IBT Staff Reporter

Joffrey Lupul's second period hat-trick steered the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 5-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday, the virtuoso performance ruining home goaltender Martin Brodeur's return from injury.

The European Central Bank cut interest rates by a quarter point to 1.25 percent in a surprise move Thursday, acting boldly to support the ailing euro zone economy at President Mario Draghi's first policy meeting in charge.

Stocks were set to rise sharply at the open on Thursday after the European Central Bank surprised markets by cutting interest rates and as a Greek referendum on its euro zone membership was put into question.

A government push to rein in the power of building trades unions in Quebec threatens to hamper infrastructure development and impede efforts to tempt investors to the French-speaking province.

Canada's central bank is particularly vigilant in monitoring the effects of currency moves on inflation in times of great volatility, Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney said on Wednesday.

The Canadian dollar is expected to hold steady just below parity with its U.S. counterpart in the next few months before regaining equal status in 6 months and edging higher than the greenback a year from now.

South Korea's LG Electronics announced on Thursday a $945 million rights issue, mainly to fund a revival of its loss-making smartphone business.

Canada's largest telecom company, posted a 41 percent jump in third-quarter profit, helped by its acquisition of CTV, Canada's premier media company.

Canadian utility Fortis Inc's (FTS.TO: Quote) posted a 29 percent rise in quarterly profit, helped by the termination fee it received in relation to its failed merger with Central Vermont Public Service Inc.

Husky Energy Inc's (HSE.TO: Quote) third-quarter profit doubled on robust production and higher realized crude prices.

Yunfeng Capital, Silver Lake and other investors completed the purchase of a 5 percent stake in Alibaba Group, parent of listed Alibaba.com Ltd, worth $1.6 billion on November 1, a source told Reuters on Thursday.

New U.S. claims for unemployment benefits fell below 400,000 last week for the first time in five weeks and a trend reading also edged lower, suggesting a modest improvement in the still-moribund labor market.

U.S. chain store sales continued to rise in October, but a number of early sales results missed analysts' forecasts, suggesting that shoppers remain more anxious about the state of the economy than Wall Street thinks.

Toshiba Corporation may be able to restart some of its flood-hit operations in Thailand early in 2012 and be fully up and running in March, its chairwoman said on Thursday.

Stock index futures rose in choppy trade on Thursday on talk the Greek government might collapse, thus avoiding a referendum on its euro zone membership and easing concerns about an imminent default.

Stock index futures edged higher in choppy trade on Thursday on talk the Greek government might collapse, thus avoiding a referendum on a bailout plan and easing concerns about an imminent bailout.

Greece's government was on the brink of collapse on Thursday, casting doubt on plans to hold a referendum on staying in the euro zone, as European leaders contemplated a Greek exit to preserve their single currency.

CVS Caremark Corp posted a higher quarterly profit on Thursday as business improved at its pharmacy benefits management unit, and said this year's profit should come in toward the higher end of its prior forecast.

Stock index futures pointed to a slightly higher opening for equities on Wall Street on Thursday, with futures for the S&P 500, for the Dow Jones and for the Nasdaq 100 up 0.1 to 0.2 percent.

LG Electronics, South Korea's loss-making handset maker, plans to issue new shares worth around $891 million to improve its cash flow, a source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Thursday.

France's biggest listed bank BNP Paribas slashed its exposure to Greece, Italy and Spain by more than 12 billion euros ($16.6 billion) in a bid to protect its balance sheet as the euro zone debt crisis threatens to deepen.

Stock index futures pointed to a slightly higher opening for equities on Wall Street on Thursday, with futures for the S&P 500, for the Dow Jones and for the Nasdaq 100 up 0.1 to 0.2 percent.

Chaos over Greece's role in the euro zone swept financial markets on Thursday with early losses in stocks and the euro turning to gains on hopes Athens might ditch its referendum plans.

The euro zone is working on a possible exit of Greece from the euro zone, Eurogroup head Jean-Claude Juncker said on Thursday, saying it was essential that other members of the currency union would not be damaged in such an event.

China's people have a clear message for their government -- don't even think of saving Europe.

The euro zone is working on a possible exit of Greece from the euro zone, Eurogroup head Jean-Claude Juncker said on Thursday, saying it was essential that other members of the currency union would not be damaged in such an event.

China's people have a clear message for their government -- don't even think of saving Europe.

Telecoms firm Cable and Wireless Communications said profit rose 9 percent in the first half, beating a consensus forecast, after receiving a boost from growing smartphone use in Macau, Panama, Monaco and the Maldives.

NYSE Euronext , which wants regulatory support for its planned $9 billion merger with Deutsche Boerse , cited strong trading and technology sales for a 54 percent hike in quarterly profit to $186 million.