JPMORGAN CHASE

JPMorgan Chase and Co. (NYSE:JPM) announced Tuesday afternoon it would be raising the dividend payout to shareholders and engaging in a sizable stock buyback program, in a show of balance sheet strength coming just days after the bank was green-lighted through the Federal Reserve's now-yearly "stress tests." The markets rallied.

JPMorgan Chase and Co. (NYSE:JPM) announced Tuesday afternoon it would be raising the dividend payout to shareholders and engaging in a sizable stock buyback program, in a show of balance sheet strength coming just days after the bank was green-lighted through the Federal Reserve's now-yearly "stress tests." The markets rallied.

Citigroup Inc., the third-largest U.S. bank, and SunTrust Banks Inc. failed the Federal Reserve's latest stress test because they lack enough capital to endure a hypothetical shock to the U.S. economy, the central bank said Tuesday.

JPMorgan Chase & Co became the first bank on Tuesday to say regulators have completed stress tests of its balance sheet and approved a dividend increase and stock buybacks.

The government released the fine print of its landmark $25 billion mortgage settlement, and promised to closely police the banks' pledges to bring widespread housing relief, even while letting them dodge admission of wrongdoing.

The $25 billion settlement between five large U.S. banks accused of abusive mortgage practices on the one side and federal and state government officials on the other side that was announced Feb. 9 will be filed in federal court on Monday, people familiar with the matter said.

Central bankers around the world took their foot off the loose monetary policy throttle Thursday and kept benchmark interest rates steady on inflation concerns and the lack of new threats to gross domestic product growth.

PayPal, the online payments arm of eBay Inc, has sparked a furor in the publishing world by asking some e-book distributors to ban books that contain obscene themes including rape, bestiality or incest.

The U.S. government will cut fees on federally insured mortgages and move to expand home-loan relief to military veterans, President Barack Obama announced Tuesday.

Facebook Inc, the social networking firm, has hired more banks to work as underwriters for its initial public offering, according to a report.

Facebook Inc will add banks in coming weeks to help underwrite its initial public offering, two sources familiar with its plans said on Friday.

A U.S. Justice Department inquiry into the packaging and sale of home loans by the biggest U.S. banks casts a wide net and appears to significantly overlap with other enforcement efforts, according to people who have viewed subpoenas sent to the firms.

Last year Bank of America wreaked up a ruckus among its customers as it toyed with the idea of instituting a $5 fee for debit-card purchases, a plan that was successfully pushed back-until now.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Wells Fargo & Co. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. have been warned by the Securities and Exchange Commission that they might face inquiries tied to mortgage-backed securities offered to investors several years ago.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a firmer open on Wall Street on Wednesday, with futures for the S&P 500, Dow Jones futures and Nasdaq 100 futures rising 0.1-0.2 percent at 4:58 a.m. ET.

Hedge funds' love affair with technology industry darling Apple Inc has rewarded some managers so far this year but half the industry, having been less savvy with its bets, is limping behind with subpar returns, new research from Goldman Sachs shows.

Bank of America Corp appears to be going it alone in not selling mortgage loans to Fannie Mae, a move that, while sending an angry signal to the nation's largest mortgage-buyer, could force the bank to charge less attractive mortgage rates.

Goldman Sachs Group has suspended coverage of 18 discount brokers, exchanges and small investment banks because the analyst who follows them has left the firm.

The Bank of America Thursday said that it would no longer provide new mortgages to Fannie Mae following the escalation of disagreement over who should be bearing the cost for defective mortgages.

Asian shares crept higher Friday as solid U.S. data improved sentiment, but gains may be limited by concerns that rising oil prices could deal a further blow to the fragile euro zone economy and moves to take profits after recent rallies.

Asian shares rose Friday as solid U.S. data improved sentiment, but the upside may be capped by concerns that rising oil prices could deal a further blow to the fragile euro zone economy and moves to take profits after recent gains.