MARKETS / FINANCE

Foreigners increased purchases of U.S. securities in November, the U.S. Treasury Department said on Tuesday, though it was private investors rather than central banks who did the bulk of the buying.

U.S. stocks advanced on Tuesday as price target upgrades of Caterpillar and Google offset disappointing Citigroup results and worries about another medical leave by Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs.

TD Ameritrade Holding Corp's quarterly profit rose 6 percent, meeting expectations, as a rebound in trading and a jump in new assets may have helped the big U.S. online brokerage turn a corner.

Foreigners increased purchases of U.S. securities in November, the U.S. Treasury Department said on Tuesday, though it was private investors rather than central banks who did most of the buying.

WikiLeaks will probably not release any sensitive information it obtains from Swiss bank renegade Rudolf Elmer, according to press reports citing WikiLeaks boss Julian Assange and others sources connected to Elmer.

Euro zone finance ministers have decided to take their time over beefing up the currency area's rescue fund as debt-stricken Greece denied a minister's comment that it should stretch out all its debt repayments.

American Airlines, which is battling third-party ticket sellers over distribution costs and methods, on Tuesday said it has reached a deal with Priceline.com to use American's direct connect technology to access fares.

Boredom and funny cat photos were catalysts for Ben Huh to create one of the Web's fastest-growing media companies.

The euro rose more than 1 percent against the dollar on Tuesday on buying by sovereign funds and a surge in German investor sentiment, while global stocks hit a fresh 28-month high despite a sluggish U.S. open.

Video rental chain Blockbuster Inc said it had received an additional three weeks from its lenders to file a bankruptcy reorganization plan.

Extensive reconstruction after Australia's floods risks fuelling a wages blow-out, as flooded states and the booming resource sector bid for scarce workers, which will in turn push up inflation and add pressure for a tightening of interest rates.

Citigroup Inc posted a $1.3 billion quarterly profit on Tuesday, as the third-largest U.S. bank rounded off a year of recovery from the financial crisis, but the results fell short of estimates and the bank's shares fell.

WikiLeaks is unlikely anytime soon to make public material provided to it this week by Swiss bank whistleblower Rudolf Elmer, according to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and sources close to Elmer.

Banks must be allowed to fail in order for capitalism to succeed according to Paul Tucker, the deputy governor of The Bank of England (BoE).

Goldman Sachs said it will limit its private placement of shares of social networking site Facebook to investors outside the United States, citing intense media coverage.

The health of Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs was set to overshadow quarterly sales numbers on Tuesday from the consumer electronics powerhouse, whose iPhone and iPad excited holiday shoppers.

A sharp drop in bond trading revenue pushed Citigroup Inc fourth-quarter profit far below expectations, highlighting Chief Executive Vikram Pandit's challenges in fully reviving the bank.

The S&P and Nasdaq dipped on Tuesday after Citigroup's quarterly results missed estimates and Apple's Chief Executive Steve Jobs took another medical leave.

It has been a long journey since Steve Jobs came up with the name Apple Computers but the company now known as Apple has become synonymous with the man. Pundits have often predicted that Apple will fail without having Jobs at the helm.

Citigroup Inc posted a $1.3 billion quarterly profit on Tuesday, as losses on bad loans fell, but the bank missed estimates on its earnings as it struggled with a slump in revenue.

In covering the gold sector, I have noticed something lately. The large-caps really suck! Ok, that is harsh but it is the truth. The chart below shows the large-cap indices. What do you see? The Dow Jones Precious Metals Index hasn't gone anywhere for five years, while Gold has more than doubled.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao vowed on Tuesday to slam the brakes on a credit surge at the start of this year, following reports that the central bank has cut the 2011 lending target for banks by 10 percent.

Mid-tier producer Iamgold Corp (IMG.TO) posted a 21 percent sequential rise in gold production in the fourth quarter and reaffirmed its 2011 production outlook. The Toronto-based company said on Monday it expects to produce 1.1-1.2 million ounces in 2011, at cash costs of $565-$595 an ounce.

African Barrick Gold (ABGL.L) said fourth-quarter output rose from the preceding quarter as its new Buzwagi mine overcame production difficulties by mid-November, but missed its overall output target for the year.

Citigroup Inc posted a $1.3 billion quarterly profit on Tuesday, as losses on bad loans fell, but the bank missed estimates on its earnings as it struggled with a slump in investment banking revenue.

Gold priced in US dollars rose for a second day on Tuesday. Reflecting the improved consumer appetite for gold in Asia, premiums for gold bars rose on Monday to hit another two-year high as jewelers from China rushed to buy ahead of the Lunar New Year, while purchases from the electronics sector helped stir up physical trading in Japan, dealers said.

S&P and Dow index futures were higher on Tuesday as investors were upbeat about corporate earnings, but Nasdaq futures were weighed by Apple after the iPad maker said its chief executive was taking another medical leave.

Greece is not in talks to stretch out repayment of its entire outstanding debt, a finance ministry official, who requested anonymity, said on Tuesday.

- World stocks hit a fresh 28-month high on Tuesday, while the euro climbed on new evidence of robust growth in Germany and signs that policymakers will eventually firm up plans to ease the euro zone's debt crisis.