MARKETS / FINANCE

David came to me with the goal of transitioning from a very niche field to a more mainstream analyst role with the government or a large corporation providing him with the potential for growth.

The euro approached a 2010 low against the dollar on Thursday but rebounded after the chief of the European Central Bank assured markets that Greece was in no danger of defaulting on its debt. The yen relinquished earlier gains as the reassurance by ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet on Greece eased market risk aversion, while a news report fed speculation that China may be gearing up to revalue the yuan.

Stocks gained on Thursday, led by the retail sector after surprisingly strong March sales as a rebound in consumer spending was seen as a harbinger for strength in corporate earnings.

The number of U.S. workers filing for jobless aid unexpectedly shot higher last week but did not alter the view labor markets are recovering as the jump reflected Easter holiday volatility.

Charles Prince and Robert Rubin, often blamed for huge losses at Citigroup during the 2008 banking crisis, voiced regrets on Thursday but did not take responsibility for Citi's woes or its $45-billion taxpayer bailout.

U.S. stocks edged higher on Thursday, cutting the morning's modest losses as surprisingly strong March retail sales helped offset worries over the latest twist in Greece's fiscal crisis.

Merger talks between United Airlines and US Airways Group could run into strong headwinds from unhappy pilots and tougher antitrust enforcement, industry experts said.

The Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) has welcomed the Brazilian government decision to unilaterally eliminate its tariff on imported ethanol. This is a major step forward in building a global biofuels marketplace for Brazil, UNICA said. UNICA believes that free trade is a two way street and Brazil, as the largest producer of cane ethanol and largest exporter of ethanol in the world, with 60% of the global market, will lead by example and eliminate barriers to renewable, clean fu...

The sub-prime crisis, recession, Dubai World disaster and now the Greek debt tragedy. What is the common link to all these incidents which happened during the past two years? Even as the world has been grappling with all these tragedies, there has been one market which was thriving on all these disasters. That is bullion. Gold always celebrates tragedies. And during these past two years there has been no dearth of tragedies in the world. And, gold has been on a high all through these catastrophe...

Mineral rich, but impoverished Zimbabwe produced 661.8 kg gold in March with small scale miners contributing 17% to the country's total production. According to country's Chamber of Mines, the March figure is a marked increase compared to the previous month's figure of 487.7 kg´s. The mining body attributed the increase to continued investment into the sector by the various producers of the precious metal.

How can US citizens know whether US gold reserves of 8,133.5 tonnes really exist in their vaults? The last audit of the U.S. gold reserves was supposed to have taken place in 2005, but according to KPMG LLP, they only audited the mint's fiscal year 2005 financial statements and they never saw any physical gold or even went to Fort Knox. The last real audit of the U.S. gold reserves took place in 1954, according to National Inflation Association, (NIA).

In late February 2010, Romania, Azerbaijan, and Georgia finalized an agreement on the direct export of Azerbaijani natural gas to Romania. This has profound ramifications for halting Turkey's ability to hold the EU hostage to energy supplies via Turkey, and offers far more rapid easing of European energy pressures.

Shares of UAL Corp and US Airways Group rose on Thursday in the wake of news that the two airlines were in merger talks.

Euro interbank lending rates were steady on Thursday as the European Central Bank held interest rates at record lows and gave some details on how new lending rules would work. Benchmark sterling rates were also unchanged as the Bank of England kept interest rates on hold at a record low of 0.5 percent ahead of next month's general election.

Wall Street fell on Thursday as an unexpected rise in jobless claims disappointed investors hoping for a steady labor market recovery and on persistent fears that Greece's debt crisis would spread through Europe.

The yuan and other Asian currencies rose briskly on Thursday as speculation intensified that China might soon revalue the yuan and unveil a long-awaited shift in its exchange-rate regime.

Former Citigroup Inc Chief Executive Charles Prince apologized on Thursday for Citi's failure to better prepare for the financial crisis, at the same time as he defended the third-largest U.S. bank's size and conglomerate nature.

Charles Prince and Robert Rubin, often blamed for bringing down Citigroup , expressed deep regrets for Wall Street's meltdown in 2008 but did not take responsibility for the firm's massive losses and the eventual taxpayer bailout at a hearing on Thursday.

UAL Corp's United Airlines is in merger talks with US Airways in a deal that could create the second-largest carrier in the United States, two sources familiar with the matter said.

(Corrects reference in 7th paragraph to US Airways from Continental)

Wall Street was set for a lower open on Thursday, following global stocks lower, on persistent fears that Greece's debt crisis would spread through Europe.

The Bank of England kept interest rates at a record low of 0.5 percent for the 13th month running on Thursday and made no increase to its 200 billion pounds asset-buying scheme to boost the economy.

The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for unemployment insurance rose unexpectedly last week, reflecting seasonal volatility, according to a government report on Thursday.

Six weeks after suffering a huge disappointment with the loss of AIA's massive IPO, equity capital markets bankers in this region received an unexpected present in their inboxes from one of China's largest banks.

The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for unemployment insurance rose unexpectedly last week, reflecting seasonal volatility, according to a government report on Thursday.

Stock index futures fell on Thursday, following global stocks lower, as persistent fears over Greece's public finances unsettled investors worried about sovereign debt defaults in Europe.

The yuan and other Asian currencies rose sharply on Thursday as speculation intensified that China might soon unveil a long-awaited shift in its exchange-rate regime by revaluing its currency.

Stock index futures fell on Thursday, following global stocks lower, as persistent fears over Greece's public finances unsettled investors worried about sovereign debt defaults in Europe.

World shares fell on Thursday ahead of meetings of the European Central Bank and Bank of England and as worries about Greece's financial stability intensified.