MARKETS / FINANCE

Stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Wall Street on Thursday, with futures for the S&P 500 up 0.3 percent, Dow Jones futures up 0.2 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.2 percent.

World equities were generally weaker on Thursday, adding to five sessions of losses, although Europe rebounded after recent hits over some of the region's more vulnerable economies.

Government bonds in Australia and South Korea fell on Thursday as investors pushed forward expectations for interest rate rises in 2010 because of bullish growth views, while Asian stocks slid on year-end profit taking.

The Australian dollar surged on Thursday after November jobs growth blew away expectations, while Asian stocks posted small gains ahead of a slew of Chinese economic data on Friday expected to reflect robust growth.

Citigroup Inc plans to pay back TARP by raising money in an equity offering that could be announced as early as Thursday and could be some $20 billion, television network CNBC reported, citing sources.

The U.S. House of Representatives will debate on Thursday the most sweeping changes to financial regulation proposed since the Great Depression, including broad new government powers over large banks and tighter regulation of capital markets.

U.S. appeals judges on Wednesday questioned whether a California trial judge went overboard by awarding MGA Entertainment Inc's Bratz doll franchise to Mattel Inc after MGA lost a copyright infringement trial to its rival in 2008.

The U.S. House of Representatives approved a procedural rule on Wednesday that cleared the way for floor debate to begin on legislation that would give the government broad new powers over large financial firms and tighten bank and capital market regulation.

As the name implies an Umbrella Line is a candle that looks like an umbrella with a small real body and a long lower shadow. In such candles the upper shadow does not exist or is very small. The real body is also very small comparing to the lower shadow.

A former senior IBM Corp executive denied being involved in a sprawling hedge fund insider trading case and asked a court on Wednesday to dismiss civil charges by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Calpers, the biggest U.S. public pension fund, has fired or will sack a number of its real estate portfolio managers amid steep losses for its property assets, according to a report on its web site.

Calpers, the biggest U.S. public pension fund, has fired or will sack a number of its real estate portfolio managers amid steep losses for its property assets, according to a report on its web site.

General Motors Co has replaced the head of its mass-market Chevrolet brand as the management shake-up continues at the top U.S. automaker.

Angry London bankers and traders accused finance minister Alistair Darling on Wednesday of lip service to appease the poor with a levy on bank bonuses.

U.S. wholesalers started restocking in October for the first time in more than a year, suggesting the economy could get a lift as a long-running effort by businesses to pare inventories reaches an end.

U.S. wholesalers started restocking in October for the first time in more than a year, suggesting the economy could get a lift as a long-running effort by businesses to pare inventories reaches an end.

Bank of America Corp fully repaid the U.S. government the $45 billion in aid it took during the height of the financial crisis, the company said on Wednesday.

Stocks ended higher on Wednesday as the U.S. dollar fell and investors' appetite for risk returned, lifting shares of financial, technology and natural resource companies.

Citigroup Inc plans to pay back TARP by raising money in an equity offering that could be announced as early as Thursday and could be some $20 billion, television network CNBC reported, citing sources.

The Australian Dollar opens marginally higher today at 0.9060 after another bout of risk aversion saw the unit trade as low as 0.9017 during Asian trade on Wednesday.

“God bless Tiger. This week we got a huge uplift.” Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz told a crowd of investors in New York on Tuesday at the UBS Media and Communications Conference.

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Stocks ended higher on Wednesday, reversing earlier losses, as a weaker dollar fueled appetite for riskier assets, boosting shares of financial, technology and natural resource companies.

Bank of America Corp fully repaid the U.S. government the $45 billion in aid it took during the height of the financial crisis, the company said on Wednesday.

Shares of U.S. health insurers lost initial gains on Wednesday as new proposed regulations that are part of efforts to overhaul the health system overshadowed momentum from the decline of a government-run insurance plan.

NEW YORK, Dec 9 (Reuters) - U.S. gold futures hit their lowest level in more than three weeks on Wednesday, falling sharply for a fourth-straight session as expectations of a dollar bounce and easing inflation sent bullion investors racing to cut positions.

Once driven by their desire for an up-front profit, wealth advisers have been selling their firms out of fear they may not survive the economic downturn, an industry study released Wednesday said.

Citigroup Inc plans to pay back TARP by raising money in an equity offering that could be announced as early as this Thursday, cable television network CNBC reported on Wednesday, citing sources.

Stocks ended higher on Wednesday as weakness in the U.S. dollar fueled appetite for riskier assets, propelling shares of financial, technology and natural resource companies into a late-hour advance.