The Other Side of Life 24/7: Daily Investor Briefing: Wall St. up on earnings; Caterpillar...

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Daily Investor Briefing: Wall St. up on earnings; Caterpillar...

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10/23/2014

Reuters Election 2012 Daily round-up of the day's top news from the campaign trail, the White House and all the politics in between

Wall St. up on earnings; Caterpillar rallies

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Corporate earnings including Caterpillar's drove Wall Street higher on Thursday but stocks pared gains late in the session after reports that a New York City hospital is running Ebola tests on a healthcare worker who treated infected patients in West Africa.

Microsoft profit dips on charges, while sales jump

SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp said on Thursday fiscal first-quarter profit fell 13 percent as it took a $1.1 billion charge related to mass layoffs announced in July.

Amazon holiday quarter sales forecasts disappoint, shares dive

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc's sales projections for the crucial holiday quarter disappointed, and third-quarter results missed Wall Street's targets, sending the online retailer's shares 9 percent lower.

Fed lays out scenarios for 2015 bank stress tests

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Reserve said on Thursday it would assume wider corporate bond spreads and a higher oil price in the most strenuous scenario it will use in next year's run of its annual check of banks' health.

U.S. jobs market holds firm; factory activity slows a bit

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New claims for U.S. unemployment benefits held below 300,000 for a sixth straight week last week, suggesting the labor market was shrugging off jitters over a slowing global economy.

GM posts higher-than-expected profit on strong North American demand

DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Co on Thursday reported a higher-than-expected profit in the third quarter on strong demand for its redesigned full-size pickup trucks in North America.

Apple ponders sapphire options, leaves door open for GT

(Reuters) - Apple Inc said on Thursday it is studying options for sapphire supply and might work again with GT Advanced Technologies Inc if the distressed supplier can reduce production costs for the scratch-resistant material.

Caterpillar profit beats view, raises outlook; shares surge

(Reuters) - Caterpillar Inc shares jumped more than 5 percent on Thursday after it reported a stronger-than-expected quarterly profit and raised its 2014 outlook, citing strong demand from the North American energy and construction industries.

Sears to close stores, lay off about 5,500: Seeking Alpha

(Reuters) - Sears Holdings Corp is shuttering more than 100 stores and laying off at least 5,457 employees, investor website Seeking Alpha reported on Thursday, indicating the struggling retailer may be stepping up store closures.

U.S. airlines report strong third quarter profits

(Reuters) - Several U.S. airlines reported strong third-quarter profits on Thursday, helped by falling fuel costs, with many topping Wall Street's earnings per share estimates.