Senior U.S. lawmakers reached agreement on Thursday on a bill to give the White House "fast track" authority to negotiate a trade pact with 11 other Pacific nations that is central to President Barack Obama's strategic shift toward Asia.
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McDonald's Japan sees wider losses this year, plans restructuring
The Japanese unit of McDonald's Corp (MCD.N) forecast deeper losses this year and said it would renovate 2,000 stores while closing underperforming outlets, as it struggles to bring back customers after a series of food safety scandals.
SunPower, Apple to build solar projects in China
Solar panel maker SunPower Corp said it would partner with Apple Inc to build two solar power projects in China's Sichuan province with total capacity of 40 megawatts.
Slack China demand on lofty prices, calm in India ahead of festival
Gold buying in the world's top two gold consuming countries remained slow this week as premiums in China improved only slightly and those in India slipped as the global benchmark stabilised at $1,200 an ounce.
Brent crude oil prices fall as OPEC production soars
Brent crude oil prices fell on Friday, ending a run of rallies earlier in the week, after OPEC said that its output surged in March, adding to a global glut.
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Microsoft Corp and Yahoo Inc amended a 2009 search partnership, giving Yahoo more control over how search results are displayed on desktops and mobile devices.
Chinese drone maker SZ DJI Technology Co Ltd has established a strong early lead in the U.S. commercial market as companies turn to its inexpensive, light-weight flying devices for a host of uses from shooting films to mapping and site inspections.
Eight years ago, Pascal Lighting employed about 2,000 workers on a leafy campus in southern China. Today, the Taiwanese light manufacturer has winnowed its workforce to just 200 and leased most of its space to other companies: lamp workshops, a mobile phone maker, a logistics group, a liquor brand.
U.S. housing starts rose far less than expected in March and factory activity in the mid-Atlantic region grew modestly this month, suggesting the economy could struggle to rebound from a soft patch hit in the first quarter.
Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N) reported its best quarterly profit in five years on Thursday, notching up big gains from trading bonds and currencies as global markets fluctuated during the first three months of the year.
Citigroup Inc (C.N) reported its highest quarterly profit in nearly eight years as costs plunged, showing that the bank's efforts to streamline its business may be starting to pay off.
American Express Co, the world's largest credit card issuer, reported a better-than-expected rise in quarterly profit, helped by higher spending by U.S. card holders and an increase in net interest income.
Federal Reserve officials on Thursday were again at public odds over when the U.S. central bank should start raising rates, underscoring the difficult task ahead for Fed Chair Janet Yellen as she tries to build consensus for a rate hike sometime later this year.
U.S. stocks ended marginally lower on Thursday as lingering worries about upcoming corporate earnings reports offset enthusiasm about a trio of soaring Wall Street debuts.
