EBay Inc (EBAY.O) is considering a spinoff of PayPal, its fast-growing payments unit, as soon as next year, tech news website The Information reported, citing sources.Shares of the online retailer jumped nearly 4 percent to $55.48 at midday.

Americans resold their homes in July at the fastest pace in almost a year, a sign the housing market was gaining steam again after a year-long slump.

Chinese antitrust officials have met with their South Korean counterparts to discuss violations by U.S. chipmakerQualcomm Inc (QCOM.O), sources said, as Beijing reaches out to regulators overseas to complete a case that could result in record fines at home.

Norwegian software maker Opera signed a deal to take over the browser building unit of Microsoft's Nokia mobile phone unit and reported second-quarter earnings above expectations on Thursday, sending it shares sharply higher.

Walt Disney Co is ramping up its first major push to promote the "Star Wars" franchise it purchased from George Lucas in 2012, blitzing consumers this year with a mobile game, animated TV show and an expanded line of toys and clothes.

Shake Shack, the fast-food restaurant chain that has developed a cult following for its 'Shackburgers', 'flat-top' hot dogs and eponymous shakes, has selected JPMorgan Chase & Co(JPM.N) and Morgan Stanley (MS.N) to lead a proposed initial public offering, according to people familiar with the matter.

Russia said on Thursday it was investigating dozens of McDonald's (MCD.N) restaurants, in what many businessmen said was retaliation for Western sanctions over Ukraine they fear could spread to other symbols of Western capitalism.

Applications for U.S. home mortgages rose last week as demand for refinancing increased, an industry group said on Wednesday. The Mortgage Bankers Association said its seasonally adjusted index of mortgage application activity, which includes both refinancing and home purchase demand, rose 1.4 percent in the week ended August 15.

When she started her child-support tracking business SupportPay, Sheri Atwood expected all kinds of suggestions - but not the tip she got from a female investor who suggested she dye her blonde hair darker to be taken more seriously by venture capitalists.

Citigroup Inc (C.N) is preparing to sell its Japanese retail banking operations, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said on Wednesday, as it waves the white flag on a venture plagued by regulatory troubles and anemic lending.

Argentina's plan for making payments on its sovereign bonds via a local bank aims to protect the vast majority of creditors who participated in two debt restructurings, Cabinet chief Jorge Capitanich said on Wednesday.

The world's biggest mining company, BHP Billiton BHP.AX BLT.L, announced plans to spin off businesses worth an estimated $16 billion, most of them acquired in a 2001 merger, to focus on its most profitable activities.

Google Inc is considering allowing online accounts for children under the age of 13 and give their parents control over how the service is used, according to media reports.

U.S. consumer prices barely rose in July as declining energy costs partially offset increases in food and rents, which could give the Federal Reserve ammunition to keep interest rates low for a while.

Goldman Sachs (GS.N) and Libya's sovereign wealth fund are set to meet in a London court over claims the Wall Street bank exploited a position of trust by encouraging the fund to invest more than $1 billion in trades that ended up worthless.

U.S. foodmaker H.J. Heinz Co said on Tuesday it will tighten controls over ingredients suppliers in China after it was forced to recall some infant food products from Chinese store shelves due to excess levels of lead.

Sensors and electrical controls maker Sensata Technologies Holding NV said it would buy Schrader International to meet growing demand for sensors to monitor car-tire pressure.

Fitness buffs who can't make it to the gym but still want to exercise can turn to apps for a short, intense workout when they are pressed for time. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommend that adults do at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity weekly. But recent studies suggest even short bouts of exercise can have positive health effects.

One of the world's largest online games companies, Miniclip, has hired advisers to find a buyer after previous attempts to sell it fell through, according to several sources familiar with the firm.

BlackBerry Ltd said on Monday it has created a new unit to house what many consider to be among its most promising assets - cryptographic applications, its QNX embedded software and Project Ion platform for connecting devices.

Community Health Systems Inc (CYH.N), one of the biggest U.S. hospital groups, said on Monday it was the victim of a cyber attack from China, resulting in the theft of Social Security numbers and other personal data belonging to 4.5 million patients.

Establishing a tax domicile abroad to avoid U.S. taxes is a hot strategy in corporate America, but many companies that have done such "inversion" deals have failed to produce above-average returns for investors, a Reuters analysis has found.

U.S. stocks advanced on Monday, with the Dow Industrials up roughly one percent, as the threat of an escalation of tensions in Ukraine appeared to wane and the latest flurry of merger action supported equities.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc reported a 2.8 percent rise in quarterly sales, helped by higher sales at its smaller-format stores, but U.S. same-store sales failed to show growth again.

The euro zone economy ground to a halt in the second quarter of the year, drained of vigour by contraction in Germany and stagnancy in France.

For nearly 10 years, Spanish internet company Let's Gowex SA said it was making money by providing public wi-fi in cities around the world. Most of the contracts, it now emerges, never existed.

The Kremlin's worst clash with the West since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union has accelerated the outflow of two of Russia's most prized assets: money and brains.

The four biggest U.S. brokerage firms are facing an exodus of employees who are finding they can make more money and save on taxes by taking their clients and starting an independent firm before they retire.

China's economy showed further signs of softening in July despite a burst of government stimulus measures, suggesting more policy support may be needed to keep growth on track as a property downturn worsens.

Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) unveiled a $10 credit-card reader and mobile app for brick-and-mortar businesses on Wednesday, marking the latest step by the U.S. online retailer to expand its presence in the physical world.