LinkedIn’s shares plunged about 35% yesterday, wiping out nearly $9 billion (€8bn) of market value, after the social network for professionals shocked Wall Street with a revenue forecast that fell far short of expectations.

GLOBAL manufacturing ended 2013 on a strong note, as major exporters like the US, Japan, and Germany all saw demand pick up, although China’s performance remained modest, surveys showed yesterday.

Stocks rose on Wall Street as investors were encouraged by signs of progress in budget talks in Washington.

US stocks fell sharply today, waterlogged from Superstorm Sandy and unmoved by a solid October jobs report.

Apple has agreed to buy fingerprint reader AuthenTec for approximately US$356 million (€289 million) as the maker of iPhones and iPads looks to strengthen its digital security capabilities.

Fresh questions about the strength of the economic recovery sent stocks lower today as a disappointing report on job creation weighed heavily on investor confidence. All three major indexes lost ground for the week.

Wall Street’s rally lost momentum as profit-taking set in today, leaving stocks narrowly lower but still allowing the Dow Jones industrials and Nasdaq composite index to post weekly gains for the first time since early March.

Wall Street struggled through an ambivalent session today, with investors hoping to start a rally but ultimately selling on downbeat news from Home Depot.