MARKETS / FINANCE

Video-rental chain Blockbuster Inc said on Tuesday for the first time it may need to file for bankruptcy protection after years of struggling to lessen its debt load.

Wall Street's biggest banks could be broken up by the Congress in the coming year in an eventual reckoning over the financial meltdown of 2008, Liar's Poker author Michael Lewis said on Tuesday.

Communications regulators submitted to Congress a national broadband plan that aims to expand access, increase Internet speeds and shift airwaves to mobile services.

The stock market closed with a modest gain Tuesday following an afternoon rally as investors breathed a sigh of relief that the Federal Reserve pledged to keep interest rates low “for an extended period of time” and Standard & Poor's affirmed Greece's debt rating.

How many times have you picked up a magazine while waiting for an appointment and flipped through the hundreds of pages of articles? How long did it take you to decide whether or not to turn the page?

Stocks rose to a fresh 17-month high on Tuesday after the Federal Reserve held benchmark rates near zero and maintained its pledge to keep them low for an extended period.

The new financial reform bill introduced in the Senate will likely be approved at the committee level next week, but its shape could change substantially once it comes before the full Senate and winning Republican support comes into play, analysts said on Tuesday.

U.S. housing starts fell last month as winter storms disrupted construction, and another drop in building permits suggested the weakness would linger.

After two rocky years and a severe global financial crisis, General Electric Co expects its profit and dividend to rise in 2011, the largest U.S. conglomerate's chief financial officer said.

Stocks rose on Tuesday after the U.S. Federal Reserve held benchmark rates near zero and renewed its pledge to keep them exceptionally low for an extended period.

The U.S. stock market held on to gains in the afternoon session as the Federal Reserve pledged to keep the federal funds rate low for an extended period, calming fears the Fed Reserve would take a more hawkish stance.

Stocks rose on Tuesday after the U.S. Federal Reserve held benchmark rates near zero and renewed its pledge to keep them exceptionally low for an extended period.

The Federal Reserve held benchmark rates near zero on Tuesday and renewed a promise to keep them exceptionally low for an extended period while pointing to increased momentum in the economy's recovery.

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission unanimously approved on Tuesday a summary of the agency's national broadband plan, that aims to expand access, increase Internet speeds and shift airwaves to mobile services.

Air Berlin canceled $1.7 billion worth of firm orders for Boeing Co's 787 Dreamliner aircraft amid uncertainty over whether it will increase long-haul flights.

U.S. stocks rose on Tuesday after Standard & Poor's affirmed its ratings on debt-troubled Greece and as semiconductor shares gained on an Intel Corp product announcement.

Stocks rose on Tuesday after Standard & Poor's affirmed its ratings on debt-troubled Greece and as semiconductor shares gained on an Intel Corp product announcement.

Nigeria's controversial oil industry bill is expected to eventually pass but the government may find it tough to later shift gears as international oil firms targeted under the legislation scale back their investments.

U.S. regulators released a blueprint for upgrading Internet access for all Americans, with Internet speeds up to 25 times the current average, expanded coverage and more airwaves for mobile services.

U.S. gold futures rose above $1,120 an ounce on Tuesday, gaining 1.5 percent, as an oil rally prompted commodity funds to buy ahead of an interest rate decision and policy statement by the Federal Reserve.

Many workers around the world have given up hopes of advancing in their jobs, but the bad economy is keeping them from finding new ones.

A jobless recovery is like a wet March in Detroit - not much fun. But there may be a way to beat both. Move to Texas!

Global investment banking revenues this year may match the buoyant levels of 2009, analysts forecast on Tuesday, easing fears of a sharp drop during what looks set to be a pivotal year for the industry.

The U.S. stock market is hovering at a slight gain as investors look to parse through the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) statement for any information that will signal policy changes for the future. The statement will be released at 2:15 pm EST.

Stocks were little changed in early trading on Tuesday ahead of a statement from the Federal Reserve on monetary policy and the state of the economy.

Big stakeholders in the U.S. futures industry appear confident that its regulator will see the value in high-frequency trading as the regulator ramps up scrutiny of the rapid-fire technique.

EU finance ministers backed plans on Tuesday by countries in the euro area to help debt-stricken Greece financially if it becomes the first state in 11 years of monetary union to seek such aid.

The Federal Reserve is expected to hold interest rates near zero on Tuesday and renew its pledge to keep rates very low for a long time, but it could note a brightening economic picture and hint at being closer to dropping the vow.

Wall Street was set for a slight rise at the open on Tuesday ahead of a Federal Reserve statement expected to reiterate the central bank's pledge to keep interest rates extraordinarily low.