IBT Staff Reporter

Stocks extended gains on Tuesday, with the Nasdaq rising 3 percent as investors latched onto signs of easing stress in Europe's bond markets as well as positive economic data at home and abroad.

Hedge fund manager David Einhorn is taking an even harder line against Green Mountain Coffee Roasters , his big short trade, claiming a recent audit committee review of the accounting issues he flagged is nothing more than a whitewash.

Stocks rebounded sharply on Tuesday as investors latched onto signs of easing stress in Europe's bond markets as well as some positive economic data at home and abroad.

The Family Leader, an influential Christian conservative group in Iowa, will remain neutral in the Republican primaries, but President Bob Vander Plaats and board member Chuck Hurley personally endorsed Rick Santorum.

German business sentiment rose sharply in December, defying expectations for a decline and underscoring the resilience of Europe's dominant economy in the face of a sovereign debt crisis that has hammered euro zone growth.

One of the owners of three of the largest Internet poker companies pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a criminal charge of deceiving U.S. banks over the processing of gambling proceeds.

Housing starts surged to a 1-1/2 year high in November and permits for future construction were the highest since March 2010 as demand for rental apartments rose, offering hope for the weak housing market.

U.S. housing starts surged to a 1-1/2 year high in November and permits for future construction were the highest since March 2010 as demand for rental apartments rose, offering hope for the weak housing market.

General Mills Inc posted disappointing quarterly earnings, hurt by higher ingredient costs, and its shares fell nearly 3 percent, while rival ConAgra Foods Inc topped Wall Street's expectations.

General Mills Inc reported lower-than-expected quarterly earnings on Tuesday, as higher ingredient costs hurt gross margins.

In a sign Vladimir Putin's allies may be getting serious about tackling the biggest protests of his 12-year rule, a loyal media outlet has published telephone calls of an opposition leader laced with profanities denigrating colleagues and followers.

Apple has bought Israel's Anobit, a maker of flash storage technology, for up to $500 million, the Calcalist financial daily reported on Tuesday.

Stocks rebounded sharply Tuesday as a drop in Spain's borrowing costs and unexpectedly strong economic data from Germany eased euro zone debt worries.

Michael Woodford, the ousted boss of Japan's Olympus Corp, has won the battle to force his former employer to admit to more than a decade of accounting fraud. His bid to return as chief executive officer, however, appears doomed.

Newt Gingrich won the Tea Party Patriots straw poll on Monday, edging out Michele Bachmann and beating Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum by a large margin. It was a good sign for his campaign in the wake of fading support in national polls.

Stocks were poised to rebound at the open Tuesday after declines in the prior session as a drop in Spain's borrowing costs and unexpectedly positive data from Germany eased euro zone debt worries.

Stock index futures rose on Tuesday, indicating equities will rebound from declines in the prior session as borrowing costs in Spain fell and worries about the euro zone's debt crisis eased.

Google Inc and TransCanada Corp announced deals to buy solar power projects on Tuesday, just days after billionaire Warren Buffett made his second major purchase in the sector.

Deutsche Telekom offered no detailed plan of how it will bounce back from the collapse of its deal with AT&T, only assuring investors on Tuesday it was working on a long-term plan for its subscale U.S. wireless unit.

Stock index futures rose Tuesday, indicating equities will rebound from declines in the prior session as a drop in Spain's borrowing costs and unexpectedly positive data from Germany eased euro zone debt worries.

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Olympus Corp is preparing to issue about $1.28 billion (100 billion yen) in new shares to bolster its depleted finances, with Japanese high-tech stalwarts Sony and Fujifilm seen as possible buyers, the Nikkei business daily reported.

European shares and the euro rose on Tuesday on surprisingly good news about the German economy and a better-than-expected outcome at a Spanish treasury bill auction, but concerns about the euro zone debt crisis limited gains.

Former Olympus Corp head Michael Woodford is close to releasing names of an alternative slate of directors for the board of the company, he told Reuters in an interview, as he fights to return at the helm of the company.

A former UBS trader accused of unauthorized dealing that cost the Swiss bank $2.3 billion was expected to enter a plea for the first time on Tuesday in a case that led to the resignation of UBS's chief executive.

European shares and the euro rose on Tuesday on unexpectedly good news about the German economy's prospects, but concerns about problems policymakers are having in tackling the euro zone debt crisis limited gains.

Sony Corp shifted 321,400 units of the PlayStation Vita, its new handheld game device, in Japan in its first two days on sale, research firm Enterbrain said on Tuesday.

It is a good time to be a U.S. stock investor for the long term - if you can ignore the noise erupting every few hours.

Asian stocks and the euro edged up on Tuesday, but sentiment remained fragile on concerns that efforts to contain the euro zone debt crisis were faltering and tougher rules to strengthen banks' capital would further undermine their profits.