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Bank of America Corp will sell the securities it will use to help repay $45 billion in government bailout funds Thursday evening, based on extraordinary interest, its chief financial officer said.

Stocks were little changed on Thursday as data showing that the vast U.S. services sector contracted in November stoked concerns about the strength of the recovery, offsetting Bank of America's plan to repay $45 billion of government aid.

Bank of America Corp will sell the securities it will use to help repay $45 billion in government bailout funds Thursday evening, based on extraordinary interest, its chief financial officer said.

U.S. stocks lost ground on Thursday after data showing the U.S. services sector shrank unexpectedly in November offset Bank of America's plans to repay $45 billion in taxpayer bailout funds.

U.S. stock index futures rose on Thursday after Bank of America Corp said it would repay $45 billion in taxpayer bailout funds.

The Nasdaq rose on Wednesday as strong online holiday sales boosted shares of retailers, including Amazon.com , and relieved some concerns about the consumer.

Bank of America Corp has reached an agreement with the U.S. government repay its $45 billion in bailout funds in the next few days, the company said on Wednesday.

Citigroup said there are substantial risks facing U.S. bank stocks now, but in the near term these stocks can grind higher given a combination of the Federal Reserve's accommodative stance plus a modest recovery.

U.S. banks have already recognized two-thirds of an estimated $2.1 trillion to $2.6 trillion in credit losses, but prime mortgage and commercial real estate would contribute more to the remaining losses, Goldman Sachs said.

Bank of America Corp , the largest U.S. bank, amended on Friday the compensation agreements of two senior executives, following a review by the pay czar.

The costs to insure the debt of some big U.S. banks against potential default rose between 10 and 20 basis points on Friday amid a selloff in riskier assets on investors' concerns about Dubai's debt difficulties.

The United Arab Emirate has total debt amounting to $184 billion at the end of 2009, according to estimates by Bank of America-Merrill Lynch, which said the region faces a heavy redemption schedule until 2013. Dubai's shock announcement this week that it is seeking to suspend payments on debt of its state-owned conglomerate Dubai World and property subsidiary Nakheel has roiled global markets, r...

Bank of America Corp has asked a Manhattan federal court to dismiss an investor class-action lawsuit over its Merrill Lynch & Co purchase, including disclosures about Merrill's losses and bonus payouts.

The U.S. Federal Reserve this month asked banks that were part of its stress tests to submit plans to repay government money, if they have not already repaid it, a person familiar with the situation said on Tuesday.

Luxury goods sales will return to growth next year with profitability increasing more than revenues thanks to strong cost containment policies in 2009, according to a Bank of America Merrill Lynch report.

A trade group for the lenders that finance half the capital equipment investment in the United States said on Monday that U.S. businesses remain hesitant about borrowing to invest in their operations.

Bank of America may extend its search for a new chief executive into next year if its board is unable to pick a candidate in the next four days, according to a report on the Bloomberg News website.

Bank of America Corp Chief Executive Kenneth Lewis has said he would consider postponing his retirement if directors need more time to find a successor or smooth the transition to the next CEO, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

Bank of America Corp Chief Executive Kenneth Lewis has said he would consider postponing his retirement if directors need more time to find a successor or smooth the transition to the next CEO, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

U.S. chocolate maker Hershey Co is considering launching a bid of at least $17 billion for British chocolatier Cadbury Plc in an effort to outstrip a hostile offer by Kraft Foods Inc, a source familiar with the matter said on Friday.

Chip stocks fell on Thursday after Bank of America Merrill Lynch downgraded the sector on a possible inventory correction, although two of Europe's top chipmakers were upbeat about recovery prospects.

Semiconductor stocks fell sharply after BofA Merrill Lynch turned bearish on the industry and downgraded several chipmakers, including Intel Corp , citing a modest rise in inventories.

Investors shifted out of bonds into equities and commodities in November as confidence in the global economic recovery underpinned their risk appetite, a survey showed on Wednesday.

John Thain, former Merrill Lynch & Co Inc chief executive, wants the world to know that he has never thrown a chair.

A congressional panel accused Bank of America Corp on Tuesday of knowing about Merrill Lynch's huge losses as early as November 2008, suggesting the bank misled investors in saying it did not grasp the depth of the problems until the following month.

Chevron Corp, the second-largest U.S. oil company, would only seek mergers and acquisitions that add scale and fit strategically with the rest of the company, its chief financial officer said on Tuesday.

Chinese and U.S. regulators are negotiating a pact aimed at encouraging Chinese financial institutions to buy into small and medium-sized banks in the United States, bankers briefed on the plan said on Tuesday.

New York Stock Exchange member firms earned a record $35.7 billion for their broker-dealer operations in the first six months of this year, which is 1-1/2 times above the previous high-water mark set in 2000, the state comptroller said in a report on Tuesday.

GMAC Chief Executive Al de Molina has resigned, and will be replaced by Michael Carpenter, the troubled lender said on Monday.