In the global market gold witnessed no major movements as the traders are waiting for the US job data which will be released later.
The U.S. Treasury is concerned about how many foreign investors it should allow to buy big stakes in General Motors Co's proposed initial public offering, the Wall Street Journal said.
The FTSE 100 is seen climbing 7-8 points on open on Friday, with moves seen muted ahead of closely watched employment data from the United States.
The dollar struggled on Friday while the euro and other higher-risk currencies were off the day's highs as investors braced for weak U.S. jobs data that may fuel more risk aversion.
At least 25 suspected drug gang members were killed in an army raid in rural northeastern Mexico on Thursday, the army said in a press release.
Stock index futures pointed to a slightly lower open on Wall Street on Friday, with futures for the S&P 500 down 0.21 percent, Dow Jones futures down 0.17 percent and Nasdaq100 futures flat at 0725 GMT (3:25 a.m. ET).
Gold prices were steady on Thursday, with buyers cautious on the physical market, as investors wait for key U.S. job data due later in the day for further clues on health of the economy.
Data released on Thursday showed a surprise rebound in pending sales of previously owned homes in July, as well as a fall in new jobless claims last week in the U.S.
The euro and high-yielding currencies held firm on Friday after an improvement in U.S. housing and jobless claims data bolstered investor appetite for risk ahead of key U.S. jobs data due later in the day.
Still, reflecting simmering worries about a slowdown in the U.S. and global economies, the yen was locked near a 15-year high against the dollar and the Swiss franc hovered near a record peak against the euro.
Oil fell on Friday for the first day in three as traders awaited U.S. monthly jobs data, while Hurricane Earl neared the country's east coast, fuelling concerns of disruptions to refineries and demand during the Labor Day long weekend.
Gold prices were mixed in Asian trade Friday ahead of a key US jobs data while ETF gold eased.
Gold for immediate delivery was seen trading at $1249.64 an ounce at 12.00 noon Singapore time while US gold futures for December delivery was at $1251.7 an ounce at the same time.
Banks said they need to be more open about the size of their bonus pools and the methodology for paying star bankers, after making progress in other areas of reforming pay structures.
News Corp Chief Executive Rupert Murdoch said the global economy is still in an uncertain state and the media industry is going through a fundamental transformation that is unpredictable
Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc , the bankrupt U.S. investment bank, needs at least $550 million to keep its two bank units going as it prepares to sell them or shut them down in 18 months, court documents show.
U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said he was partly to blame for leaving the wrong impression that the central bank could have saved Lehman Brothers from failure in 2008.
Billionaire investor Ron Burkle plans to appeal a Delaware court ruling that upheld an anti-takeover poison pill put in place by bookseller Barnes & Noble Inc .
General Motors' new boss Dan Akerson sent his first letter to staff on Thursday, saying he valued the role of organized labor in the company's success as GM heads into negotiations with its union-represented U.S. workers next year.
Verizon Wireless on Thursday started giving smartphone users the option of paying for calls in advance instead of committing to long-term contracts, a move that pits it directly against rivals like Leap Wireless .
Israeli and Palestinian leaders began their first round of direct peace negotiations in more than a year on Thursday, pledging to meet again in two weeks as part of a U.S.-brokered quest for peace.
U.S. regulators probing the May flash crash are focusing on a trading practice known as quote stuffing, in which large numbers of rapid-fire orders to buy or sell stocks are placed and canceled almost immediately.
Pending sales of previously owned U.S. homes rebounded unexpectedly in July and new claims for jobless benefits fell last week, helping quell fears the economy could face a double-dip recession.
Robert Prechter speaks to IBTimes about mass psychology in the financial markets and specifically about the Greek sovereign debt crisis.
The European Central Bank extended its liquidity safety net for vulnerable euro zone banks into next year, delaying its exit from crisis measures for now as it urged caution about the economic recovery.
