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New York, NY, United States (AHN) – U.S. stocks opened mixed to higher Thursday fueled by lower than expected jobless claims and impressive earnings from General Motors.

Just after the open on Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 15 points. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index and the NASDAQ were both nearly unchanged.

Investors were buoyed by the a report from the Labor Department that showed initial jobless claims fell to a near four-year low.

Also giving stocks momentum was an earnings report from General Motors. GM reported the largest annual profit in its history on Thursday, even as losses in Europe were a drag on fourth quarter earnings.

The auto maker said it earned a quarterly profit of $472 million, or 28 cents a share. It was the eight consecutive quarterly profit for the car maker, which strategically cleared up much of its debt in bankruptcy a few years ago. For all of 2011, GM earned $7.6 billion, most of it from North America.

In early morning trading, shares of GM climbed almost 5 percent, and were last changing hands at $26.15 per share.

Holding stocks back were continued worries over Greece’s ability to secure a second bailout. Investor sentiment was further dampened after rating agency Moody’s put 17 global banks and 114 European financial institutions on review for possible downgrades.

Gold fell as Greece’s woes hurt the euro. The precious metal tumbled $16.40 to $1,711.80 a troy ounce. Oil was flat at $101.67 a barrel.

Ringing the opening bell on the NYSE was Westminster’s Best in Show, Malachy, a petite, composed and well manicured Pekinese.

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New York, NY, United States (AHN) – Imports to the U.S. were greater than exports in December, resulting in a widening trade deficit

The Commerce Department released figures Friday that showed the U.S. trade deficit widened to a six-month high in December.

The gap increased 3.7 percent to $48.8 billion from $47.1 billion in November. Purchases of goods and services produced overseas were the strongest in more than three years on record demand for capital equipment such as machinery and semiconductors.

Experts noted that imports may keep rising as an improving job market underpins consumer spending and businesses rebuild inventories and replace outdated equipment.

At the same time, demand from emerging markets is boosting sales at companies like General Electric and Caterpillar Inc., providing somewhat of a buffer from the fallout resulting from the European sovereign debt crisis and helping to sustain exports.

The median forecast was for the deficit to rise to $48.5 billion from a previously estimated $47.8 million in November.

Imports advanced 1.3 percent to $227.6 billion, the most since July 2008. The strengthening economy propelled the gains in consumer household items, autos and parts, and crude oil from overseas.

The trade gap with China narrowed to $23.1 billion from $26.9 billion, as imports from the Asian nation dropped.

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New York, NY, United States (AHN) – Stocks were little changed on the open Thursday as investors keep a close eye on developments in Greece.

Just after the opening bell on Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 25 points, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index and the NASDAQ were virtually flat.

United States stocks were poised to open higher as news surfaced that political leaders had reached a deal on austerity measures and reforms that are needed to prevent Greece from a default. An official announcement is forthcoming.

Investors both in the U.S. and abroad will likely keep eyes focused on Athens. European stocks were modestly higher in afternoon trading and Asian markets were mixed.

Also giving global markets some steam was news that the European Central Bank and the Bank of England both left their benchmark interest rates unchanged. In London, the BoE also announced a $79 billion bond purchase.

Keeping a reign on gains was a report that showed China’s inflation rate rose in January, dashing hopes that the country’s central bank will soon take more action to support economic growth there.

In U.S. corporate news, shares of the nation’s biggest banks were moving after a $25 billion accord was reached to help homeowners struggling with loans bigger than the values of their homes.

Yahoo shares were climbing following news that Chinese company Alibaba is looking to buy back the 40 percent stake Yahoo owns.

Shares of Oracle inched up after the company announced it is buying the cloud-based human resource management software company Taleo in a $1.9 billion deal.

Despite beating expectations, raising its quarterly dividend 30 percent, and guiding higher, shares of Cisco slipped lower.

In commodities, oil rose $1.13 and was trading just under $100 a barrel. Gold, meanwhile, advanced $20 to $1,751.80 a troy ounce.

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New York, NY, United States (AHN) – Wall Street opened lower Friday after a report showed that the U.S. economy expanded less than forecast..

