INVESTMENT

Oil and gas producer Apache Corp will buy privately held Cordillera Energy Partners III in a cash-and-stock deal worth $2.85 billion, part of a plan to expand its holdings of energy-rich reserves in the Midwestern United States.

Highly restrictive abortion laws do not deter women from undergoing the procedure, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which found the rate of unsafe abortions has increased in recent years.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said the growth outlook and business climate have weakened but warned of upward risks to inflation, a day before it is widely expected to keep policy interest rates on hold.

Mali is seeking to raise the state share in mining projects to 25 percent from 20 percent in a proposed revision to the West African gold producer's mining law, a senior official at the state regulator told Reuters on Monday.

Stock index futures edged higher on Monday, after stocks posted their best week in a month as the euro zone debt crisis and the economy showed signs of stabilizing.

Gold prices rose Monday to a six-week high on widespread optimism that recent signs of global economic growth mark a sustainable pattern.

The top after-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers are: Sears Holdings, Astex Pharmaceuticals, Cogo Group, G-III Apparel Group, Achillion Pharmaceuticals and Tuesday Morning Corp. The top after-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: Spreadtrum Communications, NetScout Systems, First Defiance Financial, Ocean Rig UDW, Pacific Biosciences of California and Ancestry.com.

The top aftermarket NYSE gainers Friday were: National Bank of Greece SA, Chesapeake Granite Wash, W.W. Grainger, Beazer Homes USA, Health Management Associates and Imperial Holdings. The top after market NYSE Losers were: Inphi Corp, Spartech Corp, Aeroflex Holding Corp, K-V Pharmaceutical, A.H. Belo Corp and Talbots.

China welcomes the Year of the Dragon with fireworks and hopes that the mightiest sign in the Chinese zodiac will usher in the wealth and power that it represents. Prime Minister Wen Jiabao has stated that the nation will face bigger challenges this year.

Check out the top predictions, as calculated by various astrologers, for the year 2012 and for the five Chinese elements...

German utility RWE expects to issue 1.8 billion euros ($2.33 billion) worth of hybrid bonds in various currencies over the course of this year, effectively rolling over debts maturing in the same amount, in order to maintain its current credit rating.

CIC did not disclose the purchase price.

India's economy will grow at its slowest pace in two years this fiscal year, as tight monetary policy and a logjam in government policy making stifles investment, a Reuters poll showed.

The South Carolina Republican primary is just a few hours away. The scenario cannot be more dramatic than it is now in the Palmetto state. In a roller coaster campaign that saw sharp turns and twists in the top front runners' winning chances, the situation remains as unpredictable as it can be.

Energy conglomerate Reliance Industries reported its first quarterly profit drop in more than two years, and moved to bolster its underperforming shares by announcing a share buyback of up to 104.4 billion rupees.

Stocks Rising, Bulls Rampant are motifs you might pick while designing a coat of arms for Wall Street at the moment. But its motto should read: Caveat Emptor. Yes, buyer beware.

Hedge fund manager Philip Falcone is looking at the possibility of selling some wireless assets to raise cash for his financially strapped telecom start-up LightSquared Inc, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday.

Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman was awarded a $10.5 million bonus for 2011, down 25 percent from the previous year, according to a source familiar with the matter.

The Chevron Corp. announced Friday it has filed an appeal with Ecuador's National Court of Justice to review what the company calls an illegitimate ruling made against it this year.

Hedge fund titan Citadel, whose main funds lost roughly 50 percent during the financial crisis, has now fully recovered and will again be able to charge performance fees, its founder told employees on Friday.

The volatility, panic, and the resulting tightening of investors' purses that dominated credit markets for much of 2011 is giving way to calm, creating a flood of cash from investors now confident enough to put their money back into corporate bonds. Somewhat surprisingly, crisis-exposed financial institutions, even in Europe, have been able to take advantage.