U.S. stocks were set for a higher open on Friday, putting the S&P on track to snap a four-day losing streak, after an unexpectedly strong payrolls report eased fears about the path of the economic recovery.
U.S. private employers shrugged off high energy prices to add jobs at the fastest pace in five years in April, pointing to underlying strength in the economy, even as the jobless rate rose to 9.0 percent.
The steep slide in oil prices this week is welcome because crude above $120 a barrel may hurt the world economy, while crude at $90 to $100 is ideal, an OPEC delegate said on Friday.
U.S. employment increased more than expected in April as private companies created jobs at the fastest pace in five years, pointing to underlying strength in the economy, even though the jobless rate rose to 9.0 percent.
Non-farm payroll jumped by 244,000 for the month of April, reported the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
U.S. stock index futures added to their gains on Friday following a better-than-expected read on the labor market.
Indonesia on Friday barred Citibank from seeking new credit cards for two years over a case of alleged embezzlement and the death of a client following questioning by debt collectors.
U.S. stock index futures advanced on Friday after four consecutive days of losses, with investors awaiting Friday's key U.S. payroll report while digesting the impact of the tumble in commodity prices.
Oil prices fell further on Friday, extending a 10 percent crash the previous day as fears about global economic recovery pushed investors to unwind commodities positions.
Spain's economy grew by a small amount in the first quarter of the year, with stronger European recovery countering the effect of sluggish domestic demand and austerity measures, the central bank said in a monthly report on Friday.
U.S. employers probably took on fewer workers in April as high energy prices sapped consumer confidence and led to doubts about the strength of the economic recovery.
U.S. stock index futures advanced on Friday after four consecutive days of losses as investors awaited Friday's key U.S. payroll report.
Oil prices fell on Friday, extending a 10 percent crash the previous day as fears about global economic recovery pushed investors to unwind commodities positions.
JPMorgan Chase & Co has received a subpoena from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over failed mortgages, Bloomberg said, citing a person familiar with the investigation.
Oil prices fell 5 percent on Friday, extending a 10 percent crash on Thursday as fears about global economic recovery pushed investors to unwind commodities positions.
China, wielding its huge dollar holdings, on Friday pressed Washington to tackle its huge fiscal deficit and said it would raise the issue of discrimination against Chinese investors at high-level talks next week.
Oil prices fell 5 percent on Friday, after a 10 percent crash on Thursday, as fears about global economic recovery pushed investors to further unwind commodities positions.
Brent crude dipped toward $107 a barrel on Friday and U.S. crude fell below $97, extending losses from a record rout in the previous session that wiped as much as 10 percent from the price.
Brent crude rose 1.3 percent to more than $111 a barrel on Friday and U.S. crude climbed back above $100 as oil rebounded from a record rout in the previous session that wiped as much as 10 percent from the price.
China staked out areas of contention with the United States on Friday ahead of strategic talks in Washington next week, including the pace of yuan reform and concerns about U.S. debt levels, but Beijing also stressed the two sides' co-dependency.
As two Internet powerhouses slug it out to tie the knot with Skype, Facebook looks likely to be a more aggressive suitor than Google, and the world's largest social network may make for a better fit.
As two Internet powerhouses slug it out to tie the knot with Skype, Facebook looks likely to be a more aggressive suitor than Google, and the world's largest social network may make for a better fit.
China reiterated on Friday that it is not deliberately seeking a trade surplus with the United States, Chinese Vice Finance Minister Zhu Guangyao said, days before talks with the United States.
Sony is looking to its insurers to help pay for its massive data breach, an amount that one expert estimates could exceed $2 billion, but others said insurers may balk at ponying up that kind of money.
Brent crude rose by 1.3 percent to over $112 a barrel on Friday as a weaker dollar sparked a rebound from an overnight rout, but prices could head south again on mounting economic concerns.
Bank of America Corp made money in trading every day of the first quarter, and posted more than $25 million in trading-related revenue for practically all of those days, the company said on Thursday.
Credit Suisse was subpoenaed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission this week for documents related to securitized home loans, according to court documents filed on Thursday by a bond insurer suing Credit Suisse.
Bailed-out insurer American International Group lost more than $1 billion from its ongoing operations in the first quarter, as the company took a huge charge for the termination of its credit facility from the Federal Reserve.
Intel's latest manufacturing breakthrough sends a clear warning to rival ARM Holdings not to get too complacent with its overwhelming lead in the red-hot mobile arena.
Bailed-out insurer American International Group
posted a loss from continuing operations in the first quarter as it recorded a charge of more than $3 billion related to its recapitalization and termination of its credit facility from the Federal Reserve. 
