MANATEE -- The foreclosure rate and the mortgage delinquency rate for the North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota area increased from April 2010 to April 2011, according to numbers released Tuesday by CoreLogic, a foreclosure tracking service.

The foreclosure rate for April 2011 was 12.09 percent, almost two percentage points greater than the 10.29 percent rate in April 2010, CoreLogic reported. The area’s foreclosure rate is 8.62 percent higher than the national rate of 3.47 percent. CoreLogic also reported that the area’s mortgage delinquency rate for April 2011 was 16.48 percent, a slight increase over last April’s rate of 16.23. The delinquency rate refers to the percentage of mortgage loans that are 90 or more days delinquent.

The Tratz Group announces grand opening

BRADENTON -- A ribbon cutting for The Tratz Group, Inc. and The Social Network Consultants will be held at 5 p.m. July 5 at 4230 59th St. W., Suite B.

The company provides social networking consulting services along with website design, search engine optimization, social media strategy, pay per click management, graphic design, web site creation, email marketing campaigns and social networking services.

The company is owned by Jennifer Tratz. For more information, visit www.the| socialnetworkconsultants.com and www.TheTratz Group.com.

Wilson’s DanceSport hosts grand opening

BRADENTON -- Ballroom dance studio owner and former World Champion, Wilson Barrera is expanding into the Bradenton area with the opening of Wilson’s DanceSport International.

A grand opening will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. July 22 at 4069 Cortez Road W. There will be tours of the newly remodeled studio, wine and hors d’oeuvres, dancing with students and instructors throughout the evening, the opportunity to schedule a free private ballroom dance lesson and ballroom and Latin dance demonstrations from students and Wilson’s staff of professional dancers.

For more, call (941) 955-8558 or visit wilsons dancesport.com.

Meditation workshop for businesses offered

MANATEE -- Yoga and meditation teacher Gary Halperin is offering a one-hour Introduction to Meditation Workshop for businesses and workplace organizations in Sarasota and Manatee counties.

Halperin believes meditation may help co-workers and colleagues deal more effectively with workplace stress and feel better equipped to cope with increased work loads common in today’s challenging economic environment.

The cost for an in-office workshop is $100. Groups of varying sizes can be accommodated. All attendees who have not already taken yoga classes with Halperin will be offered a free, one-hour class at the Radiance Center studio, 2868 Ringling Blvd. in the Gold Tree Plaza. Call (941) 952-0960 or visit www.feelbetternowyoga.com for more information.

Strong Nike earnings help lead stocks higher

NEW YORK -- Maybe the global economy isn’t in such bad shape after all.

After weeks of worries about the economy pulled stocks down, indexes have risen sharply for two days in a row.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose more than 140 points Tuesday, thanks in part to signs that concerns of a global slowdown may be overblown.

Quarterly results from Nike Inc. bested analysts’ expectations and sent its stock up 10 percent. That helped lead to a rally in stocks of clothing stores, restaurants and jewelers. Such companies tend to do well when consumers are less worried about things like high gas prices and are willing to spend on themselves.

The Dow gained 145.13 points, or 1.2 percent, to 12,188.69.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 16.57, or 1.3 percent, to 1,296.67. The Nasdaq composite index added 41.03, or 1.5 percent, to 2,729.31. All three indexes are down more than 3 percent for the month.

Sony faces shareholders after hacker attacks

TOKYO -- Sony Corp. Chief Executive Howard Stringer credited “very loyal” PlayStation Network gamers for flocking back to the service in big numbers, as he sought Tuesday to reassure shareholders following a series of embarrassing hacker attacks.

Stringer apologized for the data breach in April, which compromised personal data from more than 100 million online gaming and entertainment accounts. Sony was criticized for lax security and acting too slowly to inform customers as it grappled with one of the largest-ever security thefts.

Stringer said at an annual shareholders meeting held at a Tokyo hotel that as many as 90 percent of subscribers have come back since the Japanese company began restoring service last month.

“Our brand perception, you’ll be happy to know, is clearly improving again,” he told a less-than-happy crowd.

Oil climbs 2.5 percent ahead of Greek austerity vote

NEW YORK -- Oil climbed more than 2 percent Tuesday ahead of a vote in Greece to approve tough new financial reforms that would shore up its beleaguered economy.

Benchmark West Texas Intermediate gained $2.28, or 2.5 percent, to settle at $92.89 per barrel Tuesday on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

In London, Brent crude added $2.79, or 2.6 percent, to settle at $108.78 per barrel on the ICE Futures Exchange.

-- From wire reports