INVESTMENT

Stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Wall Street on Thursday, with futures for the S&P 500 up 0.3 percent, Dow Jones futures up 0.2 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.2 percent.

Government bonds in Australia and South Korea fell on Thursday as investors pushed forward expectations for interest rate rises in 2010 because of bullish growth views, while Asian stocks slid on year-end profit taking.

Citigroup Inc plans to pay back TARP by raising money in an equity offering that could be announced as early as Thursday and could be some $20 billion, television network CNBC reported, citing sources.

It wasn't too long ago big-time hedge fund managers like James Pallotta were erecting monuments to themselves. In Pallotta's case, it was a $21 million Georgian-style mansion he built in 2007 in Weston, a leafy Boston suburb uncomfortable with such displays of wealth.

Calpers, the biggest U.S. public pension fund, has fired or will sack a number of its real estate portfolio managers amid steep losses for its property assets, according to a report on its web site.

A former senior IBM Corp executive denied being involved in a sprawling hedge fund insider trading case and asked a court on Wednesday to dismiss civil charges by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Calpers, the biggest U.S. public pension fund, has fired or will sack a number of its real estate portfolio managers amid steep losses for its property assets, according to a report on its web site.

Sempra Energy (SRE.N) may join Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc (RBS.L) in selling off their entire joint commodities business, offering quick entry into a lucrative market with a diverse, global trading book.

Citigroup Inc plans to pay back TARP by raising money in an equity offering that could be announced as early as Thursday and could be some $20 billion, television network CNBC reported, citing sources.

Stocks ended higher on Wednesday as the U.S. dollar fell and investors' appetite for risk returned, lifting shares of financial, technology and natural resource companies.

NEW YORK, Dec 9 (Reuters) - U.S. gold futures hit their lowest level in more than three weeks on Wednesday, falling sharply for a fourth-straight session as expectations of a dollar bounce and easing inflation sent bullion investors racing to cut positions.

Citigroup Inc plans to pay back TARP by raising money in an equity offering that could be announced as early as this Thursday, cable television network CNBC reported on Wednesday, citing sources.

Traders have been scooping up Research in Motion's call options this week, betting the shares will benefit from a BlackBerry distribution deal in China and stronger-than-expected earnings.

Citigroup Inc is in a position to repay TARP, the bank's chairman, Dick Parsons, told cable television network CNBC on Wednesday.

Independent oil and gas company Energy XXI (Bermuda) Ltd said its offering of 90 million common shares would be priced at $1.90 apiece, generating funds to buy assets from a unit of Mitsui & Co Ltd.

BlackRock Inc . Chief Executive Officer Laurence Fink is worried that some financial regulatory proposals under consideration could do more harm than good.

As soothsayers and strategists gaze into 2010, one statistic on the retiring baby-boom generation makes anxious reading for stock market bulls.

Stock index futures rose on Wednesday, indicating shares could bounce back after two sessions of losses as investors regain some optimism about the strength of the market rally.

China remains a top investment destination for U.S. companies in 2010 amid the global economic slowdown as they expect to see continuous growth in sales and profit, an American Chamber of Commerce study showed.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) CEO Jamie Dimon said Tuesday said it was “probably a good thing” that credit card use is down.

Billionaire hedge fund manager John Paulson said on Tuesday he still sees compelling long-term returns in equities even after their sharp run-up this year, while holding no short positions in the credit markets.