Wall St pauses after 3-day rally
U.S. stocks paused on Thursday after a three-day rally, with investors concerned about weaker U.S. economic data and comments from the European Central Bank chief that painted a mixed picture of the region's debt crisis.
Outspoken Moroccan rapper freed: activists
A Moroccan rapper who has become one of the monarchy's boldest critics was freed on Thursday, activists said, after he served a four-month sentence for assault, a charge which his lawyers say was a ploy to muzzle the popular singer.
ARM chief not impressed with Intel phone chips
The head of British chip designer Arm Holdings plc has shrugged off the latest attempt by Intel Corp to muscle its way into the expanding market for low-power processors used in smartphones and tablets, which ARM dominates.
Bank of England keeps stimulus steady as UK economy slips
The Bank of England stopped short of announcing further stimulus for Britain's fragile economy on Thursday, but is widely expected to do so in February as the economy may have shrunk at the end of last year.
Real estate site Trulia taps big data for new service
Trulia, a real estate website that competes with Zillow Inc, unveiled a new service on Thursday that helps real estate agents identify the best leads by tapping a trove of data the company started analyzing last year.
Daimler Trucks to add 1,200 jobs in U.S. by September
Daimler Trucks will hire 1,200 new workers by September in North Carolina to add a second shift at its largest Freightliner vehicle manufacturing plant and boost staff at a nearby components plant.
Holiday discounts to hurt Williams-Sonoma profit, shares fall
Home goods retailer Williams-Sonoma Inc said heavy discounting to attract bargain-hungry holiday shoppers would eat into its fourth-quarter earnings, sending its shares slipping as much as 15 percent.
Wall Street edges lower on data, Chevron
Wall Street retreated on Thursday following a three-day rally after weaker U.S. economic data and comments from the European Central Bank chief that painted a mixed view on the region's debt crisis.
Geithner urges more currency flexibility
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Thursday that key emerging-market nations must let their currencies rise in value in order permit more stable global growth.
Analysis: Ageing, indebted Japan holds lessons for others
An asset price bubble pops, hitting bank balance sheets and tax revenues. As growth weakens and the economy flirts with deflation, the real burden of servicing debt increases.
Instant view: Jobless claims up; retail sales rise 0.1 percent
The number of Americans applying for first-time jobless benefits rose in the latest week, reversing a recent decline and suggesting the labor market remains brittle.
Wall Street flat as Chevron, data offset Europe
Strong bond auctions in Europe buoyed Wall Street stocks on Thursday, but weaker-than-expected data and a profit warning from energy major Chevron weighed on sentiment.
BMW to invest about $900 million in U.S. plant by 2014
BMW , the world's largest luxury carmaker, plans to invest nearly $900 million in its Spartanburg plant in South Carolina by 2014, boosting capacity to 350,000 vehicles in the mid-term.
Wall Street opens up after Europe auctions
Stocks edged up at the open on Thursday after strong bond auctions in Europe, though weaker-than-expected U.S. data limited gains.
Internet revolution dawns with .yournamehere domains
A quiet Internet revolution begins on Thursday. Organizations can begin applying to name and run their own domains instead of entrusting them to the operators of .com, .org, .gov and others.
Trulia taps big data for new service
Trulia, a real estate website that competes with Zillow Inc, unveiled a new service on Thursday that helps real estate agents identify the best leads by tapping a trove of data the company started analyzing last year.
Insight: Europe's north is bustling, its south closing down
At German car parts maker ixetic GmbH, Dragan Knezevic is struggling to keep up: His job as foreman is to make sure there are no hold ups in assembly of the parts needed to keep Audis, VWs, Toyotas and the like on the road.
ECB sees substantial effect from cheap money offer
The European Central Bank's flood of cheap three-year money is helping the euro zone's banking system substantially and supporting confidence in the bloc's economy which is showing some signs of stabilization, its president said on Thursday.
Analysis: In Latin America, business climate is king again
Here's an economic riddle of sorts: Which economy grew faster over the last seven years? A) President Hugo Chavez's Venezuela, famous for its forced nationalizations and 21st century socialism, or B) Chile, long renowned as a capitalist paradise for investors.
Europe Auctions to Lift Wall Street Despite Weak Data
Strong bond auctions in Europe set up Wall Street stocks for a slightly higher open on Thursday, though weaker-than-expected U.S. data could cap gains.
Home Depot plans spring hiring in line with 2011
Home Depot said it plans to recruit more than 70,000 seasonal workers for the key spring selling season, in line with its hiring last year.
TomTom Cleared of Data Probe Violations
TomTom said on Thursday an official probe had cleared it of accusations that it violated Dutch data protection laws by sharing its customers' individual location and traffic information with third parties, including Dutch police.
Retail Sales Post Weakest Reading in 7 Months
Retail sales rose at the weakest pace in seven months in December as consumers pulled back late in the holiday shopping season, cutting purchases at department stores and spending less on electronic gadgets.
Jobless Claims Rise Sharply to 6-Week High
The number of Americans applying for first-time jobless benefits rose on Thursday, reversing a recent decline and suggesting the labor market remains brittle.
RBS ditches investment bank in fresh jobs cull
Royal Bank of Scotland abandoned ambitions to be a top global investment bank and said it would cut another 4,450 jobs as it bows to pressure from the UK government to shut down risky operations and prepare for tougher international regulations.
Stock futures up after Europe debt auctions
Stock index futures rose on Thursday after well-received European sovereign debt auctions encouraged investors ahead of job market and retail sales data expected to show the economy is steadily recovering.
ECB holds rates at 1 percent
The European Central Bank held its main interest rate at 1.0 percent on Thursday as the common currency area's economy showed tenuous signs of stabilization after the debt crisis has stormed through, wreaking havoc in its path.
Stock futures rise after Europe debt auctions
Stock index futures rose on Thursday after well-received European sovereign debt auctions encouraged investors ahead of job market and retail sales data expected to show the U.S. economy is steadily recovering.
ECB Holds Rates While Policy Package Takes Effect
The European Central Bank left interest rates on hold on Thursday, pausing to assess the impact of back-to-back cuts and a slew of other measures it unleashed late last year that are showing some signs of helping fight the euro zone debt crisis.
ECB to hold rates as policy cocktail kicks in
The European Central Bank will take a breather this month after unleashing back-to-back interest rate cuts and a slew of other measures, pausing to assess the impact of the crisis-fighting steps it took in the final two months of 2011.