Just after the opening bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was lower by 33 points, the Standard and Poor’s 500 Index was flat and the NASDAQ was up by about 6 points.

Weighing on stocks was a report that showed the U.S. economy expanded at 2.8 percent in the fourth quarter, less than the 3 percent that had been projected.

In Europe the Stoxx Europe 600 Index slipped 0.7 percent as investors await word on developments on the region’s sovereign debt crisis. European Union Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn said authorities are “very close” to reaching an agreement on private-sector involvement in a Greek debt swap.

Despite those words of optimism, the dismal growth of GDP in the U.S. was keeping investors cautious. The health and growth of the U.S. economy is a very important and leading indicator of economic growth worldwide. As analysts like to say, “when the U.S. sneezes, the world catches a cold.”

In corporate news, Ford fell after reporting numbers that missed estimates. Starbucks shares slipped despite reporting better than expected numbers, and Juniper Networks plunged after the second biggest maker of computer networking equipment forecast sales and profits that missed estimates.

In commodities, oil was unchanged at $$99.60 a barrel, gold rose $4.70 to $1,725 a troy ounce and silver was up a few pennies at $33.63.

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Washington, DC, United States (AHN) – The United States on Tuesday reiterated hopes to impose sanctions on Iranian oil exports without impacting international markets and U.S. allies in the process, according to the White House.

Addressing journalists, Jay Carney, the White House spokesman said, “We have effectively isolated Iran to a degree that has never before been the case. And the impact of the sanctions and the efforts that we’ve implemented is profound as every report out there has recognized.”

Asked to comment on reports that India would be paying in Indian currency, Carney said, “We are working with our partners and allies around the country to enforce the sanctions and to take a multilateral approach, an approach that we hope will maximize the impact of the sanctions without creating any unintended consequences, any negative impacts on the oil markets or on our allies.”

“We are engaged in that effort right now,” said Carney, adding, “We will continue to work with our allies to do that, to get Iran to behave, to live up to its international obligations.”

The need to find a financial mechanism for payment exchange between Iran and India arose as the present intermediary link, Turkey, announced it could no longer play that role due to tougher new U.S. sanctions.

Before the arrangement with Turkey, India was using an Iranian bank based in Germany, but under U.S. pressure Germany stopped payment transactions for Iranian oil for India.

According to media reports in India, a top level Indian ministerial team is heading to Tehran to finalize a financial mechanism under which Iranian oil companies would open an Indian rupee account with Indian banks.

Indian payments once deposited in those accounts would be available to Iranians to purchase items such as commodities and railway imports.

European Union countries recently agreed in principle to ban Iranian crude imports, but details of implementing the ban are yet to be worked out. Meanwhile, the U.S. continued its efforts to advise major oil consuming countries like China, India and Russia to significantly curb their imports of Iranian crude.

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Washington, DC, United States (AHN) – The United States on Tuesday reiterated hopes to impose sanctions on Iranian oil exports without impacting international markets and U.S. allies in the process, according to the White House.

Addressing journalists, Jay Carney, the White House spokesman said, “We have effectively isolated Iran to a degree that has never before been the case. And the impact of the sanctions and the efforts that we’ve implemented is profound as every report out there has recognized.”

Asked to comment on reports that India would be paying in Indian currency, Carney said, “We are working with our partners and allies around the country to enforce the sanctions and to take a multilateral approach, an approach that we hope will maximize the impact of the sanctions without creating any unintended consequences, any negative impacts on the oil markets or on our allies.”

“We are engaged in that effort right now,” said Carney, adding, “We will continue to work with our allies to do that, to get Iran to behave, to live up to its international obligations.”

The need to find a financial mechanism for payment exchange between Iran and India arose as the present intermediary link, Turkey, announced it could no longer play that role due to tougher new U.S. sanctions.

Before the arrangement with Turkey, India was using an Iranian bank based in Germany, but under U.S. pressure Germany stopped payment transactions for Iranian oil for India.

According to media reports in India, a top level Indian ministerial team is heading to Tehran to finalize a financial mechanism under which Iranian oil companies would open an Indian rupee account with Indian banks.

Indian payments once deposited in those accounts would be available to Iranians to purchase items such as commodities and railway imports.

