MARKETS / FINANCE

Target Corp reported its eighth consecutive drop in quarterly profit, but the results were better than Wall Street had expected as the No 2 U.S. discount retailer cut costs and stocked less merchandise.

Oil rose toward $68 a barrel on Tuesday in line with a broad recovery on Asian and European stock markets after falling the previous day to a two week-low.

Don't blame global stock markets for being skittish. It is August, after all, a month that has spelled trouble in the past two years.

Stock index futures rose on Tuesday, rebounding from a steep drop the previous session, ahead of data expected to show housing starts rose to their highest level in eight months.

Stock index futures rose on Tuesday, rebounding from a steep drop the previous session, ahead of data expected to show housing starts rose to their highest level in eight months.

Details of a landmark settlement of the U.S. tax case against Swiss bank UBS are expected this week, which should help the bank restore its image and open the way for the Swiss state to sell its UBS stake.

Eyeing a fresh wave of public offerings, Lazard Ltd has hired former Goldman Sachs Group Inc equity-markets banker Tom Tuft, the Wall Street Journal said on Tuesday.

Stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Tuesday, a bounce from Monday's decline, as investors braced for data on new housing starts.

World stocks and commodity prices recovered on Tuesday from the previous session's sell-off, which was prompted by concerns over the pace of global recovery, while the Japanese yen and safe-haven U.S. government bonds eased.

American International Group Inc , the insurer that received billions of dollars in a U.S. bailout, said on Monday that it will pay newly-appointed Chief Executive Robert Benmosche an annual salary of $7 million.

Oil was steady above $67 a barrel on Tuesday, after falling the previous day to its lowest level in two weeks, amid persistent worries over the pace of the global economic rebound and revival in energy demand.

Asian shares clawed their way back from early lows on Tuesday following wild swings in Shanghai, as investors worried whether more bouts of profit taking will spell the end of the bull market that emerged from the financial crisis.

Asian stocks and the Australian dollar edged higher on Tuesday but shares in Shanghai were highly volatile, keeping nerves frayed about whether another bout of profit taking would hit global markets.

Asian stocks retreated on Tuesday, following Shanghai shares into the red and keeping nerves frayed about whether further profit taking will end the bull market that emerged from the financial crisis.

One of the stock market's favorite accepted nuggets of wisdom is the notion that there's a pile of money waiting in the wings, itching to jump back into the market.

CIT Group Inc , a cash-strapped corporate lender scrambling to stay afloat, on Monday reported a second-quarter loss and said it continues to pursue a turnaround plan outside of bankruptcy court.

The chief regulator of U.S. commodities markets, Gary Gensler, is serious about limiting speculation in energy futures trading and will move to provide details about managed funds' contract positions in an attempt to make markets more transparent.

UBS will give U.S. authorities the names of about 5,000 wealthy Americans suspected of using the Swiss bank to evade taxes under a deal that will be formalized this week, a U.S. legal source said on Monday.

A former Credit Suisse Group AG broker was convicted by a federal jury of fraud for steering corporate clients into risky auction-rate securities, causing nearly $1 billion of losses.

U.S. authorities announced what they believed to be the largest hacking and identity theft case ever prosecuted on Monday in a scheme in which more than 130 million credit and debit card numbers were stolen.

Charles Schwab Corp was sued by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who accused the discount brokerage of fraudulently misleading investors about the safety of auction-rate securities.

The rate of U.S. credit card defaults showed signs of stabilizing last month, an indication that American consumers may not be in as bad shape as feared despite job losses and the housing slump.

U.S. loan demand fell in the second quarter for every major category bar prime residential mortgages as banks tightened credit standards and borrowers remained cautious, central bank and government studies showed.

The U.S. Treasury said on Monday that loan balances at the top 22 banks that received government capital injections under the Troubled Asset Relief program fell again in June, but loan origination rose.

Stocks suffered their worst loss in seven weeks on Monday as weak data from Japan and a disappointing outlook from retailer Lowe's Cos dampened hopes about the economy's growth.

The rate of U.S. credit card defaults showed signs of stabilizing last month, an indication that American consumers are in better financial shape than feared despite job losses and the housing slump.

More signs the U.S. economy was exiting its worst recession in 70 years emerged on Monday with reports showing confidence rising among homebuilders, factory activity perking up in New York state and credit card defaults slowing.

U.S. stocks suffered their worst loss in seven weeks on Monday as weak data from Japan and a disappointing outlook from retailer Lowe's Cos dampened hopes about the economy's growth.

The rate of U.S. credit card defaults showed signs of stabilizing last month, an indication that American consumers are in better financial shape than feared despite job losses and the housing slump.