UNITED STATES

Norway's Statoil plans to spin off and float its international chain of gas stations in the latest move by a major western oil company to reduce its exposure to low-margin fuel retailing.

Stock index futures pointed to a lower open for Wall Street on Wednesday, as disappointing earnings results, including Pfizer, offset a report showing fewer-than-expected private sector job losses in January.

Oil dipped below $77 a barrel on Wednesday, retracing gains made earlier in the week ahead of key inventory data out of the world's largest energy consumer, the United States.

Pfizer Inc posted fourth-quarter earnings slightly below analysts' expectations and gave a disappointing forecast for 2010 and 2012, sending its shares down nearly 3 percent.

Oil touched a two-week high above $78 a barrel on Wednesday, rising ahead of key inventory data out of the world's largest energy consumer, the United States, later in the session.

U.S. stock index futures were mostly flat on Wednesday, following two days of strong market gains and ahead of key jobs and services sector data expected to show the U.S. economy has continued to improve.

Demand for U.S. home loans rose to a six-week high on a mini refinance wave, with borrowers pushing to lock in rates before they climb later this year, the Mortgage Bankers Association said on Wednesday,

U.S. stock index futures were mostly flat on Wednesday, following two days of strong market gains and ahead of key jobs and services sector data expected to show the U.S. economy has continued to improve.

The global economy may be climbing out of recession but the air transport industry does not expect any significant pick up in orders this year, executives said on Wednesday.

Time Warner Inc reported stronger quarterly profit and slightly higher revenue courtesy of hit movies like Sherlock Holmes and The Hangover, and it became the second major media company in as many days to raise its dividend.

Honda Motor Co lifted its annual guidance far beyond market expectations on Wednesday after cost cuts drove quarterly profit to the strongest in a year and a half, and said it anticipates further growth next financial year.

World stocks rose for a third day running on Wednesday as better-than-expected U.S. company earnings and firm data raised expectations that the economy would keep strong momentum into the first quarter.

Toyota Motor Corp suffered a sharp drop in U.S. sales last month as its massive recall and unprecedented sales halt allowed rivals to grab market share from the world's largest automaker.

Oil bounced back above $77 on Wednesday, reaching its highest level in almost two weeks, as recovery optimism drove Asian stock markets higher, led by China.

Toyota Motor Corp suffered a sharp drop in U.S. sales last month as its massive recall and unprecedented sales halt allowed rivals to grab market share from the world's largest automaker.

Asian shares powered ahead on Wednesday with energy and resources stocks leading the way, as demand for riskier assets increased after Wall Street rallied on upbeat U.S. earnings and economic data.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Tuesday Iran was ready to send its enriched uranium abroad in exchange for nuclear fuel, and a U.S. official said Washington was prepared to listen if Iran was making a new offer to break an impasse over its disputed nuclear program.

More than half of Americans looked up health information on the Internet last year, U.S. government researchers reported on Tuesday.

The people who brought the world malicious software that steals credit card numbers from your personal computer and empties bank ATMs of their cash are hiring, and they're advertising online.

The two day dollar decline against the euro is stalling after the U.S. session. The range-bound trading, which has lasted nearly 7 hours, continues in the Asian session of February 3rd. It is currently trading at EUR/USD 1.3962.

AIG said on Tuesday current and former employees of its Financial Products unit had so far agreed to accept cuts totaling about $20 million in retention payments, short of a $26 million target.