IBT Staff Reporter

Schlumberger Ltd , the world's largest oilfield services company, expects turmoil in the Middle East and Africa to knock 8 to 10 cents per share off first-quarter profit, Chief Executive Andrew Gould said on Monday.

Social media, video and mobile advertising pushed British online ad spending above 4 billion pounds ($6.4 billion) for the first time in 2010, an increase of 12.8 percent, the Internet Advertising Bureau said.

In honor of one of music's biggest pop stars, let's take a look back at some of the ensembles that caused reaction.

U.S. stocks edged higher on Monday, lifted by strength in the telecommunications sector and an eighth straight monthly rise in consumer spending, but concerns about overseas turmoil kept gains in check.

JPMorgan Chase & Co could be forced to repurchase thousands of home equity loans, after a judge ruled in favor of a bond insurer that argued it could build its case based on a sampling of loans.

A former Galleon Group trader contends he saw the brother of accused hedge fund founder Raj Rajaratnam remove notebooks from their office on the day of Rajaratnam's October 2009 arrest, according to trial documents.

Harry & David Holdings Inc, the mail-order gourmet food company, filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday as a weak economy led consumers and businesses to cut spending on its signature fruit baskets.

* Industry at $1.92 trillion, close to pre-crisis high * Some investors worry about liquidity, access to managers * Brevan, AHL say size not a disadvantage

Yuri Milner, Russian billionaire investor and founder of Moscow-based firm DST, has reportedly paid $70 million for an estate in California.

Mashable is reporting that Lady Gaga donated $1.5 million to Zynga's fundraising campaign for Japan.

A number of loopholes and hacks have appeared in response to The Times' setting up a paywall.

Mentor Graphics Corp said a takeover proposal by its biggest shareholder Carl Icahn undervalues the company, and this is not the time to put the chip-design software maker up for sale.

A free one-hour webcast on Tuesday will spotlight how the marketing industry uses customer purchases and information to boost sales and raise loyalty.

U.S. consumer spending rose slightly more than expected in February for the eighth straight month of gains as households tapped their savings, government data showed on Monday, while inflation accelerated at its fastest pace since June 2009.

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway took nearly $1 billion in writedowns on three stocks last quarter under pressure from regulators who disagreed with the company's accounting for losses in those shares, according to a series of letters released on Monday.

The typical North American financial adviser forgoes $20,000 in potential revenue every year because of discounts on fees, according to a study released on Monday.

U.S. stocks advanced on Monday, boosted by strength in telecommunications and an eighth straight monthly rise in consumer spending, but jitters about overseas concerns limited gains.

Brent crude prices turned higher and U.S. oil pared losses on Monday after the dollar reversed and weakened and with Middle East unrest remaining a concern.

As the Royal Wedding is fast approaching, details have surfaced about Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding cake.

eBay brings aboard GSI for $2.4 billion.

BRUSSELS (Reuters Life!) - Few topics are more sensitive for Web users, or more likely to raise concerns in the corridors of Facebook or Google, than how to regulate privacy.

The move would leverage Google's advertising business, giving the company greater insight into how users view targeting advertising.

Nokia may have moved to Windows, but it is still trying to woo the developers working on its old platform, Symbian.

U.S. consumer spending rose for an eighth straight month in February, but much of the gain went to cover rising food and energy prices, providing little lift to the economy.

Mail-order food company Harry & David Holdings Inc filed for bankruptcy in a Delaware court under a pre-arranged deal with creditors that includes swapping $198 million of senior notes into equity.

Google is joining Citigroup and Mastercard to set up a mobile payment system that will turn Android phones into a kind of electronic wallet, the Wall Street Journal said, citing people familiar with the matter.

EBay Inc plans to buy e-commerce company GSI Commerce for $1.96 billion in cash in a bid to draw more buyers and sellers to its online marketplaces.

American Apparel Inc Chief Executive Dov Charney bought 1.8 million shares in the struggling clothing chain, raising his stake in the company to about 54 percent.

Google is in the throes of crafting a Nexus Android 3.0 or Honeycomb-based tablet with LG according to reports.