ECONOMY & MARKETS

U.S. stock index futures point to a higher opening Friday ahead of the Bureau of Labor Statistics' nonfarm payrolls report and unemployment report.

Most of the European markets moderately rose Friday after investors were disappointed with the European Central Bank not announcing any monetary easing policy measures to rejuvenate the faltering euro zone economy.

The top after-market Nasdaq gainers Thursday were Blue Nile Inc, OpenTable Inc, MercadoLibre Inc, Skullcandy Inc and Sequenom Inc.The top after-market Nasdaq losers were Body Central Corp, Zipcar Inc, Exide Technologies Inc, Tractor Supply Company and comScore.

China's services activity growth recovered in July to the fastest pace in nine months after the slowdown in June, according to the HSBC Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) released Friday.

The top after-market NYSE gainers Thursday were Mas Tec, LinkedIn Corp, Kodiak Oil, Sunoco and American Water Works Co. The top after-market NYSE losers were Knight Capital Group, Molycorp, Dolby Laboratories, Kayne Anderson MLP Investment and Active Network, Inc.

Most of the Asian markets fell Friday as investors were disappointed to find that the European Central Bank did not announce stimulus measures Thursday to boost the faltering euro zone economy.

Activision Blizzard (NYSE: ATVI), the second-largest video game maker by market capitalization, beat Wall Street's expectations in the second quarter, even after it lost 1.1 million subscribers to its popular "World of Warcraft" franchise.

Elizabeth Spiers, the editor of the New York Observer, is leaving the newspaper at the end of August after expanding its digital offerings in the past 18 months, diversifying its revenue stream in a challenging advertising environment.

U.S. 30-year fixed mortgages rates rose for only second time in the past 14 weeks on modest economic improvements, mortgage financier Freddie Mac said Thursday.

The California city of San Bernardino filed for bankruptcy on Wednesday, citing more than $1 billion of debts. The filing makes it the third California city to seek protection from creditors in recent weeks.

The number of Americans lining up for new jobless benefits last week rose less than expected, the Labor Department said Thursday, partly reflecting the volatility of applications during the annual auto-plant retooling period.

Looking for a job with higher pay and superior benefits? Well, unfortunately, those are becoming "endangered species."

The European Central Bank on Thursday held its benchmark interest rate steady at its record-low level in a decision that was widely anticipated.

At each Olympic Games the same scenario unfolds: Organizers and government officials tout the astounding economic benefits. The city, basking in the glow of Olympic pride, goes along with the officials. In the end, however, the so-called benefits rarely surface.

First Solar, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Gilead Sciences, Idenix Pharmaceuticals, Transocean, LivePerson, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA are among the companies whose shares are moving in pre-market trading Thursday.

U.S. stock index futures point to a higher opening Thursday with investors keeping a close watch on the European Central Bank meeting later in the day, which is expected to announce stimulus measures to revive the economic growth.

Asian stock markets declined Thursday as investors awaited the European Central Bank (ECB) meeting later in the day after Federal Reserve did not offer any new monetary measures overnight.

Most of the European markets rose Thursday amid hope that the European Central Bank would announce stimulus measures later in the day to boost the faltering euro zone economy.

The top after-market Nasdaq gainers Wednesday were First Solar Inc, Cavium Inc, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc, SunPower Corporation and United Online Inc. The top after-market Nasdaq losers were Halozyme Therapeutics Inc, Zumiez Inc, Solta Medical Inc, LivePerson Inc and Synchronoss Technologies Inc.

The top after-market NYSE gainers Wednesday were Ellie Mae, Yelp Inc, Digital Domain Media Group, MEMC Electronic Materials and Dice Holdings. The top after-market NYSE losers were Abercrombie & Fitch, Weight Watchers International, Stone Energy Corp, Boston Beer Co and Level 3 Communications, Inc.

Asian markets were mixed Thursday as investors remained watchful ahead of the European Central Bank meeting later in the day in which stimulus measures to boost the faltering euro zone economy are expected to be announced.

Asian shares eased Thursday as investors turned increasingly cautious with hopes of stimulus action by central banks fading ahead of a European Central Bank's meeting later in the day and after the U.S. Federal Reserve took no action a day earlier.

India's Sahara India Pariwar Ltd. has agreed to buy a controlling stake in New York's Plaza Hotel for $570 million, placing a bet on one of the most robust U.S. hotel markets.

The reaction to a market disturbance the affected the price of stock in hundreds of companies early Wednesday was markedly muted late in the day, as market participants, exchange operators and regulators were still trying to get a grasp on exactly what had just occurred.

Thalia Paraskeva, 24, was getting increasingly desperate. Equipped with a degree in graphic design from Athens, she had no luck finding a job in Greece. One day, she booked a ticket to Berlin and swiftly packed some dresses, a jacket, a pair of snug boots and a Greek-German dictionary before boarding the plane.

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday offered a gloomier view of the economy as the labor market showed no sign of improvement since its last meeting. However, despite mounting signs of a sharp slowdown in the U.S. economy, central bank officials decided to take more time to make up their mind and refrained from enacting another monetary stimulus.

Investors are abandoning equity stocks amid the global economic slowdown and falling corporate revenues during the second quarter, according to multiple reports.

Zynga is planning a dramatic internal restructuring following last week's poor financial performance that includes stripping the current COO of his product oversight responsibilities, according to sources within the company. But will this actually help the company recoup some of its losses?

The financial situation in Iraq, one of the world's largest reservoirs of crude oil, has become grave.