VENTURE CAPITAL POST

Oil prices were steady on Thursday as an unexpected build in U.S. gasoline inventories offset a higher than forecast draw in crude stocks.

Persistent concerns of Greece leaving the euro weighed on European stocks on Thursday, with the lack of progress in negotiations on a cash-for-reform deal for Athens pushing investors towards safe-haven German Bunds.

Cree Inc said it would reduce manufacturing capacity at its light-emitting diode factory, as it struggles with a decline in prices, and take an $85 million restructuring charge.

The family businesses that make up the global diamond trade have seen their profits wiped out over the past five years, hit by shaky financing, increased costs and uncertain demand from customers who prefer hi-tech gadgets to bling.

U.S. lawmakers approved legislation key to securing a hallmark Pacific trade deal by a comfortable margin on Wednesday, advancing President Barack Obama's efforts to strengthen U.S. economic ties with Asia.

The United States and China urged each other on Wednesday to remove barriers to foreign investment, saying that business ties were vital to overall relations, although they appeared to achieve little beyond rhetoric at a high profile three-day meeting that was overshadowed by security rivalries.

Plans by Brazil's Petrobras to sell its stake in ethanol and sugar producer Guarani SA have hit a snag as the state-run oil company has not been offered enough money for the asset, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said.

JPMorgan (JPM.N) has hired Arkadi Nachimowski from Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) to head its chemicals team in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), according to a memo seen by Reuters on Wednesday.

Finnish utility Fortum (FUM1V.HE) said on Wednesday it has failed so far to reach a deal with Russia's Gazprom (GAZP.MM) and Rosatom on assets swap in Russia to allow it to take stakes in Fennovoima nuclear power plant project.

Sentiment at some of Asia's biggest firms has deteriorated as a slowing Chinese economy, Greek sovereign debt crisis and looming U.S. interest rate hike create deepening concern about the state of the world economy, a Thomson Reuters/INSEAD survey showed.

Wal-Mart Stores will begin charging fees to almost all vendors for stocking their items in new stores and for warehousing inventory, raising pressure on suppliers as the world’s largest retailer battles higher costs from wage hikes.

Google Inc launched a free version of its music streaming service on Tuesday, as it sought to upstage the debut of Apple Inc's rival service next week.

British private equity firm Charterhouse [CHCAP.UL] is working with JP Morgan (JPM.N) on options for healthcare company Tunstall, in a deal which could value the company at up to 700 million pounds ($1.1 billion), a source familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

U.S. stocks ended with slight gains on Tuesday, with the Nasdaq eking out another record close while investors continued to await clarity on whether Greece could reach a deal to prevent defaulting on its loans.

Netflix Inc (NFLX.O) said on Tuesday its board of directors approved a seven-for-one stock split. The split will be effected in the form of a stock dividend of six additional shares for each outstanding share, the company said in a statement.