for the quarter, said Chief Executive Peter Cohen. “While we have more work to do, the results for the first quarter show progress,”... 

Exelon Corp.’s EXC -0.75% first-quart earnings fell 70% as costs related to the electric and gas utility’s merger with Constellation Energy Group Inc. weighed on results and as margins weakened. Exelon, the largest operator of nuclear plants in the U.S., completed its acquisition of Constellation in March. The merger, an all-stock deal valued at nearly $8 billion, allows Exelon to absorb... 

Fluor Corp.’s FLR -2.16% first-quarter earnings rose 11%, led by strong revenue growth at the engineering-and-construction company’s oil-and-gas business and industrial-and-infrastructure segment. The largest publicly traded engineering and construction company in the U.S. has posted revenue growth for five consecutive quarters. Though construction spending remains weak, Davidson Research... 

SEOUL (MarketWatch) — SK Hynix Inc. has decided to join in a final bid for Japan’s Elpida Memory Inc., local online news provider Edaily reported Friday, citing an unnamed SK Hynix source. “Today, Hynix will submit its proposal to join in the second [round] bidding to the lead manager Nomura,” the report said, quoting the unnamed SK Hynix official. The final auction will close... 

World Surveillance Group Inc. (WSGI) is engaged in design, development, marketing and sale of technologically advanced autonomous lighterthan-air (LTA) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). WSGI’s airships, when integrated with electronics systems and other high technology payloads, are designed for use by government-related, military, defense and commercial entities in missions that require real-time... 

SYDNEY (MarketWatch) — Qantas Airways Ltd. on Tuesday gave the strongest indication yet that it’s about to slash hundreds more jobs by closing at least one of its three heavy maintenance bases in Australia. “The significant reduction of maintenance required on our aircraft means we do not need three separate maintenance bases,” a Qantas spokeswoman said in an e-mailed statement. The... 

Helen of Troy Corp.’s HELE +4.25% fiscal fourth-quarter earnings rose 20% from a year-earlier period weighed down by impairment charges as the housewares and personal-care products company posted stronger-than-expected revenue, though margins declined. The company also forecast fiscal 2013 earnings of $3.80 to $3.90 a share on revenue of $1.3 billion to $1.33 billion, while analysts surveyed...