JAPAN

Honda Motor Co <7267.T> reported a 52 percent fall in quarterly operating profit and refrained from providing an outlook for the new business year as it struggles to measure the speed of its recovery after last month's earthquake in Japan.

Royal Dutch Shell beat forecasts with a 22 percent rise in first-quarter profit, thanks to higher oil and gas prices and fatter refining margins.

The dollar slid to three-year lows on Thursday, helping U.S. crude oil up to a 2-1/2 year high, and stocks rose worldwide as investors bet ultra-loose U.S. policy will continue to drive money into riskier assets.

Deutsche Bank beat forecasts with a quarterly net profit at a near-record level as crisis-era expansion at its investment bank bore fruit.

The Bank of Japan kept monetary policy steady on Thursday, saving its limited options to support growth for when there is more evidence that damage from last month's earthquake is proving bigger than expected.

The dollar skidded to three-year lows on Thursday, pushing U.S. crude oil to a 2-1/2 year high, while Asian stocks rose as investors bet that the easy U.S. monetary policy will continue to drive money to riskier assets.

Hyundai Motor Co <005380.KS> reported a 47 percent jump in quarterly profit on Thursday, sending its shares to a record high, with investors betting earnings will continue to grow as Japanese rivals struggle with a production slump.

Hyundai Motor Co <005380.KS> reported a 47 percent rise in quarterly profit on Thursday and said earnings would continue to grow thanks to strong global demand for new models and as Japanese rivals struggle with the aftermath of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

South Korea's Hyundai Motor Co <005380.KS> reported a 47 percent rise in quarterly net profit on Thursday, driven by strong global demand for its new models and as its Japanese rivals grapple with the aftermath of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

The dollar slumped to three-year lows on Thursday, pushing U.S. crude to a 2- year high, while Asian stocks rose as investors bet that the easy U.S. monetary policy will continue to drive money to riskier assets.

Starbucks Corp warned that rising fuel and dairy costs will take a bigger chunk out of earnings than previously anticipated, and offered a full-year forecast that disappointed Wall Street.

Starbucks Corp warned that rising fuel and dairy costs will take a bigger chunk out of earnings than previously anticipated, and offered a full-year forecast that disappointed Wall Street.

Starbucks Corp's quarterly earnings failed to impress as Japan's earthquake and the bankruptcy of cafe partner Borders Group Inc weighed on profit.

General Electric Co sees its best earnings growth prospects in a decade as the global economic recovery drives demand for the heavy energy and aviation equipment it makes, top executives said.

Telecoms gear maker Ericsson blasted past first-quarter core profit expectations thanks to surging mobile broadband sales but said it would take until the third quarter to resolve Japan quake supply problems.

General Electric Co believes the global economy is continuing to improve and that rising oil prices have not yet taken a toll on growth, the largest U.S. conglomerate's chief executive said.

A key gauge of U.S. manufacturing rose in March and new orders in February were stronger than initially thought, indicating a vibrant factory sector even as the economy slowed in the first quarter.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Wednesday will likely use his first-ever news conference on monetary policy to hammer home the case for a patient approach to withdrawing the central bank's extensive support for the U.S. economy.

Forecast-beating results from big U.S. corporations and expectations of more of the same easy money policies from the Federal Reserve lifted Wall Street on Wednesday, with stocks set to run higher after the S&P 500 moved above a technical resistance level.

Forecast-beating results from big U.S. corporations and expectations of more of the same easy money policies from the Federal Reserve lifted index futures on Wednesday, with stocks set to run higher after the S&P 500 moved above a technical resistance level.

The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers are: LM Ericsson Telephone, Silicon Image, SAVVIS, ShoreTel, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Questcor Pharmaceuticals, and Vical. The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: MIPS Technologies, Broadcom, SuccessFactors, Entropic Communications, and RF Micro Devices.