MARKETS / FINANCE

Stocks rose on Tuesday to fresh 2009 highs after stronger manufacturing and retail sales data boosted commodity prices and shares of companies in the materials sector.

Some of the largest U.S. banks will remain caught in the government's financial bailout program for months, as officials do not expect to grant the next wave of exit approvals until near the end of the year, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Banks with low levels of capital will not be able to offer large bonuses under guidelines the G20 is set to discuss this month, the Financial Stability Board said on Tuesday.

A visit to the last major operating business of the once swaggering Wall Street firm Lehman Brothers feels a bit like entering a pawn shop.

Bank of America Corp and Citigroup Inc customers defaulted on their credit card debts in August at the highest rates since the onset of the recession, a sign that the banks' consumer lending woes are far from over.

Support is lacking, particularly in the U.S. Senate, for a government-run health plan that would compete in the private marketplace, the chief executive of health insurer Aetna Inc said on Tuesday.

Stocks rose modestly on Tuesday after stronger-than-expected retail sales data, though gains were limited by some retailers' disappointing earnings.

Citigroup Inc shares were trading down around 5 percent on Tuesday after reports the government might begin shedding its stake in the New York-based bank.

U.S. stocks rose modestly on Tuesday after stronger-than-expected retail sales data, though gains were limited by some retailers' disappointing earnings.

U.S. stocks were little changed on Tuesday as some retail companies' results and rising credit card defaults overshadowed government data showing stronger-than-expected retail sales last month.

SAP co-founder Hasso Plattner plans to sell shares in the German software company worth up to 240 million euros ($351.2 million) by the end of next year, the company said.

Apple Inc tapped former Intel Corp executive Bruce Sewell as its new general counsel and senior vice president of legal and government affairs.

MSC Software Corp, a simulation and software services company, said it received a revised offer of $8.15 per share from a group of private equity firms after Maximus Holdings raised its offer to $8.

Deutsche Telekom has not taken a decision on any option that could change its position in the U.S. market and is not planning to do so in the immediate future, two sources familiar with the company said.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Tuesday that the worst U.S. recession since the Great Depression was probably over, but the recovery would be slow and take time to create new jobs.

U.S. stocks were little changed on Tuesday after disappointing earnings from electronics retailer Best Buy and supermarket chain Kroger and stronger-than-expected retail sales and producer price data failed to move investors.

For a young designer, having a collection at New York's Fashion Week is usually a sign that they've made it.

Sales at U.S. retailers rose at their fastest pace in three-and-half years in August as government-sponsored auto incentives buoyed demand for motor vehicles, according to data on Tuesday that also showed strong sales outside the auto sector.

Oil rose above $69 a barrel on Tuesday, lifted by an expected draw in U.S. crude stocks and better-than-expected U.S. retail sales data, but concerns about rising U.S. distillate inventories capped gains.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Tuesday as retail sales advanced at their fastest clip in over three years while producer prices rose more than twice as much as expected in August.

Sales at U.S. retailers rose at their fastest pace in three-and-half years in August and a gauge of manufacturing in New York State hit a near two-year high, bolstering views the economy was emerging from recession.

Japan Airlines Corp is likely to opt for a tie-up with Delta Air Lines Inc or AMR Corp's American Airlines, among rivals seeking to invest in the loss-making carrier, if Japan and the United States can reach an open skies agreement.

Sales at U.S. retailers likely rose at their fastest pace in more than three and a half years in August, fueled by cash incentives to buy autos and by higher gasoline prices, according to a Reuters poll.

U.S. stock index futures were flat on Tuesday as investors awaited key economic data, including the retail sales report, for more evidence of an economic recovery.

U.S. stock index futures edged lower on Tuesday as investors awaited key economic data, including the retail sales report, for more evidence of an economic recovery.

Oil rose toward $69 a barrel on Tuesday, lifted by a weaker dollar and an expected draw in U.S. crude stocks, but concerns that a major U.S. exchange will increase enforcement of position limits capped gains.

SHANGHAI, Sept 15 (Reuters) - China's key stock index ended up 0.2 percent on Tuesday supported by improved August FDI data while tyre makers jumped after saying the impact of the U.S. decision to impose special duties on Chinese tyre exports would be limited.

TOKYO, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei average edged up 0.2 percent in choppy trade on Tuesday, buoyed by Canon Inc (7751.T) and other exporters as the yen held steady against the dollar, but worries that it may only be a brief respite limited gains.

World stocks held steady on Tuesday while the dollar held above this week's seven-month low against the yen as focus shifted to the state of U.S. consumers from a trade spat between the United States and China. A year after Lehman Brothers collapsed, risky assets are almost back at September 2008 levels and some G7 economies have come out of recession.