Better-than-expected | featured news

Toymaker Hasbro sees its results beat market expectations, despite seeing its losses widen as it continues cost-cutting efforts.

Citigroup Inc reported a higher-than-expected 31 percent rise in first-quarter profit on Monday as it drew down loss reserves for mortgage loans, and revenue from its securities and investment banking business swelled.

A last-minute surge in spending helped many major retailers report better-than-expected sales in December, a relief for stores that make up to 40 percent of annual revenue during the holiday period.

Better-than-expected results from both media and telecommunications businesses pushed Vivendi SA to bump up its full-year guidance, easing pressure on the company as it pursues a strategic review that could lead to asset sales.

Kraft Foods' net income rose 13 percent in the third quarter, the food maker said Wednesday, as new products and increased advertising helped it top Wall Street expectations.

Shares of security software vendor AVG Technologies are trading sharply higher Thursday on better-than-expected Q3 financial results. For the quarter, AVG posted revenue of $95.3 million, up 34% from a year ago, and ahead of the Street at $85 million.

General Motors Co on Wednesday posted a far stronger-than-expected profit and said it was targeting a return to break-even levels in its money-losing European operations by mid-decade after a loss of as much as $1.8 billion in that region this year.

U.S. retail sales rose in September as Americans bought more cars and gasoline, while a gauge of consumer spending pointed to stronger-than-expected economic growth in the third quarter.

The euro zone's economic woes accelerated last month and China's slowdown looked likely to extend to a seventh quarter, surveys on Wednesday showed, while the United States proved the bright spot with better-than-expected news on services and jobs.

Companies added 162,000 jobs in September, more than economists expected but still pointing to slow improvement in the labor market, data from a payrolls processor showed on Wednesday.