DOW JONES

The European Banking Authority noted banks within the 27-nation European Union need to raise €114.69 billion ($152.8 billion) by June of next year in order to meet the authority's capital requirements. That amount is €8.24 billion, or 7.18 percent, more than the supranational regulator had noted on October 30. The balance sheet apparently worsened at certain banks, most notable in Germany, Belgium and Austria.

Gold prices fell Thursday as the European Central Bank head tapped down hopes of more government bond buying, hammering the euro and boosting the dollar.

Stock index futures were little changed on Thursday after investors pushed up stocks for three straight sessions, betting leaders come up with a solution to Eurozone debt crisis at an upcoming summit.

Stock index futures dipped on Thursday after three straight winning sessions as investors bet leaders at a euro zone summit will come up with a solution to the region's debt crisis.

As his peers in larger financial institutions are dealing with collapsing stock prices and laying off tens of thousands, the chief executive at boutique investment firm Lazard Ltd (NYSE:LAZ) said he believes smaller, more nimble investment banks like his are likely to benefit from trends developing on Wall Street.

U.S. equities rallied in the last hour of trading Wednesday, before retreating in the last few minutes, as rumors that a $600 billion International Monetary Fund Bailout of the European sovereigns was about to be announced swirled the market, only to be dispelled just before trading closed for the day.

The deputy chief executive of French banking giant Société Générale (Paris:GLE) said during a conference in Paris Wednesday that the global banking industry is going through a "paradigm shift," according to the Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires.

To hear it from one side, private equity and hedge fund managers are under a veritable siege: under attack from politicians, regulators, an ornery market and uneasy clients. But the hedge fund managers themselves seem to be saying all is good in Greenwich.

Stock index futures pointed to a higher open for equities on Wall Street on Wednesday, with futures for the S&P 500, the Dow Jones and Nasdaq 100 up 0.6-0.8 percent.

The British oil company has alleged that Halliburton destroyed tests results showing unreliable cement was used at the oil rig where an explosion killed 11 workers and caused the region's worst environmental disaster, reported the Houston Chronicle.

Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) shares continued rallying today, the fifth day the stock seems poised to close higher, as trading was boosted by a widely-anticipated speech from its CEO. The wider market for large financial companies was mixed.

Stocks were set to edge higher at the open on Tuesday as investors hoped S&P's downgrade warning for the Eurozone would help force budget changes at a European Union summit this week.

In a research note, banking industry analyst Matthew Burnell reduced fourth-quarter earnings estimates for JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM), Citigroup (NYSE:C), Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) and Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS). Burnell reduced the earning estimates for JPMorgan and Citi by about 4 percent, but sounded a much more pessimistic note on Goldman and Morgan Stanley.

Stocks rallied more than one percent on Monday, building on the previous week's gains, as optimism grew an agreement between French and German leaders would break new ground to resolve the Eurozone debt crisis.

Stock index futures rose on Monday, building on the previous week's strong gains, as optimism grew that the upcoming European Union summit would break new ground to resolve the euro zone debt crisis.

Gold prices barely moved Monday, as weak physical buying and easing investor interest offset anticipation of good economic news from the U.S. and hope that this week's big European meeting aimed at solving the debt crisis will not disappoint.

Stock index futures pointed to a higher open for equities on Wall Street on Monday, with futures for the S&P 500, the Dow Jones and the Nasdaq 100 up 0.8-0.9 percent.

Stocks ended flat on Friday but capped the best week for Wall Street bulls in almost three years after data showed the U.S. unemployment rate dropped to a 2-1/2 year low.

Bank stocks finished up one of the best-performing weeks of the year Friday, as a global coordinated stimulus by the world's top central bankers announced Wednesday injected some badly needed liquidity into the credit markets and signaled a willingness for future intervention if the going gets tougher.

Stocks rose on Friday, on course for their best week in almost three years, after the U.S. unemployment rate dropped to a 2-1/2 year low, but resistance close to a key technical level limited gains as traders booked profits before the weekend.

Stock index futures rose sharply on Friday after a report the European Central Bank was gearing up to lend money to the International Monetary Fund in a bid to ease the Eurozone debt crisis.