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• US Midwest Business Index Picks Up From 3-Year Low

  

  The pace of business activity in the U.S. Midwest picked up from a more than three-year low the month before as new orders jumped, a report showed on Thursday.

• Europe Shares Close Lower as Earnings Weigh

  European shares pared some of the losses on Thursday, after a series of earnings across the continent weighed on market sentiment.

• Jobless Claims Go Higher; Income, Spending Both Up

  

  The number of Americans seeking unemployment aid rose sharply last week but remained at a level consistent with moderate hiring, while income surged much higher than expected and spending inched higher as well.

• Constellation Shares Drop as DOJ Blocks Modelo Deal

  

  The Department of Justice plans to sue to block Anheuser-InBev's proposed purchase of the rest of the Mexican brewer Grupo Modelo, a move that jeopardizes Constellation Brands' plans to fully acquire Crown Imports.

• Deutsche Bank Co-CEO Anshu Jain: We Have Made Enormous Progress on Core Tier-One Capital
• Deutsche Bank CEO: Major Progress on Capital Ratio

  

  Deutsche Bank shares rose 2.2 percent on Thursday, despite the company posting a 2.6 billion euro ($3.5 billion) pre-tax loss, after the lender reported capital ratios that were better than expected.

• Diageo CEO: Europe Market Is Lackluster

  

  Diageo, the world's biggest spirits maker, reported slowing growth in earnings on Thursday and the CEO told CNBC the Europe market was lackluster.

• Ericsson Shares Surge on Profit Beat

  Shares of Ericsson, the mobile telecom equipment maker, rose 8.2 percent in morning trade, making it the best performer on the Euro Stoxx 600 Index, after the company reported fourth-quarter earnings.

• Stocks Waver as Market Digests US GDP Surprise

  Stocks were muted on Wednesday, with investors jolted by news that the U.S. economy shrank in the fourth quarter.

• Asia Shares Lower but Fed Stance Underpins Markets

  Asian shares took a breather from recent rallies on Thursday though sentiment was underpinned by the U.S. Federal Reserve's pledge to retain its stimulus policy and on signs of stabilization in the euro zone.

• After-Hours Buzz: FB, QCOM & RIMM

  

  Check out which companies are making headlines after the bell Wednesday:

• Electronic Arts Earnings: 57 Cents EPS on Revenue of $1.18 Billion vs. Estimates of 56 Cents EPS, $1.29 Billion Revenue
• Qualcomm Earnings: $1.26 EPS, $6.02 Billion Revenue vs. Estimates of $1.13 EPS, $5.9 Billion Revenue

  
• US Bond Price Losses Pared After Fed Statement

  

  U.S. Treasury debt pared prices losses after the Federal Reserve reiterated it will continue its current program of asset purchases until the labor market improves "substantially."

• Facebook Earnings Beat; Profit Margin Falls Sharply

  

  The social media giant reported earnings and revenue that beat expectations but its operating margin fell sharply. The stock bobbed between positive and negative after-hours.

• GDP Shows Surprise Drop for US in Fourth Quarter

  

  The U.S. economy posted a stunning drop of 0.1 percent in the fourth quarter, defying expectations for slow growth and possibly providing incentive for more Federal Reserve stimulus.

• Fed Keeps Stimulus Amid Signs of Weak Economy

  

  The Federal Reserve, saying economic growth had "paused" in recent months, announced Wednesday it will continue its $85 billion monthly bond buying and hold interest rates near zero until unemployment falls to at least 6.5 percent.

• European Shares Post Worst Daily Fall for a Month

  European shares suffered their biggest daily drop this month after gloomy earnings and weak U.S. economic data hit sentiment on Wednesday and left some positioning for further falls in the near-term.

• Early Movers: BA, AMZN, RIMM & More

  

  Some of the names on the move ahead of the open.

• Private Sector Adds More Jobs; Services Lead Way

  

  The private sector created 192,000 new jobs in January, better than expectations and reflective of the slowly improving trend in the labor market.