MARKETS / FINANCE

After months of delays, the International Monetary Fund has reached agreement on a second review of Iceland's IMF loan program and tentatively scheduled a meeting of its board for April 16 to consider the issue.

Energy shares drove U.S. stocks higher on Friday as an upbeat outlook from Chevron Corp gave a boost to the sector and U.S. wholesale inventories data supported bets on an improving economy.

Aetna Inc is suspending marketing to and enrollment of new members to its Medicare plans for the elderly because of sanctions imposed by the U.S. government, the health insurer said on Friday.

A London bonds trader has set up a charity Web page in a tongue-in-cheek effort to raise money for debt-ridden Greece.

Alcoa Inc is expected to report a small quarterly profit next week but Wall Street is unconvinced the company can post higher numbers with the price of aluminum only slowly inching up from the recession.

Wholesale inventories rose more than expected in February and sales climbed to their highest level since October 2008, according to a government report on Friday that pointed to manufacturing strength.

Energy shares drove U.S. stocks higher on Friday as India's largest listed company will form a joint venture with independent gas company Atlas Energy, while conflicting news on debt-laden Greece kept a lid on gains.

Swiss banking giant UBS faces a turbulent shareholder meeting as activist investors prepare to reject the bank's bonus scheme, as well as plans to discharge former executives from responsibilities in the credit crisis.

The private equity owners of Toys R Us are weighing an initial public offering for the retailer, sources familiar with the situation said on Friday.

Stocks rose on Friday, led by a rise in energy shares, as the U.S. dollar retreated against the euro amid speculation that debt-laden Greece would grab a financial lifeline.

More adults over age 65 are staying in the work force, which could make it harder for younger workers to find jobs, a private report showed on Friday.

Morgan Stanley bolstered its trading operations, reshuffled its top management and tinkered with its strategy last year, but those changes are unlikely to bear fruit when the Wall Street bank reports its first-quarter earnings.

Fewer Canadians returned to work in March than expected, but the three-month hiring trend was the strongest since the financial crisis intensified in the autumn of 2008, suggesting the recovery is entrenched.

Coal miner Massey Energy Co , owner of the Upper Big Branch mine where at least 25 miners died in a blast this week, said it was working to increase production at its other mines to mitigate losses at UBB.

The world's largest cellphone maker Nokia said on Friday it had bought U.S. geographic technology firm MetaCarta, as a part of its strategy to offer local navigation services to its customers.

Greece resisted market pressure Friday to seek international help to manage a worsening debt crisis, as new figures highlighted a deepening recession in the economy that will further aggravate its fiscal woes.

Tens of millions of Mexicans could find their cellphones disconnected this weekend if the government goes ahead with a new law meant to fight crime by forcing people to register their identities.

U.S. stock index futures were higher on Friday, with shares of natural resource companies poised to outperform as the U.S. dollar retreated, sending crude oil and other commodities higher.

Greece continued to resist market pressure for it to seek emergency aid from the EU and IMF, as the country's manufacturing base contracted sharply in February despite growing signs of upturn in the global economy.

Greece is not at the point where it needs a financial bailout and is in no danger of defaulting, European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet said in an interview on Friday.

Major U.S. banks temporarily lowered their debt levels just before reporting in the past five quarters, making it appear their balance sheets were less risky, the Wall Street Journal said, citing data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Good morning dear traders, well, it was not overwhelming with yesterday´s trading day.

China might increase interest rates as early as this month, but Beijing will probably not resume yuan appreciation as soon as that, a senior government economist said on Friday.

U.S. newspaper publisher Tribune Co said on Thursday it has agreed with creditors on a plan that would help it exit bankruptcy protection later this year.

Asian stocks edged closer to a 22-month high on Friday, supported by strong U.S. retail sales data, while the yen retreated after rising the previous day on talk that China was close to allowing a modest rise in the yuan.

Federal Reserve officials again reiterated their commitment to low interest rates for an extended period on Thursday, given the fragile nature of the economic recovery, and suggested a reduction in the size of the central bank's balance sheet could take as long as two decades.

Yahoo Inc's chief technology officer and head of products is stepping down, the company said on Thursday.

Yesterdays much anticipated Australian employment report had little impact on the currency with the 19.6k new jobs created during the month of March in line with the markets expectations.

United Airlines' pilots union lashed out against efforts to merge the airline with US Airways Group , underscoring the challenges facing decade-old attempts to unite the carriers.