IBT Staff Reporter

Major U.S. stock indexes were little changed in a low-volume session on Wednesday, but some investors were encouraged to see equities avoid a sell-off amid lingering euro zone's debt problems.

Microsoft Corp said it is suing Britain's second-largest electronics retailer Comet for allegedly creating and selling counterfeit recovery CDs of its flagship Windows operating system.

Comcast Corp, the largest U.S. cable operator, and Walt Disney Co on Wednesday said they had reached a comprehensive 10-year programming carriage deal for TV, Web and handheld devices.

Comcast Corp, the largest U.S. cable operator, and Walt Disney Co on Wednesday said they had reached a comprehensive 10-year programming carriage deal for TV, Web and handheld devices.

It's been a productive couple weeks for Rick Santorum, who virtually tied with Mitt Romney for first place in the Iowa caucuses and has finally managed to push Dan Savage's Spreading Santorum Web site out of the top spot in Google searches for his name.

Nevertheless, Netflix shares are down significantly from the 52-week high of $304.79.

After receiving tepid reviews for his first book of fictional short stories, actor James Franco has sold his debut novel to Amazon Publishing, a spokeswoman said Wednesday.

Securities regulators charged an Illinois-based investment adviser on Wednesday with using LinkedIn and other social media networking websites to lure investors by offering more than $500 billion in fake securities.

NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Americans who take to the Internet to learn more about Rick Santorum following his strong finish in the Iowa caucuses are about to discover his Google problem.

Rick Perry said late Tuesday night that he would return to Texas to reassess his campaign in light of his fifth-place finish in the Iowa caucuses -- but now he says he's pressing on through South Carolina.

The settlement will require AT&T to pay at least $215 million to TiVo by June 2018, $51 million of which must be paid upfront.

Bill Gross, the manager of the world's largest bond fund, is sounding like a Wall Street ghost-hunter in his latest investment letter.

Boeing Co said it would close a Defense, Space & Security facility that employees more than 2,160 workers in Wichita by the end of 2013.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner will travel to China and Japan next week to discuss U.S. sanctions on Iran and the state of the global economy with top government officials, the Treasury Department said on Wednesday.

New orders for factory goods rose solidly in November, but business spending on capital goods is cooling, a government report showed on Wednesday.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner will travel to China and Japan next week to discuss U.S. sanctions on Iran and the state of the global economy with top government officials, the Treasury Department said on Wednesday.

U.S. stocks dipped on Wednesday as the euro zone's debt problems curbed market enthusiasm that fueled a rally in the previous session.

Groupon Inc's main business grew in November as the largest daily deal company extended its lead over rival LivingSocial, according to estimates released on Wednesday.

UniCredit SpA launched a 7.5 billion euro ($9.8 billion) rights issue at a massive discount on Wednesday, highlighting the struggle faced by European lenders under pressure to raise capital to counter a spreading debt crisis.

Automakers ended the year with strong U.S. sales but forecast lower growth in 2012, as a sluggish economic recovery is expected to continue.

MF Global unloaded hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of securities to Goldman Sachs in the days leading up to its collapse, according to two former MF Global employees with direct knowledge of the transactions. But it did not immediately receive payment from its clearing firm and lender, JPMorgan Chase & Co , one of the sources said.

Stocks fell on Wednesday after a sharp rally in the previous session as investors set their sights again on Europe's debt problems.

Euro zone inflation dropped below 3 percent for the first time in three months in December, kicking off a slowdown economists expect will revive deflation fears and tempt the ECB to cut rates below 1 percent for the first time in its history.

Yahoo Inc. said on Wednesday it has appointed Scott Thompson as its chief executive, effective from January 9, replacing interim CEO Tim Morse who will resume his role as chief financial officer.

Swiss central bank head Philipp Hildebrand came under pressure on Wednesday following revelations of sensitively timed currency trades by his wife and the sacking of a whistleblower who passed details to the lawyer of a political adversary.

U.S. oil group ExxonMobil is in talks to sell most of its 50 percent stake in Japanese refiner TonenGeneral Sekiyu KK <5012.T>, in a deal that could be worth as much as $5 billion, four sources with knowledge of the matter said.

Yahoo is poised to name PayPal President Scott Thompson as its chief executive after firing former CEO Carol Bartz in September, website AllThingsD reported, citing sources close to the situation.

The German and French governments have both come to accept that the era when leading euro zone countries enjoyed the very best sovereign debt ratings is nearing an end, but a downgrade could shake Paris far harder than it does Berlin.

Wall Street was set to open lower on Wednesday after a sharp market rally in the previous session, as investors focused again on Europe's debt problems.