Russia’s finance minister said Wednesday that the country’s 2007 economic growth estimated at 7.8 percent and projected annual growth of 6.5-7 percent for the next three years.

Ford Motor Co is going to expand its South African operations investing 1.5 billion rand (USD 210 million) in the production of the company's next-generation pickup truck and Puma diesel engine.

Legg Mason Inc. named Mark Fetting chief executive to succeed Raymond Mason, who over 46 years built a regional stock brokerage into the No. 2 publicly traded money manager in the U.S., with $1 trillion in assets under management.

Ecofin Limited, a London based investment manager specialising in the utilities and infrastructure sectors with approximately $5,400 million of assets under management, is pleased to announce a major new investment in Solel Solar Systems Limited.

Allen & Caron Inc., with offices in New York City, Irvine, Calif., and London, announced it has been selected by Neonode Inc. (Nasdaq: NEON), the Swedish mobile communication brand that designs and develops intuitive technologies and products, as its agency for investor relations.

Green Plug, the first developer of digital technology enabling real-time collaboration between electronic devices and their power sources, today announced that it has received a Series A investment from Peninsula Equity Partners of Menlo Park, Calif. The amount of the investment was not disclosed.

Despite a growing interest in Asia, U.S. real estate, by a wide margin, has risen to the top of the global property market among foreign investors, with New York City and Washington named the top two global cities for foreign investors' real estate dollars according to the results of the 16th annual survey released today by the Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate (AFIRE).

The Health Trust announced a $30 million investment in three initiatives that will help Silicon Valley become the healthiest region in America. By 2010, the goal is to make significant strides in achieving the goals of healthy living, healthy aging, and healthy communities for everyone in the region.

Espirito Santo Financial Group (ESFG) and Banco Espirito Santo Group, (BES Group) Portugal's 3rd biggest financial group, have announced a strategic investment in Saxo Bank by taking a five percent ownership of the Danish Bank's equity.

Sebastian River Holdings Inc. (Pink Sheets: SBRV), updates developments in their Iraq Dinar investment.

While oil and gold are thriving, most stock values have been dropping precipitously. The S&P 500 opened trading in 2007 at 1,418 and closed Jan. 9, 2008 at 1,409. Stocks have lost ALL the gains they made last year, and then some.

Dr. Marlies Van Hoef, CEO of Transplant Creations updated the investment community in an all-new interview with wallst.net. Topics covered in the interview include an overview of the company, recent press, the market opportunity and upcoming milestones for which investors should watch.