UNITED STATES

Moody's upgraded the outlook for Lithuania's debt rating recently, but that means nothing to people like Lijandra Garniene.

Stock index futures rose on Thursday as key euro zone officials struck a deal to help Greece with its debt crisis, while investors awaited data on the health of the labor market.

American International Group has lined up all the major investment banks to underwrite the public listing of its Asian life insurance unit, in what may be Hong Kong's biggest IPO since 2006, banking sources said.

AutoNation Inc , the largest U.S. auto dealership group, on Thursday posted quarterly results that exceeded analysts' expectations and said Toyota Motor Corp was making progress in its repair program.

The U.S. Northeast began to clean up after two blizzards in a week brought the region to a standstill with record snowfalls, leaving thousands without power and creating a multimillion-dollar mess.

Sanctions on North Korea will not be removed until Pyongyang returns to disarmament talks and takes serious steps toward scrapping its nuclear arms program, the foreign ministers of South Korea and Japan said on Thursday.

Credit Suisse boss Brady Dougan said the Swiss bank was winning client money and transactions faster than at any point since the financial crisis began, putting a positive sheen on weak quarterly earnings.

Stock index futures rose on Thursday with the spotlight on a European summit that could set the blueprint for aid to debt-laden Greece, while investors awaited data on the health of the labor market.

U.S. lenders are becoming increasingly willing to take over bankrupt borrowers --- a significant shift from last year, when companies like Chrysler and Eddie Bauer were pushed to a quick sale.

Mortgage foreclosure filings dropped in January but the decline may prove only temporary as housing-rescue efforts fall short of addressing current drivers, a report released on Thursday showed.

Diageo , the world's biggest spirits group, said markets were starting to recover and should turn around by mid-2010 after higher bonus payments and a minor sterling rally ate into its half-year earnings.

World stocks hit a one-week high while the euro rose broadly on Thursday as investors looked to European Union leaders to lay the foundations for a financial rescue of Greece at a summit in Brussels.

Credit Suisse missed forecast by posting its lowest quarterly profit in 2009 as market conditions toughened, but it continued to attract client flows while rival Swiss bank UBS struggled.

Diageo, the world's biggest spirits group, said it was in the early stages of recovery when reporting a 5 percent rise in half-year earnings and keeping its profit growth target for the year.

The euro rose on Thursday ahead of a key EU summit that could lay the groundwork for a rescue of debt-stricken Greece, while Asian stocks gained for a third day, powered by strong economic data from Australia and China.

Asian stocks rose for the third day in a row on Thursday, powered by strong economic data from Australia and China, while the euro steadied ahead of a key summit that could lay out a rescue plan for debt-stricken Greece.

American International Group Inc has launched a new system to determine how employees get incentive pay, a move that follows public outcry over retention payments the bailed-out insurer made to some staff.

PNC Financial Services Group Inc said on Wednesday that it had completed the repayment of $7.6 billion in bailout funds to the U.S. government.

Satellite imagery company DigitalGlobe Inc said it amended its service level agreement with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency , its largest customer, to modify the government agency's option to extend the term of the agreement.

Citigroup Inc said on Wednesday it has named Stuart Staley to replace the retiring head of global commodities, which the third largest U.S. bank aims to expand by 30 to 40 percent over the next three years.

Activision Blizzard Inc posted better-than-expected results on Wednesday, fueled by its hit holiday release Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and shares rallied as the company said it would start paying an annual dividend.