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Chinese bank lending surged in the first week of 2010, a state newspaper reported on Monday, adding to the concerns fueled by blockbuster trade data for December that the world's third-largest economy is overheating.

Oil eased on Wednesday after U.S. data showed weak mortgage demand in the world's top energy consumer, halting a nine-day rally that has lifted crude futures by 14 percent due to cold weather and geopolitical jitters.

The following are some of the major companies planning initial public offerings on the Hong Kong stock exchange

Financial markets were upbeat on the first trading day of 2010 on Monday, with Asian stocks hitting a 17-month high and the U.S. dollar up against major currencies on hopes U.S. job figures this week will reflect a sustained economic recovery.

The following are some of the major companies planning initial public offerings on the Hong Kong stock exchange

U.S. home prices were unchanged in October, according to the widely watched Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller indexes released on Tuesday, indicating stabilization in the hard-hit housing sector though the figures dashed hopes for a sixth straight monthly increase.

Dutch state-owned bank ABN AMRO [ABNNV.UL] will transfer some corporate client operations to Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) to pave the way for ABN's merger with Fortis Bank Nederland, ABN AMRO said on Wednesday.

Glencore , the secretive Swiss commodities trader, took a step toward a public listing valuing it at more than $35 billion, as investors bought bonds that could give them a near 6 percent stake.

London Stock Exchange has agreed a deal to take a 60 percent stake in loss-making trading platform rival Turquoise and will merge it with its own dark pool platform, Baikal, to create a new pan-Europe venture.

The euro stabilized on Friday after this week's steep losses against the dollar and yen and rose off nine-month lows versus the Swiss franc while higher oil prices helped European stocks higher in thin year-end trade.

(Deletes incorrect references in paragraphs 1 and 4 to Barclays winning a larger role as a Kraft adviser, as Kraft has denied that has happened)

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 suspended coverage of Cadbury because of its role.

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday voiced growing optimism on the U.S. economy as job losses slow, but repeated a vow to keep interest rates unusually low for an extended period.

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.

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday seized on easing U.S. job losses to voice growing optimism on the economy's prospects, but repeated a vow to keep interest rates unusually low for an extended period.

European shares extended gains in morning trade on Wednesday, with banks taking the lead after sources said global regulators plan to give banks a grace period before they have to implement new, stronger capital rules.

U.S. producer prices jumped a surprising 1.8 percent last month and industrial output rose firmly, sparking inflation jitters in financial markets.

The euro hit a 2-1/2 month low against a broadly firmer dollar on Tuesday while world stocks slipped as concerns grew about the European banking sector and the fiscal health of Greece.

The Federal Reserve, at a meeting this week, will likely close out the year by repeating a pledge to keep interest rates extraordinarily low for an extended period even as it nods to signs of economic healing.

News, details on corporate bond issues in the European markets on Monday:

U.S. employers cut far fewer jobs than expected last month in the best showing for the labor market since the recession began, lifting the beleaguered U.S. dollar as investors bet a sustainable recovery was building.

European equities edged lower on Wednesday after their biggest one-day gain in more than 4 months in the previous session, as a decline in banking stocks offset higher pharma and food shares.

Thirty global financial institutions have been selected for cross-border supervision exercises by regulators, the Financial Times reported on Monday.

Oil prices sank to six-week lows below $75 a barrel on Friday as fears that Dubai could default convulsed financial markets and the dollar rose as investors moved into safer assets.

European shares extended gains to hit a session high on Friday, as U.S. futures indicated Wall Street may not drop as much as previously expected.

ING priced a rights issue intended to raise 7.5 billion euros ($11.2 billion) at a steep discount, hoping to reduce its dependence on state aid by tapping shareholders made warier by Dubai's debt crisis.

European banks were hit by concern about potential exposure to debt problems in Dubai on Thursday, while companies where Middle Eastern investors own big stakes also came under pressure.

Shares in banks, builders and companies part-owned in the Middle East fell around the world on Thursday and investors sought safety in government bonds on worries about Dubai's ability to pay its debts.

The U.S. economy grew more slowly than first thought in the third quarter, but a fifth month of gains in house prices in September and an improvement in consumer morale signaled the anemic recovery was intact.