IBT Staff Reporter

With the recession cutting out some family vacations, gym memberships, and personal trainers, a rash of new videogames designed to let people workout in their living room are hitting the shelves.

New orders for long-lasting U.S. manufactured goods rose more than expected in April, posting their biggest gain in 16 months, according to government data on Thursday that suggested the recession was winding down.

News Corp hopes to sell Google Inc access to a greater swathe of its media properties, its executives said, as an advertising deal between the two companies comes up for renewal.

Auto parts makers Visteon Corp and Metaldyne Corp filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for their U.S. operations, becoming the latest casualties of the global auto industry crisis.

Oil held above $63 on Thursday after OPEC ministers meeting in Vienna decided, as widely anticipated, to leave the group's crude output unchanged at 24.85 million barrels per day.

Auto parts makers Visteon Corp and Metaldyne Corp filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for their U.S. operations, becoming the latest casualties of the global auto industry crisis.

Stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Wall Street on Thursday ahead of key U.S. durable good orders and new home sales data, while the market eyed General Motors as it slid closer to bankruptcy.

Stock index futures pared gains on Thursday, after the release of an outlook by Dow component Procter & Gamble , and ahead of key U.S. durable good orders and new home sales data.

As the battle for German carmaker Opel effectively narrowed to a race between Fiat and Magna, overnight talks to shield Opel from General Motors' looming bankruptcy ended with no deal.

Prominent hedge fund firm Pequot Capital told investors on Wednesday it will shut down because of a reopened government probe into possible insider trading.

Oil slipped on Thursday as global markets dropped on government debt worries but held firmly above $63 a barrel as OPEC met in Vienna to discuss the group's oil output and what price the world could afford to pay.

Costco Wholesale Corp on Thursday said its third-quarter net profit fell 29 percent, as shoppers stuck to buying basics like food and medicine, and pared back discretionary purchases of clothes or jewelry.

Costco Wholesale Corp on Thursday said its third-quarter profit fell 29 percent, as shoppers stuck to buying basics, like food and medicine, and pared back discretionary purchases of clothes or jewelry.

Citigroup Inc is in early negotiations with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to settle a probe into whether it misled investors by not properly disclosing the amount of troubled mortgage assets it held as the markets started to fall in 2007, the Wall Street Journal said, citing people familiar with the matter.

Concerns about the debt burden facing countries trying to spend their way out of the economic downturn spooked investors on Thursday despite optimism from President Barack Obama that the U.S. economy was past the worst.

Oil prices fell below $63 a barrel on Thursday, snapping three sessions of gains, as investor sentiment soured on worries that a potential recovery in the United States might be delayed because of the country's rising debt.

General Motors Corp moved closer to filing the largest bankruptcy ever for a U.S. industrial company after a crucial bond exchange proposal failed, while the fate of GM's European brand Opel remained uncertain after marathon talks with German officials ended without a deal.

The fate of German carmaker Opel hung in the balance on Thursday after marathon talks on shielding it from the looming bankruptcy of its U.S. parent General Motors ended without a deal.

Asian shares retreated from seven-months highs on Thursday as concerns grew that rising yields on U.S. government debt could push up borrowing costs and choke off a potential recovery in the world's largest economy.

Oil prices fell below $63 a barrel on Thursday, snapping three sessions of gains, as investor sentiment soured on worries that a potential recovery in the United States might be delayed due to the country's rising debt.

The Obama administration is weighing a plan that would put the Federal Reserve in charge of monitoring systemic risk and give the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp authority to unwind insolvent bank holding companies, sources familiar with the proposal said on Wednesday.

A U.S. government plan to rid banks of bad loans is stalling and may soon be put on hold, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

General Motors Corp moved closer to filing the largest bankruptcy ever for a U.S. industrial company after a crucial bond exchange proposal failed and as German officials held marathon talks to decide the fate of GM's European brand Opel.

Japan's Nikkei stock average edged down 0.1 percent in choppy trade on Thursday, with losses in exporters such as Sony Corp on fears about the U.S. economy narrowly outweighing support from shippers and auto shares.

Japan's Nikkei stock average nudged down 0.2 percent on Thursday, with losses in exporters such as Sony Corp on concern about the U.S. economy narrowly outweighing support from shippers and defensive shares. Nippon Steel climbed 2.3 percent after the Nikkei business daily said the steelmaker planned to raise its capacity utilization rate from the current 50 percent to 60 to 70 percent as early as...

The Obama administration wants to designate the Federal Reserve as the new systemic risk regulator and give the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp authority to unwind bank holding companies, a source familiar with the administration's proposal said on Wednesday.

What's cheaper than a fire sale? Answer: A government give-away.

AT&T Inc's Chief Executive Randall Stephenson said on Wednesday that the No. 2 U.S. mobile service would be keen to sell Palm Inc's high-profile Pre phone at some point in the future.

New Jersey’s Attorney General Anne Milgram on Thursday filed a suit against three ticket sellers for allegedly breaking state law by selling tickets to three upcoming Bruce Springsteen concerts at Giants Stadium before the tickets were available for sale.