European Union countries recently agreed in principle to ban Iranian crude imports, but details of implementing the ban are yet to be worked out. Meanwhile, the U.S. continued its efforts to advise major oil consuming countries like China, India and Russia to significantly curb their imports of Iranian crude.

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Washington, United States (AHN) – U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on Sunday again warned Iran against shutting down strategic Strait of Hormuz.

“We made very clear that the United States will not tolerate the blocking of the Straits of Hormuz,” Panetta told CBS television. “That’s another red line for us and that we will respond to them,” the general added.

Panetta’s comments came after Joint Chiefs of Staff’s Chairman General Martin Dempsey said Iran is again considering closing the waterway.

“But we would take action and reopen the Straits,” the general said. Iran recently threatened to close the strait, through which 20% of world’s oil shipments passes, if it faces an oil embargo from the European Union.

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New York, NY, United States (AHN) – The U.S. economy gained 200,000 jobs in December, the Labor Department said Friday. But the stronger than expected report did little to goose stocks.

Just after the opening bell on Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was off 51 points, the Standard and Poor’s 500 Index was down 4 points and the NASDAQ dropped about 5 points.

Stocks entered the last day of the first week of the New Year coming off a mixed close on Thursday. Investors continue to be worried about, and are closely watching, developments in Europe and the ongoing sovereign debt crisis plaguing the region.

European stocks were up in mid-day trading, and Asian markets ended the day mixed.

Gold futures for February delivery advanced $3.60 to $1,623.70 an ounce. Oil gained 38 cents to $102.19 a barrel.

In U.S. corporate news, Dow component Alcoa fell more than 2 percent after the aluminum producer said it is cutting its global smelting capacity 12 percent.

Friday’s close is an important one for market watchers. Many traders, analysts and investors believe the old adage that as the first week of the New Year goes, so goes the month and January, and so goes the market.

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Washington, DC, United States (AHN) – The United States this week confirmed sponsoring a trip to India next year for a trio of Indian-American comedians to spread the word of religious harmony, according to a State Department official.

Addressing journalists at a briefing, Victoria Nuland said, “We are, indeed, sending an Indian-American comedy group,” adding, “I believe the full tour costs about $100,000. The U.S. Embassy in New Delhi is supporting them with a grant of $88,000.”

Nuland confirmed the group’s tour would be called, “Make Chai, Not War.” The three Indian-Americans, Rajiv Satyal, Azhar Usman and Hari Kondabolu, will perform in seven Indian cities: Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Patna, Kolkata, Durgapur and Mumbai.

Nuland cited it as “part of our regular global cultural exchange program that we do around the world,” explaining, “The reason we decided to support this tour is because among the things that they are known for is their talk about religious tolerance, about the importance of breaking down prejudices, and about the positive experiences they had growing up as Indian-Americans in the United States.”

They will be in India Jan. 4-17.

“In addition to doing shows, they’ll also be holding audience discussions on these issues of religious tolerance and doing workshops and having some interviews with the press,” said Nuland.

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Washington, DC, United States (AHN) – In what could send a strong message to the Gulf region, the United States on Thursday announced the signing of an arms deal worth of $29.4 billion with Saudi Arabia.

Under the deal, Washington will provide 84 new Boeing F-15SA fighter jets, spare parts, training and maintenance contracts and munitions to Riyadh and modernize 70 existing planes. The whole package will be delivered in a span of 20 years.

Washington’s arms deal came at a time when its relations with Iran are at a record low. Iran has threatened to shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a key transit area for oil shipments, in the wake of the West’s threat to impose a fresh round of sanctions on Tehran’s defiance over its nuclear program.

“This sale will send a strong message to countries in the region that the United States is committed to stability in the Gulf and broader Middle East,” senior State Department official Andrew Shapiro told reporters in Washington. “It will enhance Saudi Arabia’s ability to deter and defend against external threats to its sovereignty,” he added.

White House deputy spokesman Josh Earnest said that this agreement would also increase employment by 50,000 jobs at a time of high joblessness in the U.S. Moreover, the U.S. economy is also projected to receive a $3.5 billion annual boost from the deal.

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