Activity in the Philadelphia-area manufacturing sector unexpectedly contracted in the month of May, according to a report released by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia on Thursday, with the index of activity in the sector turning negative for the first time in eight months.

The Philly Fed said its diffusion index of current activity tumbled [...]

A U.S. military option is not just available but ready to go if Iran does not halt its nuclear program, according to U.S. Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro.

“It would be preferable to resolve this diplomatically through the use of pressure than to use military force,” Shapiro said Tuesday to the Israel Bar Association.

“But [...]

Stocks saw substantial weakness during trading on Thursday, as traders reacted negatively to a disappointing batch of U.S. economic data. Lingering concerns about the financial situation in Europe also continued to weigh on the markets.

The major averages saw further downside going into the close, ending the session at or near their lows for the [...]

Autodesk Inc. said Thursday its profit for the first quarter increased from last year as demand for its design software suites helped revenue growth across all regions. Earnings for the quarter were in line with Street estimates, while revenue topped expectations. Moving forward, Autodesk provided its outlook for the second quarter, with the midpoint of [...]

Limited Brands Inc. said Wednesday after the markets closed its first quarter profit fell 25% from last year, hurt by lower sales and the absence of gains from special items that it recorded in the prior year period. However, the company’s quarterly earnings per share came in above analysts’ expectations. At the same time, the [...]