MARKETS / FINANCE

Stocks slid on Thursday as signs of further jobs weakness and an anemic Fed regional survey fueled doubts about prospects for a quick economic recovery.

Oil fell more than a dollar to below $61 a barrel on Thursday, after hitting a six-month high in the previous session on expectations of a rebound in the world economy.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Thursday said that a bailout for banks was steadying the financial system but care must be taken to ensure that normal market forces are allowed to operate.

Barnes & Noble Inc reported a narrower-than-expected quarterly loss and raised its full-year outlook on Thursday, helped by cost cuts and sales that topped expectations, and its shares rose nearly 5 percent.

The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for jobless aid fell 12,000 last week, Labor Department data showed on Thursday, while so-called continued claims rose to a fresh record as the recession battered employment.

Barnes & Noble Inc reported a narrower-than-expected quarterly loss and raised its full-year outlook on Thursday, helped by cost cuts and sales that topped expectations, and its shares rose nearly 5 percent.

UAE ditched plans to join the proposed Gulf Cooperation Council monetary union.

Stocks opened lower on Thursday as signs of further labor market weakness fueled doubts about a quick economic recovery and Britain's reduced rating outlook signaled more fallout from the credit crisis.

Continuing jobless claims hit new record high at 6.7 million

Stocks headed for a slide at Thursday's opening as signs of further labor market weakness fueled doubts about a quick economic recovery and Britain's reduced rating outlook signaled more fallout from the credit crisis.

Ratings agency Standard & Poor's lowered its outlook on Britain to negative on Thursday, citing government debt that would be hard to rein in and political uncertainty about the policy response with an election looming.

Stock index futures declined on Thursday as doubts about a quick economic rebound fueled a global equity selloff, while Britain's reduced rating outlook pointed to more fallout from the credit crisis.

Stock index futures fell on Thursday as doubts about a quick economic rebound fueled a global equity sell-off, while Britain's reduced rating outlook pointed to more fallout from the credit crisis.

U.S. banks have been able to raise many billions of dollars in the past few weeks by selling shares to investors, but the jury is still out on whether this is the savviest of smart money -- or just plain dumb.

Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said the U.S. economy and financial markets had improved but warned that banks faced a capital shortfall, which could stall lending and obstruct a recovery, Bloomberg reported on Thursday.

Oil fell more than a dollar to below $61 a barrel on Thursday, after hitting a six-month high in the previous session.

World stocks slipped from this week's six-month peak and the dollar fell to its lowest in almost five months on Thursday after the Federal Reserve lowered its forecast of U.S. economic growth for the next three years.

Oil was steady under $62 a barrel on Thursday, after rallying to a six-month high on Wednesday, as government data showed a steep drop in U.S. crude and gasoline stockpiles ahead of the summer driving season.

The dollar hit its lowest in almost five months and Asian stocks slipped on Thursday after news that the Federal Reserve lowered its forecasts for U.S. economic growth for the next three years.

Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said the U.S. economy and financial markets had improved but warned that banks faced a capital shortfall, which could stall lending and obstruct a recovery, Bloomberg reported on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Cisco Systems Inc., completed its acquisition of Tidal Software, Inc. the creator of intelligent application management and automation solutions based in in Palo Alto, California and Houston

A bill restricting credit card practices won the final approval of the U.S. congress and is now expected to be signed into law by President Barack Obama as soon as Friday.

(Corrects Nikkei point loss in paragraph 10)

Treasury secretary Timothy Geithner on Wednesday said major banks have raised $56 billion since the results of the stress tests were released reflecting a need for more capital.

Japan's Nikkei stock average lost 1.2 percent on Thursday, with Honda Motor Co and other exporters down as the yen climbed to a 2-month high on the dollar and after the Federal Reserve cut its outlook for the U.S. economy. Tech shares fell in the wake of losses by their U.S. peers, with Sony Corp dropping 1.6 percent, despite saying it plans to halve the number of it...

Regulators have questioned former Lehman Brothers Holdings executives over their marketing of auction-rate securities, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people with knowledge of the matter.

Japan's Nikkei stock average lost 1.2 percent on Thursday, with Honda Motor Co and other exporters down as the yen climbed to a two-month high on the dollar after the Federal Reserve cut its outlook for the U.S. economy.

Japan's Nikkei stock average lost 1.5 percent on Thursday, with Honda Motor Co and other exporters down as the yen climbed to a 2-month high on the dollar after the Federal Reserve cut its outlook for the U.S. economy.

Regions Financial Corp and Fifth Third Bancorp announced plans on Wednesday to sell stock, the eighth and ninth of the 10 large U.S. banks ordered by federal regulators to bolster their finances to announce capital-raising plans.