INVESTMENT

Barclays Capital, one of the banks providing $9.2 billion of loans to help fund Kraft Foods Inc's hostile bid for Britain's Cadbury Plc , has won a bigger role as one of Kraft's financial advisers.

U.S. stocks fell on Thursday as a rebound in the dollar dampened appetite for risk, while a FedEx forecast weighed on transportation shares and a prominent analyst cut estimates for two major banks, compounding losses for financials shares.

Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) is interested in bidding for commodity trading joint venture RBS Sempra as part of plans to strengthen its commodities business and is one of several suitors remaining, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

Hedge fund manager Paul Tudor Jones turned away potential investors this year, deciding to limit the size of his BVI Global Fund Ltd to better invest the money he already has.

U.S. stock index futures fell on Thursday, a day after the Federal Reserve voiced growing optimism about the economy, boosting the U.S. dollar even as interest rates stayed at historic lows.

Bank of America Corp on Wednesday tapped insider Brian Moynihan as its next chief executive, ending months of speculation about who would succeed Kenneth Lewis to lead the largest U.S. bank.

Stock index futures fell on Thursday, indicating a weaker start for Wall Street. Futures for the Dow Jones industrial average, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite were down 0.3 to 0.4 percent by 0944 GMT (4:55 a.m. EST).

Brian Moynihan was on Wednesday evening announced to replace Kenneth Lewis as head of the nation's largest bank.

The U.S. Treasury delayed a plan to sell its $5 billion of Citigroup Inc shares after a stock offering by the bank attracted weak demand and priced at a much lower-than-expected $3.15 a share.

Bailed-out U.S. insurer American International Group plans to file a prospectus for a multibillion-dollar IPO of its Asian life insurance unit before Christmas, the Financial Times reported on Thursday.

Rachelle YounglaiU.S. companies will have to disclose their compensation practices for all employees and their board members' qualifications under rules adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday.

Stocks finished flat to slightly higher on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve reiterated its intention to keep interest rates low for the foreseeable future to ensure a sustainable economic recovery.

Spain's Gas Natural said on Wednesday it had renewed a euro medium term note issue and extended it to up to 10 billion euros ($14.57 billion) from 4.7 billion issued earlier this year.

U.S. stocks trimmed gains on Wednesday, with the Dow turning negative after the Federal Reserve reiterated its intention to keep interest rates low for the foreseeable future to ensure a sustainable economic recovery.

Prudential Financial Inc said on Wednesday it expects the sale of its minority stake in Wachovia Securities to produce a $1.5 billion after-tax gain.

Shares of the latest initial public offering backed by private equity firm Blackstone Group (BX.N) rose nearly 7 percent in their New York Stock Exchange debut after an initally cool reception.

Almost one in five European companies is likely to make a major acquisition next year, a survey showed, adding weight to claims that European mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are set to rebound from their 2009 trough.

Japanese bank Nomura is to buy London-based corporate finance advisory firm Tricorn Partners, according to a memo, strengthening its foothold in the lucrative corporate broking business.

China Shipbuilding Industry Co made a tepid Shanghai debut, and China Pacific Insurance raised $3.1 billion in a Hong Kong IPO, as Beijing steps up the pace of stock offerings to fend off a speculative market bubble.

A surprise $536 million settlement by Credit Suisse to a U.S. probe over financial dealings with Iran should only do short-term damage to the Swiss bank, but others could now be in the line of fire.

Wells Fargo & Co (WFC.N) will buy Prudential Financial Inc's (PRU.N) minority stake in retail brokerage joint venture Wells Fargo Advisors for $4.5 billion, the companies said on Tuesday.