INVESTMENT

Reports that some financial institutions have started to exit their gold positions have been circulating this week, says French bank and London bullion dealer Natixis in its latest commodity analysis. Physically-backed ETF trust funds shrank almost 1% this week on Natixis' data - the sharpest weekly drop since we started keeping records in 2008.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg warned that if the city of New York does not start tackling its budget deficit problems now, they could haunt the city for decades.

U.S. stocks fell on Thursday led by losses in the technology sector and on worries that China's rapid growth may lead to more aggressive measures to tackle inflation.

Mauritius private equity group Ciel Capital plans to venture into Kenya, east Africa's biggest economy, in the first half and is in talks with key players in various sectors, a senior partner said.

Bangladesh investors rioted on the streets of Dhaka after regulators halted trading on the country’s stock exchanges after only five minutes following the start of the trading day.

India on Thursday said it is considering to allow foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail and defense sectors as part of its efforts to step up foreign investments into the country.

Morgan Stanley said fourth-quarter shareholder profit surged 60 percent as rising fees from wealth management offset the weak fixed-income trading results that have marred its competitors earnings.

Gold fell like a stone on Thursday, following three days of gains, and ignored a recovery in the euro as investment demand waned. Spot gold fell over $20 to $1,348.55 an ounce by 1426 GMT.

Payrolls will grow in almost all U.S. metropolitan areas this year, but the gains will be slight, according to a forecast from IHS Global Insight, Inc. released by the U.S. Conference of Mayors on Wednesday.

Futures on major U.S. indices pared earlier losses and point to modestly lower opening on Thursday after the Department of Labor reported that weekly jobless claims fell sharply last week.

Silver prices could hit an incredible $120 in just three years, propelled by a physical shortage in the silver market and further momentum in economic recovery, CommodityOnline has reported citing a report by thesilvershortage.com.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), a non-profit watchdog, has claimed that they have uncovered documents that reveal association of Wall Street investors with high-ranking Education officials to craft regulations, allowing them access to net millions of dollars through the short sale of for-profit college stocks.

The top after-market NYSE gainers on Wednesday are: Dillard's, Geo Group, Tetra Technologies, Lee Enterprises, Moneygram International, Equal Energy, Horizon Lines, Main Street Capital, Strategic Hotels & Resorts and American Oriental Bioengineering.

SKS Microfinance shares rose 13 percent on Thursday, a day after a panel appointed by the Reserve Bank submitted guidelines for the microfinance sector, providing clarity for the country's embattled industry.

Study by Northwestern professor shows that top employers may not even consider candidates who do not have degrees from the super-elite league of Universities

British wealth management group St James's Place said 37 percent rise in new single investments boosted funds under management to an all time high of 27 billion pounds ($43 billion).

Cracks deepened in Asian equities on Thursday, with markets set to post their worst daily performance in more than five months, while the euro took a breather from its recent rally as it neared key resistance levels.

China finished 2010 with a bang, its growth soaring past expectations while inflation slowed just a touch, numbers that could prod the government to ratchet up its easy-does-it approach to tightening.

General Electric Co chief executive Jeffrey Immelt said on Wednesday he wants the United States and China to open their borders for truly free trade between the world's top two economies, rather than hiding behind protectionist walls.

For U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Mary Schapiro, the choice of a Goldman Sachs Group insider as her new top funds regulator could be a double-edged sword.

Gold rose for a third straight day on Wednesday on a weaker dollar and strong Asian physical demand, while platinum and palladium hit multi-year highs on an improving global economic outlook.