Each quarter, every quoted US company provides results and updated guidance which is honed in on by analysts and investors to provide a gauge as to how the company is performing and how the outlook for the remainder of the year compares with the prior view.

Online marketplace eBay is to cut 2,400 jobs globally, with the impact on its thousands of workers in Ireland as yet unclear.

Ebay, which employs close to 3,000 people here, is planning to cut its global workforce by 2,400, or 7% during this quarter.

The richest 1% of people in the world will have more wealth than all the rest of us combined by next year if the current inequality trend continues, a new report from Oxfam has suggested.

Apple is debuting €2.8bn of bonds as the iPhone maker seeks to fund another round of shareholder rewards without using overseas cash that would be subject to US repatriation taxes.

Apple’s stock has touched a new high, reflecting investors’ renewed faith in CEO Tim Cook’s ability to outwit the competition and expand the technological hit factory built by the late Steve Jobs.

Billionaire investor Carl Icahn said he is not aware of any probe involving him and golfer Phil Mickelson regarding trades related to Clorox and Dean Foods, and called a report by the Wall Street Journal completely irresponsible.

US golfer Phil Mickelson has said he is cooperating with an insider trading investigation involving him, investor Carl Icahn and Las Vegas gambler Billy Walters but maintains he did nothing wrong.

Hedge fund mogul David Tepper had a case of deja vu when he ranked as the best paid hedge fund manager for the second year running by earning $3.5bn (€2.5bn) in 2013 with a savvy bet on airline stocks.

Dublin-based firm Actavis, one of the world’s largest generic-drugs makers by market value, has agreed to buy Forest Laboratories for about $25bn (€18bn).

Dell reported results that underscore the challenges facing the firm amid a decline in personal-computer sales, whatever the outcome of a vote next month on Michael Dell’s $24.9bn (€18.6bn) plan to go private.

The Canadian smartphone maker, Blackberry Ltd, rose to the highest price in a month after Reuters reported the company is considering going private.

Michael Dell won support from Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) for the $24.4bn (€19bn) buyout of his company, a surprise endorsement from an influential shareholder adviser.

Forest Laboratories, the speciality drugmaker that counts investor Carl Icahn as a major shareholder, is among a handful of companies interested in bidding for Irish biotech firm Elan, sources claim.

Stocks have closed mixed on Wall Street after the market reopened following a two-day shutdown caused by Superstorm Sandy.

A political stalemate in Greece rattled financial markets worldwide today, driving US stocks lower.

Motorola Mobility Holdings, the maker of mobile phones and cable set-top boxes that split off from the rest of Motorola in January, is struggling to continue its turnaround and find a stable foothold in the world of smartphones and tablets.

FACEBOOK founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has been named Time magazine’s Person of the Year for 2010.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has been named Time magazine's "Person of the Year".

Struggling US lender CIT Group filed for bankruptcy protection in an attempt to restructure its debt while trying to keep badly-needed loans flowing to thousands of mid-sized and small businesses.

Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang is stepping down as chief executive, ending a rocky reign marked by his refusal to sell the internet company to Microsoft for $48bn (€38bn) – more than triple Yahoo’s current market value.

Wall Street turned in a mixed performance today as investors watched the price of oil regain ground and decided to cash in some of their gains from the stock market’s big rally last week.

Stocks lost more ground in extremely volatile trading today, as investors recoiled at a cautious economic outlook from a Federal Reserve official and the possibility of more financial troubles of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Microsoft has launched a fresh attempt to tie-up with internet giant Yahoo! but is stopping short of a renewed takeover bid, it emerged today.

ELAN said yesterday that it is fully committed to its multiple sclerosis treatment Tysabri after its production partner — the US-based company Biogen Idec — announced it was not about to be taken over and would remain independent.

US stocks finished moderately higher in an uneven session today as optimism about the economy helped investors overcome some of their uneasiness about the Federal Reserve’s decision on interest rates.

The Dow Jones industrial average set its fourth record close in two weeks today, finishing less than a point above its previous closing high.

A sharp drop in oil prices helped Wall Street extend its rally for a third straight session today, with strong earnings from Hewlett-Packard also giving stocks a modest lift.

A late selloff left US stocks modestly lower today as weakening consumer confidence and a rise in wholesale prices prompted investors to take profits and put the brakes on Wall Street’s recent rebound.

The major stock indexes struck fresh lows for the year today as a cautious forecast from Apple Computer unsettled investors, who are growing uneasy about the US economy despite signs of continued improvement in the labour market.

US investors found some reassurance in weak job growth figures today, and sent stocks sharply higher on the assumption that the numbers will prompt Federal Reserve to be less aggressive in raising interest rates.

Wall Street ended an ambivalent session lower today, with investors concerned that stock prices are too high despite a better-than-expected employment report. Still, the three main gauges posted their second straight weekly gain.

Share prices were higher in early trade after changing direction several times in uncertain price action, as investors reviewed a new set of technology sector research notes and a defense industry takeover offer, dealers said.

Trading opened flat on the Nasdaq composite and slightly lower on the DJIA.