updated 4:16 pm ET

Stocks dip as investors weigh recovery bets

U.S. stocks fell for third straight day on Friday as investors took weaker-than-expected results from computer maker Dell and homebuilder D.R. Horton as a further sign that the recovery would be anemic.

EQUITIES

NBC sign on the General Electric building in New York

Vivendi stake sale in NBCU hinges on price, timing

Talks on the sale of Vivendi SA's NBC Universal stake to General Electric Co hinge on when Vivendi would get paid as well as how much, people familiar with the matter said on Friday.

TECH

Dell bets on corporate spending for recovery

Dell , the world's No.3 PC brand, said on Friday that its core business of selling computers to companies was returning, after a sharp drop-off during the global downturn led to disappointing quarterly results.

POLITICS & POLICY

State, local budget cuts a "time bomb" for U.S. jobs

Budget shortfalls pose a direct threat to millions of U.S. jobs, many in the private sector, as state and local governments lay off workers and cut spending on contracts and other business services, a think tank said on Thursday.

FINANCE

Goldman holders seek bonus pool reduction: report

Some big Goldman Sachs Group Inc shareholders have asked the U.S. bank to cut what could be the biggest bonuses in its history to pass more profit onto investors, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

IBT Features

U.S. dollar no longer a one-way bet

Cautious optimism as job losses slow

The pace of job losses slowed in many U.S. states in October, and the unemployment rate slipped in hard-hit Michigan, the Labor Department said on Friday, hinting the recession may be easing in some areas. Full Story

No worries on inflation; Goldman Investors want More; Dell's Sales Outlook

Two senior Fed officials say the weak economy means inflation is not yet a big risk
Some of the financial firms want more of the profits distributed to investors, not employees
Dell says computer sales are growing again as analysts expect PC shipments to grow in 2010 and 2011

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