| | Wall St. ends down 1 percent on Caterpillar, Microsoft earnings | NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks closed more than 1 percent lower on Tuesday as disappointing results from a number of bellwether companies pointed to weakening conditions, while an unexpected decline in durable goods orders also weighed on sentiment. | | | | | Yahoo to spin off Alibaba stake, bowing to pressure | SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Yahoo Inc unveiled a plan for a tax-free spin-off of its 15 percent stake in China's Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, responding to pressure to distribute to shareholders its prized investment valued at roughly $40 billion. | | | | | | U.S. business spending weakens, but consumers upbeat | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A gauge of U.S. business investment plans fell for a fourth straight month in December, a potential sign that slowing global growth and falling oil prices were weighing on the economy. | | | | | | Oil jumps on weaker dollar; traders wary of stock build | NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices jumped as much 3 percent on Tuesday as a weaker dollar propped up commodities priced in the currency, prompting short-covering in a market that has sold off with little pause over the past seven months. | | | | | | JPMorgan profited from soaring Swiss franc: Bloomberg | (Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase & Co's currency traders made a profit of as much as $300 million when the Swiss central bank shocked markets by scrapping its cap on the franc this month, Bloomberg reported, citing two people with knowledge of the matter. | | | | | | | | A daily digest of breaking business news, coverage of the US economy, major corporate news and the financial markets. Register Today | | | | | | | The latest Reuters articles on M&A, IPOs, private equity, hedge funds and regulatory updates delivered to your inbox each day. Register Today | | | | | » MORE NEWSLETTERS | |