MARKETS / FINANCE

Euro zone finance ministers will discuss on Tuesday how private Greek bondholders should be involved in a second financing package for debt-laden Greece ahead of a self-imposed June 20 deadline for a deal.

South Korea is scrambling to protect its computer systems after attacks against government agencies and financial institutions exposed vulnerabilities in a country that has the deepest Internet penetration anywhere.

Glencore is not actively considering a bid for embattled rival ENRC, its chief executive said, dismissing reports of a bumper offer as the commodities trader reported a jump in maiden quarterly earnings.

Google Inc has applied for a license to operate its Google Maps product in China, China Business News reported on Tuesday, quoting an unnamed official.

The Bank of Japan on Tuesday kept monetary policy on hold but expanded a loan scheme targeting growth industries, keeping up efforts to address chronic ills that have been plaguing the economy even before a devastating earthquake struck in March.

Stock index futures pointed to a bounce at the open on Wall Street on Tuesday, with futures for the S&P 500 up 0.9 percent, Dow Jones futures up 0.5 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.7 percent at 0900 GMT (5 a.m. ET).

Evidence that China may avoid a hard landing for its high-flying economy lifted riskier assets such as stocks on Tuesday although investors remained on edge about the deepening Greek debt crisis.

China's central bank raised bank reserve ratios on Tuesday for the ninth time since last October after data showed inflation rising in May to 5.5 percent, its highest level in almost three years.

China's inflation accelerated in May to 5.5 percent, its highest level in almost three years, suggesting the central bank will tighten monetary policy further even as economic growth slows down.

World leaders should put cyber security on the international agenda at forums such as the G20 and bring pressure to bear on slower-moving nations to take a stand against hacking, the co-founder of a global industry body said on Tuesday.

Greece became the lowest-rated country in the world according to Standard & Poor's, which downgraded it on Monday and warned that any attempt to restructure the country's debt would be considered a default.

The board of Dutch financial services group ING Groep NV is expected to decide on Wednesday on a buyer for its U.S. online-banking business, the Wall Street Journal reports on Tuesday.

Hiring prospects for the coming quarter have improved in most large economies from three months ago, while holding steady in the United States, according to a quarterly survey of employers by ManpowerGroup Inc .

Bondholders of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc have postponed a hearing on a controversial proposal to force the failed investment bank's creditors to share details about their claims, citing a wave of objections to the plan.

The Bank of Japan is expected to keep monetary policy on hold on Tuesday but consider ways to funnel more money to firms with growth potential, keeping up efforts to address chronic ills that plague an economy hit by a devastating earthquake in March.

Talks about a second bailout for Greece are getting closer to a conclusion as the European Commission pushes for a voluntary debt swap, media reported.

Bank of America Corp will not likely need to raise capital unless it is forced to recognize mortgage losses sooner than expected or is required to boost capital levels faster, a Sanford Bernstein analyst wrote on Monday.

Japan's cabinet approved a scheme on Tuesday to help Tokyo Electric Power Co compensate those affected by the radiation crisis at its stricken nuclear plant, a step forward in a slow-moving process that has frustrated not only the victims but also investors.

Bank of America Corp unnecessarily burdened U.S. regulators who were reviewing the mortgage giant's foreclosure practices, according to a court filing.

Commodities trader Glencore will report its first quarterly results on Tuesday, with investors hoping market volatility boosted trading profit and helped offset the impact of bad weather on output.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc is rejecting accusations that it tried to stall a probe by Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc into whether its descent into bankruptcy was exacerbated by false rumors.

Greece became the lowest-rated country in the world according to Standard & Poor's, which downgraded it on Monday and warned that any attempt to restructure the country's debt would be considered a default.

A top NYSE Euronext executive said the U.S.-based exchange's merger with Germany's Deutsche Boerse AG would lead to more job losses outside the United States than inside the country, in the short term.

CME Group Inc plans to sell most of the landmark Chicago Board of Trade building complex and rent rather than own the floor where contracts on corn, cattle and other farm goods are traded.

Google Inc plans to buy online advertising company AdMeld to grab a larger slice of the market for graphical display ads.

Facebook is preparing to file for an initial public offering as early as October or November that could value the popular social networking site at more than $100 billion, financial news channel CNBC reported on Monday.

Stocks drifted sideways on Monday, in what is likely a temporary pause in a sell-off brought on by growing fears of another economic downturn.

New York's top legal officer is seeking information from Deutsche Bank AG and Bank of New York Mellon about their role as trustees for mortgage-backed securities, an expansion of his probe of mortgage practices, said a person familiar with the matter.

Greece became the lowest-rated country in the world in the rankings of Standard & Poor's on Monday, putting it below Ecuador, Jamaica, Pakistan and Grenada.