MARKETS / FINANCE

(Corrects reason for McDonald's shares falling and removes reference to warning on profit impact of forex hit)

Australian Dollar: The Australian Dollar opens beneath US79 cents for the first time since May 29 amid further greenback strength overnight. As expected, trading was fairly muted yesterday thanks to the Queen's Birthday public holiday.

U.S. stocks rebounded late on Monday to end flat, shrugging off lighter-than-expected sales from McDonald's and lowered iPhone prices from Apple .

The U.S. Federal Reserve is working on plans to make sure executive pay does not promote dangerous risk-taking, as part of steps to reform financial rules after a devastating crisis, a top Fed official said on Monday.

Oil prices slipped toward $68 a barrel on Monday, pressured by a stronger U.S. dollar and weakness on Wall Street.

Stocks fell on Monday after McDonald's Corp posted lighter-than-expected monthly sales and a report that Apple Inc would price new iPhones aggressively, signaling that consumer spending may remain a concern.

There is still a high degree of uncertainty regarding the outlook for the global economy, although Chinese growth could surprise on the upside, World Bank President Robert Zoellick said on Tuesday.

Oil prices rose slightly on Monday as dealers expected U.S. inventory data this week to show a decline in stockpiles, but gains were limited by a stronger dollar and weaker equities.

Is Campbell's Soup a better bet than U.S. government debt?

President Barack Obama on Monday pledged to deliver or save more than 600,000 jobs through the $787 billion stimulus plan this summer.

McDonald's Corp posted lighter-than-expected May sales at U.S. restaurants open at least 13 months, sending shares of the world's biggest hamburger chain and its rivals lower on Monday.

U.S. stocks fell on Monday after McDonald's Corp warned that second-quarter profit may be hurt by currency swings and as investors worried that the ongoing rise in interest rates could hamper a recovery.

The U.S. job market strengthened in May for the first time in 16 months, indicating that while job loss figures remain deep in the woods a recovery, albeit slow, is in sight, a research group said on Monday.

The U.S. Federal Reserve is expected to say Goldman Sachs Group Inc, JPMorgan Chase & Co and perhaps a few other banks will be allowed to repay money to the Troubled Asset Relief Program, The Wall Street Journal said on Monday, without saying where it got the information.

The U.S. job market strengthened in May for the first time in 16 months, indicating that while job loss figures remain deep in the woods a recovery, albeit slow, is in sight, a research group said on Monday.

McDonald's Corp on Monday reported a 5.1 percent increase in May sales at restaurants open at least 13 months, with demand strong in Europe and Asia/Pacific.

Oil fell by $1 toward $68 a barrel on Monday as a stronger dollar prompted a retreat from a seven-month high above $70 hit last week.

Stocks opened lower on Monday after McDonald's warned on its second-quarter profit and on concerns that a push by banks to repay government bailouts may divert funds from an economic recovery.

Oil fell by $1 toward $67 a barrel on Monday as a stronger dollar prompted a retreat from a seven-month high above $70 hit last week.

Edward Krudy

The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield hit a seven-month high on Monday ahead of fresh supply this week and because of speculation the Federal Reserve may have to raise interest rates sooner than anticipated.

Stock index futures pointed down about 1 percent on Monday after three weeks of gains, while markets awaited word from the government about the repayment of bank bailout money this week.

Oil fell by $1 toward $67 a barrel on Monday as a stronger dollar prompted a retreat from a seven-month high above $70 hit last week.

Stock index futures pointed down about 1 percent on Monday after three weeks of gains, and markets awaited government word about the repayment of bank bailout money this week.

Stock index futures pointed to a lower open on Wall Street on Monday, with futures for the S&P 500 down 1 percent, Dow Jones futures down 0.9 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures down 1.1 percent.

Barclays Plc is in talks to sell Barclays Global Investors , the British bank said on Monday, with U.S. fund manager BlackRock the frontrunner to land the asset manager for about $12 billion.

Two senior Europe-based partners in U.S. private equity firm Cerberus, majority owner of carmaker Chrysler, have left the company, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing a person familiar with the company.

Boston mutual fund giant Fidelity Investments and New York private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. have struck a deal to sell shares of KKR initial public offerings to retail customers, hoping for a comeback in the frozen market.

The dwindling U.S. financial bailout fund will get a boost this week with repayments from some large banks and could see more resources freed up as once-ambitious programs to buy up toxic bank assets shrink.