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Dow and S&P continue to be fueled by General Electric, Exxon Mobil; but Nasdaq slips

Merrill Lynch's fourth-quarter revenue surged as the No. 2 U.S. brokerage bolstered its ranks of financial advisers and added client assets.

Bank of America Corp, the largest U.S. bank by assets, reported a second straight quarterly net loss, hurt by a $2 billion writedown of the value of its mortgage business.

Bank of America Corp, the largest U.S. bank by assets, reported a second straight quarterly loss, driven by a $2 billion writedown of its mortgage business.

US stocks advanced in early trade on Friday as upbeat quarterly results from General Electric and Google and strong German IFO business sentiment data boosted investor sentiment.

Bank of America Corp, the largest U.S. bank by assets, reported a second straight quarterly loss, driven by writedowns in the value of its mortgage business.

The companies whose shares are moving in pre-market trade on Friday are: General Electric, Google, Micron Technology, Sara Lee, American International Group, Schlumberger and Biogen Idec.

Futures on major U.S. indices point to a higher opening on Friday with futures on the S&P 500 up 0.15 percent, futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 0.11 percent and Nasdaq100 futures up 0.15 percent.

The companies that reported earnings before the markets open on Friday are: General Electric, Bank of America, Schlumberger, BB&T, Air Products and SunTrust Banks.

The companies which are expected to see active trade on Friday are: Bank of America, Advanced Micro Devices, Google, General Electric, Intuitive Surgical, Schlumberger, International Game Technology, Emulex and Capital One Financial.

Wells Fargo and US Bancorp said lending profits are being squeezed by low interest rates, but improving credit quality helped both banks post higher-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings.

Wells Fargo and U.S. Bancorp said lending profits are being squeezed by low interest rates, but improving credit quality helped both banks post higher fourth-quarter earnings.

(Corrects first paragraph to show both Wells Fargo and U.S. Bancorp posted higher, not higher-than-expected, earnings)

A sharp drop in bond trading revenue pushed Citigroup Inc fourth-quarter profit far below expectations, highlighting Chief Executive Vikram Pandit's challenges in fully reviving the bank.

China's central bank has cut its 2011 lending target for banks by 10 percent from last year, the official Securities Journal reported on Tuesday, citing unidentified banking sources.

U.S. bank stocks are flying high, and this week's earnings could give investors more reason to be optimistic about the sector.

PRC property developer Evergrande Real Estate Group made history last week with a Rmb9.25bn (US$1.4bn) synthetic renminbi bond - the biggest to date in the fast-growing market.

An improving global economy, solid corporate earnings and even easing fears about euro zone debt have been more than enough to rationalise the rising hunger for riskier assets now prevalent on financial markets.

Bank of America (BofA) has paid $2.8 billion to mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to settle claims that it had sold mortgages to them that did not meet specifications.

High-profile banking analyst Richard Bove said the U.S. banking sector is entering into a “golden age.” The financial strategist at Rochdale Securities explains that banks have so flush cash on their balance sheets that corporate earnings will grow by 20 percent annually over the next few years.

JPMorgan Chase & Co reported higher-than-expected quarterly earnings, helped by narrowing losses on bad loans that allowed it to release $2 billion of reserves.

The devastating floods that have inundated Queensland may significantly reduce Australia’s overall economic growth this year, according to an array of economists and analysts.

A coalition of seven major public pension systems, led by New York City Comptroller John Liu, has asked the boards of four of the largest U.S. banks to examine their mortgage and foreclosure practices.

In a ruling that may affect foreclosures nationwide, Massachusetts' highest court voided the seizure of two homes by Wells Fargo & Co and US Bancorp after the banks failed to show they held the mortgages at the time they foreclosed.

Bank shares are weakening after the Massachusetts State Supreme Judicial Court upheld a decision that two foreclosures from U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB) and Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC) were not valid because the banks did not properly show they held the mortgages at the time of the foreclosure.

Politicians now prefer to appoint JPMorgan executives to highly-visible positions rather than risk public outrage by choosing their Goldman Sachs counterparts.

In a ruling that may affect foreclosures nationwide, Massachusetts' highest court voided the seizure of two homes by Wells Fargo & Co and US Bancorp after the banks failed to show they held the mortgages at the time they foreclosed.

IBTimes compiles a list of the greatest trades of all time with accompying information that explains the rankings.

LinkedIn, the network service for professionals is planning to go public and discussing about a possible IPO, sources informed Reuters.