IBT Staff Reporter

Stock futures were poised for a slightly lower open on Thursday after the government said new jobless claims rose more than expected and a slew of big corporate earnings reports, including UPS, 3M, Dow Chemical and Merck.

McDonald's Corp posted a stronger-than-expected quarterly profit on Thursday, helped by cost controls and rising sales in all regions, and expects same-store sales to remain positive in October even though people eat out less often.

Companies must step up efforts to safeguard nature, according to a U.N.-backed study on Thursday that praised consumer foods giant Unilever as among few firms doing enough.

The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for unemployment benefits rose more than expected last week, data showed on Thursday, indicating the labor market remains fragile despite signs of economic revival.

Saxophonist Clarence The Big Man Clemons knew his life would never be the same when he walked up to a New Jersey bar nearly 40 years ago and the door blew off its hinges and sailed into a storm-battered night.

Top Philippine refiner Petron Corp said on Thursday it aimed to raise as much as $500 million through a preferred share issue, but it did not give details of timing.

The managers of Galleon's $500 million Asia fund are exploring a possible buyout of the unit, sources told Reuters on Thursday, as the Singapore-based traders strive to keep investors on board after redemption requests.

Dow Chemical Co said on Thursday that third-quarter net income jumped 78 percent even as sales dropped.

Recession-stricken New York City plans to double its current green work force by creating over 13,000 new jobs in the next decade, partly by competing with London to become the new center for carbon trading, a city official said on Wednesday.

Michael Buble occupied the penthouse of the U.S. pop album chart for a second consecutive week, holding strong against the soundtrack from The Twilight Saga: New Moon, which debuted at No. 2.

Goodrich Corp reported a third-quarter profit on Thursday that was helped by cost cuts and strong defense demand, but cut its sales outlook for this year and forecast 2010 earnings below current Wall Street estimates.

When a young couple decides to leap off the beaten path to explore nature in all its rugged extremes, you know they are heading for the vacation from hell.

Dear Rebecca: Thank you for submitting your résumé for my Notes of a Résumé Writer series; I am pleased to be able to provide some guidance to help you create an interview-generating job search tool. Let's touch on a few key areas of your résumé which should be addressed.

Oil slipped toward $80 on Thursday as a stronger dollar encouraged investors to lock into profits from a 12-month high hit the previous day.

Cash-rich Nestle SA, the world's biggest food group, said it was speeding up a programme to buy back shares and was likely to raise fresh funds from the sale of its stake in eye care firm Alcon.

Top earners at financial and auto companies bailed out by the U.S. government will see their pay slashed under an Obama administration plan aimed at addressing public outrage over eye-popping paychecks, two sources familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

McDonald's Corp posted a stronger-than-expected quarterly profit on Thursday, helped by cost controls and rising sales in all regions, and expects same-store sales to remain positive in October even though people eat out less often.

Disappointing corporate results knocked equities lower on Thursday, set Wall Street up for a poor start and helped the dollar bounce off 14-month lows. Gold and oil both slipped as the dollar rose. Euro zone government debt was stronger.

The New York Times Co's (NYT.N) quarterly loss shrank after taking a writedown last year, the newspaper publisher said on Thursday, while revenue fell on a 27 percent decline in advertising sales.

Stock futures were mixed on Thursday ahead of leading indicator and jobless data and a slew of big corporate earnings reports, including UPS, Amazon.com, 3M, Dow Chemical and Merck.

The U.S. economy will grow reasonably in the second half of this year, but the Federal Reserve needs to see more progress before taking some of its economic support away, Eric Rosengren, the president of the Boston Fed said on Thursday.

The U.S. economy will grow reasonably in the second half of this year, but the Federal Reserve needs to see more progress before taking some of its economic support away, Eric Rosengren, the president of the Boston Fed said on Thursday.

U.S. Midwest regional bank Huntington Bancshares Inc (HBAN.O) posted its fourth straight quarterly loss, as it had to set aside more money to meet losses from bad loans.

Travelers Cos Inc's (TRV.N) quarterly profit more than quadrupled beating expectations, as underwriting gains surged.

Sterling Bancshares Inc (SBIB.O) posted a surprise quarterly loss, hurt by a three-fold increase in provision for loan losses and higher charge-offs.

BankAtlantic Bancorp Inc (BBX.N), a U.S. regional bank, posted a wider-than-expected third-quarter loss, hurt by higher loan loss provisions.

News, details on bond issues in the European markets on Thursday:

In a supplement to the October 2009 Short-Term Energy Outlook, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) analyzed the inherent volatility of energy prices by looking at the options market. This supplement was the first product under the EIA's Energy and Financial Markets Initiative launched in September. The Initiative is aimed at examining all the variables that affect energy prices and price volatility.

The Bank of Japan is leaning towards scrapping some corporate finance support programmes in December, sources with knowledge of the bank's thinking said, rebuffing government pressure to delay an exit from credit markets.