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Oil prices dipped on Monday as investors took profit after U.S. crude prices leapt more than $2 to their second-highest close on record, fuelled by upbeat signals on the U.S. economy and nagging supply worries.

Companies from Home Depot to Johnson & Johnson are borrowing a page from the private equity playbook by accumulating debt to boost returns - and Wall Street is lending a helping hand.

Gold steadied on Friday to trade just below a five-week high, but analysts saw potential for further gains as a recent slump in the dollar and firmer oil attract investment funds into the market.

BHP Billiton Ltd/Plc, the world's biggest miner, is in talks with private equity firms to team up for a possible $40 billion bid for U.S. aluminum company Alcoa Inc., the Times said on Tuesday.

Central bank holdings of U.S. dollars continue to mount, despite talk of diversification into other currencies, but questions remain about the sustainability of the rise in dollar reserves.

Wall Street underwriters kept busy in the second quarter, yet ebbing investor appetite for lower-rated debt and riskier assets may dampen their summer.

It's time to sit down and have a nice long talk with your financial adviser, especially if she works at a bank or brokerage firm.

Bear Stearns Cos. Inc. is not currently planning to bail out a second hedge fund that has suffered big losses, a source close to the matter said on Tuesday.

The global wealth management sector showed lavish growth last year, with assets under management rising 14 percent, a survey showed, but the bonanza might be over if stock markets turned.

Stocks were little changed on Monday as lingering worries about the subprime mortgage market offset optimism about corporate takeovers.

The leading share index ended down 0.7 percent on Tuesday, with banks worst hit as U.S. and European markets were knocked by fears that strong global growth would force interest rates higher around the world.

Investment bank and brokerage Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc (NYSE: MER), announced Monday that that it will purchase a minority stake in investment management firm GSO Capital partners LP.

Shares of Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG), the world’s largest Internet search provider, rose in Friday trading after beating analysts’ estimates with a 69 percent jump in first quarter profit.

Linear Technology Corp. (NASDAQ: LLTC) jumped in trading on Wednesday following an announcement that it would buy back $3 billion of its shares.

PMC-Sierra (NASDAQ: PMCS), maker of storage and broadband semiconductors announced a cost reduction initiative late Thursday, with plans to cut jobs and close offices to reduce operating expenses by $20 million to $24 million a year.

Shares of Palm Inc. (Nasdaq: PALM) made slight gains Friday as the firm posted better than expected profits the day before.

Executives from Borders Group, Inc. (NYSE: BGP) said in a conference call with analysts on Thursday that it will no longer use Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) to sell its books, opting rather, to build its own website.

The million dollar club is becoming less exclusive, as the number of millionaire households in the U.S. has risen 56 percent since 2003, reaching 5.4 million, according to a new study.

Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) gained ground in its ongoing battle with chip rival, Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) in the most recent quarter, continuing to capture unit share, but slipped in terms of revenue.

Since going public in 2004, Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) has emerged as the premier name in Internet search and advertising, while rivals have been unable to slow its success or popularity.

Shares of semiconductor company Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NYSE: AMD) fell more than 4 percent on Tuesday after the company said its margins shrunk in the fourth quarter as a result of its brutal pricing war with rival Intel Corp., (Nasdaq: INTC). With both firms increasing capacity and becoming more aggressive, some analysts believe prices on CPU's will continue to decline.

As wireless networking becomes more pervasive, extending to mobile computers, cell-phones and handhelds, one expert believes that the next generation of ultra fast wireless computing technology may be ready to take off.

Mobile phone maker Sony Ericsson moved closer towards being one of the top three phone providers in the industry, as its revenue edged ahead of rival Samsung.

Anticipation is growing as Sony and Nintendo prepare for the North American releases of their latest gaming consoles. With Microsoft already set with the Xbox 360, and a strong offering from Nintendo, some experts believe that Sony will lose its tight grip on the worldwide gaming market.

Apple Computer announced the results of its internal stock options investigation on Wednesday, finding 15 instances option-backdating leading to the resignation of the firms CFO, however experts believe Steve Jobs should not be affected.

Morgan Stanley said on Monday it has acquired China's Nan Tung Bank, a deal that would give the Wall Street giant a coveted onshore commercial banking license in China ahead of U.S. investment bank rivals. The deal allows Morgan Stanley to apply immediately to offer yuan-denominated products.

Insurer Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Group said on Thursday it was selling its U.S. arm to Arrowpoint Capital

Fixed income is likely to be less of an engine for profit growth for Wall Street firms as the United States housing market growth shows signs of slowing after two years of Federal Reserve interest rate hikes.

Fixed income is likely to be less of an engine for profit growth for Wall Street firms as the United States housing market growth shows signs of slowing after two years of Federal Reserve interest rate hikes.