Weekly U.S. jobless claims climb 26,000 to 436,000
Last Update: 12/2/2010 3:40:01 AM
New applications for U.S. unemployment benefits jump 26,000 to 436,000.

ECB rates unchanged, focus on Trichet
Last Update: 12/2/2010 3:00:56 AM
The European Central Bank holds its key lending rate unchanged at a record-low 1%, but the focus remains on ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet’s upcoming news conference amid growing expectations the central bank will attempt to soothe the euro zone’s sovereign-debt crisis.
EURUSD

U.S. stock futures gain ahead of economic data
Last Update: 12/2/2010 3:06:34 AM
Wall Street looks to extend gains, as investors await housing and labor-market data, while the European Central Bank keeps rates steady as expected.
DJZ10,  SPZ10,  NDZ10,  DJIA,  COST,  KR,  PEP,  WBD,  ARO,  ST:STOXX600

PepsiCo to buy stake in Russia’s Wimm-Bill-Dann
Last Update: 12/2/2010 3:16:36 AM
PepsiCo Inc. will buy a 66% stake in Russia’s Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods and later plans to make an offer for the remaining shares, bringing the company a step closer to building a $30 billion nutrition business by 2020.
PEP,  WBD

Euro extends rise as Spain sells 3-year bonds
Last Update: 12/2/2010 12:05:36 AM
LONDON (MarketWatch) -- The Spanish government on Thursday sold 2.468 billion euros ($3.24 billion) in three-year bonds at a maximum yield of around 3.8%, analysts said. The yield rose sharply from a previous sale, as expected given the recent selloff in peripheral euro-zone bond markets. The yield in a previous sale of the same issue was 2.52%. The three-year bond had traded in the 3.95% area ahead of the sale, said analysts at UniCredit Bank in Milan. Bids exceeded supply 2.27 times. The euro pressed to a new session high versus the dollar after the results to trade at $1.3190, a gain of 0.6% from Wednesday. Spanish bond yields declined, narrowing the yield spread between 10-year Spanish and German bonds to around 2.39 percentage points versus more than 2.5 percentage points Wednesday.