WORLD FINANCE UPDATE:
The Australian dollar is higher after disappointing US economic data raised the possibility that the US Federal Reserve might not taper its economic stimulus program as fast has first thought.
At 0630 AEDT on Friday, the local unit was trading at 89.85 US cents, up from 89.34 cents on Thursday.
And the Australian share market looks set to open higher following gains on Wall Street which rallied after several companies reported higher earnings.
At 0645 AEDT on Friday, the March share price index futures contract was up 40 points at 5,303.
ELSEWHERE:
WASHINGTON - The number of Americans seeking US unemployment benefits rose 8,000 last week to 339,000, evidence that layoffs ticked up.
WASHINGTON - Cold weather across much of the US contributed to a drop in retail sales in January.
MONTREAL - The world's largest gold miner, Toronto-based Barrick Gold Corp, has announced massive losses while forecasting rising costs and less gold to dig for profitably.
PURCHASE, New York - PepsiCo's fourth-quarter net income has climbed five per cent, helped by higher prices and improved volumes.
GENEVA - Nestle, the world's biggest food and drink company, says it expects 2014 to be just as challenging as last year amid weaker growth in emerging markets along with falling prices and deflationary pressure in Europe.
LONDON - Profit and revenue will flatten for Rolls-Royce this year, the engine maker warns, as government cutbacks on defence spending ends the company's decade of rampant growth.
CLEVELAND - Strong fourth-quarter results in Goodyear's core North American market helped the tyre maker beat Wall Street estimates.
NEW YORK - Cable operator Comcast has announced plans to buy Time Warner Cable for about $US45.2 billion ($A50 billion) in an all-stock deal that would combine the top two US cable TV companies.
NEW YORK - Burger King has reported a higher quarterly profit as growth overseas helped lift a key sales figure.
LONDON - British energy engineering group AMEC will take over Swiss-headquartered rival Foster Wheeler in a $US3.3 billion ($A3.67 billion) deal that will strengthen its position in the oil sector and high-growth regions.
