FALL

Stock futures pointed to a lower open on Thursday after the bankruptcy of General Growth Properties offset better-than-expected quarterly earnings from JPMorgan Chase & Co .

U.S. stock futures pointed to a lower open on Thursday after the bankruptcy of General Growth Properties offset better-than-expected quarterly earnings from JPMorgan Chase & Co .

U.S. consumer prices fell in March, posting their first 12-month drop in nearly 54 years, and industrial production slipped further, according to data on Wednesday that underscored the severity of the recession.

The S&P and Nasdaq indexes slipped on Wednesday in choppy trading as tech shares tumbled after Intel Corp said uncertainty ruled out a clear revenue forecast, underscoring worries about a lack of corporate visibility ahead.

Charles Schwab Corp said first-quarter earnings fell 29 percent as the largest U.S. online broker was hampered by lower assets valuations and interest rates as well as restructuring charges.

U.S. consumer prices fell unexpectedly in March and recorded their first annual drop since 1955, government data showed on Wednesday, as slumping demand pushed down energy and food costs.

Swedish fashion giant Hennes & Mauritz on Wednesday reported a bigger than expected 3 percent year-on-year fall in sales at established stories in March.

Intel Corp smashed quarterly earnings expectations and declared that the worst may be over for the tech sector, but its shares slid 4.5 percent after it failed to give a clear revenue forecast.

Sales at U.S. retailers unexpectedly fell 1.1 percent in March after rising for two straight months, government data showed on Tuesday, dimming hopes the 16-month-old recession was close to hitting bottom.

Diversified U.S. manufacturer SPX Corp slashed its 2009 profit forecast by about 18 percent, warning that it expects revenue to be weaker than forecast as a global downturn hurts demand for its products.

Boeing Co shares sank more than 6 percent on Monday as analysts said cuts in production would hurt the plane maker's earnings this year.

The sense of freefall for the U.S. economy is likely to end in the middle of the year, though the road to recovery could take some time, Lawrence Summers, U.S. President Barack Obama's top White House economic policy aide, said on Thursday.

Most U.S. retailers posted lower March sales at stores open at least a year, as shoppers remained focused on necessities and put off spring purchases because of a later Easter holiday this year.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc on Thursday reported March same-store sales.

Stock index futures pointed to a lower open on Wednesday Dow component Alcoa kicked off the earnings season with its second consecutive quarterly loss and reignited concern about the global economy.

Stock index futures pointed to a lower open on Wednesday Dow component Alcoa kicked off the earnings season with its second consecutive quarterly loss and reignited concern about the global economy.

Stock index futures pointed to a lower open on Wall Street on Wednesday, as mounting fears over corporate results knocked down stock markets around the world.

World stocks slipped for a third session in a row on Wednesday and government bonds and the low-yielding yen gained as poor earnings from U.S. aluminum group Alcoa sparked concerns about other corporates.

Alcoa Inc shares fell on Tuesday, hours before the aluminum producer was scheduled to report what was expected to be a second consecutive quarterly loss.

Shares of Sun Microsystems Inc dropped on Monday after a source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters that IBM's talks to acquire its smaller rival broke down.

Shares of Sun Microsystems Inc dropped on Monday after a source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters that IBM's talks to acquire its smaller rival broke down.