IBT Staff Reporter

Kimberly-Clark Corp said higher pulp costs and increased marketing spending to promote new products will weigh on profit this year as it posted lower first-quarter earnings.

Stocks staged a late-day comeback on Thursday as another steady drumbeat of strong quarterly profits from consumer bellwethers like Starbucks Corp outweighed worries about Greece's finances.

The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for jobless aid fell last week as the labor market gradually heals, while producer price data showed inflation is muted despite a surge in food costs last month.

Research In Motion Ltd needs to produce evidence next week that it is close to unveiling a more consumer-friendly BlackBerry experience if it hopes to disarm critics who question its competitive chops.

Where did the time go? It seems like last weekend I was sixteen with a backpack and a plane ticket, embarking on my first solo adventure.

President Barack Obama scolded Wall Street on Thursday for its furious efforts to fight tighter regulation, saying the United States was doomed to another financial crisis if reforms were not implemented

China's Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co (BAIC) said on Thursday it is building a plant to make vehicles using technology it acquired from GM's [GM.UL] Saab unit late last year.

China's Jianghuai Automobile Group (600418.SS) has made progress in joint-venture talks with Caterpillar (CAT.N) and Navistar International Corp (NAV.N) and sees such a tie-up as key to its strategy to improve profitability and target export markets, an executive said.

Chinese auto sales are set to grow faster than expected this year, with some industry insiders now picking growth of 20 percent in the world's largest car market, raising talk Beijing will cut incentives to cool growth.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc intensified its public relations counteroffensive over fraud charges on Thursday as the company's chief executive watched President Barack Obama urge Wall Street to back regulatory reforms.

Private equity firm Blackstone Group reported higher quarterly earnings on Thursday that beat analysts' estimates as the value of its vast private equity investments continued to rebound.

PepsiCo Inc posted disappointing results in its first quarterly report since buying its largest bottlers, as promotions by rival Coca-Cola Co hurt its sales and the deal's benefits have yet to kick in fully.

The Nasdaq edged higher on Thursday as another steady stream of strong earnings from companies, including Starbucks Corp , overshadowed worries about Greece's ability to handle its debt.

Goldman Sachs risks losing clients wherever politicians hold sway after U.S. accusations the Wall Street powerhouse committed fraud, posing a threat to some lucrative business areas.

US Airways Group Inc said on Thursday it has dropped out of merger discussions with United Airlines parent UAL Corp, a decision that changes the dynamic of similar talks between UAL and Continental Airlines Inc.

The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for jobless aid fell last week as the labor market gradually heals and producer price data showed inflation remained muted despite a surge in food costs last month.

Greece's budget gap last year was worse than feared, the European Union's statistics office revealed on Thursday, as Moody's Investors Service downgraded its rating of Greek government debt.

Bank of America Corp intends to put more global in its global wealth management division.

U.S. stocks edged lower on Thursday as concerns grew about the deteriorating financial health of Greece and big telecommunications equipment companies reported weak results.

The Western Australian government has suspended all flu shots for children under five as it examines the increase in admissions to Prince Margaret Hospital in Perth.

In a recent major study, researchers have designed and developed special 'nano patches' that can deliver vaccines without the use of needles within two minutes with 100 times less dose than used conventionallly.

One after another, shortly after a diagnosis of breast cancer, each of the women learned that her health insurance had been canceled. First there was Yenny Hsu, who lived and worked in Los Angeles. Later, Robin Beaton, a registered nurse from Texas. And then, most recently, there was Patricia Relling, a successful art gallery owner and interior designer from Louisville, Kentucky.

Recent research reveals the Northern Territory's Indigenous population reported the highest hospital admission rates for swine flu across Australia.

An Australian study that examines links between lifestyle and reproductive health in males over 40 years, reveals exercise is not only beneficial for the heart, but sexual health as well.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc intensified its public relations counteroffensive on Thursday over fraud charges, as the company's chief executive watched the U.S. president urge Wall Street to back regulatory reforms.

After Dr Jayant Patel became director of surgery, patients at the Bundaberg Base Hospital's intensive care unit were sicker and stayed there longer, a court has heard.

U.S. stocks fell on Thursday as concerns grew about the deteriorating financial health of Greece and big telecommunications equipment companies reported weak results.

Philip Morris International , which sells Marlboro cigarettes and other brands internationally, posted a lower-than-expected quarterly profit, hurt by a tax increases and a weak economy in parts of Europe.

US Airways Group Inc said on Thursday it had dropped out of merger discussions with United Airlines parent UAL Corp, immediately raising the stakes for similar talks involving United and Continental Airlines Inc.