COMPANIES

Shares of Agilent Technologies (NYSE: A), the No. 1 U.S. instrument maker, surged on Thursday after the company announced it?s biggest acquisition, the $2.2 billion takeover of Denmark?s Dako.

International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM) announced a series of initiatives for cloud, or Internet-based computing, to lower costs as well as lure more customers.

Shares in South Korea's Samsung Electronics extended their heavy slide on Thursday, on speculation that arch rival Apple Inc is looking to cut its reliance on Samsung memory chips and turn increasingly to Japanese chipmaker Elpida.

Investors who want Facebook shares when the social network goes public may have lost the opportunity. Some brokers have stopped accepting orders.

J.C. Penney Co Inc shares plunged nearly 20 percent on Wednesday, their worst decline ever, wiping away $1.43 billion in market value a day after the retailer shocked Wall Street with a much worse-than-expected drop in sales and by scrapping its dividend.

Warren Buffett's investing powerhouse, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK.B) took a 10 million share stake in General Motors Company (NYSE: GM) during the first quarter, an investment it disclosed Wednesday, delivering a 2.29 percent bump to car company's shares and a welcome dose of investor confidence.

Bruno Iksil, the trader behind the $2-billion-and-counting loss at New York-based banking giant JPMorgan Chase and Co. (NYSE: JPM) that has been the talk of New York and Washington for the past few days, will be leaving the bank within the year, the New York Times' Dealbook blog reported Wednesday.

JPMorgan's $2 billion trading loss makes the financial giant an easy target for shareholder lawsuits.

According to sources from within Apple's foreign supply chains in Hong Kong, Apple has ordered bigger screens for its next iPhone, presumably called the iPhone 5, even though no exact measurement was provided. Production on the iPhone 5 is said to begin next month, while the release date has been scheduled for sometime in the fall, likely around October.

A day before Facebook (Nasdaq: FB), the No. 1 social network holds its initial public offering, its 33 underwriters boosted the number of shares for sale by 25 percent, potentially valuing the deal as high as $19 billion.

Shares of Micron Technology (Nasdaq: MU), the only U.S. maker of memory chips, jumped as much as 9 percent Thursday on a report that Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL), the world's most valuable technology company, had placed a huge order in Japan.

The Federal Trade Commission Wednesday announced a $40 million settlement with Skechers over claims made in advertisements for their Shape-up leg toning shoes.

If the Sir Richard Branson ice cubes aren't enough, Virgin Atlantic is giving travelers another reason to choose their airline - cell phone use has been cleared for takeoff by the company. The downfall? It will cost you.

It hasn't been a good year for Lamborghinis. Back in April, a Lamborghini Aventador spontaneously combusted and caught on fire in California. This time, a yellow Lamborghini Gallardo, estimated to be worth $225,000, is the latest viral hit on the Internet after a crash was caught on video in the Chicago area by onlookers.

A coalition of companies has joined Anglo-Dutch energy giant Royal Dutch Shell in an unprecedented, landmark joint-venture to exploit natural gas resources in Western Canada.

Google will reportedly work with up to five different manufacturers at once to offer a wide variety of Android devices, including both smartphones and tablets. The move is a big power play from Google in its efforts to surpass Apple, and it could absolutely work, mainly because it's worked before with Microsoft.

Facebook (Nasdaq: FB), the No. 1 social network, said it?s acquiring the staff and technology of startup Lightbox.com, developer of a photo app for mobile surfaces.

The consumers in the United States, anticipating the release of the HTC One X and Evo 4G LTE smartphones, will have to spend some more time waiting for the devices as they have reportedly been delayed at the U.S. customs due to an import ban order by the International Trade Commission (ITC) over potentially infringing an Apple patent.

J.C. Penney Company Inc. (NYSE: JCP) reported net losses of $163 million for the three months preceding April 28, 2012, and said that it would discontinue its 20 cent per share quarterly dividend to help fund its ongoing restructuring, the company announced Tuesday.

Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL), the world's most valuable technology company, sold more than 35 million iPhones in its most recent quarter, through its retail network and mobile carriers.

The U.S. Justice Department has launched an investigation of a huge trading loss incurred by JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM), the Wall Street Journal said on Tuesday.

Facebook, the world's biggest social network with 900 million-plus users, is finally ready to make its Wall Street debut on Friday, May 18, 2012. Facebook is clearly dominant in its industry, but buying stock so quickly might be unwise. Here are five reasons why you shouldn't go buy Facebook stock right away.

Former CEO of Yahoo Scott Thompson will be paid $7 million in bonuses for five months of work. He will not receive a severance package. Thompson is succeeded by Yahoo CEO Ross Levinsohn.

Samsung has finally released the list of T-Mobile devices that will be receiving the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update.

An ad touting the benefits of its multiple herbicide-resistant Enlist corn tells viewers it won't exacerbate the growing epidemic of superweeds.

The annual shareholder's meeting Tuesday of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM), widely expected to feature fiery denunciations of leaders at the nation's biggest bank, could hardly have been quieter or more management-friendly.

While the rest of the world is focused on Greece?s exit from the euro zone, the news that caught my eye is Finland finally getting its first Starbucks café.

Coty Inc. withdrew its $10.7 billion offer to buy Avon Products Inc. (NYSE: AVP) following months of failed communication by Avon, the company announced on Monday.

A new study revealed that most Facebook users do not trust the company to keep their information private. It also revealed that a large majority of respondents rarely interact with ads or other sponsored links on the site.