U.S. stocks opened little changed on Thursday as consumer shares rose and data showed first-time claims for jobless benefits declined slightly last week. The market could face pressure from profit-taking the day after Wall Street racked up its best day in eight weeks on strong manufacturing data in the United States and China. The Dow

European equities edged lower on Thursday after the previous session's jump, though auto shares were buoyed by sales data in a market mostly holding its fire ahead of more U.S. economic data due later in the day. By 1155 GMT, the FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares was down 0.2% at 1,054.10 points after

Royal Bank of Scotland announced thousands of new job cuts on Thursday as the part-nationalised bank continues with its drive to trim costs and improve its profitability. RBS, which is 83% owned by the British taxpayer, said it was cutting 3,500 jobs in administration centres across the country. Trade unions attacked the move, which RBS

Tough government follow-through on a freshly minted U.S. financial law will be crucial to ensure no bank or firm grows so large that its collapse could jeopardize the entire economy, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Thursday. Bernanke and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp Chairman Sheila Bair said strong implementation of the new financial rules

U.S. Treasury debt prices extended losses on Thursday after data showed new claims for unemployment benefits fell for a second consecutive week last week. Benchmark 10-year notes were trading 12/32 lower in price to yield 2.62 percent, up from 2.58 percent late on Wednesday. The notes had been trading 4/32 lower in price just prior

Shares in Shanghai and Hong Kong rose on Thursday, joining other Asian markets in cheering upbeat economic data from the United States and China, with auto shares among the top gainers. China's key Shanghai Composite Index closed up 1.25% at 2,655.776 points. SAIC Motor Corp and other automakers gained after surprisingly robust car sales. Analysts

European shares slipped on Thursday, after making their biggest daily surge since late May in the previous session, on caution ahead of the European Central Bank interest rate decision and U.S. pending home sales. However, losses were limited, with gains in carmakers helping to offset falls in the banking sector ahead of the ECB decision.