CHINA

Volkswagen Group’s global first-quarter sales surpassed 2 million vehicles for the first time in the company’s history as North American and Chinese sales rose dramatically, the company announced Friday.

Failure of the satellite and rocket, launched to mark the ascendancy of Kim Jong-un and celebrate the 100th birthday of North Korea's founder, the late Kim Il-sung, sparked fears the country will pursue further launches nuclear tests.

Stocks fell Friday on disappointing Chinese economic data and renewed concerns over Spain's rising borrowing costs.

Nissan Motor Co. will invest as much as 40 billion yen, $494 million, to build a fourth Chinese factory through its joint venture with Dongfeng Motor Group Co., Nikkei reported Friday.

Stocks were set to fall at the open on Friday as concerns over Spain's rising borrowing costs resurfaced and after disappointing Chinese growth data.

Stock index futures fell on Friday as concerns over Spain's rising borrowing costs resurfaced and after disappointing Chinese growth data, and banks fell after quarterly results.

Stock index futures fell on Friday as concerns over Spain's rising borrowing costs resurfaced and after disappointing Chinese growth data, and banks fell after quarterly results.

Speculation that China's weakest quarter of annual economic growth since the global financial crisis will trigger a flood of policy support to fight the downturn misses a crucial point - the taps are already turned on.

Stock index futures fell on Friday as concerns over Spain's rising borrowing costs resurfaced and after disappointing Chinese growth data, and banks fell after quarterly results.

Barely minutes after takeoff, North Korea's rocket exploded scattering debris over the Yellow Sea, triggering an international search as the US and other countries believe that the debris could be a mine of information to assess the reclusive country's nuclear and missile capabilities.

Stock index futures fell on Friday as concerns over Spain's rising borrowing costs resurfaced and after Chinese data that had fueled the previous day's rally disappointed.

China's economy grew at its slowest in nearly three years in the first three months of 2012, with a weaker than expected reading raising investor concerns that a five-quarter long slide has not bottomed and that more policy action would be needed to halt it.

Asian stock markets ended with gains for the second day Friday after North Korean's much touted long-range rocket launch failed.

The top aftermarket NYSE gainers Thursday were: China Cord Blood Corp, Sandridge Energy, Unisys Corp, Overseas Shipholding Group, Dow Chemical, 3D Systems Corp, Sara Lee Corp, Venoco, Thompson Creek Metals and Renren Inc.

Growth was 8.1 percent in the first quarter, the lowest since the same period in 2009, largely due to weak global demand and reduced investment in domestic real estate.

China's economy grew at its slowest in nearly three years in the first three months of 2012, with a weaker than expected reading raising investor concerns that a five-quarter long slide has not bottomed and that more policy action would be needed to halt it.

Asian shares rose Friday on better-than-expected demand for Italian sovereign debt, shrugging off the failed rocket launch by North Korea before the markets opened.

A stronger firewall is needed to protect the world economy from Europe's debt crisis, but the International Monetary Fund may not need as much money as it thought just a few months ago, the head of the global lender said on Thursday.

Watch live streaming coverage of practice for the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai, plus read a full preview.

The number of Americans filing for jobless aid hit a two-month high last week and more applications were received in the prior week than initially reported, suggesting a cooling in the labor market recovery.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc is focused on improving results in China and other foreign countries where it already operates, rather than on entering new markets, its top international executive said on Thursday.