IBT Staff Reporter

Dow Chemical Co posted a higher-than-expected quarterly profit, helped largely by sales of plastics, pesticides and electronic parts.

With over a day since Verizon's LTE network went down, Verizon says it is now getting closer to restoring the service.

Power company Exelon Corp is to buy rival Constellation Energy Group for $7.9 billion, the latest in a series of deals in a fragmented U.S. utility industry that faces new costs to upgrade power grids and meet environmental controls.

The Bank of Japan kept monetary policy unchanged on Thursday even as it lowered growth forecasts and estimated the economy tipped into recession early this year, disappointing analysts who felt the grim readings after last month's earthquake called for more policy easing.

Alabama's state emergency management agency said Thursday that it had confirmed 128 deaths from severe and deadly storms which have included tornados and ravaged Southern states in recent days.

U.S. stock index futures edged lower on Thursday, a day after the Nasdaq rose to a 10-year high and investors looked ahead to first-quarter growth data amid concerns the U.S. economy may be starting to slow.

Royal Dutch Shell posted stronger than expected first-quarter profit thanks to higher oil prices and wider margins in its refining business, boosting hopes for a more generous dividend policy.

India has shortlisted European defense firms Dassault and Eurofighter for an $11 billion fighter jet contract, rejecting U.S. and Russian firms in a move that indicates an effort by Asia's third largest economy to broaden its strategic ties.

News and information provider Thomson Reuters Corp's revenue growth accelerated in the first quarter as it reaped the benefits of heavy spending on new products, and the company said it plans to sell two more businesses to fund further investment.

The Bank of Japan kept monetary policy unchanged on Thursday even as it lowered growth forecasts and estimated the economy tipped into recession early this year, disappointing analysts who felt the grim readings after last month's earthquake called for more policy easing.

Even vending machines have become social, thanks to Pepsi's latest invention.

Deutsche Bank posted near record first-quarter profit, driven by investment banking market share gains and acquisitions in retail banking and wealth management.

Japanese consumer electronics giant Panasonic Corp said it would cut another 17,000 jobs and close up to 70 factories around the world over the next two years in a bid to pare costs and keep up with Asian rivals.

Top Asian car makers Honda Motor <7267.T> and Hyundai Motor <005380.KS> painted vastly different portraits on Thursday, with Hyundai turning in a stellar quarterly performance while Honda struggled to overcome supply woes after Japan's devastating earthquake.

Japanese consumer electronics giant Panasonic Corp said it would cut another 17,000 jobs, equal to 5 percent of its workforce, over the next two years in a bid to pare costs and keep up with Asian rivals.

Japanese consumer electronics giant Panasonic Corp will slash 40,000 jobs over the next two years in a bid to pare costs and keep up with ever-tougher competition from Asian rivals, a source said on Thursday.

Japanese consumer electronics giant Panasonic Corp will slash 40,000 jobs over the next two years in a bid to pare costs and keep up with ever-tougher competition from Asian rivals, a source said on Thursday.

Stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Wall Street on Thursday, with futures for the S&P 500 up 0.1 percent, Dow Jones futures up 0.2 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.1 percent at 0840 GMT.

Honda Motor Co <7267.T> reported a 52 percent fall in quarterly operating profit and refrained from providing an outlook for the new business year as it struggles to measure the speed of its recovery after last month's earthquake in Japan.

The Bank of Japan sharply cut its economic forecast for the current fiscal year due to last month's devastating earthquake but projected a rebound in the autumn, signaling that it has eased policy enough to keep the economy afloat for now.

Royal Dutch Shell beat forecasts with a 22 percent rise in first-quarter profit, thanks to higher oil and gas prices and fatter refining margins.

Japanese consumer electronics giant Panasonic Corp said it was planning 35,000 job cuts over three years to March 2013, nearly 10 percent of its workforce, in a bid to pare costs and keep up with Asian rivals.

Deutsche Bank beat forecasts with a quarterly net profit at a near-record level as crisis-era expansion at its investment bank bore fruit.

The dollar slid to three-year lows on Thursday, helping U.S. crude oil up to a 2-1/2 year high, and stocks rose worldwide as investors bet ultra-loose U.S. policy will continue to drive money into riskier assets.

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho conceded he had lost the tie but vented his frustration on Barcelona accusing them of being aided to the final.

The Bank of Japan kept monetary policy steady on Thursday, saving its limited options to support growth for when there is more evidence that damage from last month's earthquake is proving bigger than expected.

Japanese consumer electronics giant Panasonic Corp will slash 40,000 jobs over the next two years in a bid to pare costs and keep up with ever-harsher competition from Asian rivals, a source said on Thursday.

Growth of alternative powertrain vehicles sales will be limited by consumer concerns about costs as well as functionality, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 U.S. Green Automotive Study.

Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc has announced the pricing for the company's advanced 100 percent electric Mitsubishi i, powered by Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle (MiEV) technology.