IBT Staff Reporter

News and data provider Thomson Reuters Corp forecast a return to growth this quarter on stronger sales of financial terminals for traders and the new WestlawNext database for lawyers.

Motorola Inc posted stronger-than-expected quarterly results on strength in its enterprise and network units, sending its shares up despite frustration it did not raise its phone sales target.

Oil jumped more than a dollar toward $79 on Thursday , boosted by a strong opening on Wall Street. The sudden surge was supported by news an hour earlier of a fall in new U.S. jobless claims. This proved more powerful than memories of Wednesday's oil stock figures, which had pushed oil down by showing the biggest weekly increase in crude inventories for nearly two years in the United States.

Sony Corp lifted its annual outlook and returned to profitability in the first quarter on booming demand for its Bravia flat TVs and PlayStation 3 game consoles.

Exxon Mobil and Royal Dutch Shell Plc reported strong growth in production on Thursday after years of largely falling output, helping to send second-quarter profits soaring.

Royal Dutch Shell Plc said second-quarter profits doubled thanks to high oil prices and bigger than expected restructuring gains and unveiled a plan to boost asset sales, echoing a plan from rival BP .

Hertz Global Holdings Inc is reviewing Avis Budget Group Inc's bid for Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group , a company spokesperson told Reuters.

Gold steadied on Thursday, with price-sensitive physical buying keeping the metal off the last session's three-month lows, but a revival in appetite for assets seen as higher risk took the heat out of safe-haven demand.

The euro hit a 12-week high against a broadly weaker dollar on Thursday as month-end demand helped pushed the single currency above a key technical barrier. A jump in euro zone economic sentiment to a 28-month high and a decline in German unemployment supported the euro's gains.

Moody's Corp reported a better-than-expected second-quarter profit as a pickup in debt issuance drove an increase in demand for its ratings, but it was cautious on its outlook for this business.

Wall Street edged higher on Thursday on strong corporate earnings including Exxon Mobil and after a drop in weekly jobless claims offered a glimmer of hope for the anemic labor market recovery.

Exxon Mobil Corp reported a better-than-expected second-quarter profit on Thursday, as oil prices and margins to process crude into fuel rebounded from a year earlier and production rose.

RadioShack Corp reported a higher quarterly profit as the consumer electronics chain benefited from higher postpaid wireless sales and the launch of key products like Apple's iPhone 4.

Japan's Toyota Motor Corp said on Thursday it would recall 412,000 high-end passenger cars in the United States to fix steering problems.

Hopes for a smart acquisition and a new heart drug overshadowed forecast-beating results from Sanofi-Aventis and AstraZeneca on Thursday, underscoring pressure on both companies to reinvent themselves.

New U.S. claims for unemployment benefits fell slightly more than expected last week, offering a ray of hope for the anemic labor market recovery.

Wall Street was set to open higher on Thursday, following two days of declines for the S&P 500, after weekly jobless claims fell, offering hope for the anemic labor market recovery.

A string of Europe's largest firms issued surprisingly upbeat profit reports on Thursday, bolstering an abrupt renewal of investor confidence in the region after months of debt turmoil and fears for the euro.

The euro hit an 11-week high against a broadly weak dollar on Thursday as month-end demand for the single currency helped push it above a key barrier. The euro remained supported by firm euro zone data, with figures on Thursday showing euro zone economic sentiment jumping to a 28-month high, while German unemployment declined for the 13th consecutive month.

Oil was steady at around $77 on Thursday after falling the previous day on weak durable goods data and the biggest weekly increase in crude inventories for nearly two years in the United States. U.S. crude stocks surged 7.31 million barrels last week as imports jumped, government statistics showed on Wednesday, while the nation's gasoline and distillate stocks including diesel gained for the fifth and ninth consecutive weeks respectively.

Gold firmed in Europe on Thursday as some buyers were tempted back to the market by the precious metal's fall to three-month lows, while the weaker dollar also helped support prices. European investment remained lackluster as risk appetite sharpened, however, while the world's largest gold-backed exchange traded fund reported a hefty outflow on Wednesday.

Japan's Panasonic Corp said it would buy out subsidiaries Sanyo Electric and Panasonic Electric Works for up to $9.4 billion in cash and shares to accelerate its push into greener businesses.

New U.S. claims for unemployment benefits fell slightly more than expected last week, government data showed on Thursday, offering a ray of hope for the anemic labor market recovery.

Platinum supply is set to suffer setbacks in the coming months with two major producers facing problems in South Africa.

Is it the best time to invest in gold, the hottest commodity in the world? Gold price has been moving up for the last several years and investors have been making money out of the yellow metal.

William Shatner confesses he has problems with the digital age. At 79 years old, he doesn't use Twitter and can't remember computer passwords.

Euro zone economic sentiment rose strongly in July, buoyed by figures from Germany that point to a recovery as the currency area overcomes the sovereign debt crisis, but the outlook remains uncertain.

Motorola Inc posted quarterly earnings and revenue that beat Wall Street expectations driven by products such as mobile network equipment, sending its shares up 1 percent.

Robots that can chat, find misplaced glasses, draw airplanes and play with your children are attracting thousands of visitors during an expo in Tokyo as Japan adapts to changes in society.