UNITED STATES

Stock index futures edged higher on Wednesday, following two days of sharp market losses, with developments in Greece and a U.S. monetary policy meeting in focus.

The growth of borrowing among small U.S. businesses moderated in September but the overall level still registered a 14th monthly double-digit increase in a fresh sign the economy is set to grow at a stable pace.

Applications for U.S. home mortgages were little changed last week as purchase demand improved but refinancing activity stagnated, an industry group said on Wednesday.

Gold firmed on Wednesday, helped by safe-haven demand as the Eurozone troubles deepened and business surveys showed the severe impact the crisis had on manufacturing in the region.

European stocks turned negative after early gains Wednesday, adding to a sharp two-session drop as investors dumped banking shares on fresh concerns about the euro zone debt crisis.

Stock index futures pointed to a higher open for equities on Wall Street on Wednesday, with futures for the S&P 500, for the Dow Jones and for the Nasdaq 100 up 0.6 to 1 percent.

Lenovo Group Ltd, the world's No.2 PC brand, posted a better-than-expected 88 percent rise in second-quarter profit, helped by acquisitions and an increase in sales in emerging markets such as China.

Just a week after Halloween, Daylight Saving Time officially ends in the U.S. and Canada, at 2 a.m. on Nov. 6, when clocks are moved back one hour.

Sony Corp said it is headed for its fourth straight annual net loss, instead of a profit it forecast earlier, as Thai floods disrupted camera production, adding to losses from a soaring yen and price slides in its TVs and PCs in the United States and Europe.

Lenovo Group Ltd, the world's No.2 PC brand, posted a better-than-expected 88 percent rise in second-quarter profit, helped by acquisitions and an increase in sales in emerging markets such as China.

World stocks and the euro edged up on Wednesday after a rollercoaster week, as investors hoped for comfort on the weak U.S. economy and troubled euro zone from meetings of the U.S. Federal Reserve and Group of Twenty leaders.

World stocks and the euro edged up on Wednesday after a rollercoaster week, as investors hoped for comfort on the weak U.S. economy and troubled euro zone from meetings of the U.S. Federal Reserve and Group of Twenty leaders.

A day after filing for divorce from basketball player Kris Humphries, reality TV star Kim Kardashian Tuesday dismissed reports that she had profited from televising her wedding.

Vanessa Hessler is the girl with an angelic face who became a household name in France and Italy and who appeared in a short red dress across billboards for the telecommunications company Telefonica. However, after her controversial interview with Italian media, in which she defended her former boyfriend, Motassim Gadhafi and the Gadhafi family, she lost her most lucrative client.

Sony Corp said it is now headed for its fourth straight annual net loss instead of a profit as Thai floods disrupt camera production on top of losses from a soaring yen and price slides in its TVs and PCs in the United States and Europe.

The top after market NYSE gainers on Tuesday were: Stone Energy, Kindred Healthcare, Kinder Morgan, Ferro Corp and ING Group. The top after market NYSE Losers were: Sprint Nextel, Verifone Systems, Masco Corp, SuperValu and Newpark Resources.

Asian shares fell and the euro stuck near 3-week lows against the dollar on Wednesday, as investors shed riskier assets after Greece's shock call for a referendum stoked fears about the viability of a European debt deal struck just last week.

Sony Corp on Wednesday slashed its full-year operating profit outlook by 90 percent to its lowest level in three years as Thai floods disrupt camera production at the Japanese company, which is already struggling with a soaring yen and sluggish television sales in the U.S. and Europe.

The U.S. army Wednesday extended a curfew for military personnel in South Korea by two months, a day after a court sentenced an American soldier to 10 years in prison for sexually assaulting a local teenage girl.

Asian shares fell and the euro hovered near three-week lows against the dollar on Wednesday, as investors shed riskier assets after Greece's abrupt call for a referendum rekindled fears about the viability of a European debt deal reached just last week.

U.S. banks have not done enough to ensure they are well capitalized, and getting back to a system where retail and investment banking are separated would be attractive in terms of reform, Bill Gross, manager of the world's largest bond fund, said on Tuesday.