CHINA

Caterpillar Inc recorded a fivefold surge in profit and raised its forecast for the rest of the year, citing rising demand for its bulldozers, excavators and other heavy equipment.

Caterpillar Inc recorded a fivefold surge in quarterly profit and raised its forecast for the rest of the year, citing rising demand for its bulldozers, excavators and other heavy equipment.

Daimler posted robust quarterly results that underwhelmed investors whose expectations had been inflated by recent stellar reports by peers such as Volkswagen and truck maker Volvo .

Daimler warned that commodity prices may rise by more than it bargained for in coming months and maintained its full-year outlook after posting stronger than expected first-quarter operating profit.

Daimler posted stronger than expected first-quarter operating profit as its passenger car business was boosted by demand from emerging markets such as China.

One of Hollywood's most iconic landmarks, Grauman's Chinese Theatre, is once again changing hands.

Apple, which rolled out its much-delayed white iPhone in 28 countries on Thursday, has said it had made changes in the manufacturing process to make the new gadget more durable.

In the run-up to one of the hottest social media IPOs of the year, China's Renren Inc lowered the number of users it said it gained in the first quarter of 2011, raising questions about the rest of the information it provided to investors in official filings.

The wait for the white-colored iPhone 4 has officially ended as Apple's anticipated smartphone hit shelves today, but those hoping to snag one later may be out of luck.

Baidu Inc more than doubled its profit in the first quarter and forecast stronger-than-expected revenue for the second quarter, betting on strong online advertising demand among China's businesses.

Makers of soap, diapers and other household products are spending much more for fuel and raw materials than expected, which means more price increases are on the way for consumers.

Makers of soap, diapers and other household products are spending much more for fuel and raw materials than expected, which means more price increases are on the way for consumers.

Colgate-Palmolive Co posted a drop in first-quarter profit before one-time items on Thursday as higher materials costs cut into margins.

Procter & Gamble Co lowered the high end of its profit forecast for the year on Thursday, as it does what it can to trim expenses and raises some prices to offset rising costs for materials.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) that robust economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region may lead to overheating and rising inflationary pressures.

Top Asian car makers Honda Motor <7267.T> and Hyundai Motor <005380.KS> painted vastly different portraits on Thursday, with Hyundai turning in a stellar quarterly performance while Honda struggled to overcome supply woes after Japan's devastating earthquake.

Honda Motor Co <7267.T> reported a 52 percent fall in quarterly operating profit and refrained from providing an outlook for the new business year as it struggles to measure the speed of its recovery after last month's earthquake in Japan.

Hyundai Motor Co <005380.KS> reported a 47 percent jump in quarterly profit on Thursday, sending its shares to a record high, with investors betting earnings will continue to grow as Japanese rivals struggle with a production slump.

Hyundai Motor Co <005380.KS> reported a 47 percent rise in quarterly profit on Thursday and said earnings would continue to grow thanks to strong global demand for new models and as Japanese rivals struggle with the aftermath of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

Starbucks Corp warned that rising fuel and dairy costs will take a bigger chunk out of earnings than previously anticipated, and offered a full-year forecast that disappointed Wall Street.

Baidu Inc more than doubled its profit in the first quarter and forecast stronger-than-expected revenue for the second quarter, betting on strong online advertising demand among China's businesses.