IBT Staff Reporter

In his State of the Union address last night, President Obama devoted several lines to the slumping stature of U.S. education, by our own standards and globally.

New U.S. single-family home sales in December rose to their highest level in eight months and prices were the highest since April 2008, raising cautious optimism for a housing market recovery.

New U.S. single-family home sales in December rose faster than expected to their highest level in eight months and prices were the highest since April 2008, raising cautious optimism for a housing market recovery

New U.S. single-family home sales in December rose faster than expected to their highest level in eight months and prices were the highest since April 2008, raising cautious optimism for a housing market recovery

Eastman Kodak Co reported a larger-than-expected quarterly loss and a 25 percent drop in revenue on poor digital and licensing sales, sending shares down as much as 19 percent.

The U.S. Treasury Department said on Wednesday that it will take in $312.21 million from the sale of two groups of warrants in Citigroup Inc .

Intel's acquisition of data security firm McAfee Inc cleared its last major hurdle after EU regulators approved the $7.68 billion deal on condition Intel grant rival firms access to its technology.

The U.S. Treasury Department said on Wednesday that it will take in $312.21 million from the sale of two groups of warrants in Citigroup Inc .

The unveiling is expected at this year's Mobile World Congress, scheduled for February 14-17 in Barcelona, Spain.

High expectations and the somewhat difficult task to maintain rapid growth have analysts concerned about Netflix's lofty stock price.

Abbott Laboratories reported fourth-quarter sales and earnings that slightly topped forecasts, fueled by strong demand for its prescription medicines and heart stents.

British bank Barclays Plc is to cut about 1,000 UK jobs as it stops offering financial planning advice in its branches.

US Airways Group on Wednesday posted a quarterly profit against a year-ago loss as the industry extends a recovery from the most recent economic downturn, and its shares gained in trading before the bell.

The S&P 500 hit a 29-month high on Wednesday as investors snapped up commodity and tech shares ahead of the Federal Reserve's statement, expected to continue to be supportive of markets.

Consumers picking up tablet computers, or pads, during the holiday season boosted the personal computer market 19.2 percent in the fourth quarter, research firm Canalys said on Wednesday.

Bankrupt financial company Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc proposed a new plan for dividing up billions of dollars among its creditors and offered a bigger payment to bondholders, provided they sign on.

British femtocell company Ubiquisys rolled out a new smartphone accessory – the attocell, a personal cell phone signal that allows international travellers to make and receive calls without paying roaming charges.

President Barack Obama said on Tuesday that we do big things in his State of the Union Address, challenging Americans and Congress to take on the global competition for jobs, and tackle the nation's huge debt and deficit.

Intel took a step closer to acquiring data security firm McAfee Inc. on Wednesday after EU regulators approved the $7.68 billion deal on condition Intel grant rival firms access to its technology.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that those behind a deadly suicide attack on Moscow's busiest airport were unlikely to have come from Russia's southern republic of Chechnya.

An explosion at an underground coal mine in northeast Colombia killed 20 workers on Wednesday, officials said, in the latest accident to hit the mining industry in Latin America.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai inaugurated parliament Wednesday, ending weeks of political infighting, but took a dig at the West saying foreign interference had been a serious problem.

Impala Platinum, the world's second-largest producer of the precious metal, said on Wednesday its first-half earnings likely increased by up to 65 percent, lifted by stronger sales and higher prices.

The Treasury Department said on Wednesday it will take in $312.21 million from the sale of two groups of warrants in Citigroup Inc , shedding the last of its direct holdings at a profit two years after spending $45 billion to prop the bank up.

Boeing Co offered a weaker-than-expected 2011 earnings outlook as higher pension costs exacerbated the impact of potential defense spending cuts and delays to the 787 Dreamliner, sending its shares down 3.6 percent.

Dow hits 12,000 as U.S. stocks post moderate gains in mid-morning trading

Algeria confirmed it bought almost a million tonnes of wheat on Wednesday and ordered an urgent speeding up of grain imports, a move seen heading off unrest over food prices as protests swept north Africa.

Even though more people are adopting the Android OS, Google says it isn't seeing enough returns in the app store.

New sales offers from the Ivory Coast for cocoa beans and products such as cocoa butter and powder have come to a virtual stop, several major European physical cocoa traders said on Wednesday.