Reuters - Higher gas prices cut into demand for sport utility vehicles and trucks in May, depressing U.S. market share for the Big Three Detroit-based automakers and prompting production cuts at General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co.

Reuters - U.S. stocks rallied on Thursday, led by technology companies such as Apple Computer Inc. and IBM as investors snapped up shares in recently beaten-down sectors, including health care and financials.

Reuters - U.S. apparel chains and department stores on Thursday posted higher May same-store sales that largely trounced analyst forecasts, though No. 1 retailer Wal-Mart warned high energy prices could slow growth.

Reuters - U.S. factory expansion eased in May to the slowest pace since August while April pending home sales slipped for the third straight month, reports showed on Thursday, indicating the red hot pace of economic growth at the start of the year may be cooling.

Reuters - OPEC on Thursday prepared to leave oil quotas unchanged and keep pumping near full capacity, rejecting a suggested supply cut by host Venezuela, the cartel's leading price hawk.