(Reuters) - International markets and a rebound in U.S. auto and truck production lifted profits at diversified U.S. industrial companies, at least six of which beat Wall Street estimates and raised their full-year forecasts on Tuesday. Conglomerate 3M Co (MMM.N), diversified manufacturer Illinois Tool Works Inc (ITW.N), bearings maker Timken Co (TKR.N), engine maker Cummins Inc (CMI.N), farm equipment company Agco Corp (AGCO.N) and filter maker Pentair Inc (PNR.N) all reported higher-than-expected first-quarter profits and said current analyst estimates are too low.

• Read more

(Reuters) - U.S. states and local governments are facing their toughest year so far, as rating downgrades continue to outpace upgrades, Moody's Investors Service said on Tuesday. The first quarter of 2011 marked the ninth consecutive quarter in which downgrades dominated, according to the rating agency. "With negative outlooks assigned to all major municipal sectors, the trend is likely to prevail for all of 2011," said Conor McEachern, a Moody's assistant vice president, in a statement.

• Read more

(Reuters) - Consumer confidence rose in April as inflation expectations eased somewhat and consumers felt better about the short-term outlook, according to a private sector report released on Tuesday. The Conference Board, an industry group, said its index of consumer attitudes rose to 65.4 in April from a revised 63.8 in March. The reading topped analysts' forecasts for 64.5.

• Read more

(Reuters) - United Parcel Service (UPS.N), the world's largest package delivery company, reported a quarterly profit that beat estimates and raised its 2011 forecast, boosting shares in premarket trading. "Given fears over weather and fuel in the quarter this was a very solid report," said Peter Nesvold, Jefferies & Co analyst.

• Read more

(Reuters) - Coca-Cola Co's (KO.N) quarterly results slightly missed Wall Street estimates, as the Japan earthquake and the timing of marketing expenses overshadowed strong sales volume, and its shares fell 2.3 percent. In addition, the world's largest soft-drink maker saw less of a benefit than expected from price increases, and its margins suffered, according to UBS analyst Kaumil Gajrawala.

• Read more

(Reuters) - China's Minmetals Resources bowed out of the battle for copper miner Equinox Minerals on Tuesday, saying Barrick Gold Corp's C$7.3 billion ($7.7 billion) bid was too rich to justify a counter-offer. Canada's Barrick, the world's largest gold miner, announced its agreed deal for Equinox on Monday, seeking to tap surging demand from China and other developing economies that has pushed copper prices up more than sevenfold in the past eight years.

• Read more

(Reuters) - Spain's short-term borrowing costs jumped on Tuesday as euro zone markets returned from the Easter break still fretting about a potential Greek debt restructuring with knock-on effects on other sovereigns. France meanwhile became the first euro zone state publicly to endorse the candidacy of Bank of Italy governor Mario Draghi to succeed Jean-Claude Trichet as president of the European Central Bank later this year.

• Read more

(Reuters) - U.S. stocks rose on Thursday in a holiday-shortened week on earnings and outlooks, but the gains were tempered on signs of regional economic weakness. Apple Inc (AAPL.O) climbed 2.6 percent to $351.20 after its results beat Wall Street's expectations as iPhone and Mac computer sales soared while iPad supplies could not keep up with global demand.

• Read more

(Reuters) - Morgan Stanley's first-quarter profit fell less than many analysts had forecast thanks to stronger-than-expected fixed-income trading results. The bank's shares rose 3.5 percent, even as the bank posted a nearly 50 percent decline in earnings. Revenue in bond trading, long a troubled business for the bank, fell 35 percent from the same quarter last year, which was an unusually strong quarter across Wall Street.

• Read more

(Reuters) - Citigroup Inc (C.N) can be more than just a survivor of the financial crisis, Chief Executive Vikram Pandit told shareholders on Thursday. "We have come a long way and we continue to move forward," Pandit said at the bank's annual meeting in New York. The third-largest U.S. bank by assets, on the brink of failure at the height of the financial crisis, has slowly recovered after getting three government bailouts.

• Read more