PRESS DIGEST-New York Times business news - Oct 16

Oct 16 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories on the New York Times business pages on Tuesday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

* Citigroup Inc's wager that international lending will offset a sluggish recovery in the United States started to pay off Monday when the bank reported third-quarter earnings.

* Even as talks with international creditors stalled, the Greek prime minister expressed optimism on Monday that an agreement would be reached that would end once and for all speculation that the country will leave the euro zone.

* The European Union toughened sanctions against Iran over its disputed nuclear program on Monday, banning trade in industries like finance, metals and natural gas, and making other business transactions far more cumbersome.

* Americans spent more money at retailers in September - a surge that reflected growing consumer confidence and Apple Inc's introduction of the iPhone 5.

* Two Americans, Alvin Roth and Lloyd Shapley, were awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Science on Monday for their work on market design and matching theory, which relate to how people and companies find and select one another in everything from marriage to school choice to jobs to organ donations.