The number of newly laid-off workers signing up for unemployment benefits posted an expected drop last week, while people continuing to draw aid topped 6.3 million, setting a record for the 13th straight week. The Labor Department says new applications for…

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New jobless claims unexpectedly drop to 631,000

Stocks are set to gain after a surprise decline in new jobless claims. The Labor Department says initial claims fell 14,000 to 631,000 last week. Economists predicted a rise. Not all data was positive. Continuing claims jumped to a new record. The government…

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US stock futures up after drop in jobless claims

Media conglomerate Viacom Inc. said Thursday its first-quarter profit fell 34 percent, hurt by falling ad and entertainment revenue. The New York-based company, which is controlled by Sumner Redstone and includes the Paramount movie studio as well as cable…

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Viacom’s 1Q earnings fall 34 percent

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Procter & Gamble Co posted a 4 percent drop in quarterly profit on Thursday as consumers traded down to less expensive products in the challenging economy, leading to a decline in sales.

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Procter & Gamble profit falls as consumers cut back

April 29 – Verizon Wireless, the biggest U.S. mobile-phone company, has held talks with Microsoft Corp. about offering a handset that may include the Zune music-player software, a person familiar with the matter said. The phone may be introduced next…

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Verizon, Microsoft discuss Zune cell phone to compete with iPhone

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Stock index futures pointed to a more than 1 percent gain on Thursday as the first quarter’s better-than-expected corporate profits stoked optimism the economic slump is showing signs of easing.

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Stock futures higher on earnings, economic optimism

Q. I would like to know if I moved IRA money that has been invested in stocks and bonds to a long-term care policy, would I have to pay taxes on the money taken out of the stock market? –…

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Ask the Biz Brain: Taxes on nonqualified investments

Motorola’s first-quarter loss is smaller than analysts were expecting, and it regained its position as the world’s fourth-largest maker of cell phones. The Schaumburg, Ill.-based company says it lost $231 million, or 10 cents per share, wider than the loss of…

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Motorola 1Q loss widens, but beats Street

Chrysler LLC will survive. On Thursday the No. 3 U.S. automaker finds out if it will do so with or without a trip to bankruptcy court. Talks between Chrysler LLC’s lenders and the Treasury Department to reduce the automaker’s $6.9 billion in secured debt and…

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Chrysler to find out if bankruptcy filing needed

LONDON (Reuters) – Oil rose toward $52 a barrel on Thursday, partly in response to a more optimistic view of the world economy from the U.S. Federal Reserve that also helped drive equity markets to their highest level since early January.

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Oil rises above $51 on gasoline draw

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Dow Chemical Co posted a surprise first-quarter profit on Thursday, helped by cost reductions, gains in its agricultural segment and lower raw material costs.

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Dow Chemical posts surprise profit

Eastman Kodak says its loss widened to $353 million in the first quarter on plunging sales and restructuring charges. The photography products maker is suspending its cash dividend on common stock and is requiring U.S. employees to take a one-week leave…

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Kodak posts wider 1Q loss, suspends dividend

KBR Inc. says earnings for the first three months of 2009 dropped 21 percent from a year ago when the engineering and construction company posted a $51 million gain from an arbitration award. The Houston company, which does construction work for the military…

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KBR 1st-quarter profit falls

A committee of General Motors Corp.’s bondholders has offered to take a 58-percent stake in the restructured automaker in exchange for their $27 billion in debt. The bondholders say the U.S. government wouldn’t take a stake in the automaker under their plan,…

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GM bondholders seek to take majority stake

Consumer products maker Colgate-Palmolive Co. said Thursday that higher selling prices and cost cutting helped first-quarter profit rise 9 percent, despite the stronger dollar and a drop in European sales. The company, known for its namesake toothpaste and…

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Colgate-Palmolive 1Q profit rises 9 percent