MARKETS / FINANCE

Hewlett-Packard Co must convince Wall Street it can reverse a string of disappointing results, weather a drought in technology spending and deliver growth again when it reports earnings on Thursday.

Lenovo Group Ltd, the world's No.3 PC brand, reported a near doubling of its first-quarter net profit, beating expectations due to acquisitions and growth in key emerging markets such as China.

Microsoft Corp on Wednesday won a motion to have a patent lawsuit brought against it by Motorola Mobility moved to its preferred federal court in its hometown of Seattle.

The trustee seeking money for victims of Bernard Madoff's fraud on Wednesday filed an amended $2 billion lawsuit adding new allegations against UBS AG and related defendants.

Sina Corp, China's largest Internet portal, said net profit fell 60 percent as the firm spent heavily on investment in its highly popular microblogging service, Weibo.

When Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke takes the podium next week at the central bank's annual meeting in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, his sense of deja vu may be overwhelming.

Google has agreed to buy struggling Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion or $40 a share in cash, making a positive situation for Microsoft as it vies to get back into the mobile phone business.

Approval of President Barack Obama's handling of the U.S. economy has fallen to a new low of 26 percent, according to a Gallup poll released on Wednesday in the aftermath of a bruising fight with Congress over federal spending.

Data storage equipment maker NetApp Inc posted quarterly revenue below Wall Street projections, saying that business slowed dramatically in July, and its shares tumbled 14 percent.

The Federal Reserve will do what it feels is best for the economy, regardless of any political heat, a top Fed official said on Wednesday.

AT&T Inc is turning to the federal courts to thwart an effort led by law firm Bursor & Fisher to derail AT&T's $39 billion takeover bid for Deutsche Telekom AG's T-Mobile.

A New York City education panel should delay voting on a $120 million contract with Verizon Communications Inc until the telephone company agrees to a new contract for 45,000 striking workers, two city officials said on Wednesday.

Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc will not turn its asset management unit into a long-term business after creditors of the bankrupt investment bank objected.

By the complaints coming from Washington, you might think that the Standard & Poor's credit rating service is a big headache for its owner, the McGraw-Hill Companies Inc .

U.S. wholesale prices outside of food and fuel rose at the fastest pace in six months in July as costs for tobacco and light trucks jumped, but weak consumer demand was seen keeping inflation in check at the factory gate.

Gold rose on Wednesday on a combination of increased inflationary pressure and ideas this week's Franco-German proposals will not solve the euro zone debt crisis.

A New York City education panel should delay voting on a $120 million contract for Verizon Communications Inc until the telecommunications company settles a strike by 45,000 of its workers in a Northeast unit, the city comptroller said on Wednesday.

Phone makers depending on Google Inc's Android software should worry about the Web search leader's deal to buy Motorola Mobility, the head of rival Nokia said on Wednesday.

Gold settled at a record high Wednesday and silver closed modestly higher after surging in the first few hours of trading and then seeing gains pared in the afternoon.

A New York City education panel should delay voting on a $120 million contract for Verizon Communications Inc until the telecommunications company settles a strike by 45,000 of its workers in a Northeast unit, the city comptroller said on Wednesday.

The details are sketchy about President Barack Obama's September jobs speech, but one thing is certain: as economic manager, Obama must increase job growth substantially in the next nine months to help the millions of Americans who are unemployed find jobs, to strengthen the economy, and to save his presidency.

Stocks slipped on Wednesday, reversing gains of more than 1 percent, as weak results from Dell dragged down the largest U.S. personal computer makers and offset recent upbeat earnings and outlooks from retailers, including Target Corp .

When the leaders of the world's two biggest economies meet in Hawaii three months from now, U.S. President Barack Obama will still be able to brag to Chinese President Hu Jintao that the United States has more big companies than any other nation on the planet.

A games company is accusing Zynga of infringing its patents and asking that it shut down its most popular games for the Facebook social network, including FarmVille and Mafia Wars.

Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc said on Wednesday that William R. Hambrecht is leaving its board of directors immediately.

The Federal Reserve has no business easing monetary policy further when the real problem facing the economy is fiscal mismanagement in Washington, a top Fed official said on Wednesday.

Core producer prices rose at their fastest pace in six months in July on strong tobacco and light truck costs, though weak domestic demand was seen keeping inflation pressures under control.

British business software company Sage Group Plc has been picked as preferred bidder in the race to buy Australian peer MYOB Ltd, people familiar with matter said Wednesday.

The Federal Reserve's recent promise to keep rates low for another two years was inappropriate policy at an inappropriate time, while its statement on the economy was excessively negative, a top Fed policymaker said on Wednesday.