Business Today: Microsoft beats Wall Street profit estimate

	Click to View in Browser 04/24/2014 Microsoft beats Wall Street profit estimate SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp said on Thursday fiscal third-quarter profit fell slightly as sales of personal computers continued to slide, hurting its consumer business, but it still managed to beat Wall Street's pessimistic forecasts. Amazon posts higher-than-expected revenue, shares rise SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc reported higher-than-expected revenue growth in the first quarter and boosted its investments in technology, content and warehouses as the e-commerce giant branches out into new businesses. Apple buoys Nasdaq; Ukraine weighs on broader market NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Nasdaq rose modestly in a choppy session on Thursday, lifted by a rally in Apple shares a day after the iPad maker's strong results, though tensions in Ukraine held the broader market in check. Visa's profit beats estimates as card users spend more (Reuters) - Visa Inc , the world's largest credit and debit card company, reported a higher-than-expected 26 percent rise in quarterly profit as consumers spent more using cards on its network. Apple, Google agree to settle lawsuit alleging hiring conspiracy SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Four major tech companies including Apple and Google have agreed to settle a lawsuit accusing them of conspiring to hold down salaries in Silicon Valley, just weeks before a high profile trial had been scheduled to begin. Strong durable goods orders buoy growth outlook WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Orders for long-lasting U.S. manufactured goods rose more than expected in March and a measure of business capital spending plans surged, bolstering views of an acceleration in growth in the second quarter. Alstom shares jump on report of $13 billion GE bid PARIS (Reuters) - Shares of Alstom jumped more than 14 percent on Thursday after a report that U.S. conglomerate General Electric was in talks to buy the struggling French turbine and train maker for about $13 billion. GM posts lower profit after recall; outlook for rest of year trimmed DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Co's first-quarter profit tumbled 88 percent on Thursday due to the massive recall for defective ignition switches, and shares fell 1.3 percent after the company said expectations for the rest of the year must be trimmed. Trend-setter Apple's stock split could bring out the copycats NEW YORK (Reuters) - Apple has long been a trend-setter whose hot products attract imitators, and now its recent stock split might help revive a trend from the 1990s that has all but disappeared on Wall Street. GM says facing multiple probes into recent recalls WASHINGTON (Reuters) - General Motors is facing five different government probes in connection with its recent recalls, the automaker said in a regulatory filing on Thursday. Related Video Fashion on trial after Rana disaster SA strike batters Anglo American Economic News Strong durable goods orders buoy growth outlook U.S. durable goods orders rise broadly, boost growth outlook 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