General Business News - Leading index falls in April (Reuters) Reuters - A key
Leading index falls in April (Reuters)
Reuters - A key forecasting gauge for the U.S. economy fell an unexpected 0.1 percent in April, a report from a private research group showed on Thursday.
GameStop profit rises after acquisition (Reuters)
Reuters - GameStop Corp. , the No. 1 U.S. video game retailer, said on Thursday that quarterly profit rose 13 percent, beating forecasts, as sales of Xbox 360 consoles and games buoyed results after its purchase of rival Electronics Boutique.
Sears first-quarter profit beats estimates (Reuters)
Reuters - Sears Holdings Corp. on Thursday reported a much bigger-than-expected quarterly profit as it cut costs and eliminated clearance sales at Sears stores, sparking a 12 percent jump in the stock.
Burger King shares rise in market debut (Reuters)
Reuters - Shares of Burger King Holdings Inc. , the world's second-largest hamburger chain, rose as much as 6 percent on Thursday in their market debut, a sign of strength for IPOs despite a slump in the stock market.
Reuters - New claims for U.S. jobless aid unexpectedly surged last week after a partial government shutdown in Puerto Rico led tens of thousands of workers to apply for benefits, a government report showed on Thursday.
Watch out: Your mutual fund could report you (USATODAY.com)
USATODAY.com - Under little-noticed rules that kick in this year, the Treasury Department is requiring mutual fund firms and insurers to report you to Uncle Sam if they note a “suspicious” transaction that might relate to money laundering or terrorism.
Lacker says must not stifle bank innovation (Reuters)
Reuters - Regulators need to take care not to stifle innovation as they seek to ensure new loan practices, such as "exotic" mortgages, do not put institutions or consumers at undue risk, a top Federal Reserve official said on Thursday.
Stocks little changed after rebound fizzles (Reuters)
Reuters - U.S. stocks were little changed on Thursday after a short-lived rebound from Wednesday's heavy sell-off as concerns about inflation kept investors on edge.