TOP STORIES 
 
U.S. ECONOMY EXPANDED 2.3% IN SECOND QUARTER

The U.S. economy accelerated modestly in the second quarter-up 2.3%-after a slow start to 2015, but growth this year is still less than last year's tepid first half and is well below the overall pace of the recovery.

LINKEDIN EARNINGS TOP EXPECTATIONS

LinkedIn reported a surprise increase in profit, a sign that the professional network is seeing success as it shifts strategies.

U.S. STOCKS END FLAT AMID EARNINGS, GDP DATA

U.S. stocks ended the trading day little changed Thursday as investors focused on the latest batch of corporate earnings.

AMGEN RAISES 2015 OUTLOOK, RESULTS BEAT EXPECTATIONS

The biotechnology company raised its 2015 guidance after reporting that its second-quarter earnings rose 6.9% on better-than-expected sales growth and lower operating expenses.

GOOGLE QUIETLY DISTRIBUTES NEW VERSION OF GLASS

Google is quietly distributing a new version of its Glass wearable computer aimed at businesses in industries such as healthcare, manufacturing and energy, according to people familiar with the situation.

DEUTSCHE BANK DIDN'T ARCHIVE CHATS USED BY SOME EMPLOYEES TIED TO LIBOR PROBE

A month after reaching a $2.5 billion settlement over interest rate rigging, Deutsche Bank told regulators its disclosures may have been incomplete because it accidentally failed to archive electronic chats involving its employees.

ELECTRONIC ARTS RAISES GUIDANCE ON STRONG QUARTER

Electronic Arts raised its guidance for its recently started fiscal year as the company turned in a better-than-expected performance for the quarter ended in June.

BOEING MOVES TOP EXECUTIVE TO FIX AERIAL TANKER PROJECT

Boeing has assigned its aircraft development chief to right its troubled aerial refueling tanker project, on the heels of a surprise $835 million charge to its second-quarter earnings, the company said in an internal memo to staff.

NASDAQ OMX, MARKIT EXPRESS INTEREST IN IDC

Nasdaq OMX Group Inc. and Markit Ltd. have expressed interest in acquiring financial data provider Interactive Data Corp., according to people familiar with the matter.

EXPEDIA PROFIT TOPS EXPECTATIONS

Expedia posted better-than-expected profit in its second quarter, as brands like its namesake and Hotels.com continued to drive bookings growth.

P&G FAILS TO SHAKE CONTINUED WEAKNESS

Procter & Gamble's sales growth decelerated over the past year, underlining the challenges it faces as it completes the exits of close to 100 brands and installs a new chief executive in the coming months.

OBAMA ASKS SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW INSIDER-TRADING RULING

The Obama administration asked the Supreme Court to review last year's insider-trading decision by a federal appeals court that overturned two convictions and set a higher standard for proving the financial crime.

T-MOBILE RAISES SUBSCRIBER-GROWTH OUTLOOK

T-Mobile US Inc. reported a strong profit in the second quarter alongside impressive customer growth, a rare feat in the wireless industry.

TIME WARNER CABLE PROFIT FALLS, DESPITE STRONG SUBSCRIBER GROWTH

Time Warner Cable said profit fell 7.2% in its latest quarter, as higher programming costs and a pension expense offset higher revenue and subscriber growth.

SHELL TO CUT 6,500 JOBS AS PROFIT DROPS

Shell announced plans to slash 6,500 jobs amid a slump in oil prices that has sent a wave of job cuts rippling through the industry.

INTERCONTINENTAL HOTELS SAYS IT ISN'T IN COMBINATION TALKS WITH STARWOOD

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC said Thursday it isn't in talks with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. over a possible combination of the two businesses.

GNC TO SHIFT MORE TOWARD FRANCHISES; SHARES JUMP

GNC Holdings Inc. shares rose Thursday as it said it would shift more toward franchise locations, which have shown recent strength, though the company also reported earnings and revenue below Wall Street views for its latest quarter.

FIAT CHRYSLER'S PROFIT JUMPS

Fiat Chrysler reported a two-thirds jump in second-quarter profit as it showed a strong improvement in its North America margins and consolidated a timid turnaround in Europe.

ANHEUSER-BUSCH INBEV POSTS SHARP PROFIT DROP

Anheuser-Busch InBev reported a sharp drop in net profit for the second quarter that missed analysts' expectations, as revenue fell in four of the company's six markets, including the U.S. and Brazil.

SIEMENS CEO RECENTLY MET WITH BOMBARDIER EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN

Siemens AG Chief Executive Joe Kaeser said Thursday that he recently met with the executive chairman of Bombardier. The two companies have held talks about potential linkups between their rail operations.

 
 
 
  ======= DOW JONES NEWSWIRES ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARIES ======= 
 
 
Markets Main 
IN CHINA STOCKS, LATE JOLTS ARE NEW NORMAL

Anyone trading Chinese shares shouldn't take a long lunch. That is the lesson from the Shanghai market's behavior in recent days, as margin calls and moves linked to government buying shake up trading.

 
Markets Main 
ATLANTA FED GDP TRACKER WINS  FORECASTING RACE

In the contest to accurately estimate second-quarter economic growth, a tracker created by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta once again did better than private-sector rivals.