The manufacturing division activity in China shrank in March successively for the fifth month, as showed by the preliminary HSBC survey. Purchasing Managers Index (PMI), the indicator of China's industrial activity, fell from 49.6 in February to 48.1, raising a lingering concern about an imminent hard landing.
For the first time in history, China has surpassed the U.S. in monthly iOS and Android activations, becoming the world's fastest growing smartphone market, as IDC recently predicted. However, it hasn't stopped Microsoft from saying that it will surpass Apple with its Windows Phone.
Britain's largest drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline announced on Thursday plans to invest £500 million ($792 million) in local manufacturing operations, opening a facility in Scotland that is expected to create 1,000 jobs over the coming years.
Nokia (NOK1V.HE) finished on Thursday job cut talks with the staff at its plant in Salo, Finland, resulting in planned lay-offs of up to 1,000 people.
The euro zone slid back into recession in March as output fell for the second quarter running, reaching a new three-month low, according to Markit's Eurozone PMI Composite Output Index on Thursday.
China's factory activities slumped for the fifth consecutive month as weakening domestic demand continued to weigh on growth. Spooked investors moved quickly out of riskier assets while hoping for further easing from Beijing.
Gold hit its lowest level since mid-January on Thursday, influenced by dollar strength, with the market having unwound all of the premium built up on expectations for further U.S. quantitative easing.
Stock index futures fell on Thursday after manufacturing data in the eurozone and China increased worry about a slowing global economy.
High oil prices affect politics, schools, jobs, public budgets and almost every industry. But current pressures could be augmented if war breaks out between Israel or the United States and Iran, with the result being a costly disruption in global supply.
Stock index futures pointed to a lower opening on Wall Street on Thursday, with futures for the S&P 500 down 0.6 percent, Dow Jones futures down 0.57 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures down 0.58 percent at 1000 GMT.
Crude oil prices declined in European trade Thursday as sentiment was dampened after reports indicated a sharp slowdown in the Chinese manufacturing activity in March.
Asian shares gave back earlier gains Thursday after data showed China's factory activity shrank for a fifth successive month, underscoring concerns about a growth slowdown in the world's second largest economy.
Apple has reportedly placed orders for a 4.6-inch screen to be featured in the company's next-generation smartphone, presumably called the iPhone 5. If accurate, this news would mean that Apple is breaking from tradition yet again, and giving consumers a bigger iPhone experience.
Asian shares inched up Thursday but remained in ranges as investors waited for manufacturing data from China and the euro zone due during this session for more clues about the state of their economies.
The new iPad heating controversy is hotting up. Apple fans think that Android guys are overestimating the heating problems and amplifying the anti-iPad campaign. However, heating problems are serious and can downplay the success of the new iPad. The heating issue is making a lot of buzz now, as iPad is a very popular product. Let's find out whether the problem is exaggerated or understated.
Heavy equipment maker Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) is expanding a Chinese manufacturing facility by 80 percent, the U.S. company said Wednesday.
It is hoped the joint venture will boost flagging sales for JLR and parent company TATA, as the luxury car maker suffers dwindling sales in its traditional European and U.S. markets.
U.S. trade officials imposed surprisingly low tariffs on Chinese solar panels Tuesday, choosing to tread lightly and avoiding an all-out trade war when addressing local solar companies' complaints of unfair trade practices.
Despite what the stage monologist would have audiences believe, there are serious journalists who have devoted their careers to reporting on conditions in China. One of them, Rob Schmitz, told IBT that Daisey has undermined his and other reporters' work.
Apple introduced iPhone 4S in October 2011 and the device turned out to be an amazing device thanks to Siri, Retina display and an 8 megapixel iSight camera.
On Tuesday, more patents were granted to Apple in relation to the iWallet technology, including security measures that aim to keep financial information safe, and the app in iTunes that will house these features. In all likelihood, this is Apple's mobile payments solution intended for its next-generation iPhone, presumably called iPhone 5.
French conglomerate Alstom is building a wind farm prototype along the country's Atlantic coast, and the 100 meters-tall turbine tower uses 75 meters-long wind blades, the largest in the world. The turbine is meant to be used above the ocean's surface, so the engineering and manufacturing have to be precise to withstand the harsh weather and wet conditions. An offshore location for a wind farm is seen as a much better place because of the consistency and strength of the wind.
