WEBSITES TOUT SPEEDY HOLIDAY SHIPPING DEALS

Procrastinating holiday shoppers are finding a haven online as retailers ramp up expedited shipping and same-day delivery services.

Amazon is offering a “Procrastinator’s Delight” special. Clothing retailer Madewell proclaims on its website that “procrastinators get the best deals” — 25 percent off everything.

It’s a far cry from 2013, when Amazon and others misjudged demand and delivered some holiday packages after Christmas. Since then, companies have amped up efforts to get packages delivered on time. Package carriers such as FedEx and UPS have increased staffing and hired outside contractors for the holiday season.

U.S. probes complaints of engine fires in tiny Smart cars. U.S. safety

regulators are reviewing eight complaints that the engines in tiny Smart Fortwo cars can catch fire.

The investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration covers about 43,000 of the two-seat cars from the 2008 and 2009 model years.

The agency said in documents posted Tuesday that in six cases, owners saw smoke or the “check engine” light or heard an unusual noise before seeing flames. The other two fires weren’t observed until the cars were stopped. All eight owners told the agency that flames rapidly engulfed the cars. No injuries have been reported.

Euro slips further toward one-to-one with dollar. The dollar’s upward

march has sent the euro currency to its lowest level in 14 years, easing the financial pressure on traveling Americans but giving European exporters a boost.

The euro, used by 19 countries, fell as low as $1.0352 on Tuesday, which is its lowest level since early 2003.

A major factor has been the prospect of more interest rate hikes by the U.S. Federal Reserve following a quarter-point increase in its benchmark rate last week. Higher interest rates in the U.S. increase returns on dollar investments and spur currency demand.

Gov’t probes rollaway issue like one blamed in Yelchin death. The U.S.

auto safety agency has opened an investigation into complaints that another 1 million Fiat Chrysler vehicles can roll away after the owners shift transmissions into park, a problem similar to the one being blamed in the death of Star Trek actor Anton Yelchin.

The investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration covers Fiat Chrysler’s top-selling vehicle, the Ram 1500 pickup, from the 2013 to 2016 model years, as well as the 2014 to 2016 Dodge Durango SUV.

FedEx earnings miss expectations as expenses rise. FedEx reported second-quarter

earnings that missed Wall Street expectations as the shipping company’s expenses soared.

FedEx reported net income of $700 million, or $2.59 per share, for the most recent quarter. Earnings, adjusted to remove the costs related to its recent acquisition of TNT Express, were $2.80 per share. That’s far below the $2.91 per share that analysts expected, according to FactSet.

Revenue rose 20 percent to $14.93 billion, beating the $14.91 billion that analysts expected.