BUSINESS

Wall Street stocks rose on Thursday on the latest signs of an improving U.S. economy and optimism a Greek bailout deal would be agreed next week.

Shares of Ancestry.com Inc slumped 19 percent on Thursday, making them among the biggest percentage losers on the Nasdaq, after the company forecast slower growth in subscriber additions for 2012, its second consecutive year of decline.

Stephen Roach, Morgan Stanley's former chief economist and a well-known fixture on Wall Street, is retiring from the firm, according to a memo sent to employees on Thursday.

Designers Joshua Cooper and Laurence Chandler of Rochambeau, French for the popular game rock-paper-scissors, focused on the men in the menswear for their inspiration, much to the pleasure of Theophilus London, who snagged a few items for himself. View the slideshow to see photos of the Fall 2012 Rochambeau collection at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

Greece said on Thursday it had found extra budget savings demanded by its international lenders, suggesting a new rescue package is within reach even though acrimony simmered between Athens and its European partners.

Wall Street stocks rose on Thursday, with the Dow rebounding from its sharpest loss of the year, but gains were limited despite signs of an improving U.S. economy.

New claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week to a near four-year low, a government report showed on Thursday, suggesting the labor market was finally strengthening.

Producer prices outside food and energy recorded their largest increase in six months in January, but are unlikely to ignite inflation pressures given the slack in the labor market.

Joanna Mastroianni took attendees of her Fall 2012 collection runway show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York for a journey around the world on Wednesday through the eyes, and wardrobe, of Iris Apfel, an influential textile designer and noted fashion maven. View the slideshow to see photos of the Fall 2012 Joanna Mastroianni show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York.

General Motors Co posted a weaker-than-expected fourth-quarter profit as disappointing performance overseas offset strong results in North America.

Shares of Nvidia Corp slipped 6 percent before the bell on Thursday, after it scaled back sales expectations for its Tegra 3 processors used in mobile devices and warned that delays at its contract manufacturer were hurting sales of its PC graphics chips.

Moody's warned on Thursday it may cut the credit ratings of 17 global and 114 European financial institutions in another sign the impact of the euro zone government debt crisis is spreading throughout the global financial system.

Online social networks cannot be forced to block users from downloading songs illegally, as this would push up their costs and infringe privacy, Europe's highest court said on Thursday, adding to a worldwide debate on internet policing.

Moody's warned on Thursday it may cut the credit ratings of 17 global and 114 European financial institutions in another sign the impact of the euro zone government debt crisis is spreading throughout the global financial system.

The weak economic recovery has made it harder for banks to make money from loans but the financial conditions of smaller institutions appear to be solidifying, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Thursday.

General Motors Co posted a weaker-than-expected fourth-quarter profit as disappointing performance overseas offset strong results in North America.

Moody's warned on Thursday it may cut the credit ratings of 17 global and 114 European financial institutions in another sign the impact of the euro zone government debt crisis is spreading throughout the global financial system.

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week to a near four-year low, suggesting the labor market recovery was gaining steam.

General Motors Co posted a weaker-than-expected fourth-quarter profit as disappointing performance overseas offset strong results in North America.

Moody's warned on Thursday it may cut the credit ratings of 17 global and 114 European financial institutions in another sign the impact of the euro zone government debt crisis is spreading throughout the global financial system.

General Motors Co posted a weaker-than-expected fourth-quarter profit as disappointing performance overseas offset strong results in North America.

General Motors Co posted a weaker-than-expected fourth-quarter profit as disappointing performance overseas offset strong results in North America.

MADRID - The Spanish economy shrank for the first time in two years in the fourth quarter, the start of what economists fear could be a prolonged slump as Madrid implements harsh austerity measures to deflate a massive budget deficit.

European shares fell and the euro eased to a 3-week low on Thursday as a delay in a decision on a crucial bailout for Greece unnerved investors and prompted a pause in the market rally that has marked the start of 2012.

The government stuck to its assessment that Japan's economy is slowly picking up on Thursday and raised its view on consumer spending for the first time in six months, after a resumption of subsidies for fuel-efficient cars boosted sales.

Societe Generale , France's second-biggest listed bank, said on Thursday quarterly profit slumped by a worse-than-expected 88.6 percent, hit by toxic assets at its investment bank and further write-downs on its Greek sovereign debt.

Asian shares fell and the euro slipped to a 3-week low on Thursday as another delay in cementing a crucial bailout for Greece underscored how far Europe is from resolving a debt crisis that threatens the stability of the financial system.

Yahoo Inc's efforts to craft a complex $17 billion asset swap with its Asian partners stumbled over how to value Taobao, the fast-growing online retail business owned by China's Alibaba Group, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Chinese e-commerce group Alibaba may take its Hong Kong-listed unit Alibaba.com Ltd private at about the price of its 2007 initial public offering for about HK$18 billion ($2.3 billion), the Hong Kong Economic Times reported on Thursday, citing sources.