NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stock index futures pared gains on Thursday following a government report that showed the number of new claims for jobless benefits rose more than expected last week, indicating improvement in the labor market may be only gradual

  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for jobless benefits rose more than expected last week, pushed up by layoffs in seasonal industries, according to a government report on Thursday that indicated improvement in the labor market would be only gradual.

  (Reuters) - U.S. securities regulators are investigating at least nine mergers, including Pfizer Inc's takeover of Wyeth and Merck & Co Inc's acquisition of Schering-Plough Corp, for possible insider-trading violations, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Eli Lilly and Co forecast 2010 earnings in line with Wall Street expectations but gave no hint of how profit might pan out after its biggest drugs lose patent protection between 2011 and 2014.

  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives will debate on Thursday the most sweeping changes to financial regulation proposed since the Great Depression, including broad new government powers over large banks and tighter regulation of capital markets.

  NEW YORK (Reuters) - General Electric Co said on Thursday it won a $1.4 billion contract from energy producer Caithness Energy LLC to supply wind turbines for what will eventually be the world's biggest wind farm.

  TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Panasonic Corp said on Thursday it acquired 50.2 percent of Sanyo Electric Co Ltd , the world's largest rechargeable battery maker, completing a long-delayed 403.8 billion yen ($4.6 billion) deal.

  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Costco Wholesale Corp said quarterly profit rose slightly on higher international sales and a weaker U.S. dollar that offset the effect of rising gasoline prices.

  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. trade deficit narrowed unexpectedly in October as the weak U.S. dollar helped boost exports and demand for imported oil fell to its lowest daily level since January 2000, a Commerce Department report showed on Thursday.

  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Citigroup Inc's negotiations to repay its government bailout are uncertain but are headed in the right direction, CNBC quoted a U.S. Treasury official as saying on Thursday.