(Reuters) - Cisco Systems Inc (CSCO.O) plans to pay a cash dividend to shareholders for the first time, trying to appease investors concerned about its growth and eroding margins and sending its shares up nearly 3 percent. Avian Securities analyst Catharine Trebnick said the quarterly dividend of 6 cents per share, which will be paid to shareholders starting on April 20, broadens the company's appeal to Wall Street as its growth has waned in recent quarters.

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(Reuters) - Wall Street tumbled more than 2 percent on Tuesday and the Nasdaq turned negative for the year as Japan's looming nuclear crisis looked set to thrust financial markets into a period of turmoil. U.S. shares seen as exposed to the disaster as well as economically sensitive stocks plunged.

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(Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei share average plunged 10.6 percent on Tuesday, posting the worst two-day rout since 1987, as hedge funds bailed out after reports of rising radiation near Tokyo. Many mutual funds were left on the sidelines, leaving them poised to dump shares into any rebound. The yen tripped on talk of intervention by authorities trying to contain the economic impact from last week's devastating earthquake and tsunami, but then recovered. Government bond yields rose as investors sold debt to offset stock market losses.

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(Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Reserve looks set to maintain its ultra-loose monetary policy on Tuesday as lofty oil prices and swooning stock markets after Japan's ravaging earthquake raised doubts about the economy's path. The worst earthquake on record for the world's third- largest economy could have substantial ripple effects on the global recovery -- as evidenced by a sharp pullback in global equity prices, with Japanese stocks down over 10 percent.

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(Reuters) - Manufacturing in New York state rose in March to a nine-month high, while prices paid also accelerated in another sign inflation is starting to build. The New York Federal Reserve's report on Tuesday showed its "Empire State" general business conditions index rose to 17.50 from 15.43 the month before and topped a Reuters forecast of 17.00. It was the highest level since June 2010.

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(Reuters) - Japanese leaders tried to calm panicky financial markets on Tuesday as a deepening nuclear power crisis looked certain to increase the toll on an economy already convulsing from a massive earthquake and tsunami. Tokyo's stock market plunged more than 14 percent at one point after the stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant was hit by two explosions and a grim-faced Prime Minister Naoto Kan warned the nation that radioactivity levels had become "significantly" higher.

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(Reuters) - Hewlett-Packard Co Chief Executive Leo Apotheker, outlining his vision for the company, promised to boost earnings and dividends sharply in coming years as it pushes aggressively into cloud computing. Investors had been keen to hear his plans to enhance profitability at the sprawling computing giant, which is vying with International Business Machines Corp in technology services while going up against new rivals from Cisco Systems Inc to Oracle Corp.

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(Reuters) - Once upon a time, BlackBerry was king. Then came the iPhone, followed by Android. And BlackBerry seemingly lost its way -- if not quite its throne. Research In Motion is holding on to profit growth and impressive margins. For all the consumer appeal of Apple products, BlackBerry is still dominant in corporate mobile communications and RIM sells millions of its workaholic devices each quarter to a growing global audience.

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(Reuters) - Renault Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn came under pressure after a dramatic climbdown and public apology following the collapse of an investigation into industrial espionage at the French carmaker. Socialist Party boss Martine Aubry told France Info radio on Tuesday she thought Ghosn should take responsibility for the debacle, which has gripped France since news of executive sackings broke in January. "When an employee makes a mistake in a company, he does not have to apologize -- he is out," she said.

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(Reuters) - European Union finance ministers agreed on Tuesday on tougher rules against excessive borrowing and macroeconomic imbalances, aimed to shore up market confidence and help end the sovereign debt crisis. The ministers backed European Commission proposals to sharpen the 27-nation's budget rules, the Stability and Growth Pact, by introducing financial sanctions for rule-breakers more swiftly and automatically.

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