US stock market recovers most of an early loss
NEW YORK (AP) -- Stock prices are slightly lower at midday on Wall Street after manufacturing contracted unexpectedly in China this month....

Applications for US unemployment aid fall to 340K
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell 23,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 340,000, a level consistent with solid job growth....

Review: Google music plan solid, serendipitous
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Google Inc.'s new music service offers a lot of eye candy to go with the tunes. The song selection of around 18 million tracks is comparable to popular services such as Spotify and Rhapsody, and a myriad of playlists curated along different genres provides a big playground for music lovers....

US new home sales up 2.3 percent in April
WASHINGTON (AP) -- U.S. sales of new homes rose in April and nearly matched the fastest pace in five years, driving the median price to a record high. The gains suggest the housing recovery is strengthening....

Japan gyrations underline economy's vulnerability
TOKYO (AP) -- Japan's financial markets gyrated wildly Thursday, underscoring the vulnerability of its economy to a loss of investor confidence as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attempts shock monetary easing to end two decades of stagnation....

US rate on 30-year mortgages rises to 3.59 pct.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Average rates on fixed mortgage rose for the third straight week, hitting their highest levels since mid-March. Still, mortgage rates remained close to historic lows, a trend that should help sustain the housing recovery....

Survey shows China manufacturing contracting
BEIJING (AP) -- A survey shows China's manufacturing contracted this month, adding to signs a fragile recovery in the world's No. 2 economy is slowing....

Oil falls on concerns for China demand, Fed policy
NEW YORK (AP) -- The price of oil fell Thursday as weak manufacturing data from China raised questions about the strength of oil demand in the world's No. 2 economy....

US rate on 30-year mortgages rises to 3.59 pct.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Average rates on fixed mortgage rose for the third straight week, hitting their highest levels since mid-March. Still, mortgage rates remained close to historic lows, a trend that should help sustain the housing recovery....

Ralph Lauren's 4Q profit rises 35 pct
NEW YORK (AP) -- Ralph Lauren Corp. reported a 35 percent increase in fourth-quarter profit as the luxury retailer benefited from lower cotton prices and cost controls....