Telegraph.co.uk Ahead of the Bell: EBay gains after 1Q earningsForbes, NYAP , 04.23.09, 08:40 AM EDT Shares of eBay Inc. jumped before the open Thursday on the back of earnings from the day before that topped Wall Street expectations. Shares rose 6.6 percent, or 97 cents, to $15.75 after closing at …

US HOT STOCKS: EBay, PNC Financial Services, RadioShackWall Street JournalAmong the companies whose shares are actively trading in the session are eBay Inc. (EBAY) and PNC Financial Services Group Inc. (PNC). EBay Inc.'s (EBAY, $16.08, +$1.30, +8.80%) first-quarter net income fell 22% as the slump in online sales led to …

Telegraph.co.uk Prized sculpture returns to townBBC News, UKThe Dame Barbara Hepworth sculpture, Rosewall, had been on display in Chesterfield for 40 years but owners Royal Mail planned to sell it. The Art Fund Charity, the borough council and local developers managed to raise £500000 to buy it. …Dame Barbara Hepworth sculpture …

For each of the major negative signs in eBay’s first-quarter results, there was a reassuring “but.” Sales fell 8%, to $2 billion, from a year earlier but were higher than estimates the company provided in January. Earnings fell 21% from the previous year, to 39¢ a share. More: continued here

Officials: Food stamps provide financial boonSan Mateo Daily Journal, CABy Michelle Durand An increase in food stamp use is giving needy residents access to a basic necessity but county officials say the program benefits the entire county by directing dollars back into local coffers. The greater demand for the program, … …

Business Gazette Council considers closing post officeBusiness Gazette, MDMackinnon doesn't drive and is upset that the city is considering closing the small post office in the Greenbelt Municipal Building near her home. With a tight fiscal 2010 budget, the Greenbelt City Council may decide that the cost of the post office… …

The union said Wednesday it will press on with efforts to represent FedEx Ground drivers after an appeals court ruling favored the company. More: continued here

U.S. online auctioneer eBay Inc won final approval from South Korea’s antitrust watchdog for its planned acquisition of Gmarket Inc, subject to conditions such as a commission freeze for the next three years. More: continued here

First class hydrogen delivery serviceGasworld.com (subscription), UKRed goes green: Royal Mail is taking the first steps towards a hydrogen delivery service. Royal Mail, the uk's flagship postal delivery service, has reportedly taken delivery of three hydrogen-fuelled vehicles in the first steps towards a zero carbon … More: continued here

In a major victory for FedEx, a divided appellate panel held that thousands of drivers for its home-delivery subsidiary were independent contractors. More: continued here