BUSINESS

China's manufacturing activity expanded at a slower rate in February, data released Friday by the National Bureau of Statistics showed.

India’s manufacturing sector expanded at a higher-than-expected rate in February, backed by strong domestic orders, HSBC India Manufacturing PMI said.

U.S. stock index futures point to a flat open on Friday ahead of the automatic sequester spending cuts set to begin at midnight.

Crude oil prices declined and hovered below $92 a barrel in Asian trading Friday as disappointing Chinese manufacturing growth weighed on sentiment.

The top after-market NASDAQ gainers Thursday were Shutterfly, Body Central, Ixia, Deckers Outdoor and Cerus Corp. The top after-market NASDAQ losers were Icahn Enterprises, OmniVision Technologies, Immersion Corp, MannKind Corp and Novadaq Technologies Inc.

The top after-market NYSE gainers Thursday were Pengrowth Energy Corp, Rosetta Stone, Salesforce.com, Gap, Inc and Global Geophysical Services, Inc. The top after-market NYSE losers were Atlantic Power Corp, Youku Tudou, McDermott International, CommonWealth REIT and Sandridge Energy Inc.

A California winery submerged four cases of cabernet sauvignon in Charleston Harbor to see how the ocean affects the aging of the wine.

The Mongolian government blocked mining licenses for Entree Gold, Inc. Is this resource nationalism? Probably not.

The International Monetary Fund says the budget action would lead to an economic slowdown in the U.S., which would ripple across the globe.

Rising royalty costs prompt U.S. online streaming music company Pandora Media to limit free mobile listening.

Lego Group reports stellar 2012 sales after the Danish toy company released a line of products tailored to girls.

Basketball legend and average golfer Michael Jordan is moving onto a golf course on a lake near Charlotte.

Although 4Q GDP was revised higher, the economy must grow at a much stronger rate to lower the U.S.' high unemployment rate.

The one-year tax is one of the ways India aims to cut inflation, reduce the deficit and improve its credit rating.

Aixtron SE, First Solar, Groupon, J.C. Penney, Nokia Corp, ArcelorMittal, Limited Brands and Thompson Creek Metals prevailed.

When complete, the skyscraper with be 1,776 feet with 104 stories in Lower Manhattan - the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.

What are the odds of a British exit from the European Union, or a “Brexit,” and what would it mean for investors and the global economy?

Finance Minister P. Chidambaram presented the budget for 2013-14 on Thursday as the country's growth has slowed significantly.

The first estimate for 2012's Q4 GDP suggested the economy contracted 0.1 percent -- now, revised data may suggest it grew .5 percent.

The top after-market NYSE gainers were Babcock & Wilcox, Continental Resources, Sturm, Ruger & Co, Frontline Ltd and Ocwen Financial Corp.

The top after-market NASDAQ gainers Wednesday were MediciNova, Unilife Corp, Accuray Inc, Idenix Pharmaceuticals and Anika Therapeutics Inc. The top after-market NASDAQ losers were Groupon, BroadSoft, Inc, Gulfport Energy Corp, ABIOMED and Orexigen Therapeutics Inc.

As tough as times still are for job seekers and employers alike, recovery signs keep popping up in financial services - particularly at the big banks.

Shell has spent more than $4.5 billion on its search for oil in the Chukchi and Beaufort. But it's faced setbacks this winter.

Chinese scam artists are doubling profits by getting creative with walnuts.

Jhaqueil Reagan, 18, was walking to an appointment at an Indianapolis Dairy Queen that was 10 miles away.

Shailene Woodley will play Mary Jane Watson, the love interest of Peter Parker in “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” as filming kicks off in New York. Woods was seen on set with red hair while spy photos revealed Andrew Garfield’s new Spider-Man costume.

Apple CEO Tim Cook will tell his shareholders' meeting what his plans are for the company's $137 billion cash pile.

The underlying strength of the report suggests that business investment started the New Year on a particularly strong note.

A $5 million class-action lawsuit has been filing claiming Budweiser is watered down. The lawsuits take aim at Anheuser-Busch and were filed after testimony from former employers who detailed the deceptive practice.