Trending Now: ECB Leaves Rates Unchanged

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Popular searches on the Internet include interest rates after the European Central Bank kept interest rates unchanged for the eighth month.

The ECB kept its benchmark interest rate at a record low of 0.75%, where's been since last July. It was largely expected that the bank would leave rates unchanged and hold off on further stimulus, despite the eurozone still being in recession.

The ECB expects the eurozone economy to shrink by 0.3% this year, after contracting by 0.6% last year.

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Jobless claims is also a hot trend after initial claims for state unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell by 7,000 to a seasonally adjusted 340,000.

Economists had expected the number to rise to 355,000. It is the second straight week that the number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits declined.

The four-week moving average for new claims also fell 7,000 to 348,750 -- the lowest level since March 2008.

Claims are still in the low end of a 330,000 to 375,000 range for this year, suggesting that although layoffs have subsided, hiring hasn't picked up.

February's employment report is due out on Friday.

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Yahoo! (YHOO) is trending as CEO Marissa Mayer received a $1.12 million cash bonus for her work in 2012.

Mayer, who has only been on the job since July, will also receive restricted stock worth another $13.3 million.

Mayer will be paid a $1 million base salary for 2013, the same as her base for 2012, and a cash bonus of up to $2 million.

Shares of Yahoo! have risen 46% since Mayer took over. The company posted better-than-expected earnings in the first two quarters during which she was CEO and has revealed turnaround plans to drive its revenue growth.

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Time Warner Inc. (TWX) is another popular search. The company will spin off its magazine division as an independent trading company by the end of this year.

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