MARKETS / FINANCE

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World stocks rose for the fourth session in a row on Wednesday on hopes the U.S. Federal Reserve will ride to the economy's rescue with another stimulus package, though global shares were still set to post their biggest monthly drop in 15 months.

Brent crude hovered at $114 a barrel Wednesday, after posting six days of gains, on expectations the United States will act again to try and boost growth and increase demand for oil.

eBay Inc expects sales from large exporters in China to maintain growth at 30-40 percent annually, with the e-commerce giant seeking acquisition opportunities as part of efforts to expand its footprint in the fast-growing market.

The U.S. Federal Reserve could embark on a third round of quantitative easing depending on upcoming economic data but should first confirm that inflation has eased, a senior Fed official said in the Asahi newspaper on Wednesday.

Returns at top banks will shrink two thirds unless they take action to limit fallout from tougher regulation, consultancy McKinsey said on Wednesday.

The regulator for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as well as dozens of investors, lodged objections to Bank of America Corp's proposed $8.5 billion mortgage-backed securities settlement, while a group of borrowers separately sued to block the accord.

Bank of America Corp was sued by the trustee of a $1.75 billion mortgage pool, which seeks to force the bank to buy back the underlying loans because of alleged misrepresentations in how they were made.

Billionaire investor Carl Icahn said on Tuesday his nominees for Clorox Co's board would try to sell the bleach maker if elected, with him backstopping an auction with a $10.26 billion bid.

The Bank of Italy warned on Tuesday that government plans to cut debt were at risk from weak growth as a lukewarm bond sale threatened to drag the euro zone's third-biggest economy back to the center of the debt crisis.

eBay Inc expects sales from greater China to grow 30-40 percent annually from about $4 billion in 2010, with the e-commerce giant seeking acquisition opportunities as part of efforts to expand its footprint in the fast-growing market.

Pockets of the fixed income and money markets are starting to reflect concern that recent volatility will extend past August, and that growing risk aversion may again roil banks and funding markets.

The U.S. Federal Reserve considered a range of actions to help a struggling economy at its August meeting, including the unprecedented step of tying the interest rate policy outlook to a specific unemployment level.

Creditors of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc were granted approval on Tuesday to vote on the failed bank's $65 billion payback plan, clearing a major hurdle in the path to ending the biggest bankruptcy in U.S. history.

Google Inc's board of directors faces a lawsuit for previously allowing Canadian pharmacies to advertise prescription drugs to U.S. customers via the Web search leader.

by Andrea JohnsonNEW YORK, Aug 30 - US insurer USAA Capital Corp on Tuesday sold $250 million of 3-year medium-term notes at the lowest ever coupon for an insurer and for a Financial Institutions Group deal, according to Thomson Reuters/IFR data.

A judge on Tuesday gave creditors of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc the green light to vote on the failed bank's $65 billion payback proposal, clearing a major hurdle in Lehman's path toward ending the biggest bankruptcy in U.S. history.

Content delivery network provider Limelight Networks Inc sold its EyeWonder rich media advertising unit to DG Fastchannel Inc for about $66 million in cash, sending its shares up 8 percent in pre-market trading.

Starting Wednesday, three data points coming out this week on jobs in August will help Treasury traders predict the direction the economy could take, but they probably won't move prices drastically themselves, analysts said on Tuesday.

Local and state governments axed more than 200,000 jobs in 2010, according to U.S. Census data released on Tuesday that showed the growing threat of public employee layoffs to the economic recovery.

A top Federal Reserve official who dissented from the central bank's move this month to ease monetary policy further signaled he would drop his opposition.

The latest Fed minutes show is that the central bank is well aware that the U.S. economic recovery is underperforming -- it's like a car traveling in the right lane on an interstate highway at 40 miles per hour (barely adequate) -- and it's prepared to take additional action to strengthen the recovery, should the tepid growth conditions continue.

Gold and bonds surged on Tuesday and U.S. stocks rebounded in choppy trade as a recovery in risk appetite among some investors was countered by bearish economic news.

The central bank in early August discussed a range of unusual tools it could use to help the economy, with some officials pressing for bold new steps to help the economy.

Stocks rose on Tuesday, reversing earlier declines sparked by a disappointing consumer confidence report as investors continued to see value in beaten-down prices.

The initial reaction to Steve Jobs' resignation as Apple's CEO was speculation on just how far Apple's stock price would drop the next day. So just how far could another company, like Berkshire Hathaway, drop when Warren Buffett finally retires?

Gold prices jumped 2 percent Tuesday and silver surged 2.1 percent as some investors opted for the safety of precious metals and Treasuries amid continued worries about Europe's sovereign debt crisis and weakness in the American economy.

Top Bank of America Corp lawyers knew as early as January that American International Group Inc was prepared to sue the bank for more than $10 billion, seven months before the lawsuit was filed, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The Federal Reserve considered a range of actions to help a struggling economy at its August meeting, including the unprecedented step of tying the interest rate policy outlook to a specific unemployment level.