MARKETS / FINANCE

Ebay Inc urged European regulators to drop a requirement for Internet retailers to have bricks-and-mortar shops, warning it would hurt small firms, keep prices high and stifle e-commerce.

The number of U.S. workers filing new applications for unemployment insurance unexpectedly surged last week, while producer prices increased sharply in January, raising potential hurdles for the economic recovery.

The number of U.S. workers filing new applications for unemployment insurance unexpectedly surged last week, while producer prices increased sharply in January, raising potential hurdles for the economic recovery.

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Wall Street was poised to open lower on Thursday as an increase in jobless claims and a stronger-than-expected inflation growth added concerns after a weak outlook from retail giant Wal-Mart.

Stock index futures edged lower on Thursday as unemployment claims were higher than expected and Wal-Mart reported disappointing U.S. sales.

The number of U.S. workers filing new applications for unemployment insurance unexpectedly surged last week, a government report showed on Thursday, dealing a setback to hopes the economy was on the verge of job growth.

The S&P 500 and Dow index futures were lower on Thursday as weaker-than-expected results from Wal-Mart raised concerns about the state of consumers expectations ahead of data on jobs and inflation.

Societe Generale expects results to recover in 2010 with lower bad risk write-downs after posting weak fourth-quarter results and rattling markets last month with a profit warning.

The S&P 500 index futures fell on Thursday on weaker-than-expected results from Wal-Mart and as investors closely eyed jobs and inflation data.

The dollar edged close to a seven-month high against a basket of currencies on Thursday after minutes showed U.S. Federal Reserve policymakers had discussed strategies for withdrawing monetary stimulus.

Oil fell toward $76 a barrel on Thursday, dragged down by high inventory levels and a stronger dollar, which also hit gold and other commodities.

Abu Dhabi government investment fund Mubadala is talking with banks to refinance a $2 billion loan due in April, among the first refinancings by Gulf firms since Dubai's debt problems rocked markets in November.

The planned sale of Citigroup's real estate asset management arm has hit a snag after some of the unit's clients refused to give their blessing to a disposal, sources told Reuters.

Societe Generale expects results to recover in 2010 with lower bad risk write-downs after it rattled markets last month with a toxic asset warning.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc sued seven of its former private wealth management division executives for abruptly leaving the company to join rival Credit Suisse early this month, court documents show.

Simon Property Group Inc stepped up pressure on General Growth Properties Inc on Wednesday, threatening to walk away from its $10 billion bid if its bankrupt rival did not begin talks soon.

Several Federal Reserve policy makers want to begin selling securities relatively soon to cut back the U.S. central bank's massive help to the financial system as the economy finds a footing, the Fed said on Wednesday.

Deere & Co posted higher-than-expected earnings, sending its shares up 5 percent, as wider margins at its farm equipment and finance units helped it to overcome challenging economic conditions.

Walgreen Co will buy Duane Reade for $618 million in cash, catapulting the largest U.S. drugstore operator into the top spot in New York City and raising the stakes for rivals like CVS Caremark Corp .

The Federal Reserve should sell its U.S. mortgage-backed securities holdings sooner rather than later as the economic recovery gathers steam in order to extricate itself from fiscal policy, a senior central bank official said on Wednesday.

The fate of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's $150 million accord with Bank of America Corp over the Merrill Lynch & Co takeover hung in the balance as a federal judge sought help in resolving striking inconsistencies in events leading up to the merger.

A 0.5% rise in the December leading index report produced by Westpac had little influence on the Aussie dollar during yesterday's local session as it remained range bound between 0.9000 and 0.9025 for the majority of the day.

Stronger-than-expected corporate results and upbeat economic data drove U.S. stocks higher on Wednesday as they fed expectations the recovery will bolster corporate profits.

Several Federal Reserve policymakers want to begin selling securities relatively soon to cut back on the massive amount of cash they have poured into the financial system, the U.S. central bank said on Wednesday.

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou said on Wednesday his debt-stricken country was not seeking European taxpayers' money but needed a breathing space to cut its budget deficit and borrow on normal conditions.

Several Federal Reserve policymakers want to begin selling securities relatively soon as a way to cut back their massive supply of cash to the financial system, the central bank said on Wednesday.

Housing starts rose to a six-month high in January and industrial output increased solidly, pointing to an economic recovery that was taking a firm hold and respectable first-quarter growth.

Beijing is likely to let its currency begin rising in value again this year in response to growing pressures at home and abroad, two U.S. private sector specialists on China said on Wednesday.