MARKETS / FINANCE

Stock index futures pointed to a steady open on Wall Street on Thursday, with futures for the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones staying flat and the Nasdaq 100 futures rising 0.1 percent.

The economy grew slightly faster than initially thought in the fourth quarter and a gauge of factory activity in the Midwest hit a 10 month-high in February, pointing to underlying strength in the economy.

Spot gold rose more than 1 percent Thursday, recovering from its biggest fall in more than three years in the previous session when U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke failed to signal further monetary easing.

U.S. auto sales for February are expected to post a modest rise from year-earlier levels, as the industry continues its gradual recovery thanks to a rise in consumer confidence and the need to replace aging cars and trucks.

Facebook has unveiled new ways for businesses to reach its 845 million users directly across all devices, including mobile, as it races toward a multibillion dollar IPO.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Wednesday offered a tempered view of the U.S. economy, pouring cold water on the notion recent upbeat signs herald a stronger recovery.

U.S. prosecutors are investigating David Loeb, a managing director of Goldman Sachs Group Inc, as part of an insider-trading probe focusing on the company's hedge-fund clients, a person familiar with the case said on Wednesday.

Like scorned lovers, Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) and Fannie Mae, the government-controlled mortgage giant, are having a very public falling out.

General Motors Co and PSA Peugeot Citroen will form a global alliance targeting a cut in annual costs of at least $2 billion without plant closings or job cuts in Europe.

Precious metals and the broader market headed in opposite directions Wednesday, with gold taking its biggest single-day dive in two-and-a-half months, as a February full of good economic news helped drive the price of precious metals down on the day and month as a whole.

Stocks slipped on Wednesday, snapping a four-day winning streak after comments from U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke disappointed investors hoping for a strong signal of more stimulus.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Wednesday offered a tempered view of the U.S. economy, pouring cold water on the notion that recent upbeat signs herald a stronger recovery.

Stocks dipped on Wednesday, snapping a four-day winning streak after comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke disappointed investors hoping for a strong signal of more stimulus.

Finnish gaming firm Rovio expects to boost growth for months to come, with expansion in Asia, to Facebook and with the launch of Angry Birds Spaces, its marketing chief told Reuters in an interview.

Swiss lawmakers threw their support behind a tax proposal which could help to strike a deal with the United States on Wednesday, a move which is seen as instrumental to settling a U.S. probe into Swiss banks with hidden offshore accounts.

Terri Dial, a former senior executive of some of the world's largest banks and one of the leaders of Citigroup's post-crisis restructuring, has died.

Below are highlights from the question and answer session of a House Financial Services Committee hearing with Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke testifying on monetary policy and the U.S. economy.

BlackRock Chairman and CEO Laurence Fink said on Wednesday he still believes U.S. equities are attractive even with their solid rise so far this year.

U.S. stocks dipped on Wednesday as U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's comments were viewed as a bit more hawkish, but reports suggesting more improvement in the economy curbed losses.

Gold fell 3 percent on Wednesday for its biggest one-day drop in 2-1/2 months, as a dollar rally following U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's comment on an encouraging job recovery prompted funds to heavily unwind bullish bets.

The Federal Reserve said the U.S. economy expanded modestly in January through mid-February as hiring picked up a bit across several districts.

JPMorgan Chase & Co said it may face federal enforcement actions stemming from two investigations into mortgage-backed securities that went bad in the financial crisis.

Impala Platinum, the world's second-largest platinum producer, said on Wednesday that it would not exit Zimbabwe despite the demands being made by the government that it hand over majority stakes in its local operations to Zimbabweans.

South Korea and certain western nations have been pressuring Beijing not to deport the North Korean defectors

The scandal convulsing the Indian telecoms market threatens to deter foreign companies from investing there and could call into question the business case for expanding into emerging markets in general.

A feeding frenzy on cheap European Central Bank funding, led by Italian banks such as Intesa Sanpaolo and even non-euro zone rivals like Lloyds , offers a quick fix but a longer-term headache.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average crossed 13,000 at Tuesday's market close, while the S&P 500 rose above 1,370, but a bullish psychological impact could actually drag down the market in days to come.

Stocks inched lower in a choppy session on Wednesday after comments from U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke were viewed as a subtle shift in the central bank's highly accommodative monetary policy.

Fannie Mae , the biggest source of money for U.S. home loans, said on Wednesday it would seek $4.6 billion in additional federal aid after reporting a fourth-quarter loss.