AP - Germany's Deutsche Telekom AG said Thursday that its second-quarter profit rose 32 percent and the company confirmed its outlook for the rest of the year.

AP - Asian stocks markets mostly rose Thursday despite weak economic data that sent Wall Street lower and worries about tighter monetary policy that dragged down China shares.

AP - Unilever NV PLC, the maker of Dove soap, Lipton tea and Ben & Jerry's ice cream, reported a 17 percent fall in profit in the second quarter as it cut prices in Europe to keep market share, but its ability to raise sales volumes during the recession helped the company's share price rally around 4 percent.

AP - Germany's Commerzbank AG Thursday reported a loss of euro746 million ($1.1 billion) for the second quarter as the effects of the financial crisis continued to weigh on Germany's second largest lender.

Reuters - U.S. stock index futures rose on Thursday with investors eyeing a government report on weekly jobless claims and corporate earnings, one day after Wall Street ended a four-day rally.

AP - U.S. stock futures are edging higher Thursday, supported by gains in overseas markets and an encouraging outlook from Cisco Systems Inc.

AP - A judge has ordered a hearing on a $33 million proposed settlement between the Securities and Exchange Commission and Bank of America Corp. over executive bonuses.

AP - World stock markets mostly rose Thursday after another batch of solid corporate earnings, but the pound slid after the Bank of England said it plans to pump more money into the British economy. British shares were unmoved, though.

AFP - Europe's main stock markets rebounded in opening trading on Thursday as investors mulled over positive company earnings and awaited interest rate decisions from the ECB and Bank of England.

Reuters - The European Central Bank and Bank of England both kept interest rates unchanged on Thursday but the latter said it would pump more money into the UK economy by buying bonds, driving sterling lower.

AP - Wendy's/Arby's Group Inc. says its moved to a profit of $14.9 million in the second quarter after losing money the year before.

AP - Satellite-radio operator Sirius XM Radio Inc. said Thursday its second-quarter loss widened to $157.4 million as one-time charges offset growing revenue.

Reuters - Comcast Corp , the No. 1 U.S. cable operator, reported a higher quarterly profit on Thursday due to improved cost controls and a tax gain, but said it lost basic video subscribers as it was hurt by the weak economy and competition from phone and satellite operators.

AP - Comcast Corp., the nation's biggest cable TV systems operator, posted a 53 percent increase in second-quarter profit on Thursday, helped by higher prices and increased customer spending on video and Internet services. But subscriber growth markedly slowed as the recession's grip didn't lessen.

AP - Investors are still having trouble making up their mind about the economy's prospects.

AP - European stock markets rose Thursday after another batch of solid corporate earnings while better than expected U.S. jobs data pushed Wall Street futures higher.

Reuters - Thomson Reuters Corp reported a better-than-expected quarterly profit on Thursday, helped by cost cuts, and said it expected 2009 revenue to grow as the financial industry recovers.

AP - Thomson Reuters Corp. said Thursday its second-quarter profit more than doubled from a year ago, helped by its 2008 acquisition of the Reuters news service.

AP - Telecommunications company CenturyLink, which changed its name from CenturyTel Inc. last month after purchasing Embarq Corp., on Thursday said its second-quarter profits fell 25 percent.

AP - Wendy's/Arby's Group Inc. made $14.9 million in the second quarter, the company said Thursday, a reversal in fortunes driven mostly by the performance of the Wendy's hamburger chain acquired last fall.

Reuters - Comcast Corp , the No. 1 U.S. cable operator, reported higher quarterly profit on Thursday due to improved cost controls and a tax gain, but lost basic video subscribers amid the weak economy and competition from phone and satellite operators.

AP - The Securities and Exchange Commission said Thursday that former American International Group Inc. CEO Maurice 'Hank' Greenberg agreed to pay a $15 million fine to settle fraud charges.

AP - Private equity firm Blackstone Group LP posted a wider second-quarter loss Thursday, in part because of acquisition-related charges.

AP - Military contractor Alliant Techsystems Inc. said Thursday its fiscal first-quarter profit rose 28 percent on higher ammunition sales and improved margins, topping analysts' expectations.

AP - Thomson Reuters Corp. said Thursday its second-quarter profit more than doubled from a year ago, helped by its 2008 acquisition of the Reuters news service.

AP - The operator of the Nasdaq stock market said Thursday it will stop a practice that gives some brokerages a split-second advantage in buying or selling stocks.

Reuters - U.S. stocks have entered a new bull market, and the S&P 500 index could rise as much as 10 percent from current levels by the end of this year, Goldman Sachs strategist Abby Joseph Cohen said on CNBC on Thursday.

AFP - Stocks in London finished higher on Thursday after the Bank of England agreed to create an extra 50 billion pounds of new money even though it expected the recession to soon bottom out.

AP - Major companies tentatively scheduled to report quarterly earnings next week:

Reuters - No. 1 U.S. cable operator Comcast Corp lost more video subscribers than expected in the second quarter amid the weak economy and stiff competition from phone and satellite companies, but profit beat forecasts due to better cost controls and tax gains.

AP - The operators of the Nasdaq and BATS stock exchanges said Thursday they will stop a practice that gives some brokerages a split-second advantage in buying or selling stocks.

AP - Beazer Homes USA Inc. says its fiscal third-quarter loss narrowed sharply versus a year ago, and new home order trends showed signs of improvement.

AP - CBS Corp. says its second-quarter net profit fell 96 percent as softness in the advertising market continued.

AP - DG FastChannel Inc., a digital media advertising services company, said Thursday it earned a lower second-quarter profit, but matched Wall Street expectations.

AP - Scripps Networks Interactive Inc. posted a 49 percent jump in second-quarter profit Thursday, driven by strong fee revenue from its television affiliates.

AP - Outsourcing company ExlService Holdings Inc. said Thursday its second-quarter profit dropped more than 50 percent, as revenue fell almost 10 percent, but its results met Wall Street estimates.

AP - Coeur d'Alene Mines Corp., which produces silver, on Thursday turned a profit from a year-ago loss, as silver production surged 74 percent with the addition of two new mines.

AP - Drug developer King Pharmaceuticals said Thursday its second-quarter profit dropped, as generic competition continued to hurt drug sales. But the performance trumped Wall Street expectations.

AP - The dollar came surging back Thursday as stock markets slipped, gaining strongly against the British pound after the Bank of England said it was extending its program of boosting the money supply.

AP - American International Group Inc. is scheduled to report its second-quarter results Friday before the market opens. The following is a summary of key developments and analyst opinion related to the period.

AP - Westar Energy Inc. says its second-quarter profit jumped significantly thanks to higher rates and lower costs but said it was lowering its earnings expectations for the year.

AP - American Italian Pasta Co. says its third-quarter profits were above Wall Street estimates despite an almost 7 percent slump in sales.

Reuters - Tech outsourcing company Affiliated Computer Services Inc posted a slightly stronger than expected quarterly profit thanks to new business signings.

AP - Graphics chip maker Nvidia Corp. said Thursday its fiscal 2010 second-quarter loss narrowed as cost cuts offset the impact of lower revenue.

Investor's Business Daily - Three highflying Chinese Internet stocks recently gave investors an unusually quick up-and-down ride, showing how volatile shares can be at earnings announcement time.

AP - CBS Corp. said Thursday its second-quarter profit fell sharply because of softness in the advertising market, but said the government's 'cash-for-clunkers' program helped jumpstart ad buying from auto dealers around the nation.