MARKETS / FINANCE

The Nikkei rallied on Thursday as investors snapped up shares of Japanese exporters after the dollar hit two-week highs against the yen, but markets elsewhere in Asia were more subdued ahead of the influential U.S. non-farm payrolls report.

President Barack Obama on Wednesday renominated economist and Nobel laureate Peter Diamond to the Federal Reserve Board, sticking with a pick that has already been thwarted by Senate Republicans twice.

Japanese stocks rallied on Thursday as investors snapped up shares of big exporters after the dollar hit two-week highs against the yen, but markets elsewhere in Asia were more subdued ahead of the influential U.S. non-farm payrolls report.

Panasonic Corp aims to beef up its Internet-TV service this spring, expanding its offering of applications to compete with rivals like the alliance between Sony Corp and Google Inc.

American Airlines sparred with third-party ticket sellers on Wednesday in an ongoing battle over distribution costs and methods as one key provider of airfare data vowed to stop offering the airline's flight information.

Toyota Motor Corp, faltering from recalls, has fallen into a statistical tie with Ford Motor Co for tops in U.S. consumer brand perception, influential magazine Consumer Reports said on Wednesday.

This morning’s ADP stunning employment report suggests that Friday’s nonfarm payroll data should come in very strong, according to Tom Sowanick, Co-President and Chief Investment Officer of OmnivestGroup.

The number of U.S. private-sector jobs surged in December at a rate three times stronger than forecast, the most bullish signal in months that a recovery in the world's biggest economy is shifting up a gear.

Google Inc won a small battle in its larger war to make inroads into government contracting when a federal judge ordered the Interior Department to rethink a proposed bid for a contract for email services.

Toyota Motor Corp, faltering from recalls, has fallen into a statistical tie with Ford Motor Co for tops in U.S. consumer brand perception, influential magazine Consumer Reports said on Wednesday.

CHICAGO, Jan 5 - As the domestic session opened, 10-year notes were up 13+/32nds on weaker stocks overnight; however, the ADP Employment report stunned the market with 297k jobs created versus an expectation of +100k.

Bernard Madoff's sister-in-law, whose husband was a top executive at his firm, has put up her luxury home in Palm Beach, Florida, for sale with an asking price of $6.5 million.

The creation of three times as many private-sector jobs as expected turned Wall Street's early losses into gains on Wednesday, extending a rally investors worried had come too far too fast.

Panasonic Corp will open up for free its technology for Internet-enabled televisions as it looks to create a rival group to the Sony Corp and Google Inc alliance, the Nikkei reported.

After almost eight years, Oppenheimer & Co has lost its battle to force Citigroup Inc to pay over $18 million for luring away nine of its top financial advisers.

Qualcomm Inc plans to dominate the supply of wireless chips for tablet devices such as Apple's iPad with its $3.2 billion planned purchase of Atheros Communications Inc .

The number of U.S. private-sector jobs surged in December at a rate three times stronger than forecast, a hiring report showed, the most bullish signal in months that a recovery in the world's biggest economy is shifting up a gear.

After reaching a seven-year high in 2009, downsizing activity in 2010 fell to its lowest level since 1997, as employers announced plans to eliminate 529,973 positions, according to a report from outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc.

Stocks advanced on Wednesday as a much stronger-than-expected rise in private sector employment boosted optimism about the outlook for the economy and stocks.

Silver and Gold Prices both unwound the last of late Dec.'s gains in early London trade on Wednesday, retreating to $29.20 and $1370 respectively per ounce on what several analysts called profit taking as world stock markets also fell.

Four names top the list of potential candidates to succeed Warren Buffett as chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway, though finding a replacement for him as Berkshire's investment chief has proved more complicated, Vanity Fair reported in its new issue.

The U.S. non-manufacturing sector grew in December at it fastest pace in more than 4 years, according to an industry report released on Wednesday.

Private employers added 297,000 jobs in December compared with a revised gain of 92,000 in November, a report by a payrolls processor showed on Wednesday.

Private sector jobs surged in December at a rate three times stronger than forecast, a hiring report showed, the most bullish signal in months that a recovery in the world's biggest economy is stepping up a gear.

U.S. stocks rose on Wednesday as much stronger-than-expected jobs data boosted optimism about the labor market and the economic recovery.

Toymaker Mattel Inc agreed to license some of its top brands, including Barbie, Hot Wheels and Fisher-Price, to THQ Inc for use in its video games for a variety of gaming platforms.

The efforts by Facebook to raise as much as $1.5 billion outside of regulated markets is the latest test of the walls between private and public markets.

U.S. private employers added 297,000 jobs in December compared with a revised gain of 92,000 in November, a report by a payrolls processor showed on Wednesday.