FALL

Thomson Reuters Corp reported lower quarterly profit and revenue that were slightly below Wall Street expectations, but said sales trends pointed to a return to revenue growth this quarter.

New orders for long-lasting manufactured goods fell unexpectedly for a second straight month in June, posting the largest drop since August in a sign economic recovery cooled in the second quarter.

U.S. stocks fell on Wednesday after weak durable goods figures and a downbeat assessment of the economy from the Fed's Beige Book kept the benchmark S&P 500 trapped below its 200-day moving average.

New orders for manufactured goods like cars and planes fell unexpectedly for a second straight month in June, posting the largest drop since August in a sign economic recovery cooled in the second quarter.

Boeing Co reported a higher-than-expected quarterly net profit on Wednesday as the commercial airplane market recovers from a downturn, but its shares slipped 1.5 percent as revenue fell short of estimates.

Boeing Co reported a higher-than-expected quarterly net profit on Wednesday as the commercial airplane market recovers from a downturn, but its shares slipped 2 percent as revenue fell short of estimates.

Gold steadied on Wednesday after falling 2 percent to a near three-month low the day before, when a bigger-than-expected drop in U.S. consumer confidence and an option expiry prompted heavy selling. The position adjustment related to expiring COMEX August gold options pushed prices close to a key technical support, where the market was likely to hover before finding fresh clues for direction, traders said.

The rate of vacancies for homes slipped slightly in the second quarter, a government report showed on Tuesday, but it was not enough to promise improvement in the hard-hit housing market.

McDonald's Corp reported weaker-than expected sales at established restaurants, overshadowing a profit beat for the second quarter, and its shares dropped 2 percent.

Starbucks Corp disappointed Wall Street with fiscal 2010 and 2011 profit forecasts on Wednesday that matched or lagged Wall Street's expectations, sending its shares down more than 2 percent.

Gold prices have fallen sharply from all-time high of $1265 on June 21st on reassessment of US economic prospects by some gold traders and investors, and an abatement in perceived European sovereign risk, accoridng to Jeffrey Nichols, Senior Economic Advisor to Rosland Capital. However, he has maintained a bullish view on gold on loss of confidence in dollar and inflation.

AXA Asia Pacific , target of an $11.5 billion takeover battle, flagged a 5.7 percent rise in first-half operating earnings, shy of market expectations, as its Hong Kong operations were hurt by currency movements.

Goldman Sachs could turn out to be a mere mortal after all.

Housing starts hit their lowest level in eight months in June, further evidence the economy lost momentum in the second quarter, but a rise in permits offered hope of a pick up in homebuilding.

Housing starts fell more than expected in June to their lowest level in eight months, a government report showed on Tuesday, supplying further evidence the economy was losing momentum during the second quarter.

A consortium of 55 entertainment and technology giants hoping to standardize digital formats for video playback said on Monday it will start beta testing in the fall as it added two more companies to its ranks and unveiled its brand name, Ultraviolet.

IBM's quarterly revenue missed Wall Street's expectations and a decline in services contract signings further damaged investors' confidence, sending its shares down 3 percent.

Apple Inc's attempt to smooth over a controversy surrounding its iPhone 4 failed to impress investors, as the computer maker's shares stumbled on a day when technology stocks rose.

The euro stayed below two-month highs versus the dollar on Monday, dented by a downgrade of Ireland and the suspension of talks between Hungary and the IMF, but recovered as traders awaited results of bank stress tests. Moody's Investors Service downgraded Ireland's sovereign bond rating to Aa2 with a stable outlook from Aa1.

Global stocks slipped on Monday and investors briefly shunned the euro after Moody's cut the credit rating of Ireland, slightly unsettling markets already worried about a slowdown in the pace of U.S. economic recovery.

Complaints to U.S. regulators of unintended acceleration in Toyota Motor Corp vehicles are down sharply as separate government and expert reviews of the matter move forward.