Groupon profit beats estimates on North America growth
(Reuters) – Daily coupon website Groupon Inc’s third-quarter profit beat analysts’ estimates as strong growth in North America helped offset a decline in international revenue.
Two tied to online drug market plead guilty to U.S. drug charges
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Two men tied to an illegal online drug marketplace pleaded guilty to drug charges, U.S. prosecutors said on Thursday, a day after the alleged mastermind of the website indicated he would plead not guilty.
IBM’s CFO Loughridge to retire by year-end
(Reuters) – IBM’s Chief Financial Officer Mark Loughridge is retiring at the end of the year after almost a decade on the job as the technology services provider struggles with declining revenue and weakness in emerging markets.
Disney beats Street on higher theme parks spending, toy sales
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Walt Disney Co reported a gain in profit that beat Wall Street expectations, boosted by higher spending by summer visitors to U.S. theme parks and increased sales of toys and other consumer products.
Danaher, Blackstone pursue joint bid for J&J unit: sources
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Healthcare conglomerate Danaher Corp has teamed up with Blackstone Group LP to bid for Johnson & Johnson’s diagnostics unit, which makes blood screening equipment and laboratory blood tests and could fetch more than $4 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.
Federal judge orders fourth-largest U.S. tax prep business closed
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The fourth-largest tax preparation business in the United States, Instant Tax Service, has been ordered to shut down by a federal judge, the Justice Department said on Thursday.
Activist investor urges Men’s Wearhouse to talk to Jos. A Bank
(Reuters) – Hedge fund Eminence Capital LLC on Thursday said it has a nearly 10 percent stake in Men’s Wearhouse Inc , making it the retailer’s largest shareholder, and said the company should start talks with Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc , which last mo…
S&P 500 suffers worst day since late August; Twitters surges
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Frenzied buying in Twitter shares grabbed Wall Street’s attention on Thursday, as the social media stock surged well above expectations, while major indexes fell, with the S&P 500 suffering its worst daily decline since August.
ECB cuts rates to new low, ready to do more if needed
FRANKFURT (Reuters) – The European Central Bank cut interest rates to a record low on Thursday and said it could take them lower still to prevent the euro zone’s recovery from stalling as inflation tumbles.
U.S. lawmakers hear plea for protection against ‘patent trolls’
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Congress should take action to crack down on “patent trolls” – companies in the business of buying and asserting patents – which often demand royalties from stores and restaurants for alleged infringement of high-tech patents, ex…
