GLOBAL MARKETS

Globaliz ation is good, but people are earning less of the wealth generated by economic growth and integration as the decades go by, the OECD said on Tuesday.

The euro lost momentum on Tuesday after hitting a lifetime peak against the low-yielding Japanese yen, with sentiment hurt after a surprising fall in a measure of German investor confidence.

U.S. stocks edged higher on Tuesday as a dip in Treasury bond yields tempered investors' interest-rate worries and boosted financial stocks. Shares General Electric Co., the second largest U.S. company rose more than 3 percent.

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

Asian stocks rose to record highs on Monday on growing optimism about the U.S. economy, but diminished expectations for an imminent Japanese interest rate rise pushed the yen to an all-time low versus the euro.

China Mobile, the world's largest cellular phone operator, is planning a multibillion-dollar share sale in Shanghai as early as next month to attract domestic investors, sources familiar with the situation said on Monday.

UBS cut its earnings forecasts and share target prices for South Korean chip makers Samsung Electronics and Hynix Semiconductor Inc., citing bigger-than-expected price declines for DRAM memory chips.

Hong Kong and Shanghai listed shares would be allowed. Talks are underway.

Stocks rose for a third straight day on Friday after tame consumer price data put aside inflation fears, while an upgrade of bellwether Intel helped fuel gains in the tech sector.

Blackstone Group LP, which is preparing to go public, said on Friday that proposed U.S. Senate legislation on the taxation of private equity firms could materially increase its tax liability and lower the partnership's value.

Two months after Amazon.com Inc. posted first-quarter results that gave a boost to bulls anxious for a sign of improved earnings and profit margins, the online retailer's valuation is soaring -- and perplexing many.

Treasury debt prices rose on Friday after tame inflation data eased some recent concerns over the potential for Federal Reserve rate hikes.

The New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX), the world's largest energy market, is exploring a sale for about $14.3 billion, a news agency reported on Friday, as exchanges worldwide hustle for the best merger partners.

Global stocks rose on Friday, absorbing further gains in U.S. and euro zone government bond yields ahead of U.S. inflation data, while the yen sank after the Bank of Japan left interest rates on hold.

U.S. stock futures pointed to a flat to slightly higher open on Friday, with technology shares likely to underpin gains after a broker upgrade of Intel Corp. , but investors were cautious ahead of key inflation data.

U.S. stocks rose on Thursday as a gain of more than $1 a barrel in oil prices boosted shares of energy companies, including Exxon Mobil Corp., offsetting disappointment over profit reports from Bear Stearns and Goldman Sachs.

Global stocks surged ahead on Thursday led by overnight Wall Street gains as bond markets settled down after more than a week of losses.

The dollar hit a 4-1/2-year peak against the yen on Thursday, extending gains after strong U.S. retail sales data the previous day reinforced expectations the Federal Reserve would not cut interest rates this year.

European shares climbed in early trading on Thursday, with leading indexes adding around 1 percent following overnight stock market rallies in the United States and Asia.

Should China's CITIC Securities command a valuation four times that of Goldman Sachs?

U.S. stocks jumped on Wednesday, as lower bond yields triggered a rebound in utilities and other shares sensitive to interest rates, while signs of strength in the economy reassured investors.

Amid a steady stream of headlines about turmoil in the U.S. mortgage market propelled by rising defaults of subprime loans, home buyers and owners are fast turning to traditional, long-term mortgages for home financing needs, according to a report released on Wednesday.

'Say-on-pay' proposals to give share owners a greater voice in setting executive pay have been the hottest issue on company proxy ballots this year, but investors have sent mixed signals on whether they like the idea.

Shares of Applebee's International Inc. rose as much as 10 percent on Wednesday after Bloomberg News reported that pancake house operator IHOP Corp. had made a bid for the struggling bar-and-grill chain.

Government bond prices rebounded on Wednesday on short-covering, but benchmark yields stayed near five-year highs as strong economic data raised the prospect that the Federal Reserve may increase interest rates.

Shares of Blockbuster Inc. rose more than 10 percent on Wednesday after Citigroup upgraded the No. 1 movie rental chain to buy from hold in response to new plans aimed at undercutting rival Netflix Inc.

Freddie Mac, the second-largest U.S. home funding company, on Wednesday launched $3.0 billion in new five-year reference notes due Aug. 20, 2012, with pricing expected on Thursday, said joint lead manager JP Morgan.

BioFuel Energy Corp., a development-stage ethanol producer, on Wednesday said it plans to sell 5.25 million shares at $10.50 a share in an initial public offering, below its expected IPO pricing range of $13 to $14 a share.

The dollar surged on Wednesday as strong data and expectations of rising global interest rates pushed U.S. Treasury yields to five-year peaks, while stocks were volatile as growth prospects balanced the rise in yields.