S&P on track for 5th straight day of losses

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks fell on Thursday, with the S&P on track for a fifth straight day of declines as weak economic data spooked investors already concerned about the ongoing situation in Europe.

Jobless claims steady, mid-Atlantic factories sag

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New claims for jobless benefits last week held at levels suggesting sluggish growth in hiring and factory activity in the mid-Atlantic region contracted in May, worrisome signs for a still-fragile economic recovery.

Strong Wal-Mart profit trumps bribery probe concerns

(Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc's quarterly profit and sales surpassed expectations on Thursday as more people shopped its established U.S. stores and spent more, pushing its shares up more than 5 percent despite ongoing probes into possible bribery.

Warren Buffett to buy Media General newspapers

(Reuters) - Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc is boosting its bet on the newspaper industry, with a deal to buy the majority of Media General Inc's papers for $142 million in cash, making him one of the largest publishers in the United States.

Analysis: Will mild winter mean summertime blues for retailers?

NEW YORK (Reuters) - With the meteoric jump in shares of Apple Inc and turmoil in the bank sector garnering the spotlight in recent months, one group managed to fly under the radar despite strong gains - retailers.

Analysis: Facebook can't take Asian growth for granted

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Even as Facebook fever grips investors ahead of the social networking giant's potential $100 billion-plus initial public offering, its breakneck growth in Asia may be slowing as it moves beyond desktop users to those who access the Internet largely or solely from a mobile phone.

Dish: FCC timeline for wireless network unrealistic

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Dish Network Corp told U.S. communications regulators on Thursday that their proposed timetable for Dish's planned wireless network was unrealistic and carried too harsh a penalty for failing to meet requirements.

U.S. lawmakers seek info in Wal-Mart corruption probe

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two U.S. lawmakers sought additional information from Wal-Mart Stores Inc in an unfolding corruption investigation, focusing further congressional scrutiny on the scandal over its rapid expansion in Mexico.

Appeals court revives POM lawsuit versus Coca-Cola

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - An appeals court on Thursday revived part of a lawsuit against Coca-Cola Co in which POM Wonderful LLC accused Coke of falsely advertising its "Pomegranate Blueberry" juice product.

Delta Air to trim capacity on trans-Atlantic routes

(Reuters) - Delta Air Lines Inc will cut capacity on trans-Atlantic routes another 5 percent after Labor Day in September, a "proactive" measure aimed at blunting the risk of a weak European currency and soaring fuel costs, airline president Ed Bastian said on Thursday.