Germany plans electric car motorway charging stations: document

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany plans to expand the network of charging stations for electric cars across the country to help boost lackluster demand, a Transport Ministry paper seen by Reuters showed.

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Volkswagen's Audi aims to launch two electric vehicles by 2018: CEO

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Volkswagen's premium Audi division aims to bring two purely electric vehicles to market by 2018 as it tries to catch up with rivals such as Tesla Motors and BMW .

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U.S. holiday sales show steady growth: MasterCard

(Reuters) - The 2014 holiday season showed steady growth over the last year on strong demand for jewelry and women's apparel, according to data published by MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse, which tracks customer spending during the holiday season.

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Stock futures edge higher, on track for weekly gain

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures edged higher on Friday, putting major indexes on track for a second straight weekly advance, though moves were likely to be slight with few market catalysts and many traders still out for the Christmas holiday.

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Buffett-backed BYD's chairman increases stake, may buy more

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - BYD Co Ltd , the Chinese carmaker backed by Warren Buffett, said on Wednesday its chairman has increased his stake in the company and may buy more shares as a sign of confidence following the stock's record slump last week.

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U.S. jobless claims fall for fourth straight week

WASHINGTON, Dec 24 (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week, underscoring the economy's enduring strength.

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Stock futures flat after five-day rally; jobless claims data on tap

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures were little changed on Wednesday, after a five-day winning streak pushed the Dow and S&P 500 to new closing records and ahead of data on the labor market.

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China unveils fresh support for outbound investment

BEIJING (Reuters) - China will simplify currency rules and step up credit support for firms investing overseas, the cabinet said on Wednesday,

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