ECONOMY & MARKETS

Japan's Nikkei share average hit a two-month high on Friday, boosted by encouraging results from U.S. banks Morgan Stanley (MS.N) and Bank of America (BAC.N), while near-term concerns over Europe eased after successful Spanish debt auctions.

Stocks rose for the third straight day on Thursday, sparked by results from Bank of America and Morgan Stanley and as the latest jobless claims dropped to a near four-year low.

Moody's Investors Service warned Thursday that many European banks and global investment banks are likely to see their credit ratings further downgraded by the agency.

Canada's main stock index touched a 10-week high on Thursday as the financial and energy-linked sectors climbed on easing concerns about the European debt crisis and encouraging U.S. bank earnings.

Canada's moment in the sun as the fastest-growing economy in the G7 club of rich countries is set to end this year, when it will likely underperform the U. S. for the first time in seven years and struggle with a mounting household debt problem.

A major Virgin Islands-based oil refinery partly owned by Hess announced on Wednesday that it was closing, news that has sent gas prices to seasonal highs.

The number of Americans filing for new jobless benefits dropped to a near four-year low last week and factory activity in the mid-Atlantic expanded moderately, suggesting the economy carried some momentum into the new year.

The world economy will lose momentum in 2012 but it will keep moving in the right direction, according to Reuters polls of around 600 economists who said crisis-hit Europe would drag on global growth.

Obama visited Disney World in Orlando, Florida on Thursday to outline his plan to boost tourism.

An increase in unsafe abortions continues to put women's health in jeopardy, despite a worldwide decline in abortions, a new study has found.

General Motors has once again grabbed the largest share of global sales and become the world's largest automaker, moving past sales of Toyota and Volkswagen in 2011.

U.S. 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rates fell to 3.88 percent in the week ending Jan. 19, according to Freddie Mac.

Shares of transportation-focused companies were flying high Wednesday, chugging along to lead the market up after some blue-chip companies in the sector reported surprisingly strong earnings.

The Canadian dollar touched a six-week high against its U.S. counterpart on Thursday after Canadian manufacturing data beat expectations and solid demand at a euro zone debt auction eased investor fears about Europe's sovereign debt crisis.

One of FIFA’s biggest sponsors is U.S. beer behemoth, Budweiser.

Canadian manufacturing sales rebounded in November to their highest level since October 2008 after a mild downturn in October, led by the machinery, automotive and energy sectors, Statistics Canada said on Thursday.

New applications for unemployment benefits dropped to a near four-year low last week, a government report on Thursday showed, pointing to continued improvement in the labor market.

UnitedHealth Group Inc (UNH.N) posted a higher-than-expected fourth-quarter profit on Thursday, helped by increased membership across its array of health plans.

The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers are: F5 Networks, Xilinx, Riverbed Technology, Golar LNG, Altera, Logitech International, eBay, and Apple. The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: Neurocrine Biosciences, Vodafone Group, Research In Motion, and Huntington Bancshares.

The companies expected to see active trade on Thursday are: Microsoft, International Business Machines, Google, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, Intel Corp, eBay, American Express, Intutive Surgical, Southwest Airlines, UnitedHealth Group and Xilinx.

Japan's Nikkei average hit a five-week closing high on Thursday, soaring past its 75-day moving average as the euro climbed on news that the International Monetary Fund is seeking to bolster its funds to stem the euro zone sovereign debt crisis.

World stocks rose to their highest in over two months on Thursday as risk appetite improved on hopes Greece will reach an agreement with its creditors and the International Monetary Fund will boost resources to tackle the euro zone debt crisis.

Eastman Kodak Co, which invented the hand-held camera and helped bring the world the first pictures from the moon, has filed for bankruptcy protection, capping a prolonged plunge for one of America's best-known companies.

The top aftermarket NYSE gainers on Wednesday were: Radioshack Corp, Bridgepoint Education, Webster Financial, Kosmos Energy, Beam Inc, Chico's FAS, Joy Global, Seacor Holdings, Dana Holding and Saks Inc.

The top aftermarket NYSE losers on Wednesday were: BankUnited, Kemet Corp, Arrow Electronics, Nordic American Tankers, Ferro Corp, Omega Protein, Callaway Golf, Vanguard Natural Resources, Venoco and Calgon Carbon Corp.

The IMF currently has a lending capacity of about $380 billion and estimates demand could be about $1 trillion in the medium-term.

Asian shares rose to a two-month high and the euro firmed Thursday after news that the International Monetary Fund was seeking to boost its resources to tackle the euro zone debt crisis helped ease worries about Europe's funding difficulties.

China faces what could be its worst year of growth in a decade with policy firepower that developed nations can only dream of.

Stocks jumped to their highest since July on Wednesday as the International Monetary Fund sought to help countries hit by the European debt crisis, while forecast-beating earnings from Goldman Sachs dispelled some worries over bank profits.