UNITED STATES

The Standard & Poor's 500 and Nasdaq indexes edged up on Wednesday as investors responded positively to early earnings results as the quarterly reporting period got under way.

Oil prices fell toward $69 a barrel on Wednesday after U.S. data showed fuel stocks surged last week in the world's biggest energy consumer, signaling a recovery in oil demand could take more time.

The top U.S. communications regulator praised recent moves by top wireless companies to open their networks and said he would work to overcome a looming shortage of airwaves used by the industry.

Amazon.com Inc is introducing Kindle, its wireless electronic reader, for over 100 countries, including China and most of Europe, intensifying a battle for the burgeoning digital book market.

The Dow Jones industrial average slipped while other major indexes were little changed on Wednesday as investors booked profits after two days of strong gains and turned cautious at the approach of earnings season.

The dollar gained against the euro and a basket of major currencies on Wednesday as optimism following Australia's interest rate hike fizzled out and traders said the greenback's recent decline was overdone.

U.S. securities regulators said on Wednesday it will appeal a court decision dismissing its insider trading case against Dallas Mavericks basketball team owner Mark Cuban.

Verizon has teamed with Google on Tuesday to co-develop several Android-based devices that will be pre-loaded with innovative applications from both parties as well as third-party developers, in an effort to fight off the iPhone and its exclusive agreement with AT&T.

Microsoft has improved its offer to give users in Europe the chance to choose other Web browsers, EU antitrust regulators said on Wednesday and asked rivals to comment on the proposal.

Two new stocks debuted on Wednesday with opposing performances, as Banco Santander's Brazilian unit started with a whimper, while insurance risk specialist Verisk Analytics Inc kicked off with a bang.

News Corp chief Rupert Murdoch has held talks with Japanese and South Korean firms, possibly sounding out potential partners to rival Amazon.com Inc's Kindle electronic reader, sources said on Wednesday.

A terrorist suspect at the center of an Italian trial over secret CIA rendition flights is seeking $10 million in compensation, saying he was tortured during interrogation in Egypt, his lawyer said on Wednesday.

Congress' chief architect on financial regulation said on Wednesday companies that use derivatives to hedge their risk would not be forced to comply with all the new rules for the $450 trillion private swaps market.

The two top Democrats in the U.S. Congress plan to meet with President Barack Obama at the White House on Wednesday to explore ways to stimulate the ailing U.S. economy, party aides said.

Anheuser-Busch InBev said on Wednesday it had agreed to sell its U.S. theme parks to private equity group Blackstone for up to $2.7 billion, shedding a non-core business to help pay for its merger.

U.S. oil major ConocoPhillips on Wednesday cut its capital budget for 2010 and said it planned to divest $10 billion in assets in a bid to improve its financial position.

Oil prices dipped below $70 a barrel on Wednesday as a strengthening dollar prompted less investment in crude and after U.S. data showed fuel stocks surged last week in the world's biggest energy consumer.

U.S. financial advisors are due for upheaval as baby boomers, controlling $10 trillion in assets, reach retirement age and shift their investment priorities, said a senior executive at asset manager BlackRock Inc.

Family Dollar Stores Inc and Costco Wholesale Corp reported better-than-expected quarterly profits on Wednesday and said sales improved in September from preceding months, sending their shares higher.

Eating lots of whole grains could ward off high blood pressure, according to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Google Inc Chief Executive Eric Schmidt said on Wednesday that the worst of the advertising recession was over, and pointed to signs of a recovery in both Europe and the United States.