UNITED STATES

Jobs situation looks better, Britain 'prints' more cash, 'Clunkers' Day of Truth

Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk reported forecast-beating second-quarter profit and raised its guidance but disappointed investors by not giving more solid news on the U.S. approval process for its new diabetes drug.

A monthly gauge of online labor demand in the United States edged lower in July and its decline slowed on a year-over-year basis, suggesting some stabilization in the jobs market, a private research group said on Thursday.

A group of small U.S. manufacturers and trade associations is endorsing a bill it says will boost the number of green manufacturing jobs in industries like wind and solar power in the United States.

Comcast on watch, Costco looks down, First fruits of Chrysler-Fiat

The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for jobless benefits fell sharply last week, a government report showed on Thursday, boosting views that the labor market and the economy were stabilizing.

Comcast Corp , the No. 1 U.S. cable operator, reported higher quarterly profit on Thursday due to improved cost controls and a tax gain, but lost basic video subscribers amid the weak economy and competition from phone and satellite operators.

Will Wright, the creator behind top-selling videogame The Sims, is eyeing life outside the virtual world.

U.S. stock index futures rose on Thursday with investors eyeing a government report on weekly jobless claims and corporate earnings, one day after Wall Street ended a four-day rally.

Imagine waving your cell phone and being admitted through the turnstile of a subway station, or ordering and paying for a gift without once having to open your wallet or enter a credit-card number.

U.S. stock index futures edged slightly higher on Thursday with investors eyeing a government report on weekly jobless claims and more corporate earnings, one day after Wall Street ended a four-day rally,

Lenovo , the world's No. 4 PC brand, relied on Chinese government-backed demand boost to cut quarterly losses and was wary on its outlook, underlying the fragility of its recovery.

Stock index futures pointed to a higher opening on Wall Street on Thursday, with futures for the S&P 500 up 0.22 percent, Dow Jones futures up 0.26 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.08 percent at 4:45 a.m. EDT.

The European Central Bank and Bank of England appeared set on Thursday to keep interest rates unchanged, prompting equity investors to extend their five-month rally but keeping currency and bond markets edgy.

- Costco Wholesale Corp on Thursday reported a bigger-than-expected 7 percent fall in July same-store sales hurt mainly by a strong U.S. dollar.

Asian stocks edged up close to 11-month highs on Thursday on strength in resource-related shares, while the Australian dollar gained after a surprise rise in employment prompted increased bets on higher interest rates.

A U.S. federal judge has refused to approve Monday's settlement between the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Bank of America Corp related to the acquisition of Merrill Lynch & Co.

Stocks in Shanghai dropped 3 percent on Thursday, weighed by speculation China may take more steps to rein in liquidity, slashing the Australian dollar's gains, while copper slid from 10-month highs after disappointing U.S. services data.

Recovery worries, Electric injection, Network doldrums

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission should fund itself directly from industry fees to be able to invest more in technology and personnel, Chairman Mary Schapiro told the Financial Times on Wednesday.

Former U.S. Representative William Jefferson, who was caught with $90,000 in cash in his freezer, was found guilty on 11 of 16 charges related to a bribery and money laundering scandal, a U.S. official said on Wednesday.