IBT Staff Reporter

Stocks advanced on Thursday, reversing declines from the previous session after some positive data on the labor market and solid monthly sales from retailers encouraged buying.

Greece has not yet triggered payment on controversial bond insurance contracts but market participants still expect Athens' efforts to reduce its debt burden to prompt an eventual payout on credit default swaps.

Boulder, Colorado-based Gnip Inc and DataSift Inc, based in the U.K. and San Francisco, are licensed by Twitter to analyze archived tweets and basic information about users, like geographic location. DataSift announced this week that it will release Twitter data in packages that will encompass the last two years of activity for its customers to mine, while Gnip can go back only 30 days.

Mild weather helped spur consumers to buy spring clothing in February, leading to broad sales gains at top U.S. chains, with even perennial laggard Gap Inc posting its first increase in eight months.

Boulder, Colorado-based Gnip Inc and DataSift Inc, based in the U.K. and San Francisco, are licensed by Twitter to analyze archived tweets and basic information about users, like geographic location. DataSift announced this week that it will release Twitter data in packages that will encompass the last two years of activity for its customers to mine, while Gnip can go back only 30 days.

The probability of a sharp global slowdown has eased due to recent policy measures adopted in the euro zone to tackle its debt crisis, the International Monetary Fund said on Thursday, but it warned risks to world growth remain squarely to the downside.

Boulder, Colorado-based Gnip Inc and DataSift Inc, based in the U.K. and San Francisco, are licensed by Twitter to analyze archived tweets and basic information about users, like geographic location. DataSift announced this week that it will release Twitter data in packages that will encompass the last two years of activity for its customers to mine, while Gnip can go back only 30 days.

Mild weather helped spur consumers to buy spring clothing in February, leading to broad sales gains at top U.S. chains, and even perennial laggard Gap Inc posted its first increase in eight months.

Investors are starting to recognize Bank of America Corp's efforts to build capital and streamline operations, but the bank still needs to show it can boost profits, Chief Executive Officer Brian Moynihan said in an interview this week.

Stocks rose on Thursday, extending this year's near-uninterrupted rally as investors jumped on recent momentum, though equities eased from session highs after a weak reading on manufacturing.

Greece's recent moves to prepare for a debt restructuring have not triggered a payout on credit default swaps, the International Swaps and Derivatives Association said on Thursday.

Major automakers including General Motors Co posted a rise in auto sales for the month of February, helped by American drivers' need to replace aging cars and trucks despite the rise in fuel prices.

New U.S. claims for unemployment benefits edged down last week, holding near four-year lows, according to a government report on Thursday that suggested the labor market was gaining momentum.

Many of the giant cranes that tower over the port of Aarhus, Denmark's second-biggest city, are standing idle these days.

U.S. conservative activist Andrew Breitbart, a larger-than-life author and publisher, died unexpectedly of natural causes in Los Angeles early on Thursday, a representative for his website confirmed. He was 43.

Some European Central Bank policymakers are alarmed that a dramatic loosening of lending policy stemming from a 1-trillion-euro wave of cash unleashed into the financial system will fuel imbalances in the euro zone and stoke inflationary pressures.

Growth in U.S. manufacturing unexpectedly cooled in February and consumer spending was flat in January for the third straight month after accounting for inflation, casting a pall over the economic outlook.

They may have had Bob Geldof as headline speaker, but as private equity executives headed home after their annual industry gathering in Berlin, many acknowledged they still had much to do to repair their image as unscrupulous corporate raiders.

They may have had Bob Geldof as headline speaker, but as private equity executives headed home after their annual industry gathering in Berlin, many acknowledged they still had much to do to repair their image as unscrupulous corporate raiders.

European shares extended gains into the Wall Street open on Thursday as an already positive sentiment was further supported by unemployment data confirming the U.S. jobs market is improving.

New bonds that Greece will issue this month as part of its debt restructuring are likely to be the highest yielding in the euro zone as creditors price in a high risk of being forced to take yet more losses.

Transocean Ltd may face $473 million in U.S. back taxes, according to its annual filing, though it also said it was cleared in a similar dispute dating back eight years, which may give its lawyers a useful precedent.

Data protection agencies in European countries have concluded Google Inc's new privacy policy is in breach of European law, EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding said Thursday.

Blackberry maker Research in Motion Ltd is likely to preannounce poor February quarter results and forecast a very weak May quarter on lower sales of its phones, according to Jefferies & Co analysts.

Americans filed fewer new claims for jobless benefits last week but consumer spending was flat in January for the third straight month after accounting for inflation, casting a pall over the economic outlook.

A British ethics group has launched a debate on the ethical dilemmas posed by new technologies that tap into the brain and could bring super-human strength, highly enhanced concentration or thought-controlled weaponry.

Prospects for a strong recovery in the global economy darkened on Thursday as sputtering factory activity in Europe overshadowed more upbeat data from Asia, at a time when central banks are running out of policy options and reluctant to do more.

Stock index futures pointed to a slightly higher open on Thursday as jobless claims hovered near multi-year lows, though investors had little reason to continue buying after healthy gains so far this year.

LightSquared, the beleaguered telecom startup founded by hedge fund manager Philip Falcone, is considering hiring telecommunications veteran Timothy Donahue as chief executive officer, a person familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.