MARKETS / FINANCE

Wall Street slipped on Thursday after a major aftershock in Japan reignited fears about its nuclear power crisis, but greater faith in the U.S. economy's steady path held losses in check.

Wall Street slipped on Thursday after a major aftershock in Japan reignited fears about nuclear crisis, but greater faith in the U.S. economy's steady path held losses in check.

The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking records about American clients of HSBC in India who might be evading taxes, broadening the government's probe of banks suspected of helping tax dodgers.

Chrystia Freeland has been named to the new position of editor of Thomson Reuters Digital as Thomson Reuters Corp puts more emphasis on Internet and mobile applications for its consumer news products.

With time running out, an ideological battle flared in the Congress over abortion and environmental issues Thursday as negotiators launched a late push to avert a looming government shutdown.

Knowing what Warren Buffett is going to do a few weeks before he does it is not the sure-fire money-maker you might think.

The Justice Department is close to a deal that would allow Google Inc to buy an airline ticketing software company while requiring that the software remain available to Google rivals, according to a source close to the deal.

With time running out, an ideological battle over abortion and environmental issues threatened on Thursday to scuttle a congressional deal to avert a looming government shutdown.

U.S. stocks fell on Thursday after Japan suffered a major aftershock, which caused injuries and renewed concerns about industrial supply disruptions and nuclear power.

The surge of hot money that has vexed many emerging markets may slow dramatically once the U.S. Federal Reserve begins raising interest rates, the International Monetary Fund said on Thursday.

Two top Federal Reserve officials offered conflicting views on interest rates on Thursday, one arguing they should stay low for a long time and another saying a rate hike could be in the cards this year.

The European Central Bank raised interest rates for the first time since the 2008 financial crisis on Thursday and signaled it was ready to tighten policy further if needed to check rising prices.

U.S. stocks slipped on Thursday after another powerful earthquake hit Japan, renewing concerns about supply disruptions and the country's ongoing nuclear issue, but markets were off their lows as a number of retailers rallied on strong monthly sales.

Most financial brokers and advisers find independence from big brokerage houses attractive, but the cost of regulatory compliance is keeping many of them from making the move, a new study by Fidelity Investments found.

The European Central Bank raised its key interest rate by 25 basis points to 1.25 percent on Thursday, tightening policy as expected to counter firming price pressures in the 17-country euro zone.

The Congress on Thursday neared a budget deal to avert a looming government shutdown but disputes over abortion and environmental issues posed late hurdles to a final agreement.

The runaway rise in gold prices is here to stay. And that is not just bad news to the U.S. economy. A sustained gold and oil boom indicates that the dollar is slipping into grave danger and the economy closer to collapse.

Growing demand for phones running on Google's Android platform will help the smartphone market grow in 2011, boosting companies like HTC and Samsung Electronics who are betting on the platform.

U.S. stocks fell on Thursday shortly after an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 hit Japan and a tsunami warning was issued.

Portugal will formalize its request for a European Union rescue package that could reach 85 billion euros ($122 billion) on Thursday and a deal could be reached before a June 5 election, officials said.

The Federal Reserve should keep its fed funds target rate very low for a long time and complete its asset purchasing program as scheduled, Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank President Sandra Pianalto said on Thursday.

New claims for unemployment benefits fell slightly more than expected last week, pointing to firming labor market conditions.

U.S. stocks edged up in choppy trading on Thursday, helped by jobless claims and same-store sales data, but technical resistance to further gains was strong.

The European Central Bank raised interest rates by 25 basis points to 1.25 percent on Thursday, announcing its first hike since July 2008 to counter firming inflation pressures in the 17-country euro zone.

The European Central Bank raised interest rates for the first time since the 2008 financial crisis on Thursday but signaled it was not necessarily the start of a series of similar steps.

Wall Street stocks were set to open slightly higher on Thursday as positive labor market and same-store sales data brightened the outlook for consumer spending, a pillar of the U.S. economy.

Large financial firms should be allowed to fail or they will continue to take excess risks that lead to crises, Richmond Federal Reserve President Jeffrey Lacker said on Thursday.

The applications for jobless benefits in the U.S. fell more than expected last week, recording a second consecutive weekly decline.

New U.S. claims for unemployment benefits fell slightly more than expected last week, according to a government report on Thursday that pointed to firming labor market conditions.