(Reuters) - Travelers Companies Inc (TRV.N) posted a higher-than-expected quarterly profit and the largest publicly traded U.S. property insurer said there were early signs businesses were finally willing to spend more on insurance. Despite deep-seated pessimism about pricing and competition among property and casualty insurers worldwide in 2011, Travelers said things were actually looking up, with pricing "modestly better" in the fourth quarter than the third.

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(Reuters) - U.S. consumer confidence rose more than expected in January to its highest level in eight months, helped by growing optimism about the economy and the jobs market, according to a private sector report released on Tuesday. The Conference Board, an industry group, said its index of consumer attitudes jumped to 60.6 in January, the highest since May 2010, from an upwardly revised 53.3 in December. The median of forecasts from analysts polled by Reuters was for a figure of 54.3.

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(Reuters) - Diversified U.S. manufacturer 3M Co (MMM.N) reported higher-than-expected quarterly results on Tuesday, lifted by strong sales of products to the electronics industry. But the results, which were only slightly higher than Wall Street analysts predicted, appeared to disappoint investors wowed by recent earnings blowouts from other industrial names including DuPont (DD.N) and General Electric Co (GE.N), sending 3M's shares lower in early trading.

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(Reuters) - Stocks rose in early Monday trading, lifted by natural resource shares on bets on global growth and a buyback plan at Intel that focused investor attention on the largecap technology sector. Intel Corp (INTC.O) raised its dividend by 15 percent and authorized another $10 billion for stock repurchases, a sign larger technology companies with slower growth may be looking for ways to reward investors.

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(Reuters) - Luxottica (LUX.MI), the world's biggest premium eyewear group, expects a solid 2011 after stronger demand for luxury brands, especially in the United States and Asia, boosted 2010 sales to record levels. The maker of Ray-Ban and Oakley sunglasses said on Monday 2010 net sales hit a record 5.80 billion euros ($7.9 billion), helped by consumers' improving confidence in its key U.S. market and a more customer-focused retail business.

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(Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury's toxic asset funds have gained 27 percent since they were created to help revive the mortgage-backed securities market, according to data expected to be released later on Monday. As part of the government's deeply unpopular $700 billion bailout program, the funds were set up to remove illiquid securities from banks by matching private capital with taxpayer money and Treasury loans via funds run by private investment managers.

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(Reuters) - Halliburton Co (HAL.N), the world's second-largest oilfield services company, posted a higher-than-expected quarterly profit, boosted by strong demand for oil projects in North America. The rise in oil prices to near $90 a barrel has spurred a bout of fresh spending by energy companies on new wells, overshadowing a decline in natural gas projects as prices for that fuel remained weak.

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(Reuters) - Intel Corp (INTC.O) raised its dividend by 15 percent and authorized another $10 billion in its share buyback program after posting solid results earlier this month. The chipmaker declared a quarterly dividend of 18.12 cents per share on Monday. Intel's board also increased its share buyback program by an additional $10 billion, increasing the overall outstanding buyback to $14.2 billion.

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(Reuters) - RadioShack Corp (RSH.N) said its Chief Executive Julian Day plans to retire at its annual shareholder meeting slated for the week of May 16 and forecast a weak fourth-quarter profit, sending its shares down 11 percent. The consumer electronics chain said Chief Financial Officer Jim Gooch will replace Day.

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(Reuters) - Facebook, recently valued at $50 billion, sees opportunities to extend its advertising business beyond the gaming sector, a company executive said on Monday. Facebook is already challenging big Web businesses such as Google and Yahoo for users' time online and for advertising dollars, thanks to its audience of more than 500 million users and the information they share.

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