National Business

MONTREAL — The federal government committed to planting two billion trees across the country to restore natural habitats and fight climate change, and now Quebec wants to harvest some of them.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A measure of consumer sentiment ticked higher this month, after soaring in December and January , underscoring that Americans are starting to feel better about the economy after several years of gloom.

VANCOUVER — B2Gold Corp. says three employees have died after an attack on a bus transporting workers in Mali. The company says the bus, which was travelling under Malian gendarme escort, was going from its Fekola mine to Bamako, the capital of Mali.

NEW YORK (AP) — Nike is cutting 2% of its global workforce, or little over 1,600 jobs, as the athletic wear giant aims to cut costs and reinvest its savings into what it sees as big growth areas like sport, health and wellness.

TORONTO — Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. reported a fourth-quarter profit attributable to shareholders of US$1.3 billion, down from US$2.3 billion a year earlier. The company, which keeps its books in U.S. dollars, says the profit amounted to US$52.

CALGARY — TC Energy Corp.

TORONTO — An Ontario court has given Factory Direct permission to liquidate its stores as it begins winding down the business.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Wholesale prices in the United States picked up in January, the latest sign that some inflation pressures in the economy remain elevated.

OTTAWA — Statistics Canada says wholesale sales excluding petroleum, petroleum products, and other hydrocarbons and excluding oilseed and grain rose 0.3 per cent to $82.9 billion in December.

TORONTO — Mithaq Capital SPC says it's dropping its hostile takeover offer for Aimia Inc. after not enough shares were tendered before the bid expired on Thursday.