Manufacturing activity growth remained sluggish in some of the world's major economies in April, suggesting that global economic growth remains "moderate and uneven," as the International Monetary Fund described it in its World Economic Outlook in April.

U.S. auto industry sales in April came in below expectations as Asia's major carmakers' results disappointed, offsetting strong gains for trucks and SUVs made by General Motors (GM.N) and Ford (F.N).

Ford Motor Co (F.N) said it was expanding a recall to include 156,000 more vehicles to fix a potential door latch malfunction.

U.S. factory activity failed to gain steam in April after slowing for five straight months and demand for automobiles softened, suggesting the economy was struggling to find momentum after growth almost stalled in the first quarter.

U.S. stocks bounced back sharply on Friday as investors snapped up beaten-down shares in the healthcare and technology sectors, and as data gave further signs of a pickup in the economy.

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc on Friday said first-quarter profit rose 10 percent, and operating results easily beat forecasts, boosted by its railroad and insurance businesses and gains from derivatives.

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK.L) may ditch a plan to return 4 billion pounds ($6.1 billion) to investors, some analysts believe, as the drugmaker prepares to set out its vision for the reshaped group and a new chairman takes the helm.

Expansion in the U.S. manufacturing sector weakened in April as growth in output and new orders fell, according to an industry report released on Friday.

Royal Dutch Shell is pushing ahead with plans to explore for oil in the Arctic Ocean near Alaska this summer despite opposition from environmental groups.

Tesla Motors Inc (TSLA.O) on Thursday unveiled Tesla Energy - storage systems or batteries for homes, companies and utilities that will expand its business beyond electric vehicles and tap into a fast-growing area of the energy industry.