ECONOMY & MARKETS

Several brokerages raised their share price targets for Intel Corp. on Wednesday, betting the leading chip maker would improve after reporting disappointing profit margins for the last quarter.

The dollar rose to session highs against the euro and yen on Wednesday after news that June housing starts were slightly higher than expected, a small sign the sector may be improving prospects for the economy.

U.S. investors remain confident in the health of the economy and most expect the U.S. stock market to hold near its recent record levels or extend them modestly, according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Wednesday.

Treasury bond yields edged lower in Europe on Wednesday after Bear Stearns told investors two of its hedge funds had very little value, and stocks were hit by weaker-than expected company earnings.

The Dow closed at a record on Tuesday, though retreating from the 14,000 mark it earlier crossed for the first time, while the Nasdaq rose to a six-and-a-half-year high on a cascade of stronger-than-expected earnings.

The dollar rose versus the yen for the first time in three sessions after a government report showed foreign investors bought a record amount of U.S. securities in May.

World stocks fell on Tuesday from this week's record high while the credit market and dollar weakened, hit by fresh concerns that troubles in the risky end of the U.S. mortgage sector could spread to the wider economy.

The broader U.S. stock market fell on Monday on worries that troubles in the subprime mortgage market may spread, but optimism about earnings at multinational companies pushed the Dow to nearly 14,000. Energy stocks fell, led by ConocoPhillips, because of concern about dwindling profit margins for gasoline.

Industrial metal lead extended its recent hot streak on Monday, hitting another high, while steel additive nickel was hit by reports of lower use, fund managers and analysts said.

Asian shares mostly eased on Monday with South Korea retreating from record highs on fears the government may move to cool the market, while Brent crude was about $1 away from its highest level due to supply worries.

The dollar weakened against major currencies on Monday, plumbing fresh multi-year depths against higher-yielding units as bearish sentiment toward the greenback and the outlook for U.S. interest rates gripped markets.

European stockbrokers may find it hard to escape unscathed as sweeping regulatory changes lead to a boom in the use of high-tech systems designed to remove the human element from trading and radically reshape markets.

The dollar was flat against the euro on Friday, supported by a six-month high in U.S. consumer sentiment, even though an unexpected fall in retail sales last month and troubles in credit markets loomed.

The S&P 500 index climbed to a record on Friday, surpassing levels reached during the Internet bubble, as General Electric Co. increased a stock-buyback plan and data showed improving consumer sentiment.

Blue-chip stocks rose on Friday, sending the Dow to a record, as General Electric Co's expanded share repurchase plan and a stronger-than-expected reading of consumer sentiment tempered worries about the economy's health.

Idenix Pharmaceuticals Inc. said on Friday it has written off its experimental hepatitis C drug after U.S. regulators ruled that the risks associated with the drug outweigh the benefits.

Two urban commercial banks in China plan to issue IPO The Bank of Nanjing Co. and Bank of Ningbo Co. plan to raise a combined 11.07 billion Yuan ($1.46 billion) through initial public offerings, the first batch of urban commercial Chinese banks to list in local stock exchanges.

The dollar dropped to a record low against the euro on Thursday as troubles in the U.S. mortgage and credit markets continued to dampen the currency's appeal.

Stocks rallied on Thursday and drove the Dow to a record high after Wal-Mart reported better sales, allowing investors to put aside worries over costlier oil and cheaper housing.

Shares of Nymex Holdings Inc. rose more than 4 percent on Thursday as two analysts increased their earnings estimates the day after the parent of the New York Mercantile Exchange said it was raising trading fees for members.

Shares in Capgemini rose on Thursday on market talk that India's Infosys would make a bid for Europe's largest IT services group at 70 euros a share, traders said.

Japan's Nikkei average lost 0.36 percent on Thursday to log its lowest close in two weeks, weighed down by Tokyo Electron Ltd. and similar stocks after the company reported weak chip orders data a day earlier.

Stocks rose on Wednesday as a scarcity of profit warnings fueled optimism over the corporate reporting season, enabling the market to regain its footing after a sharp drop the previous session.

Asian stocks tumbled on Wednesday and the dollar plumbed a record low against the euro as investors fretted that growing problems in the U.S. subprime mortgage sector will spread to the wider economy.

Japan's Nikkei average slipped 1.11 percent on Wednesday to its lowest finish in nearly two weeks, hurt by a tumble in U.S. stocks and a stronger yen.

DaimlerChrysler shares fell more than 2 percent on Wednesday on market talk of possible financing difficulties for the sale of U.S. carmaking arm Chrysler to Cerberus, traders said, but Daimler said it was not aware of any difficulties.

World stocks fell and the dollar hit a record low against the euro on Wednesday after signs of fresh woes in the U.S. high-risk mortgage sector rekindled concerns about the potential impact on the wider economy.

Ventana Medical Systems Inc. said on Wednesday that its board unanimously rejected a $3 billion tender offer from Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG.

The dollar weakened broadly on Wednesday, striking a record low versus the euro and a 26-year trough against sterling as growing fears surrounding the U.S. subprime mortgage and credit sectors gripped financial markets.