INVESTMENT

The property investment arm of Morgan Stanley (MS.N) is in final talks to sell a Chinese apartment complex to a unit of Singapore's Keppel Land (KLAN.SI), sources close to the deal said on Tuesday.

White House adviser Paul Volcker will urge Congress to curb the risks taken by large banks to help prevent them from being treated as too big to fail, according to testimony obtained by Reuters on Monday.

Stock index futures pointed to a lower opening on Wall Street on Tuesday, with futures for the S&P 500 down 0.27 percent, Dow Jones futures down 0.23 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures down 0.23 percent.

White House adviser Paul Volcker will urge Congress to curb the risks taken by large banks to help prevent them from being treated as too big to fail, according to testimony obtained by Reuters on Monday.

After a bullish session for the U.S. stock market, broad trends mostly continued in after-hours trading.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc is likely to slash its chief executive's bonus from the record $67.9 million he got two years ago, but Lloyd Blankfein's pay package could still fuel criticism the bank has been tone deaf in its approach to the financial crisis.

Citigroup Inc plans to sell or spin-off its $10 billion Citi Private Equity unit in order to cut its debt, Bloomberg reported on Sunday, citing people familiar with the matter.

JPMorgan Chase and Sempra Energy may carve up commodities venture RBS Sempra, people familiar with the matter said, as pressure on U.S. banks to limit proprietary trading forces JPMorgan to rethink its plans.

Global stock markets shook off declines early in the Asian session as commodities firms lead the rally.

Stock index futures rose on Monday after closing their worst month in nearly a year and as investors digested President Barack Obama's budget plans and awaited earnings from Exxon Mobil Corp .

Stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Wall Street on Monday, with futures for the S&P 500 up 0.42 percent, Dow Jones futures up 0.53 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.36 percent at 5 a.m. EST.

Shares in UBS fell to their lowest level since July on Monday after the justice minister underscored the risk to the Swiss economy should the bank's settlement of a U.S. tax dispute unravel.

World shares sank to a three-month low on Monday as concerns about Greece's debts and a reminder of the challenges China faces to curb inflation stung risk demand, helping push the dollar to a six-month high versus a currency basket.

Shares in UBS fell on Monday after the Swiss justice minister said the economy would suffer if the Swiss bank collapsed as a result of its unresolved U.S. tax dispute.

Gold remained below $1079 an ounce in Asian trade Monday as the dollar continued its rally against major currencies. Spot gold was seen trading at $1,078.67 an ounce at 11.00 a.m Singapore time while US gold futures for April delivery inched down 0.4 per cent to $1079.30 an ounce at the same time.

Gold prices retreated to hover near $1,080 on Monday after posting a third straight week of declines as investors remained wary of gains in the dollar which weaken bullion's appeal as a currency hedge. A U.S. proposal to limit bank risks continued to weigh on investor sentiment.

Morgan Stanley plans to hire several hundred traders over the next few years to boost its underperforming securities business, new boss James Gorman said in an interview with the Financial Times.

Investor holdings in the by Goldessential monitored (pure-play) gold-backed exchange-traded funds were seen decreasing 1.044 tonnes (-33,575 ounces) or 0.06 pct in the week from January 22nd up to and including January 28th, in-house calculations based on official data showed on Friday. One of the thirteen monitored gold ETF's announced an inflow over the reported period, whereas three reported redemptions. Nine reported no change.

Commerzbank's Chief Executive cautiously welcomed Barack Obama's proposals for tougher banking rules, as politicians and regulators accuse bankers of dragging their feet on financial reform.

No successor has yet been lined up to follow UBS chief executive Oswald Gruebel, the chairman of the Swiss bank's executive board was quoted as saying in a newspaper interview on Saturday.

Barney Frank, the powerful chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said on Saturday a reported move by banks to agree on a global wind-down fund was a major recognition of reality.