BUSINESS

Linkedin Corporation, Alcatel Lucent SA, Toyota Motor Corporation, Credit Suisse Group AG, Nokia Corporation, Telecom Italia S.p.A, Archer Daniels Midland Company and The Coca-Cola Company are among the companies whose shares are moving in pre-market trading Friday.

U.S. stock index futures point to a slightly higher open on Friday ahead of the Bureau of Economic Analysis' trade deficit report.

The top after-market NYSE gainers Thursday were LinkedIn Corporation, Molina Healthcare Inc, FleetCor Technologies Inc, and The New York Times Company while the top after-market NYSE losers were BPZ Resources Inc, Just Energy Group Inc, XPO Logistics Inc, and Chicago Bridge & Iron Company N.V.

The top after-market NASDAQ gainers Thursday were Exide Technologies, Ubiquiti Networks Inc, Microchip Technology Inc, and Kforce, while the top after-market NASDAQ losers were Nuance Communications Inc, Coinstar Inc, Riverbed Technology Inc, and SunPower Corporation.

China’s trade surplus dropped in January compared with that in the previous month but was better than expected.

The Justice Department and multiple states are discussing suing Moody's Corp. (NYSE:MCO) for defrauding investors, but they may wait until a similar lawsuit against rival Standard and Poor's is tested in the courts.

Iran's Supreme Ayatollah says that Iran "will not be intimidated" into negotiations with respect to its nuclear program.

Chinese women discovering their husbands are gay are shedding light on China’s traditional values about gender roles and sexual orientation.

A McDonald's in Australia will become the first to offer customers plates, cutlery and table service -- at least for a five-week trial period.

The four-week moving average hit a near five-year low, pointing to an ongoing gradual recovery in the labor market.

The expected merger of American Airlines and U.S. Airways will bring cost benefits to both and create the world's largest airline.

Alcatel Lucent SA, Molycorp Inc, Sequenom, McGraw-Hill Companies, 3D Systems Corporation, Research In Motion Ltd, Akamai Technologies Inc, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc and STMicroelectronics N.V. are among the companies whose shares are moving in the pre-market trading Thursday.

Home improvement stores announced how many seasonal workers they'll be hiring this spring.

The U.S. stock index futures pointed to a slightly lower open ahead of the Labor Department's weekly jobless claims data.

India's gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated to grow at an annual rate of 5 percent in the 2012/13 fiscal year -- much below the consensus estimate of 5.5 percent -- a government statement said Thursday, citing provisional estimates.

The top after-market NYSE gainers Wednesday were DeVry Inc, LeapFrog Enterprises Inc, CBRE Group Inc, and Edwards Lifesciences Corp while the top after-market NYSE losers were Spectrum Brands Holdings Inc, FMC Corporation, Yelp Inc and Hudson Pacific Properties Inc.

The top after-market NASDAQ gainers Wednesday were Zumiez Inc, Geospace Technologies Corporation, True Religion Apparel Inc and O'Reilly Automotive Inc, while the top after-market NASDAQ losers Wednesday were Akamai Technologies Inc, Kforce Inc, Zoltek Companies Inc, Adept Technology Inc and iRobot Corporation.

Japan’s core machinery orders posted a better-than-expected rise in December compared with the previous month.

Boeing will be allowed to conduct a one-time ferry flight of a grounded 787 Dreamliner from Texas to Washington state Thursday, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday.

King Coal, which powered the Industrial Revolution, probably won’t see a return of his glory days.

A national survey of employees revealed that biopharmaceutical company Celgene is the best employer.

Biogen expects sole ownership of multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri to add as much as 60 cents to its adjusted EPS.

U.S. Postal Service will stop Saturday delivery of letters to save an estimated $2 billion.

Elan Corporation, Walt Disney Company, Hewlett-Packard Company, Harmony Gold Mining Co, Sony Corporation, Carnival Corporation, Research In Motion Ltd, France Telecom SA and ING Groep N.V. are among the companies whose shares are moving in pre-market trading Wednesday.

The expiration of the U.S. payroll tax cut likely left consumers with 3.5% less personal disposable income in January.

The U.S. stock index futures point to a higher open Wednesday as investors were optimistic that earnings reports from corporates will provide momentum to the economy that is tracing a recovery trajectory.

The top after-market NYSE gainers Tuesday were The Walt Disney Company, Monster Worldwide Inc, Hewlett-Packard Company and Office Depot Inc. The top after-market NYSE losers Tuesday were USANA Health Sciences Inc, Exelis Inc, Walgreen Co, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc and Fortuna Silver Mines Inc.

China's government has rolled-out new tax reforms hoping to alleviate the nation's growing wealth gap while paving a path for sustainable economic growth.

Several major U.S. retailers are expected on Thursday to report modestly stronger January sales -- and offer a glimpse regarding consumer attitudes.