MARKETS / FINANCE

Canada posted firmer-then-expected jobs growth on Friday, confirming its recovery is taking hold, with a report that raised rate hike expectations and sent the currency to its highest since July 2008.

U.S. stock index futures were higher on Friday, a day after the S&P hit a 17-month closing high and ahead of reports that could give clues about the strength of the American consumer.

Global stocks rose to seven week highs on Friday led by bank shares after talks on U.S. banking reform collapsed, while speculation the Bank of Japan may soon ease monetary policy weighed on the yen.

U.S. stock index futures were modestly higher on Friday, a day after the S&P hit a 17-month closing high and ahead of reports that could give clues into the strength of the American consumer.

The window of opportunity is closing for boutique bond trading firms to make a killing from market turmoil as big Wall Street banks regain their footing and rehire staff.

Stock index futures pointed to a mixed open on Wall Street on Friday, with futures for the S&P 500 up 0.4 percent, Dow Jones futures down 0.01 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.01 percent.

Asian stocks edged up on Friday, heading for a fifth straight week of gains, with energy stocks outperforming as oil held above $82 a barrel.

The S&P 500 hit a 17-month closing high as rising bank shares led a late rally that lifted stocks on Thursday, more than offsetting worries China may move to cool its overheating economy.

Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc used accounting gimmicks and had been insolvent for weeks before it filed for bankruptcy in September 2008, but there was not extensive wrongdoing, a court-appointed examiner has found.

Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc used accounting gimmicks and had been insolvent for weeks before it filed for bankruptcy in September 2008, but there was not extensive wrongdoing, a court-appointed examiner has found.

The report by a court-appointed examiner into the collapse of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc, the largest bankruptcy in U.S. history, was made public on Thursday.

Unprecedented discounts after a series of damaging recalls boosted Toyota Motor Corp's U.S. sales in early March, as U.S. regulators weighed new auto safety measures.

The court-appointed examiner who investigated the collapse of investment bank Lehman Brothers Holding Co is set to make his report public after a judge ruled he could do so on Thursday.

Chances of a broad overhaul of U.S. financial regulation dimmed on Thursday after bipartisan Senate talks collapsed, jeopardizing a top Obama administration priority and boosting bank share prices.

Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc used accounting gimmicks and had been insolvent for weeks before it filed for bankruptcy in September 2008, a court-appointed examiner said, but he did not find extensive wrongdoing.

The S&P 500 gained 4.63 points, or 0.40 percent, to close at 1,150.24, below the 2010 intraday high of 1,150.45 and slightly above the closing high of 1,150.23, both made on January 15.

The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell only slightly last week, indicating a sluggish return to jobs growth. The U.S. trade gap shrank as oil imports fell.

Citigroup Inc Chief Executive Vikram Pandit told investors on Thursday the bank is on track to return to sustained profitability and losses from some of its worst assets should be manageable if the economy does not deteriorate.

Bank of America Corp's push into the competitive realm of managing retirement assets is paying early dividends.

Lingering U.S. labor market weakness and nagging doubts about the solidity of the economic recovery are expected to keep the Federal Reserve committed to holding borrowing costs very low for a long time at a monetary policy meeting next week.

Sales incentives, including zero-percent financing offers, have boosted Toyota Motor Corp's U.S. sales by nearly 50 percent in early March, an industry tracking service and dealers said on Thursday.

The appetite and sense of urgency for world financial reform have waned as markets have rebounded and the world economy has shown signs of recovering, the head of exchange operator NYSE Euronext said on Thursday.

The U.S. stock market recovered from losses caused by China's inflation data and an underwhelming U.S. unemployment claims report to trade positive for the day.

The chief executive of Simon Property Group Inc said on Thursday a revised plan by management of General Growth Properties Inc to emerge from bankruptcy would not put pressure on his company to sweeten its own $10 billion offer.

Investing in a high-speed Internet network would open up a new global trade route for Britain, boosting economic recovery and creating thousands of jobs, the opposition Conservative party said on Thursday.

Worries that China may move to cool its overheating economy weighed down U.S. stocks on Thursday, but rising bank shares kept the market near break even.

Chances of a broad overhaul of U.S. financial regulation this year dimmed on Thursday after bipartisan Senate talks collapsed.

Senator Christopher Dodd, the chief negotiator for the Democrats on financial regulation reform in the U.S. Senate, said on Thursday he will unveil a reform bill on Monday, after talks with Republicans broke down.

EUR/USD has been range-bound since the beginning of the U.S. session on Wednesday as it failed to break out of the range when the unemployment claims report was released at 8:30 am Thursday morning.