Wall Street ends flat in late-day reversal

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks staged a late-day reversal on Wednesday, rallying into the close as a sharp rise in materials shares boosted the S&P 500 and gains in Apple helped lift the Nasdaq.

Chesapeake defends board in letter to shareholders

(Reuters) - Chesapeake Energy Corp defended its board of directors in a letter to shareholders on Wednesday as investors push for governance changes at the U.S. oil and gas company.

NYSE pitches listing to Facebook after IPO mess: source

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Facebook is considering a stock-listing proposal put forward by the New York Stock Exchange, a source familiar with the situation told Reuters, in the wake of a disappointing initial public offering last week on the rival Nasdaq bourse.

HP to lay off about 27,000, profit slides 31 percent

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Hewlett Packard Co said on Wednesday it would lay off roughly 27,000 employees or about 8 percent of its workforce to jumpstart growth, and its shares rose 11 percent.

Goldman sets $40 billion clean energy investment plan

(Reuters) - Goldman Sachs Group Inc plans to channel investments totaling $40 billion over the next decade into renewable energy projects, an area the investment bank called one of the biggest profit opportunities since its economists got excited about emerging markets in 2001.

Housing market recovery gains traction

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. spring home-selling season got off to a strong start in April, with rising sales and prices providing evidence that a housing market recovery was gaining some traction.

Eurozone looks at Greek exit as leaders meet

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European leaders, at odds over how to resolve the deepening crisis in the euro zone on Wednesday, have been advised by senior officials to prepare contingency plans in case Greece quits the single currency area.

Gupta trial jury told of "top secret" Buffett deal

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The deal that gave Goldman Sachs Group Inc a $5-billion boost from renowned investor Warren Buffet at the height of the 2008 financial crisis was "as top secret as you could get," a leading banker testified on Wednesday at the insider-trading trial of onetime Goldman board member Rajat Gupta.

Facebook, banks sued over pre-IPO analyst calls

(Reuters) - Facebook Inc and lead underwriter Morgan Stanley were sued by shareholders who claimed they hid the social networking company's weakened growth forecasts ahead of its $16 billion initial public offering.

Spain struggles to meet regions' 36 billion-euro debts

MADRID (Reuters) - Top Spanish officials are at odds over how to help the country's highly indebted regions refinance 36 billion euros of debt this year, government sources told Reuters on Wednesday.