IBT Staff Reporter

The U.S. Senate on Tuesday moved to clear the way to confirm Ben Bernanke to a second term as Federal Reserve chairman, setting a procedural vote for Thursday in a sign that the needed votes were now secured.

Standard & Poor's said it will add Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc to its flagship S&P 500 stock index , as the company prepares to acquire railroad operator Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp .

Publishers have high hopes that Apple Inc's highly anticipated tablet computer will attract new readers and boost revenue, but few expect that it will by itself reverse the fortunes of a beleaguered industry.

Although stocks posted amazing gains in 2009, it has left most with an empty feeling as the decade overall was flat in US equities. The politics though fiery and hopeful at one euphoric moment in 2008 were also empty. It appears that in hindsight the last decade was a wash for America. Americans marched through most of the last ten years mad at a President who recovered an economy that had been dealt its largest blow ever and kept us from being attacked for a second time during his watch from a...

Sun co-founder Scott McNealy sent a memo to employees on Tuesday, bidding goodbye as he leaves Sun following the acquisition by Oracle.

U.S. stocks slipped late on Tuesday due to trepidation over churning political and regulatory developments, offsetting solid earnings and improved consumer confidence data.

Few events can steal the thunder from an Apple Inc quarterly earnings day -- an Apple product launch is one of them.

The financial sector led a stock market drop in late trading today, after expectations that new government policies could force major banks to divest themselves of some of their operations.

The World Economic Forum's security chief was found dead Tuesday in his hotel room, local authorities said, adding that his death appeared to be suicide.

President Barack Obama will deliver his first State of the Union speech at 9 p.m. EST/ 6 p.m. PST Wednesday in Washington.

Ben Bernanke's prospects for a second term as Federal Reserve chairman brightened on Tuesday as a number of previously undecided senators voiced their support with a deadline looming.

The New York Federal Reserve Bank actively supported American International Group's regulatory requests for confidentiality on its bank counterparties but did not pressure the insurer for secrecy, according to the top lawyer of the New York Fed.

Stocks slipped late on Tuesday due to trepidation over churning political and regulatory developments, offsetting solid earnings and improved consumer confidence data.

Home Depot Inc, the world's largest home improvement chain, is laying off about 1,000 employees, according to an internal memo obtained by Reuters, two days after warehouse club store Sam's Club said it would cut more than 11,000 jobs.

Internet giant Yahoo Inc. posted a $153 million net profit in the fourth quarter of 2009, on the back of stronger advertising revenue.

A nightmare environmental project turned into a call to action for Austin, Texas entrepreneur Kristen Carney. A couple years ago, while working for a large engineering consulting firm, Carney was hired to complete what she thought was a straightforward analysis...

U.S. troops pulled a man alive from the rubble of a collapsed building in Haiti's destroyed capital on Tuesday, two weeks after a massive earthquake rattled the country.

Ford Motor Co said on Tuesday it will build the next version of its Ford Explorer SUV in Chicago starting in late 2010, adding 1,200 jobs that may include hires at a new lower wage negotiated with its union.

Despite complaints by customers, Apple is standing by AT&T, the exclusive carrier for its iPhone smartphone in the US.

The U.S. telecommunications regulator asked Verizon Wireless, AT&T Inc , Google Inc and other mobile companies to explain how they tell their customers about early termination fees due when they bow out of service contracts early.

U.S. stocks rose on Tuesday as consumer confidence data lifted optimism about the economy's improvement and results from Travelers Cos and Apple Inc added to a stream of strong profit reports.

The Australian Dollar opens lower on Wednesday at 0.8990.

Yahoo Inc forecast first-quarter revenue to be flat to slightly higher compared with a year earlier, after posting fourth-quarter results that were broadly in line with market expectations.

Options activity on Yahoo Inc suggests traders do not have conviction on which way the Internet portal giant's stock will move once it reports quarterly results after the bell on Tuesday.

Yahoo Inc posted fourth-quarter results that were broadly in line with Wall Street expectations, and forecast first-quarter revenue to be flat to slightly higher from a year ago.

The U.S. Senate will be able to vote on Ben Bernanke's second term as the chairman of Federal Reserve by Thursday or Friday, the chamber's majority leader Senate Harry Reid said on Tuesday.

U.S. stocks gained on Tuesday as consumer confidence data bolstered views the economy's recovery is on track and results from Travelers Cos and Apple Inc strengthened the quarterly earnings picture.

U.S. telecommunications regulators asked Google Inc , AT&T Inc and other wireless companies on Tuesday to explain how they tell customers about early termination fees.

Microsoft Corp is expected to report a strong jump in quarterly profit on Thursday, helped by the successful launch of Windows 7, but it may not be enough to satisfy demanding investors and push its stock higher.