Stock index futures pointed to a slightly higher open for Wall Street on Friday, as investors awaited results from software giant Microsoft and data on home sales.
World stocks broke a three-day losing run on Friday and hovered near their 12-month high, boosted by the Dow's return above 10,000 points, while the dollar briefly touched a new low for the year against the euro.
Britain's economy contracted unexpectedly in the third quarter of this year, squashing hopes of an end to the downturn and instead making the current recession the longest on record, official data showed Friday.
Asian shares rose on Friday as investors were encouraged by upbeat earnings reports from the United States and Asia while the dollar resumed a broad slide after a Fed official indicated U.S. rates would remain low.
Big banks took a beating from government on Thursday, both in the U.S. Congress where lawmakers backed tougher industry rules, and from U.S. and UK regulators who moved aggressively to restrain bankers' pay.
The Aussie dollar ran into a wall of resistance ahead of 93 cents during yesterday's Asian morning session retreating throughout the afternoon with the market somewhat disappointed by China's envious 8.9% economic growth result.
Windows 7, the latest version of Microsoft's operating system, is seeing bullish market around the world on the eve of its official launch.
The European Central Bank has warned that EU plans to tighten regulation of hedge funds and other alternative investors risk creating a two-tier playing field that could drive the industry out of Europe.
Thousands of postal workers at state-owned Royal Mail walked out on Thursday, starting a 48-hour nationwide strike and blaming bosses and the government for failing to prevent the action.
Cash-rich Nestle SA, the world's biggest food group, said it was speeding up a programme to buy back shares and was likely to raise fresh funds from the sale of its stake in eye care firm Alcon.
Britain's top share index shed 1 percent by midday on Thursday, suffering a broad-based sell-off after disappointing earnings news from the U.S., with energy stocks the biggest laggards as crude fell.
Disappointing results from telecom equipment heavyweight Ericsson (ERICb.ST) and profit-taking after a recent strong run helped send European shares lower around midday on Thursday.
The Aussie dollar held on to 0.9190 during European exchange with this level becoming somewhat of a key short term technical support as it was the third time in 24 hours the AUD bounced from there.
The Berlin Wall will be back to briefly divide the German capital again next month -- but with giant brightly colored dominos rather than cement slabs.
Microsoft on Tuesday confirmed the early delivery of Windows 7 in UK before its official launch on Thursday.
The world needs genetically modified crops both to increase food yields and minimize the environmental impact of farming, Britain's top science academy said on Wednesday.
Spain's Grupo Ferrovial, under pressure to reduce its dominance in UK airports, has agreed to sell London's Gatwick for a smaller-than-expected 1.51 billion pounds ($2.46 billion) to a consortium involving Credit Suisse and General Electric.
The European Union is taking too long to get up to 12 carbon capture and storage demonstration plants operating by 2015, RWE npower's head of environmental strategy told a carbon conference on Wednesday.
Britain's top share index was 1 percent lower in midday trade on Wednesday, as miners and energy stocks fell on weakness in commodity prices while banks fell after the BoE Governor said regulation would be tightened.
European shares fell for a second day on Wednesday, with financial stocks taking most points off the leading index after Deutsche Bank unexpectedly released quarterly figures that knocked its stock.
Bumper payouts to bankers should be seen as part of a longer term investment in London's economy, the vice chairman of Goldman Sachs International told a debate on ethics at St Paul's Cathedral on Tuesday.
The Aussie dollar continued to press higher in Asia yesterday trading marginally above the 93 cent handle following the release of the RBA board minutes with the central bank continuing to send the same bullish signals on interest rates. Support for the high yielding AUD continued throughout European trade with buyers lining up ahead of 0.9250 that was until North American investors entered. Disappointing housing data out of the U.S triggered a flight back into the Greenback and subsequently pus...
