The number of people remaining on the benefit rolls fell to 6.2 million from 6.34 million the previous week. Analysts had expected a slight decline.
Hong Kong regulators on Monday banned a former banker at one of Asia's top stock brokerages from the territory's financial industry for life after he was jailed for insider trading.
Nasdaq OMX Group Inc. said today its second-quarter profit fell 31 percent amid losses tied to foreign currency translation and a charge from selling its stake in Orc Software.
The ADP National Employment Report, a closely watched precursor to the government's report, said today that employment decreased by 371,000 in July versus a revised decline of 463,000 jobs in June.
IntercontinentalExchange Inc. reported today its second-quarter profit slipped 15 percent as it recorded a special charge on an investment in an Indian exchange and costs tied to acquisition last year of credit-derivatives processor Creditex.
GMAC Financial Services, which provides both automotive and home loans, says it posted a wider second-quarter loss of $3.9 billion as it transformed from an arm of General Motors Co. into an independent bank.
The Commerce Department says consumers boosted their spending 0.4 percent, slightly ahead of analysts' estimates. That comes after spending rose 0.1 percent in May.
Banking group Barclays PLC said today that first-half net profit increased 10 percent as stronger earnings from its expanded investment banking division outweighed an increase in bad loans.
Moody's Corp., owner of Moody's Investor Service, said Wednesday that second-quarter profit fell 19 percent as the credit markets continued to languish. But it beat Wall Street estimates and raised its 2009 profit forecast.
