IBT Staff Reporter

U.S. retailers including Macy's Inc and Aeropostale posted higher December sales and raised profit forecasts as they carefully managed promotions to lure shoppers during the holidays.

Homebuilder Lennar Corp posted its first quarterly profit in almost three years, helped mainly by a tax benefit, and shares rose 6 percent in premarket trading.

The number of U.S. workers filing new applications for unemployment insurance rose less than expected last week and a measure of underlying trends hit a nearly 16-month low, government data showed on Thursday, underscoring the improving labor market tone.

Stock index futures held early losses on Thursday after the government reported that the number of people filing initial claims for unemployment insurance rose less than expected.

Stock index futures dipped on Thursday along with global markets, as investors awaited data expected to show a rise in initial jobless claims, one day before the closely watched monthly non-farm payrolls report.

With a new year ahead, video game publishers are returning to their roots and core gamers to maintain sales at a time when a contraction in the industry is expected to mean fewer overall new releases.

With a new year ahead, video game publishers are returning to their roots and core gamers to maintain sales at a time when a contraction in the industry is expected to mean fewer overall new releases.

Stock index futures dipped on Thursday along with global markets, as investors awaited data expected to show a rise in initial jobless claims, one day before the closely watched monthly non-farm payrolls report.

Cadbury shares dipped below Kraft Foods' 10.6 billion-pound ($17 billion) bid price for the first time on Thursday as prospects of a rival bid receded and analysts reckoned Kraft now needed only to slightly sweeten its offer to win.

China's central bank surprised markets on Thursday by raising the interest rate on its three-month bills for the first time since August, intensifying its grip on liquidity a day after it promised to keep credit growth in check.

The Bank of England committed to one more month of asset purchases under its 200 billion pound ($318 billion) quantitative easing policy on Thursday, as widely expected, and kept interest rates at a record-low 0.5 percent.

Japan's Panasonic Corp and DirecTV Group, the top U.S. satellite TV provider, will together launch three high-definition 3D channels by June to try and jump-start demand for 3D TVs and content.

The smoke has finally cleared on Google Inc's highly anticipated Nexus One smartphone, but the ramifications of the Internet company's new role as a mobile phone vendor are still hazy.

Sony Corp said flat-screen televisions, electronic readers and Blu-ray video players helped its U.S. holiday season sales top expectations, in a rare sign of encouragement for the Japanese conglomerate.

France could start taxing Internet advertising revenues from online giants such as Google, using the funds to support creative industries that have been hit by the digital revolution, a newspaper reported on Thursday.

Homebuilder Lennar Corp posted a fourth-quarter profit, helped by a year-over-year increase in new orders, reduced sales incentives and lower construction costs and a tax benefit.

Japan's new finance minister called for a weaker yen on Thursday and said he would work with the Bank of Japan to achieve an appropriate level, prompting a sharp slide in the currency against the dollar.

Costco Wholesale Corp on Thursday reported a better-than-expected nine percent rise in December sales at stores open at least a year, helped by an increase in gasoline prices and stronger foreign currencies.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a lower opening on Wall Street on Thursday, with futures for the S&P 500, the Dow Jones industrial average and Nasdaq 100 down 0.4 to 0.5 percent.

Cadbury shares dipped below the level of Kraft Foods' 10.6 billion-pound ($17 billion) bid for the first time on Thursday as prospects of a rival bid receded and analysts reckoned Kraft now needs only to slightly sweeten its offer to win.

Equities came off the boil globally on Thursday, after rising every day so far this year, as investors stepped back to await key U.S. economic data at the end of the week.

Members of Cadbury Plc's board have been talking with counterparts at Hershey Co as expectations fade for a significantly higher bid from Kraft Foods Inc .

The labor market in the United States is improving and the economy is close to the point when the unemployment rate will start to fall, a top U.S. Federal Reserve official said on Thursday.

A U.S. software maker is suing China, several major PC makers and two Chinese software makers for $2.2 billion, accusing them of using stolen code in controversial Web filtering software that drew global criticism last year.

Asian shares eased after hitting a 17-month high on Thursday, while the dollar was steady as investors kept caution before U.S. nonfarm payrolls data later in the week for hints on the greenback's direction.

Japan's newly appointed Finance Minister, Naoto Kan, said he wanted the yen to weaken more and would work with the Bank of Japan to bring the currency to an appropriate level given its impact on the economy.

Asian shares eased after hitting a 17-month high on Thursday, while the dollar was steady as investors kept caution before U.S. nonfarm payrolls data later in the week for hints on the greenback's direction.

General Motors Co Chief Executive Ed Whitacre said on Wednesday he is not hopeful a breakthrough deal can be reached to save Saab and said GM is proceeding with the wind-down of the Swedish brand.

A former senior executive at Citigroup Inc has decided to take legal action against the company to force it to resume paying his multi-million dollar severance package that has been frozen for six months, the Financial Times said, citing people close to the situation.