Stocks seen opening higher as credit fears fade

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks were seen opening higher on Thursday, after Bank of America's $2 billion injection into troubled U.S. mortgage lender Countrywide lifted investors' confidence.

Bank of America invests $2 billion in Countrywide

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Countrywide Financial Corp on Wednesday received a $2 billion injection from Bank of America Corp , helping the largest U.S. mortgage lender shore up its finances as it struggles with a liquidity crunch.

Countrywide seen leading financials higher

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Countrywide Financial Corp was expected to lead financial shares higher on Thursday after receiving a $2 billion injection from Bank of America Corp, easing fears the largest U.S. mortgage lender could go bankrupt and boosting optimism the sector will weather a credit shortage.

Sale of Home Depot supply unit in doubt: report

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A private equity-led buyout of home-improvement retailer Home Depot Inc's wholesale supply division, due to close on Thursday, could be in trouble because investment banks involved are reluctant to fund the transaction even at a lower price, the Financial Times reported in its online edition, citing people familiar with the negotiations.

Jobless claims down 2,000 last week

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for jobless aid fell 2,000 last week, government data on Thursday showed, while the number of people still collecting benefits rose to its highest since April.

Barnes & Noble profit gets lift from Harry Potter

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Barnes & Noble Inc , the world's largest book retailing chain, posted a higher quarterly profit on Thursday, helped by higher sales driven by record demand for "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," the final book in the popular series.

Children's Place second-quarter net loss widens

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Children's Place Retail Stores Inc on Thursday posted a preliminary quarterly net loss that nearly doubled, hurt by fees related to a stock option probe and said its license agreement with Walt Disney Co could be jeopardized by several missed deadlines.

GameStop quarterly profit jumps

NEW YORK (Reuters) - GameStop Corp , the top U.S. video game retailer, posted on Thursday a near seven-fold jump in quarterly profit, helped by strong sales of interactive games and game consoles.

KKR denies report that IPO on hold

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co (KKR) on Wednesday denied a report by the Times of London saying that the private equity firm has put its $1.25 billion initial public offering on hold.