MARKETS / FINANCE

Speculation that China's weakest quarter of annual economic growth since the global financial crisis will trigger a flood of policy support to fight the downturn misses a crucial point - the taps are already turned on.

Stock index futures fell on Friday as concerns over Spain's rising borrowing costs resurfaced and after disappointing Chinese growth data, and banks fell after quarterly results.

JPMorgan Chase & Co's first-quarter profit fell 3 percent as recent improvement in trading and deal-making failed to lift investment banking revenue to year-earlier levels, but results still beat Wall Street expectations.

India's Infosys Ltd disappointed investors on Friday with a weaker-than-expected revenue growth outlook due to an uncertain global economy, sending its shares plunging more than 12 percent in their biggest fall in nearly three years.

China's economy grew at its slowest in nearly three years in the first three months of 2012, with a weaker than expected reading raising investor concerns that a five-quarter long slide has not bottomed and that more policy action would be needed to halt it.

China's economy grew at its slowest in nearly three years in the first three months of 2012, with a weaker than expected reading raising investor concerns that a five-quarter long slide has not bottomed and that more policy action would be needed to halt it.

Google Inc announced a stock split designed to preserve the control of co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin over the world's No. 1 Web search engine, asking investors to trust their long-term vision.

Goldman Sachs agreed to pay $22 million to settle civil charges arising from company procedures that created the risk select clients would receive market-sensitive information, such as changes to Goldman's recommendation lists and its ratings of stocks.

U.S. stocks scored a second day of solid gains on Thursday, led by materials and energy stocks, as investors set aside weak figures on the domestic labor market.

U.S. Federal Reserve officials, out on a speaking spree on Thursday, suggested the economy would have to deteriorate for the central bank to consider additional monetary stimulus.

Bank of America Corp and U.S. Bancorp have been sued by a Chicago pension fund that said they failed to protect investors in their roles as trustees for mortgage-backed securities for Washington Mutual Inc.

A stronger firewall is needed to protect the world economy from Europe's debt crisis, but the International Monetary Fund may not need as much money as it thought just a few months ago, the head of the global lender said on Thursday.

Google Inc announced a stock split designed to preserve the control of co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin over the No. 1 Web search engine, as it posted revenue in line with estimates.

Hyundai Motor Co could see U.S. sales top 700,000 vehicles this year despite the Korean automaker's tight vehicle supplies, a top executive said on Thursday.

U.S. Federal Reserve officials, out on a speaking spree on Thursday, suggested the economy would have to deteriorate for the central bank to consider additional monetary stimulus.

Microsoft announced its biggest-ever customer for cloud computing - software that it hosts on behalf of clients and delivers over the Internet - after winning a contract to provide free services to a major Indian education body.

Stocks scored a second day of solid gains on Thursday, led by materials and energy stocks, as investors set aside weak figures on the domestic labor market.

Following a controversial crackdown, Tunisia's reversal of its ban on Habib Bourguiba Avenue protests reflects some willingness to bend to the will of the populace. But allegations of police brutality show that the situation in Tunis is still far from stable.

The number of Americans filing for jobless aid hit a two-month high last week and more applications were received in the prior week than initially reported, suggesting a cooling in the labor market recovery.

Google Inc announced plans to give investors a stock dividend on Thursday, as the search giant reported first quarter revenue roughly in line with Wall Street estimates.

The Morgan Stanley investment banker accused of a hate crime in the assault of an Egyptian-born taxi driver over a fare is due back in a Connecticut court next week.

U.S. stocks rose more than 1 percent on Thursday as lower Italian bond yields eased some euro-zone concerns and rumors about China's strong GDP growth bolstered investors' appetite for risk.

The International Monetary Fund is considering scaling back how much money it needs to rebuild its war chest for handling financial crises, and it may not strike a deal with members next week, the IMF head said on Thursday.

Stocks rose on Thursday as lower yields on some euro-zone debt eased some concerns and rumors about China's strong GDP increased investors' appetite for risk.

Stocks rose on Thursday as lower yields on some euro-zone debt eased some concerns and rumors about China's strong GDP increased investors' appetite for risk.

Adding to Mali’s insurmountable problems is the threat of civil war, prompted by an insurgency in the north by the minority Tuareg people.

Dubai Group, part of the investment vehicle headed by Dubai's ruler, has proposed a new solution to its $10 billion debt problem, sources said, reviving talks that stalled more than two months ago.

The U.S. trade deficit narrowed unexpectedly in February as exports hit a record high, imports from China and other key suppliers declined and oil import volume fell to the lowest in 15 years, a government report showed on Thursday.

The relentless decline in home prices is nearing an end and prices should rise for the first time in seven years in 2013, but a possible new wave of foreclosures could threaten the recovery, according a Reuters poll of economists.