IBT Staff Reporter

U.S. stocks fell on Friday after data showed the U.S. economy grew less than expected in the fourth quarter, while weak earnings from Ford and continued caution over Europe's debt crisis also weighed on the market.

Viadeo, the world's second-biggest online networking site for professionals after LinkedIn, said on Friday it had opened a regional branch in Morocco as it seeks to expand its presence in the increasingly-wired Arab world.

D.R. Horton Inc , the top U.S. homebuilder, posted a first-quarter profit, helped by a surge in orders indicating a stabilizing housing market.

U.S. stocks were headed for a lower open on Friday after data showed the U.S. economy grew less than expected in the fourth quarter, while weak earnings from Ford and Procter & Gamble and concerns over Europe's debt crisis could also weigh on the market.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner pressed Europe on Friday to boost its bailout fund resources, citing the euro zone debt crisis and oil prices as the two main factors influencing the pace of the United States' economic upturn.

The U.S. economy grew at its fastest pace in 1-1/2 years in the fourth quarter, but a strong rebuilding of stocks by businesses and weak spending on capital goods hinted at slower growth in early 2012.

The U.S. economy grew at its fastest pace in 1-1/2 years in the fourth quarter, but a strong rebuilding of stocks by businesses and weak spending on capital goods hinted at slower growth in early 2012.

U.S. stock index futures rose modestly on Friday at the end of a week in which an equities rally stalled out after a barrage of mixed corporate earnings and economic data and concerns about Europe left the market little changed.

When Philips Electronics reports earnings on Monday, investors will be bracing themselves for developments on restructuring, costs cuts and whether the TV business will be sold in the first quarter.

Oil giant BP has lost its attempt to shift over $15 billion of costs related to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill onto contractor Transocean, increasing the possibility BP may have to foot the entire $42 billion clean up bill.

Ford Motor Co reported a lower-than-expected fourth-quarter profit on Friday due to higher commodity costs and losses in its automotive operations in Europe and Asia.

Argentina's chaotic bankruptcy a decade ago triggered riots, looting and dozens of deaths. The prospect of that horror scenario playing out in Greece is focusing minds across Europe as the threat of default remains all too real.

The U.S. economy is growing at 2-3 percent but still faces big challenges to repair damage wrought by the financial crisis, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Friday.

The U.S. economy is growing at 2-3 percent but still faces big challenges to repair damage wrought by the financial crisis, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Friday.

Twitter announced Thursday that it would begin restricting Tweets in specific countries, renewing questions about how the social media platform will handle issues of free speech as it rapidly expands its global user base.

Stock index futures pointed to a steady open on Wall Street on Friday, with futures for the S&P 500 up 0.02 percent, Dow Jones futures up 0.05 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.2 percent at 4 a.m. ET.

Samsung Electronics Co posted a record $4.7 billion quarterly operating profit, driven by booming smartphone sales, and will spend $22 billion this year to boost production of chips and flat screens to pull further ahead of smaller rivals.

World stocks fell from a 5-1/2 month high on Friday as gains spurred by the Federal Reserve's pledge of low interest rates gave way to concerns about Portugal, seen as the next domino in the Eurozone crisis, and uncertainty over Greek debt talks.

Japan's core consumer prices fell for the third consecutive month in the year to December, and mild deflation is expected to persist this year as energy prices stabilize and worries about Europe's debt crisis suppress wage growth and economic activity.

Nintendo President Satoru Iwata dismissed the idea that the age of the dedicated handheld games device was over and said he aimed to return the company to substantial profit in 2012/13, after it warned of its first ever operating loss this year.

Nintendo President Satoru Iwata dismissed the idea that the age of the dedicated handheld games device was over and said he aimed to return the company to substantial profit in 2012/13, after it warned of its first ever operating loss this year.

The broad asset rally which the U.S. Federal Reserve inspired by pledging to keep rates low decelerated on Friday as investors awaited the outcome of Greek debt talks and U.S. gross domestic product data.

Oshkosh Corp and activist investor Carl Icahn square off at the U.S. truckmaker's annual meeting on Friday, when shareholders vote on the billionaire's proposed slate of six directors.

Airbus blamed a combination of manufacturing and design flaws for wing cracks on its A380 superjumbo but said it had found a simple solution to the problem, easing concerns among analysts who had feared the issue could dog the European plane-maker.

A federal judge on Thursday said BP Plc must indemnify Transocean Ltd for some compensatory damage claims over the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

Investors in Apple Inc have a one-word answer for those who wonder whether this corporate juggernaut can maintain its phenomenal momentum in the years ahead: Asia.

Facebook and the state of Washington sued a company on Thursday they accused of a practice called clickjacking that fools users of the world's top social network into visiting advertising sites, divulging personal information and spreading the scam to friends.

Ford Motor Co is poised to report its biggest annual profit in 13 years on Friday after an accounting change that signals the No. 2 U.S. automaker's belief it can remain profitable.

Mobile phone maker Motorola Mobility Inc posted a fourth quarter loss on weak revenue on Thursday in what could be its last report before a planned takeover by Google Inc.