By Jason Lange. WASHINGTON | Fri May 24, 2013 9:17am EDT. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Orders for long-lasting manufactured goods rose more than expected in April, a hopeful sign that a contraction in factory output could soon run its course.

For Procter & Gamble (PG) shareholders, it's easy to get wistful about the glory days under A.G. Lafley. From the time he took over in June 2000 to his retirement nine years later, Lafley turned P&G from a sluggish underperformer to an innovation machine.

The euro rose on Friday after a German business sentiment survey beat forecasts, suggesting Europe's largest economy is picking up and lessening prospects of further euro zone monetary easing.

By Jessica Dye. Thu May 23, 2013 1:30pm EDT. (Reuters) - A group of U.S. retailers, including Macy's Inc. (M.N) and Target Corp.

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (ANF) declined in early trading after the teen retailer reduced its annual profit forecast and said comparable-store sales would be lower for the remainder of the year.

WASHINGTON�The number of U.S. workers seeking new unemployment benefits fell last week by more than expected, another sign of slow improvement in the labor market.

Friday 14:30 BST. Japanese stocks closed higher, but only after another extremely volatile session leaked uncertainty into global equity markets, which some investors consider vulnerable after many months of strong gains.

Reuters�. Shares of the Sears Holdings Corp. were down 15.4 percent to $49.23 before the bell Friday after the retailer reported a bigger-than-expected quarterly loss Thursday night.

German consumer confidence will jump to the highest in more than 5 1/2 years in June as low unemployment and receding inflation encourage households to spend, GfK AG said.

Some of the political ebb and flow is exactly as expected, with news reports noting that Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., a staunch opponent of the overhaul, is focused on linking the Internal Revenue Scandal with the health law.