IBT Staff Reporter

German industrial output posted its biggest fall in December since the depth of the financial crisis at the start of 2009, the Economy Ministry said on Tuesday, underperforming forecasts by a wide margin.

Greek party leaders face crunch talks on Tuesday to secure a new international bailout and avoid a chaotic debt default, caught between EU demands that they accept painful reforms now and a national strike against more austerity.

Stock index futures fell on Tuesday, indicating equities may fall for a second straight session, as talks to secure a new bailout for Greece and avoid an unruly default had yet to bear fruit.

Stock index futures fell on Tuesday, indicating equities may fall for a second straight session, as talks to secure a new bailout for Greece and avoid an unruly default had yet to bear fruit.

At least two top 10 shareholders in miner Xstrata said Tuesday they would vote against a takeover by commodities trader Glencore, threatening the creation of a powerhouse spanning mining, shareholders except Glencore, which is barred agriculture and trading.

Stock index futures pointed to a dip at the open on Wall Street on Tuesday, with futures for the S&P 500 down 0.06 percent, Dow Jones futures down 0.05 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures down 0.05 percent at 5:30 a.m. ET.

British chipmaker Wolfson Microelectronics plc expects another weak quarter before customer additions and product launches boost revenue this year.

BP said it was preparing vigorously for lawsuits related to its Gulf of Mexico oil spill, which are due to start later this month, as it unveiled a rise in fourth-quarter earnings boosted by higher oil prices and one-off gains.

U.S. social media group Facebook seems ready to publish categories of data it collects from users, an Austrian student group lobbying for stricter privacy rules said on Tuesday.

A cat that invaded the famous Anfield turf for three minutes during Liverpool's 0-0 Premier League draw with Tottenham Hotspur on Monday has become an internet celebrity.

The dividend rise marks the firm's first since the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

The euro was underpinned by hopes a way would be found to push through a second bailout deal for Greece, though poor results from some top European firms on Tuesday rekindled unease about the region's debt crisis, sending shares lower.

Commodities trader Glencore agreed on Tuesday to buy the remaining 66 percent of miner Xstrata for $41 billion in a record deal to create a powerhouse spanning mining, agriculture and trading.

Toyota Motor Corp reported a stronger-than-expected quarterly operating profit, shrugging off a firm yen and the damaging impact of flooding in Thailand, and raised its annual forecast, helped by cost cuts and Japanese government subsidies.

British chipmaker Wolfson Microelectronics plc posted a wider operating loss due to weak customer demand, and forecast first-quarter revenue below analyst expectations.

The euro and European stock markets edged higher on Tuesday as traders grew hopeful a resolution could be found to enable a second bailout deal for Greece, although poor results for some top European firms rekindled fears about the impact of the crisis.

The Securities and Exchange Commission will unveil proposals aimed at stabilizing money-market funds in the event of another financial panic, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Commodities trader Glencore agreed an all-share takeover of mining group Xstrata worth $90 billion on Tuesday in the industry's largest ever deal, creating a powerhouse spanning mining, agriculture and trading.

Glencore and Xstrata agreed an all-share merger worth $90 billion on Tuesday in the industry's largest ever deal, creating a commodities powerhouse spanning mining, agriculture and trading.

Glencore and Xstrata agreed an all-share merger worth $90 billion on Tuesday in the industry's largest ever deal, creating a commodities powerhouse spanning mining, agriculture and trading.

Toyota Motor Corp reported a stronger-than-expected quarterly operating profit and raised its annual forecast on cost cuts and Japanese government subsidies, though this is still some way below analysts' expectations.

Swiss bank UBS warned on its first-quarter performance when posting quarterly profit at the bottom end of expectations after a loss at its investment bank, amid uncertainty around the euro zone, Europe's banking system, and U.S. deficit issues.

Toyota Motor Corp reported on Tuesday a forecast-beating 51 percent rise in quarterly operating profit, defying the impact of a strong yen and Thai floods, and lifted its cautious annual forecasts closer to market expectations.

Markets edged down on Tuesday as Greek resistance to the strict conditions attached to a bailout fund sapped recent momentum spurred by hopes the global economy is improving, and the euro eased on renewed fears of a messy debt default.

Key U.S. senators raised fresh questions about Lockheed Martin Corp's $382 billion F-35 fighter program on Monday as the Pentagon's top weapons buyer underscored deep flaws in the way the multinational arms program was set up from the start.

Oracle Corp will head to a retrial against SAP AG over copyright infringement allegations after a U.S. judge slashed a previous monetary award against SAP by over $1 billion.

Last year's hedge fund losers may be turning into winners again.

A multi-state mortgage settlement in the works for more than a year will likely be pushed back again as dissident U.S. states continue to press specific concerns and ignore a Monday deadline to decide whether they will sign it.

Grammy-winning country singer Randy Travis was arrested and charged with public drunkenness on Monday in Sanger, Texas after police found him sitting in his truck, apparently intoxicated, in front of a church.