NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures extended gains on Thursday after data showed a drop in jobless claims and productivity advanced at its fastest pace in six years.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for jobless insurance fell more than expected last week to a 10-month low, government data showed on Thursday, pointing to a gradual improvement in the labor market.
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - The European Central Bank kept interest rates on hold at 1.0 percent on Thursday and investors are now braced for signs that it will soon start weaning banks off cheap and abundant liquidity.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Time Warner Cable Inc posted a third quarter profit that beat expectations, as growth in sales of voice and Internet services overshadowed a decline in basic video subscribers, the company said on Thursday.
LONDON (Reuters) - The Bank of England said on Thursday it would expand its quantitative easing program by 25 billion pounds ($41.5 billion) to help kick-start Britain's recession-hit economy.
TOKYO (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp's surprise quarterly profit and halving of its annual loss forecast failed to convince investors the world's No.1 carmaker is back on track, as government subsidies peter out and a strong yen takes its toll.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Thomson Reuters Corp's quarterly revenue fell but profit beat Wall Street estimates, helped by foreign currency rates and cost cuts, and the company affirmed its 2009 outlook.
CHICAGO (Reuters) - CVS Caremark Corp posted a bigger-than-expected jump in quarterly profit on Thursday as consumers filled more prescriptions and said this year's profit should come in towards the higher end of its forecast.
(Reuters) - Wall Street cash bonuses are set to increase by about 40 percent this year, the Wall Street Journal said citing a report by compensation consulting firm Johnson Associates.
LONDON (Reuters) - Oil fell to around $80 a barrel after a steep decline in U.S. crude inventories sent prices up 1 percent the previous day, as traders aimed to lock in profits amid weaker equity markets and a firming dollar.
