Business Today: Stocks end down; data fails to lift mood

	Click to View in Browser 02/5/2014 Stocks end down; data fails to lift mood NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks closed lower on Wednesday after the latest batch of mixed data failed to improve sentiment following Monday's weak report on the manufacturing sector, which drove the S&P 500 to its worst drop since June. Disney earnings rise on ESPN growth, film hit 'Frozen' LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Media company Walt Disney Co reported higher profit for the quarter that ended in December, boosted by growth at sports network ESPN and the strong performance of its animated hit film "Frozen." Twitter's slowing user growth, views unnerve investors SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Twitter Inc reported its slowest pace of user growth during the fourth quarter, dashing hopes the social media phenomenon can sustain its torrid pace of expansion and wiping out more than 10 percent of its value on Wednesday. A hawk pushes against majority at Fed on trimming stimulus BIRMINGHAM, Ala./NEW YORK (Reuters) - Going a step further than his colleagues at the Federal Reserve, a hawkish policymaker said on Wednesday the U.S. central bank should wind down its bond purchases faster than planned and end it before mid-year. U.S. service sector growth, hiring improves in January (Reuters) - Growth picked up in the U.S. service sector in January, with steady strength in private-sector hiring, suggesting the winter weather that socked the country over the last several weeks had a limited effect on the economy. Fed's Lockhart says taper on track, urges patience on rates BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Reserve will probably keep steadily dialing back its asset purchases and wind them down completely by late 2014 but should be patient on raising interest rates, a top U.S. central banker said on Wednesday. Boeing sees 'tough' defense business climate, flat margins (Reuters) - Boeing Co expects its defense business to continue facing a tough environment with "flatish" profit margins, Chief Executive Jim McNerney said on Wednesday. Labor agency move to speed union elections draws business ire WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The government agency that oversees labor relations in private-sector workplaces said on Wednesday it plans to update unionization rules so the process is faster, drawing criticism from business groups. Exclusive: JPMorgan in talks with Mercuria on commodities unit sale LONDON (Reuters) - Fast-growing trading house Mercuria, led by two former Goldman Sachs executives, has become the front-runner to buy the physical commodities unit of JPMorgan , one of the most powerful oil and metals desks on Wall Street, two sources told Reuters. Lawmakers hear warnings of U.S. companies' lax data security WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Illinois official who is leading a multi-state probe into recent high-profile data breaches told U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday that companies whose systems have been hacked often have failed to take basic security precautions. Related Video Bionic hand gives amputees a new sense of touch Entrepreneurs turn pollution into plastic Economic News A hawk pushes against majority at Fed on trimming stimulus U.S. service sector growth, hiring improves in January A daily digest of breaking business news, coverage of the US economy, major corporate news and the financial markets. Register Today   The latest Reuters articles on M&A, IPOs, private equity, hedge funds and regulatory updates delivered to your inbox each day. Register Today   » MORE NEWSLETTERS - 3 Times Square New York, NY 10036 USA © Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters Ensure delivery of Reuters Newsmails, add mail@nl.reuters.com to your address book. Details Subscribe to other Reuters newsletters. Unsubscribe from this newsletter. Follow us on Twitter Friend us on Facebook Forward to a friend