The S&P 500 closed higher for the seventh-consecutive session Thursday after crossing above the 1,500 level for the first time since December 2007, but Apple ended near session lows, putting a damper on the tech-heavy Nasdaq.

As President Barack Obama begins his second term, startups are hoping for on an immigration overhaul to help them attract highly skilled foreign workers.

"I'm very confident that we will do the Muhammad Ali thing in round 8…Wednesday is round 8," RIM's CEO said at a debate in Davos. Ali won a fight with a knockout in the eighth round.

Stocks closed higher for a third-straight session Tuesday, with the Dow and S&P 500 adding to their recent multi-year gains, ahead of a busy week of corporate earnings and amid hope for a deal on the debt ceiling.

As the financial crisis in Europe and the U.S. forces governments to reduce budgets, entitlement policies have been cut and income inequality has increased.

Despite a weak global economy, Hilton Hotels has been aggressively expanding its international presence and sees opportunities in China, president of development Ian Carter told CNBC.

With tacit support from President Barack Obama, the GOP-controlled House approved an extension of the debt ceiling Wednesday, heading off an economy-rattling fiscal crisis for at least four months.

The index has not traded above 1,500 since Dec. 12, 2007, just months before the implosion of big Wall Street banks. While many traders usually dismiss the big, round numbers as having little meaning, this mark could be different.

As business leaders from across the world prepare to touch down in Switzerland, a new survey has revealed that just 18 percent of the public trusts business leaders to tell the truth.

Google reported fourth-quarter earnings that beat expectations, while revenue fell slightly short and its advertising rates fell less than in previous quarters. Shares rose after-hours.

Witnessing friends' vacations, love lives and work successes on Facebook can cause envy and trigger feelings of misery and loneliness, according to German researchers.