MARKETS / FINANCE

The chief executive of General Motors Co reiterated on Thursday that the U.S. automaker would join a rights offering by its struggling South Korean unit, but gave no hint whether GM would put in as much as the unit's biggest creditor wants.

Buoyant corporate earnings lifted investors sentiment again on Thursday, sending world stocks to near 13-month highs.

American International Group Inc's jet-leasing unit International Lease Finance Corp is going to pay back $2 billion in short-term debt which is due Thursday, the Wall Street Journal said, citing company officials.

U.S. mortgage foreclosure filings fell for a second straight month in September, but remained near a record high, amid ongoing and sweeping efforts to keep borrowers in their homes, a report released on Thursday showed.

General Motors Co's CEO Fritz Henderson reiterated on Thursday the company would take part in any rights offer by its struggling South Korean unit.

A lawyer for former Bear Stearns hedge fund manager Ralph Cioffi on Wednesday vigorously defended him against prosecution allegations he repeatedly lied to investors early in the financial crisis, describing as ridiculous one charge of insider trading.

(Corrects by adding dropped words him against in paragraph one)

Calpers, the biggest U.S. public pension fund, said on Wednesday it is probing fees paid by outside money managers to win its business, expanding a review of pay-to-play schemes at public retirement systems that has spread across the nation.

U.S. Federal Reserve policy-makers last month discussed whether they should increase asset buying if the economic outlook worsened, and some argued that more aggressive purchases would aid the recovery.

Intraday support at 0.9030 held firm in local exchange yesterday with strong Chinese Trade data giving the Aussie another boost towards 91 cents. Offshore investors took the AUD/USD to a high around 0.9150 with optimism on the global recovery, following higher than forecast U.S Retail Sales data, continuing to drive sentiment on commodities and commodity based currencies like the AUD. Underlying support for the currency is expected to continue whilst the Greenback remains weak with today's trade...

Lazard Ltd Chief Executive Bruce Wasserstein, a legendary dealmaker for more than 30 years, has died, ending an era at one of Wall Street's best-known investment banks.

The Dow industrials pierced the 10,000 level on Wednesday for the first time in a year on surprisingly robust company results and better-than-expected retail sales.

Federal Reserve policy-makers last month discussed whether they should increase asset buying if the economic outlook worsened and some argued that more aggressive purchases would aid the recovery.

Two former Bear Stearns Cos managers whose hedge funds collapsed early in the financial crisis lied to investors to save their bonuses and reputation, a U.S. prosecutor said in an opening statement at their trial Wednesday on fraud charges.

JPMorgan Chase & Co's robust $3.6 billion quarterly profit could prove a tough act for rivals to follow as its investment bank capitalized on the disappearance of some rivals and the weakness of others.

The Dow industrials pierced the 10,000 level on Wednesday for the first time in a year on surprisingly robust company results and better-than-expected retail sales.

The number of so-called problem banks and bank failures will remain high for the next several quarters, and the economic recovery may not be as robust as in past cycles, a top U.S. bank regulator said on Wednesday.

U.S. Federal Reserve policy-makers last month discussed the importance of retaining the flexibility to increase or scale back their asset purchases if the economic outlook changed, the Fed said on Wednesday.

U.S. retail sales excluding those for autos rose for a second month in September, raising cautious optimism consumer spending could support the economy's fledgling recovery from the worst recession since the 1930s.

Lazard Ltd Chief Executive Bruce Wasserstein has died, according to the Wall Street Journal, which cited two people familiar with the matter.

Two former Bear Stearns Cos managers whose hedge funds collapsed early in the financial crisis lied to investors to save their bonuses and reputations, a U.S. prosecutor said on Wednesday.

Calpers said it was probing the fees outside money managers had been paying to win business with the largest U.S. pension fund, adding a new dimension to a wider review of so-called pay-to-play schemes.

Skype's founders have asked a U.S. federal court to prevent Index Ventures and one of its partners from further participating in the proposed $1.9 billion acquisition of the Web phone service, according to a court filing on Wednesday.

Two victims of Bernard Madoff's Ponzi scheme filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday, seeking at least the $2.4 million they lost in the fraud.

The Dow industrials broke through the 10,000 level on Wednesday for the first time in a year on better-than-expected company results and U.S. retail sales data.

U.S. retail sales excluding auto purchases rose for a second month in September, raising cautious optimism consumer spending could support the economy's fledgling recovery from the worst recession since the 1930s.

Congress will soon probe executive compensation at companies such as American International Group Inc and Bank of America Corp receiving significant taxpayer funds, the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform panel said on Wednesday.

Oil hit a record high for the year above $75 a barrel on Wednesday as economic optimism hinted at a recovery in global energy demand.

The U.S. Congress will soon probe executive compensation at companies such as American International Group Inc and Bank of America Corp receiving significant taxpayer funds, the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform panel said on Wednesday.