INVESTMENT

U.S. stocks were mixed on Wednesday, weighted by a downgrade of 18 banks by Standard and Poor's and a disappointing earnings outlook from economic bellwether FedEx Corp .

(Corrects comment initially sent at 11:58 a.m. to change number of banks downgraded by S&P to 18 in second bullet and lead paragraph)

The China Investment Corporation (CIC), the country's top wealth fund, is reported to have confirmed on Wednesday it would lend 200 million Australian dollars ($159 million) to Australia's leading property trust Goodman Group.

A company in Germany is installing vending machines that dispense gold bars and coins, instead of the usual snacks and candy bars, in the nation’s airports and railway stations.

U.S. Bancorp and BB&T Corp repaid billions of dollars in government bailout funds on Wednesday, the first of the large banks to do so, ahead of eight others given permission to return the money.

U.S. Bancorp on Wednesday said it is repaying $6.6 billion in government bailout funds, becoming the first large bank to do so, ahead of nine others given permission to return the money.

Stocks were mixed on Wednesday, weighted by a downgrade of 22 banks by Standard and Poor's and a disappointing earnings outlook from economic bellwether FedEx Corp .

Morgan Stanley on Wednesday repaid $10 billion in government bailout funds after the bank was given permission with nine others to return the money.

Technology company LogMeIn Inc has set the terms of its planned $100 million initial public offering, according to a regulatory filing on Tuesday.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said on Wednesday it will up its investment in clean energy to $2 billion a year from 2013 to significantly dampen carbon growth and cut greenhouse gas emissions in the region.

Morgan Stanley is planning more changes in its prime-brokerage division to get back some of its hedge-fund clients that left the company last year, the Wall Street Journal said.

Most stocks in Asia edged lower on Wednesday, weighed down by resource-related shares and doubts about a global economic recovery, while oil slipped below $70 a barrel ahead of U.S. inventory data that could reflect slowing energy demand.

The Obama administration plans to streamline U.S. bank oversight and put the Federal Reserve in charge of monitoring big-picture economic risks in a sweeping regulatory overhaul to be formally unveiled on Wednesday, a senior administration official said.

Most stocks in Asia edged lower on Wednesday, weighed down by resource-related shares and doubts about a global economic recovery, while oil slipped below $70 a barrel ahead of U.S. inventory data that could reflect slowing energy demand.

Lincoln Financial Group on Tuesday announced that it has priced a public offering of common stock in a bid to raise $600 million in capital.

Carlyle Group and Blackstone Group LP are leading an investor group that is bidding to acquire First Republic Bank, a private banking unit of Bank of America Corp , Bloomberg News said on Tuesday, citing three people familiar with the matter.

Barclays' board has recommended shareholders accept a $13.5 billion cash and shares offer from U.S. fund manager BlackRock for its Barclays Global Investors business, the British bank said on Tuesday.

U.S. stocks slipped on Tuesday as mixed economic data and Best Buy's disappointing sales spurred worries about an anemic recovery.

The U.S. Congress probably has broad authority to empower regulators to take over big banks and other giant financial companies, even if shareholders and other creditors lose out, analysts said.

Investors say they are getting more promotional material from hedge funds than ever before, as funds seek to replenish assets withdrawn or lost because of negative performance during the financial crisis.

Stock index futures edged higher on Tuesday as renewed U.S. dollar weakness lifted shares of natural resource companies and investors set their sights on key housing data due out before the bell.