IBT Staff Reporter

Social-networking website Facebook has held meetings with private equity firms to explore raising another round of funding, the New York Post reported on Thursday, citing sources.

Motorola Inc posted on Thursday a wider quarterly loss as sales missed Wall Street Estimates, but it forecast a narrower loss for the second quarter and said it plans further cost cuts.

Just 29 percent of people with lots of money to spend say they enjoy being recognized as wealthy, down 6 percent from a year ago, a survey showed on Wednesday.

Stock index futures pointed to a higher start for Wall Street on Thursday ahead of a flurry of results as well as U.S. core personal consumption expenditure, jobless figures and Chicago PMI data.

Global stock markets jumped more than one percent on Thursday to their highest since early January as investors bet on a stabilization of the ailing world economy and took heart from some upbeat corporate earnings.

Swiss bank UBS said on Thursday it had axed 2,000 U.S. jobs as part of its latest mammoth round of job cuts announced earlier in April.

World stocks scaled a four-month peak on Thursday, powered by solid gains in Asia, as investors took heart from signs of improvement in the U.S. economy suggesting regional exporters may need to start cranking up production.

Telecom gear maker Ericsson posted a smaller-than-expected fall in first-quarter net profit on Thursday and said the effect of the global downturn on the mobile network market remained limited.

TSMC , the world's biggest contract chip maker, reported its weakest quarterly earnings in nearly eight years on Thursday as a slowing global economy hit demand for technology products.

World stocks scaled a four-month peak on Thursday, powered by solid gains in Asia, as investors took heart from signs of improvement in the U.S. economy suggesting regional exporters may need to start cranking up production.

A Ford hybrid car drove 1,445.4 miles with a single tank of gas in a 69-hour journey of continuos drive.

Chrysler rushed to clinch deals with Fiat SpA and a fractious group of lenders on Wednesday in a last-ditch effort to avoid bankruptcy ahead of a government-imposed April 30 restructuring deadline.

Talks between the U.S. Treasury Department and Chrysler LLC lenders aimed at cutting the automaker's debt and keeping it out of bankruptcy broke down late on Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the discussions.

Visa Inc posted better-than-expected quarterly earnings on Wednesday as the world's largest credit card network increased prices, slashed expenses and consumers used debit cards more.

Chrysler rushed to clinch deals with Fiat SpA and a fractious group of lenders on Wednesday in a last-ditch effort to avoid bankruptcy a day ahead of a government-imposed restructuring deadline.

The U.S. Treasury raised its offer by $250 million in debt restructuring talks with Chrysler LLC lenders on Wednesday as part of a final push to win over lenders holding out for better terms and avoid bankruptcy, two people person briefed on the closed-door talks said.

Massachusetts' top securities regulator has begun a probe into whether State Street Corp , one the world's biggest institutional money managers, misled pension funds over the risk level of certain investments, according to a spokesman for his office.

MGM Mirage and Dubai World said on Wednesday they have reached an agreement with lenders on a plan to fully fund their $8.5 billion CityCenter joint venture on the Las Vegas Strip.

Sumner Redstone, executive chairman of CBS Corp, said on Wednesday that he thinks the U.S. stock market is at the start of a bull market.

Burger King Holdings reported a higher quarterly profit as a lower tax rate and cost controls offset a sharp decline in customer visits to company-owned eateries in Germany and Mexico in March.

Global footwear maker, Sketchers USA Inc on Wednesday said its first quarter net revenue fell 11 percent to $343.5 million ended March 31, from $8.2 million a year ago.

Windows XP get all the support from corporate and individual end-users due to its performance and flexibility but how Bad Vista is that even Microsoft gives XP a chance to live virtually in its upcoming new Windows 7?

Mac OS still waiving its flag as the top alternative to a Microsoft’s Windows operating system according to a survey of 1,142 IT professionals conducted in March of this year.

Alcoa World Alumina LLC and Billiton Suriname Holdings B.V. have reached an agreement in principle where Suriname Aluminum Company LLC (Suralco), an Alcoa subsidiary, will acquire the bauxite and alumina refining interests of N.V. BHP Billiton Maatschappij Suriname (BMS), a BHP Billiton subsidiary, in Suriname.

Starbucks Corp posted quarterly profit that just topped expectations on cost cuts and is planning a multimillion dollar advertising campaign challenging the view that its coffee is an expensive luxury.

Visa Inc posted better-than-expected quarterly earnings on Wednesday as the world's largest credit card network increased prices, slashed expenses and consumers used debit cards more.

Bank of America Corp shareholders voted to oust embattled Chief Executive Kenneth Lewis as chairman of the board on Wednesday in what could be a precursor to his eventual replacement as CEO as well.

Visa Inc posted better-than-expected quarterly earnings on Wednesday as the world's largest credit card network increased prices, slashed expenses and consumers used debit cards more.

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway will not report first-quarter earnings on Friday as expected, a spokeswoman said on Wednesday.