AIRLINES

BOEING WINS $13.7B IN NEW ORDERS

Boeing, the second-largest commercial planemaker, won orders yesterday worth a total of $13.7 billion for 112 aircraft from Emirates and China, extending gains in new business this year over Airbus SAS.

Emirates, the Persian Gulf’s biggest and fastest-growing carrier, bought 42 of Boeing’s long-range 777 models worth $9.7 billion, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, the Emirates chairman, said at the Dubai Air Show. The Chicago-based planemaker signed an agreement with China for 70 of the 737 models worth $4 billion during a visit by President Bush.

Boeing and Airbus have recorded a doubling in airline contracts this year as travel increases and high oil costs spur demand for more fuel-efficient planes. As of November 18, Boeing had 659 orders to 494 for Toulouse, France-based Airbus.

– Bloomberg News

FILMS

HARRY POTTER MOVIE HAS FOURTH-LARGEST OPENING OF ALL TIME

Time Warner’s “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” opened as the no. 1 film in American and Canadian theaters with $101.4 million in ticket sales, making it the fourth-largest opening of all time.

News Corporation’s “Walk the Line,” based on the life of country music singer Johnny Cash, debuted in second place with $22.4 million, box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations said. – Bloomberg News

ECONOMY

KEY INDEX MAY RISE FOR FIRST TIME IN FOUR MONTHS

The index of leading American economic indicators probably rose for the first time in four months as fewer workers lost their jobs because of the hurricanes and factory employees worked more hours, economists said.

The Conference Board, a New York research group, may report today that its gauge of how the economy will perform over the next three to six months rose 0.8% for October, reversing September’s 0.7% decline. The forecast is based on the median estimate of 38 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News.

– Bloomberg News