AP - U.S. stock market futures were higher Thursday, with gains in overseas markets helping to buoy sentiment, though oil major ConocoPhilips was hit by a downgrade.

Reuters - U.S. stock futures pointed to a firmer start on Wall Street on Thursday with worries about inflation somewhat calmed by data in the previous session and sentiment upbeat ahead of earnings from big brand names.

AP - Alstom SA, a French company that makes trains, ships and power generators, said Thursday it swung to a profit in its fiscal first half, helped by asset sales and lower restructuring charges two years after a government-led bailout rescued it from near-bankruptcy.

Reuters - J.M. Smucker Co. on Thursday posted higher quarterly profit, helped by strength in its namesake fruit spreads and Jif peanut butter.

AP - Swiss insurer Zurich Financial Services said Thursday that its profit rose 23 percent to $457 million in the third quarter despite spiraling hurricane claims.

AP - French media and telecommunications company Vivendi Universal SA posted a 35 percent drop in third-quarter net earnings Thursday but said operating profit rose strongly at its telecom and Universal Music divisions.

AP - French bank Societe Generale SA said Thursday strong revenue gains at its corporate investment bank underpinned a 40 percent increase in third-quarter earnings from a year ago.

AP - U.S. stocks are trading higher Thursday, with gains in overseas markets helping to buoy sentiment, though oil major ConocoPhilips was hit by a downgrade.

Canadian Press - TORONTO (CP) - Global indicators were mostly positive for North American stock markets Thursday in the wake of benign U.S. inflation data released the day before.

AP - Virgin Mobile Holdings PLC reported a 40 percent increase in half-yearly net profit Thursday and painted a rosy picture for future growth despite strong competition in the heavily saturated British cell-phone market.

Reuters - Barnes & Noble Inc. posted a slim third-quarter profit on Thursday, as strong sales of hardcover books helped to offset costs related to a new distribution center.

FT.com - Wall Street was expected to open higher on Thursday, with gains in overseas markets and strong earnings reports from several key technology companies helping to boost sentiment.

AP - French bank Societe Generale SA said Thursday that strong revenue gains at its corporate investment bank underpinned a 40 percent increase in third-quarter earnings.

Reuters - J.M. Smucker Co. on Thursday posted higher quarterly profit, helped by strength in its namesake fruit spreads and Jif peanut butter.

Canadian Press - TORONTO (CP) - The Toronto stock market was having a tough time holding on to positive territory late Thursday morning as earlier gains in energy stocks receded.

AP - Stocks edged higher Thursday on news that output at the nation's factories rose at the fastest pace in 17 months in October, a solid rebound from the devastating Gulf Coast hurricanes. A downgrade of tobacco and food conglomerate Altria Group Inc. capped gains on the Dow Jones industrial average.

Reuters - Limited Brands Inc. on Thursday posted a quarterly loss on weak clothing demand, but the retailer said it would meet profit forecasts for the current period, which includes the vital holiday shopping season.

AP - The retailer Limited Brands Inc. reported a third-quarter loss on Thursday as sales slumped at Victoria's Secret and its apparel lines.

AP - Stocks edged higher Thursday on news that output at the nation's factories rose at the fastest pace in 17 months in October, a solid rebound from the devastating Gulf Coast hurricanes. A downgrade of tobacco and food conglomerate Altria Group Inc. capped gains on the Dow Jones industrial average.

AP - Kulicke & Soffa Industries Inc. reported strong earnings in the latest quarter as sales rose and charges fell from a year ago.

AP - GUS PLC will spin off its majority stake in luxury goods retailer Burberry Group PLC next month, the retail and financial services group announced Thursday as it reported a 5.7 percent drop in half-yearly profit.

AP - Stocks moved moderately higher Thursday after new data soothed inflation concerns, although a downgrade of tobacco and food conglomerate Altria Group Inc. capped gains in the Dow Jones industrial average.

AP - Stocks surged higher Thursday after new data soothed inflation concerns and the price of oil tumbled to its lowest level in five months. The advance carried the Nasdaq composite index to a new 52-week high.

Canadian Press - TORONTO (CP) - The Toronto stock market closed little changed Thursday as earlier strong gains melted away in the face of a tumble in the price of oil.

Reuters - U.S. stocks ended higher on Thursday as investors snapped up technology shares due to a slew of rosy earnings outlooks, and Web search engine Google Inc.'s stock powered past $400 for the first time.

AP - Nordstrom Inc. on Thursday said third-quarter profit increased 38 percent, buoyed by strong sales momentum and ongoing operating improvements.

Reuters - Walt Disney Co on Thursday reported a 27 percent drop in quarterly profit, weighed down by a string of weak performances by movies such as 'Proof' and 'Dark Water.'

AP - Consumers' appetite for Starbucks Corp.'s lattes and other delicacies continued to grow in the company's fiscal fourth quarter, pushing earnings up 21 percent.

AP - Hewlett-Packard Co.'s fiscal fourth-quarter profit fell 62 percent after the computer and printer company took a $1.1 billion charge for a massive restructuring it announced in July. Still, the results announced Thursday exceeded Wall Street expectations.

AP - Net income at media conglomerate The Walt Disney Co. dropped 26 percent in the fourth quarter after several charges, including the expensing of stock options.

AP - Barnes & Noble Inc., the nation's leading bookseller, said Thursday it had a slim profit in the third quarter, down sharply from a year ago but beating analysts' expectations, and boosted its profit outlook for the full year. Its shares rose 4 percent.

AP - H&R Block Inc., the nation's largest tax preparer, on Thursday reported a larger second-quarter loss and lowered its annual earnings guidance as rising interest rates dragged down the company's mortgage business.

AP - Ansoft Corp. shares jumped Thursday after the maker of electronics-design software beat Wall Street's expectations for its latest quarter and said earnings for the remainder of the year will rise sharply.

Reuters - Walt Disney Co on Thursday reported a 27 percent drop in fourth-quarter profit, weighed down by weak U.S. performances from movies including 'Proof' and 'Dark Water,' and soft DVD sales.

Investor's Business Daily - Building on the steady momentum CEO Mark Hurd promised investors last spring, Hewlett-Packard on Thursday comfortably beat fiscal fourth-quarter earnings estimates and raised its outlook.

Reuters - Hewlett-Packard Co. , the No. 2 computer maker, on Thursday posted quarterly earnings and a per-share profit forecast that both beat Wall Street estimates, boosting its shares by 6 percent.

AFP - Media and entertainment giant Walt Disney Co. reported a 27-percent slump in quarterly earnings after accounting changes and heavy losses by its movie division.