MORGAN STANLEY

Global bank stocks fell Monday as investors panicked that a weekend electoral impasse in Greece might be a prelude to that country to leave the 17-member euro zone.

Shares of BMC Software, which specializes in enterprise products, soared nearly 10 percent after Elliott Associates, the venerable New York hedge fund, said it has acquired a stake above 5 percent.

Gold prices fell to a 4-1/2-month low on Monday, hit by concerns about a worsening debt crisis in the euro zone following political deadlock in Greece which fuelled risk aversion and put pressure on the euro.

JPMorgan will move to limit the fallout from a shock trading loss that could reach $3 billion or more by parting company with three top executives involved in its costly failed hedging strategy, sources close to the matter said.

Bombay Stock Exchange's Sensex lost more than 100 points Monday afternoon trade as the slump in European markets and a worse-than-expected inflation for April hit the markets hard.

Since hitting 52-week lows last October, U.S. financial-sector stocks have staged a strong comeback -- rising some 34 percent. Despite this uptick, they still look like bargains, at first blush.

The companies whose shares are moving in pre-market trading on Friday are: Pluristem Therapeutics Inc, Mechel OAO, Zynga Inc, JPMorgan Chase & Co, Citigroup Inc, Morgan Stanley and Apartment Investment and Management Co.

Asian shares retreated Friday, spooked by JPMorgan's $2 billion loss from a failed hedging strategy, with investors warily watching political turmoil in the euro zone as they await new Chinese data for clues on its growth outlook.

Facebook (Nasdaq: FB), the No. 1 social network, is facing a probe into its acquisition of Instagram that could delay its $100 billion initial public offering.

Facebook (Nasdaq: FB), the No. 1 social network, has decided to pitch its initial public offering of 337.4 million shares at $35 apiece, which could raise as much as $13.6 billion, assuming over-allotment options.

Facebook, the 901-million-member social network priced its initial public offering at $35. It could be the biggest-ever IPO.

European Union finance ministers failed Thursday to hammer out new global banking regulations, highlighting the resistance regulators on both sides of the Atlantic face as they push for tougher banking rules to ensure banks won't spark another great recession, as they did in 2008.

As a result, the San Francisco company?s IPO could raise the $5 billion as outlined in the latest amendment to its IPO filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on April 23.

The IPO on everyone's minds for the past few years -- and possibly the biggest one in history -- is upon us: Facebook will finally make its Wall Street debut on Friday, May 18, 2012. Sources also say Facebook will begin its IPO roadshow on Monday, May 7. Will Mark Zuckerberg enjoy the biggest IPO in history?

Gold prices slid towards $1,650 an ounce on Monday, taking a breather after four straight days of gains, as upcoming elections in France and Greece and a European Central Bank meeting later this week pressured the euro versus the dollar.

Assuming the $77 billion initial public offering by Facebook is approved, investors will likely clamor for shares just as in earlier web frenzies for Netscape Communications, Yahoo (Nasdaq: YHOO) and Google (Nasdaq: GOOG).. But dangers loom.

European share markets and the single currency staged modest recoveries on Tuesday, after steep losses caused by the worsening performance of the euro zone economy and a sharp rise in concern over the political will to fix its fiscal problems.

AstraZeneca has agreed to buy U.S. company Ardea Biosciences for $1.26 billion, giving it a new gout drug to bolster its weak pipeline in a deal that feeds a wave of M&A in the biotechnology sector.

Global finance chiefs pressed Europe in weekend talks to quickly put in place the economic reforms needed to finally extinguish its debt crisis now that newly increased financial buffers have bought some precious time.

Nestle SA, the world's largest food group, said Monday that it has agreed to acquire children's food maker Pfizer Nutrition for $11.85 billion.

Asian shares slipped Friday as disappointing U.S. economic data stirred doubts about the strength of recovery, while the yen weakened after the Bank of Japan flagged the prospect of further monetary easing to support the struggling economy.