Business Today: Stock futures edge higher ahead of jobless claims data

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Good Morning Bit, THU 04 Mar 2010    Stock futures edge higher ahead of jobless claims data Fewer discounts help stores weather February snow Citi's Pandit says supports consumer protection Facebook CEO in no rush for IPO: report Greece draws strong bond demand at high price Bristol sets baseline for profits post-Plavix AB InBev sees weak start to 2010 after mixed Q4 Prudential and AIG CEOs hold "town hall" meetings ECB holds rates, to unveil stimulus withdrawal steps Court blocks individual claims vs UBS on Madoff Business Update: Asia edges up Japan's road to the future Hollywood prepares for Oscar party Stock futures edge higher ahead of jobless claims data March 04, 2010 08:09 AM ET NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stock index futures ticked higher on Thursday as retailers posted better-than-expected sales for February and as investors awaited the latest data on the labor and housing markets. Full Article Fewer discounts help stores weather February snow March 04, 2010 08:13 AM ET CHICAGO (Reuters) - Several U.S. retailers posted better-than-expected February sales as leaner inventories allowed companies to sell more items at full price and shoppers made it to stores despite record-setting snow in much the eastern part of the country. Full Article Citi's Pandit says supports consumer protection March 04, 2010 08:04 AM ET NEW YORK (Reuters) - Citigroup Inc Chief Executive Vikram Pandit said he supports a federal consumer protection authority, because a key lesson of the crisis is that issues influencing consumers can become issues for the whole financial system. Full Article Facebook CEO in no rush for IPO: report March 04, 2010 07:28 AM ET NEW YORK (Reuters) - Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg is in no rush to take the popular social-networking site public, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. Full Article Greece draws strong bond demand at high price March 04, 2010 07:39 AM ET ATHENS/BERLIN (Reuters) - Debt-burdened Greece drew strong demand for a crucial bond issue on Thursday but paid a steep risk premium that underscored its plea to Germany and other EU partners for support to help lower its borrowing costs. Full Article Bristol sets baseline for profits post-Plavix March 04, 2010 07:52 AM ET NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bristol-Myers Squibb Co set a baseline for profits in 2013 as it provided investors their first glimpse of life after Plavix, the world's second-bestselling drug. Full Article AB InBev sees weak start to 2010 after mixed Q4 March 04, 2010 07:51 AM ET BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world's largest brewer, said it faced a challenging start to 2010 with U.S. consumers drinking less after it unveiled mixed fourth-quarter earnings buoyed by a sharp rise in Brazil sales. Full Article Prudential and AIG CEOs hold "town hall" meetings March 04, 2010 08:21 AM ET SINGAPORE/HONG KONG (Reuters) - Any job losses from Prudential Plc's planned $35.5 billion acquisition of American International Group's Asian insurance arm will be mainly in back-office operations and not among sales forces, the companies' CEOs told staff in Asia, sources said. Full Article ECB holds rates, to unveil stimulus withdrawal steps March 04, 2010 07:49 AM ET FRANKFURT (Reuters) - The European Central Bank is expected to detail the next steps in its gradual withdrawal from emergency lending at a news conference after it held interest rates at a record low of 1.0 percent on Thursday. Full Article Court blocks individual claims vs UBS on Madoff March 04, 2010 07:40 AM ET LUXEMBOURG/ZURICH (Reuters) -Investors who lost money to U.S. swindler Bernard Madoff through a fund set up by UBS cannot seek compensation directly from the Swiss bank, a Luxembourg court ruled on Thursday, relieving pressure on UBS. Full Article

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