MARKETS / FINANCE

More than half of China's mid-sized companies will seek to raise capital within the next two years, highlighting an urgent need for funding to fuel rapid expansion, a survey showed on Thursday.

Oil prices dropped on Thursday as the Arab League said a peace plan for Libya put forward by Venezuela's Hugo Chavez was under consideration, while upbeat U.S. economic news helped lift Asian stock markets.

Upbeat U.S. economic news helped lift Asian stock markets on Thursday, while crude oil prices fell in choppy trade on reports of a possible peace deal for Libya.

Crude oil prices held near 2-1/2 year peaks on Thursday as worries about supply disruption persisted given ongoing unrest in Libya, but upbeat U.S. economic news and a firmer Wall Street helped Asian stocks find a steadier footing.

State and municipal government fiscal conditions that have been battered by the economic downturn will get some relief as growth picks up, but a full recovery will be slow in coming, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Wednesday.

A federal judge on Wednesday ordered the release on bond of a Credit Suisse banker arrested on charges of helping wealthy American clients hide their money from U.S. tax authorities when he worked for UBS AG.

American International Group Inc sold $9.6 billion worth of MetLife Inc shares on Wednesday, producing gross proceeds of about $6.3 billion to accelerate its payback of U.S. Treasury bailout funds.

American International Group sold $9.6 billion in shares of insurer MetLife Inc on Wednesday, closing the offering a day earlier than expected, on strong demand.

U.S. securities regulators issued a proposal on Wednesday to curb bonuses at brokerage and investment advisory firms over the objections of Republicans on the panel and even some doubts expressed by Chairman Mary Schapiro.

Political unrest in the Middle East and North Africa adds a dose of uncertainty to an already-fragile U.S. economic recovery, Atlanta Federal Reserve President Dennis Lockhart said on Wednesday.

NYSE Euronext lucrative interest rate futures franchise on March 21, the exchange operator said on Wednesday.

U.S. stocks edged up higher on some positive jobs data and reassurance from the Federal Reserve that the economy is recovering. However, any equity gains were capped by fears over the continued unrest in Libya and rising crude oil prices.

Economic activity kept slowly gaining strength as 2011 opened and manufacturers and retailers were having some success in pushing their prices up, the Federal Reserve said on Wednesday.

Britain may approve News Corp's $12.5 billion buy-out of BSkyB this week, two sources familiar with the situation said on Wednesday, forcing Rupert Murdoch's group to spin off TV news channel Sky News.

U.S. stocks eked out gains on Wednesday despite another rise in oil prices, as investors bet the latest signs of economic strength may be able to absorb expected higher energy costs.

The tremendous rally in gold is a reflection of the poor job the Federal Reserve is doing and the market’s lack of confidence in the central bank and the US, said David Malpass, president of Encima Global, on Bloomberg TV.

Boston Scientific Corp (BSX.N) plans further layoffs in its biggest business unit for pacemakers and other heart devices, the company told Reuters, and a source said the layoffs will affect about 5 percent of staff within the unit's clinical division.

Holdings of the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, the SPDR Gold Trust, fell for a fifth consecutive month in February, data from the New York-based fund showed, the longest run of outflows since the trust's inception.

A Northern Ireland software company that supplies services to major financial institutions said on Wednesday it was creating 360 new jobs, a rare piece of good news in an economy squeezed by public services cuts. First Derivatives, based in the border city of Newry and currently employing 550 people, is to expand using 4.3 million

Prices for Dollar investors to Buy Gold crept higher to reach a new all-time record Wednesday lunchtime in London, as crude oil rose further above $100 per barrel and world stock markets fell for the eighth time in nine sessions.

It's exciting times for gold investors, who saw their investment multiply in recent years. Silver even doubled in price. With the following free Android apps, you can now follow your money grow where ever you are.

Aaron LeMieux grew up hearing his native Cleveland used as the punchline for jokes such as the mistake on the lake. But the city is attempting to shake its downtrodden image - enhanced by a history of sporting futility - and entrepreneurs like LeMieux are leading the charge.

Describes all the investible gold products, explains the fundamentals of investing in gold, and reveals techniques for implementing gold into an overall investing strategy.

U.S. stocks rose modestly on Wednesday after a Federal Reserve survey said the economy has gained strength, but oil prices near 2-1/2 year highs weighed on the market.

Stocks rose modestly on Wednesday after a Federal Reserve survey said the economy has gained strength, but oil prices near 2-1/2 year highs weighed on the market.

Socks rose on Wednesday after employers added more jobs than expected last month, but shares came off their highs as oil prices surged in a correlation expected to define trading in the near term.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Wednesday a Republican spending cut plan would not cause a big dent to U.S. economic growth, but could cost around 200,000 jobs.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Wednesday a Republican spending cut plan would not cause a big dent to U.S. economic growth, but could cost around 200,000 jobs.

A top aide to U.S. President Barack Obama pushed back hard on Tuesday against an accusation that the president was anti-business, bluntly calling out Obama's critic by name.