BUSINESS

Alcoa Inc. (NYSE: AA) will open what is expected to be a disappointing earnings season when it reports Q3 results Tuesday. But does it really matter?

German Chancellor Angela Merkel visits Athens Tuesday. She is not welcome.

The U.S. stock index futures point to a lower open Tuesday as investor sentiment continue to be weighed down by concerns over the declining global growth rate.

Asian stock markets mostly advanced Tuesday despite pessimistic global growth forecast by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as expectation of a further easing measure from the Chinese central bank provided support.

European markets rose Tuesday as investor sentiment turned positive with hopes that Greece will shortly receive the required bailout fund needed to overcome the financial instability it is facing.

Crude oil prices advanced in Asia Tuesday on fears that the growing tensions in the Middle East may threaten crude supplies.

Most of the Asian markets rose Tuesday though investor optimism about stimulus measures reviving the global economy was undermined after the International Monetary Fund raised concerns about the global economic growth.

The top after-market NYSE gainers Monday were CTS Corp, KB Home, Susser Petroleum Partners, Standard Pacific Corp and LifeLock. The top after-market NYSE losers were Edwards Lifesciences Corp, Monster Worldwide, Barnes & Noble, LIN TV Corp and Media General, Inc.

Asian shares edged higher Tuesday but were capped by concerns over global growth prospects, especially in China, and expected weak U.S. corporate earnings.

The IMF cut its global growth forecast Tuesday morning for the second time since April and warned U.S. and European policy makers that failure to fix their economic ills would prolong the slump.

Two researchers shared this year's Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work, which proved that mature cells can be reprogrammed into a stem cell-like state.

Dishonored, the latest game from Arkane Studios and Bethesda Softworks, is ready for its official release date on Tuesday, Oct. 9. Luckily for those interested gamers, most critics are calling Dishonored incredible, memorable, and one of the “most refreshing experiences” of the year thus far. Dishonored Review Round-Up: Critics Hail Arkane’s Stealth Adventure Game Prior To Its Release Date

Gasoline prices in California will fall now that Gov. Jerry Brown has ordered a shift to winter blend after refineries making summer blend went offline.

Marathon Petroleum Corp (MPC.N) struck a deal to buy BP Plc's (BP.L) Texas City refinery and related infrastructure for up to $2.5 billion, a purchase that will make Marathon the fourth-largest U.S. refiner and give it a bigger potential slice of the market for refined product exports.

Wal-Mart and American Express offer prepaid debit card as consumer rights advocates call for stronger rules for this third form of plastic.

GREE Inc. (TYO: 3632), the Japanese social gaming giant bent on global domination, continued its Western expansion over the weekend with another round of partnerships and a new production platform unveiled Monday.

Apple originally said the fifth-generation iPod Touch, as well as seventh-generation iPod Nano, would be released to in October, but did not specify a date. On Monday, however, Australian users told SlashGear that Apple has changed its ship date availability to “3 weeks,” which means we could see the iPod Touch on store shelves by Monday, Oct. 29.

The leader of Scotland's Conservative Party claimed that 90% of Scots are dependent on state welfare.

High-level meetings, including a dramatic visit to Athens by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, could determine Greece's euro zone future.

A Lancashire teenager was forced to have part of her stomach removed after consuming a drink prepared with liquid nitrogen.

Japanese auto giants like Toyota plan to halve China production after sales slumped. Non-Japanese brands stand to gain.

The tribals of India, or 'Adivasis', are the original peoples of the Indian subcontinent... but their very existence has been threatened by the seizure of their lands by the state and corporate interests.

Here's a guide to the best holiday sales and deals for Columbus Day 2012.

The largest health insurer in the U.S. announces 90 percent purchase of Amil Participações SA in Latin America's largest insurance market.

The two companies, which provide equipment to most of the world's telecom companies, should be blocked from merging and acquiring U.S. firms, a report concluded.

Alkermes plc, Netflix Inc, InterContinental Hotels Group Plc, Hecla Mining, Sprint Nextel Corp, Groupon Inc, Eli Lilly & Co, Alcatel Lucent SA and Tata Motors Ltd. are among the companies whose shares are moving in pre-market trading Monday.

Asian stock markets declined Monday despite the better-than-expected U.S. jobs data as concerns over the global economic growth and corporate earnings outlook weighed on the sentiment.

European markets fell Monday as investor sentiment turned negative with the revival of concerns over the debt crisis affecting the euro zone following the continuing financial instability in Greece and the delay in Spain asking for a bailout officially.

The HSBC Purchasing Manager's Index released Monday showed that China's services activity improved in September after the fall in August.