GLOBAL MARKETS

Oil prices fell sharply toward $80 a barrel on Monday as investors took profits from the near-record highs of last week and weighed the threat of a deeper economic slowdown in the United States.

Shares of Fluor Corp rose to an all-time high on Monday, a day after reports that the big U.S. engineering and construction company was still in talks with Kuwait National Petroleum Co (KNPC) for parts of a tender for its planned 615,000 barrels per day al-Zour refinery.

Stocks surged on Monday, sending the Dow to a record close on the first trading day of the fourth quarter, as investors bet that Wall Street may have seen the worst of the credit squeeze after three global banks detailed expected losses from the crisis.

The dollar rose from record lows against the euro on Monday as investors pared bets against the U.S. currency on a rally in stocks and a dip in oil prices ahead of a batch of economic data and central bank meetings.

European shares rallied on Monday, led by UBS as its announcement of subprime-related losses ignited speculation that the worst of the damage of the credit crunch may be behind the wealth manager.

Stocks were set to open slightly higher on Monday, helped by optimism about shares' performance in the third quarter, while a profit warning from Citigroup Inc was expected to weigh on the financial sector.

Credit crisis woes hit European stocks on Monday and looked set to at least hold back Wall Street after UBS, Credit Suisse and Citi signalled threats to their bottom lines.

After posting solid gains in September, U.S. stocks are once again near all-time highs. But a significant hurdle in the form of monthly payroll data must be cleared next week if the advance is going to carry over to the fourth quarter.

Japan's Nikkei rose 0.5 percent on Monday as investors bought Fanuc Ltd and other large-cap shares after the Bank of Japan's tankan survey showed manufacturers remained optimistic despite turmoil in global credit markets.

The dollar dropped to a record low versus the euro for the seventh consecutive trading session on Friday on expectations that continued weakness in the economy will force U.S. central bankers to continue to provide more motivation to investors by cutting interest rates.

U.S. stocks finished Friday's trading session with a loss as investors looked to lock in profits gained after the strongest September since 1988.

Stocks fell on Friday, hurt by near-record oil prices, concerns about the weaker dollar and profit-taking in sectors that had contributed to the market's recent gains.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is expected to rise by 4.6 percent this year and by around five percent in the first half of 2008, according to a forecast by the Research Bureau of the People’s Bank of China.

China welcomed more overseas investment to develop the country's hi-tech industry, a senior official said on Thursday.

Stocks dipped on Friday as money managers locked in profits on the last trading day of a strong September, while concerns surfaced about the strength of profits during a turbulent third quarter. Shares of technology, energy and material companies fell as investors took profits on the best-performing sectors for September, traditionally one of the weakest months for stocks.

Stock futures dropped on Friday as oil prices hovered near record highs and investors turned cautious before economic reports that could provide clues about the outlook for interest rates and profits.

The dollar sank to new depths against the Euro on Thursday, the sixth straight trading session of new lows against the currency.

U.S. stocks edged up on Thursday as higher oil prices lifted energy companies' shares in a noncommittal market faced with conflicting data on the economy's health.

The dollar fell to record lows on Thursday, hit by fresh evidence that a weak housing market could crimp U.S. growth and force the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates again.

World stocks powered ahead on Thursday and the dollar hit another low against the euro as investors banked on more U.S. interest rate cuts and at least temporarily set aside gnawing fears about global credit.

Asian markets advanced sharply on Thursday alongside Hong Kong and Sydney and Singapore setting new intraday highs as financial and energy stocks soar.

Stocks climbed and a downtrodden dollar recovered on Wednesday as optimism over a tentative deal to end a strike at General Motors offset data showing a retreat in business spending.

Nasdaq Stock Market Inc and Borse Dubai, aiming to muscle out potential rival bidders, boosted an offer for OMX to $4.9 billion on Wednesday and pushed close to a majority stake in the Nordic exchange group.Borse Dubai is offering 265 Swedish crowns ($40.57) per share, up 15 percent from a previous offer of 230 crowns. It has now secured 47.6 percent of OMX in stock or options for shares.

Stocks gained on Wednesday as a tentative labor agreement at General Motors Corp eased worries about Detroit's automakers and more weak economic data added to expectations for another cut in interest rates.

China Shenhua Energy, the courntry's largest coal producer, has attracted a record 2.67 trillion yuan (US 355.6 billion) in subscriptions for its A-share innitial public offering (IPO),according to the China Securities Journal.

The dollar rebounded from record lows against the euro on Wednesday, brushing aside a steeper-than-expected fall in August durable goods orders as buyers took advantage of cheap exchange rates.

The dollar rebounded from record lows against the euro on Wednesday, brushing aside a steeper-than-expected fall in August durable goods orders as buyers took advantage of cheap exchange rates.

The dollar bounced off record lows versus the euro and moved away from 15-year troughs against a basket of currencies on Wednesday, after recent losses attracted buyers even though overall sentiment remained bearish.

A majority of hedge fund managers say a U.S. recession is very likely in 2008, but fewer than one in five said an economic slowdown would be bad for their funds, a survey of several-hundred hedge fund managers released on Tuesday found.