Volkswagen hopes for a deal with U.S.

Volkswagen hopes for a deal with U.S.: This Wednesday the Volkswagen AG Chief Executive Matthias Mueller said he is hopeful the German automaker can reach agreement by the end of the year with the U.S. government on the size of a fine to settle a criminal investigation of the company's alleged violations of U.S. clean air laws.

He added that he sees a good progress toward an agreement with U.S. regulators that could allow Volkswagen to repair certain 3.0 liter diesel engines that emit more pollutants than U.S, law allows. Speculation that the U.S. Justice Department will demand a multibillion-dollar fine to settle a criminal investigation of the automaker's use of illegal software to deceive U.S. environmental regulators sent Volkswagen shares into a tailspin earlier this week.