MARKETS / FINANCE

State-owned Bank of China Ltd has offered yuan trading to U.S. customers, a sign that Beijing this year may increasingly promote the use of the Chinese currency in major financial centers.

Stormy U.S. weather has taken its toll on commuters and travelers this winter, and it could also hit some company earnings for the final quarter.

American International Group Inc accepted a $2.16 billion offer for its Taiwan Nan Shan Life unit from a group led by local conglomerate Ruentex Group, marking the beginning of the end of a over year-long process fraught with delays and political wrangling.

The euro rose weakly against the dollar on Wednesday while Asian stocks edged higher, but investors were increasingly nervous ahead of a key bond sale by ailing euro zone member Portugal later in the day.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc pledged to be more open about how it makes money and to put the interests of clients ahead of its own in an effort to rebut criticism it acted more like a hedge fund than a bank during the credit boom and misled investors.

American International Group Inc could announce as early as Wednesday the sale of its Taiwan Nan Shan Life unit to conglomerate Ruentex Group for up to $2.5 billion, according to Taiwan newspapers.

The effective lending capacity of the euro zone's financial rescue fund should be reinforced and the scope of its activity widened, the European Union's economic chief said on Wednesday.

Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss found a skeptical audience on Tuesday as they tried to persuade a U.S. appeals court to let them out of a $65 million settlement over the founding of online social network Facebook.

State-owned Bank of China Ltd has opened trading in the yuan currency to U.S. customers, according to a posting on the bank's website dated December 2010.

A former technology analyst with Primary Global Research pleaded guilty on Tuesday to leaking confidential company information to hedge funds, part of the U.S. government's broad insider trading probe.

Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss found a skeptical audience on Tuesday as they tried to convince a U.S. appeals court to let them out of a $65 million settlement over the founding of online social network Facebook.

Euro zone finance ministers are likely to consider next week the option of raising the effective lending capacity of the currency bloc's rescue fund as part of efforts to calm sovereign debt markets, euro zone sources said.

Euro zone finance ministers are likely to consider next week the option of raising the effective lending capacity of the currency bloc's rescue fund as part of efforts to calm sovereign debt markets, euro zone sources said.

Charles Schwab Corp will pay $118.9 million to settle regulatory charges that it hid from investors the mortgage-related risks in a seemingly safe, multibillion-dollar bond mutual fund.

The U.S. government is intensifying its use of consumer complaint websites with two new outlets for customer gripes that have trade groups for manufacturers and financial firms concerned about smear campaigns and lawsuits.

Energy shares helped the Dow and S&P 500 end a three-day losing streak on Tuesday, even as investors worried rising fuel costs will undercut economic growth.

The U.S. Federal Reserve's aggressive bond-buying plan could soon backfire unless the central bank gradually changes course to head off inflation, a top Fed official known for his hawkish stance said on Tuesday.

Directors of Federal Reserve banks in Dallas and Kansas City again requested, unsuccessfully, a 0.25 percent rise in the rate charged to banks for emergency loans, minutes of Fed meetings in November and December showed on Tuesday.

Energy shares led U.S. stocks to modest gains on Tuesday as crude prices jumped, but consumer-related and transportation shares limited the rise.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc took a step toward greater transparency by pledging to disclose more about how it makes money, seeking to rebut criticism that it has been putting its own interest ahead of clients.

Euro zone finance ministers are likely to consider next week the option of raising the effective lending capacity of the euro zone rescue fund as part of efforts to calm sovereign debt markets, euro zone sources said.

Traders are talking about buying dips again, concurs a Hong Kong dealer, noting that Asia physical market remains very tight for Gold Bars. Reuters says the Hong Kong premium for wholesale Gold Bars over benchmark London prices today held at $3 per ounce, a near 30-month high.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc pledged to be more open about how it makes money and to put clients' interests ahead of its own, eager to rebut criticism that it acts more like a hedge fund than a bank.

U.S. stocks rose on Tuesday after several fourth-quarter earnings reports and outlooks came in higher than expected, putting the S&P 500 index on course to snap three straight sessions of declines.

Google has appointed Rajan Anandan, previously managing director of Microsoft's India unit, as head of its India operations effective immediately.

Portugal's central bank predicted the economy would shrink this year, painting a gloomier outlook just as the government sought on Tuesday to quash persistent talk of a bailout.

U.S. stocks rose on Tuesday after several fourth-quarter earnings reports and outlooks came in higher than expected, putting the S&P 500 index on track to snap three straight sessions of declines.

U.S. wholesale inventories unexpectedly fell in November as wholesale sales outstripped forecasts, a government report showed on Tuesday, suggesting optimism about the sustainability of demand.

Japan promised on Tuesday to buy euro zone bonds this month in a show of support for Europe's struggle with a seething debt crisis.