BUSINESS

As the U.S. government explores options to avoid the looming fiscal cliff, President Obama has warned that if the much-despised tax hikes was to occur, it would impact the global economy.

India’s current account deficit is likely to narrow to 3.5 percent from the current 4.5 percent by the end of the fiscal year, Prime Minister's Economic Advisor Council Chairman Dr C Rangarajan has said.

U.S. stock index futures point to a higher open Thursday ahead of the Bureau of Economic Analysis’ gross domestic product (GDP) report and the Labor Dept.'s weekly jobless claims data.

The top after-market NASDAQ gainers Wednesday were Semtech Corporation, Coldwater Creek Inc, Incyte Corporation, ZAGG Inc and First Midwest Bancorp Inc. The top after-market NASDAQ losers Wednesday were Veeco Instruments Inc, PDC Energy Inc, Aegion Corporation and Penn National Gaming Inc.

The top after-market NYSE gainers Wednesday were Infoblox Inc, Hillenbrand, Guess Inc, Western Alliance and Pandora Media. The top after-market NYSE losers were La-Z-Boy, Sauer-Danfoss, Aeropostale, Leapfrog Enterprises and Generac Holdings Inc.

Japan’s retail sales fell in October compared to those in the same month last year, indicating a faltering consumer spending which accounts for the majority of overall economic activity.

Asian shares edged up Thursday, mirroring U.S. and European stock rises overnight, as sentiment improved after U.S. House Speaker John Boehner said he was "optimistic" on reaching a budget deal.

Two BP rig supervisors and a former executive pleaded not guilty Wednesday to criminal charges, and the U.S. government banned BP from new federal contracts.

Both the Spanish central bank and the European Union announced Wednesday the details of the financial sector rescue.

Holiday spending reached an all-time high, aided by surges in e-commerce for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, data indicates.

For more than 3,000 years, traditional Chinese medicine has been an integral part of Chinese culture and the predominant medical treatment for a large part of the population.

The number of U.K. underemployed has climbed by almost 1 million to 3 million since the beginning of the recession in 2008.

Minister says gov't has the votes to prevent a showdown on allowing the likes of Wal-Mart and IKEA into subcontinent.

Lustig says to avoid quick picks, and past winners relish their old lives.

With the forthcoming and likely end to so-called “Bush tax cuts,” analysts predict the fourth quarter will see a wave of special dividends.

Credit Suisse said another big divestment was coming to the Asian insurance market.

Olivier Martinez, Halle Berry's fiance, said he comes from a family of professional boxers. He made the comments when he described the bruised face Berry's ex, Gabriel Aubry, after the two fought one another in front of Barre's home.

The 2013 Pirelli calendar was vastly different, featuring photos of completely clothed models and its first ever pregnant model, Adriana Lima.

Wednesday's lunar eclipse will be a relatively minor event as eclipses go. The full moon will pass through the outer edge of the Earth's shadow, called the penumbra, to create a so-called penumbral lunar eclipse.

The EU agreed to fund Spain's four nationalized banks in exchange for layoffs, asset sales and big losses for the banks' bond-holders.

The U.S. has said that China cannot be called a currency manipulator despite the fact that the yuan remains undervalued.

A tale of how Bank of America personnel refused to believe a customer’s mother, one of their mortgage holders, had died.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Knight Capital Group, Costco Wholesale, Freeport-McMoRan Copper, Groupon, Dynavax Technologies, Weatherford International and Deutsche Bank AG are among the companies whose shares are moving in pre-market trading Wednesday.

Powerball jackpot grew to $500 million Tuesday as part of a plan lottery officials put together early this year to build jackpots faster and generate revenue for states that run the game.

U.S. stock index futures point to a slightly lower open Wednesday ahead of the Census Bureau's new home sales data and the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book.

The top after-market NASDAQ gainers Tuesday were Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc, Groupon Inc, Tangoe Inc, Hologic Inc and Caribou Coffee Company Inc. The top after-market NASDAQ losers Monday were PRGX Global Inc, Analog Devices Inc, Frontier Communications Corporation and ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc.

The top after-market NYSE gainers Tuesday were Portland General Electric, Boise Inc, Culp, Calpine and Health Net Inc. The top after-market NYSE losers were Guidewire Software, Medley Capital, Checkpoint Systems, Apartment Investment & Management and CommonWealth REIT.

The Philippines’ economy grew at a faster rate than expected in the third quarter, indicating that the country’s economic condition continues to strengthen.

Asian shares ended a seven-day winning streak Wednesday as investor concern rose over whether U.S. lawmakers were putting the world's largest economy at risk of recession by failing to make headway in their budget talks.