Your customized headlines for Fri, Jul 27, 2012

Stock markets surged Thursday on assurances that the euro will be kept intact. Durable goods orders were up. And the number of people seeking unemployment benefits was down.

But analysts said that those bright spots were not enough to alter a gloomy economic picture marked by tepid hiring.

BERLIN – Europe's most powerful banker made an extraordinary pledge Thursday to do "whatever it takes" to defend the troubled euro currency, sparking a rally in world stock markets on the prospect of help from the almost unlimited resources of the European Central Bank.

In its second settlement in eight days, McLean-based Capital One Bank will pay $12 million in restitution to troops who were unlawfully denied reprieve from high interest rates, foreclosure and car repossession while on active duty.

Facebook reported earnings Thursday that met expectations but failed to convince investors that the social network had found a business model that would make it an enduring powerhouse.

That sobering realization was reflected in a massive sell-off of the company's stock. After its second-quarter performance was unveiled, shares plunged 11 percent, reaching their lowest since the company's initial public offering in May. Other companies that rely on Facebook's platform for sales also saw their stocks fall.

Washington real estate has fared better in recent years than the national housing market, which has been swamped with foreclosures, falling prices and homes that are worth less than than their owners owe on them.

Stock markets surged Thursday on assurances that the euro will be kept intact. Durable goods orders were up. And the number of people seeking unemployment benefits was down.

But analysts said that those bright spots were not enough to alter a gloomy economic picture marked by tepid hiring.