IBT Staff Reporter

Employment grew solidly for a third straight month in February, a sign the economic recovery was strengthening and in less need of further monetary stimulus from the Federal Reserve.

Employment grew solidly for a third straight month in February, a sign the economic recovery was broadening and in less need of further monetary stimulus from the Federal Reserve.

The U.S. trade deficit widened more than expected in January as high oil prices and resurgent demand helped pushed imports to a record high, a Commerce Department report showed on Friday.

Stocks rose on Friday, adding to their best two-day run in nearly three months, after a report showed the economy added more jobs than expected in February.

Stocks were set for a higher open on Friday after a report showed the economy added more jobs than expected in February, which could push indexes into a higher trading range in the weeks ahead.

Ericsson, the world's top mobile telecoms equipment maker, is to cut jobs at its North American operations as part of a continued drive for greater efficiency in a business seeing slower sales.

Europe's debt crisis and an oil price rally are the biggest threats to global oil demand this year, OPEC said on Friday, adding it was still pumping above its target despite a slide in Iranian production.

Stock index futures edged lower on Friday after their strongest two-day gain in nearly three months and ahead of a report likely to show employment grew solidly for a third straight month.

Dutch state-owned bank ABN AMRO said it expected bad loan costs to remain high this year due to the recession in the Netherlands, after a tripling of such costs in the fourth quarter pushed it into a loss.

Stock index futures edged lower on Friday after their strongest two-day gain in nearly three months and ahead of a report likely to show employment grew solidly for a third straight month.

Hatsune Miku has a following that would make most Japanese pop stars green with envy, with thousands of fans at every concert and a big international following.

Greece averted the immediate risk of an uncontrolled default on Friday, winning strong acceptance from its private creditors for a bond swap deal which will eat into its mountainous public debt and clear the way for a new international bailout.

A South African court on Friday largely dismissed an appeal from government and unions to roll back approval for Wal-Mart's $2.4 billion acquisition of Massmart , ending months of uncertainty about the status of the deal.

Cruise bookings for next year could remain slow until the industry manages to dispel safety concerns after the Costa Concordia capsized off the west coast of Italy in January.

European planemaker Airbus reshuffled its order book but sold no previously unassigned aircraft in February and remains well behind Boeing since the start of the year, company data showed on Friday.

JPMorgan Chase & Co said it had entered into a partnership with AirPlus International, a business travel manager owned by Deutsche Lufthansa AG , to offer expense tracking systems and commercial credit cards to multinational corporations.

China's economy is on course for a soft landing, a clutch of indicators showed on Friday, easing investor fears of a sharp slowdown and revealing ample room for Beijing to loosen policy further to support growth.

Stock index futures pointed to a slightly lower open for equities on Wall Street on Friday, with futures for the S&P 500, the Dow Jones and the Nasdaq 100 falling up to 0.2 percent.

Japan's government on Friday kept up pressure on the central bank to further support an economic recovery, but the Bank of Japan appears set to hold monetary policy steady at its regular policy meeting next week.

China's annual consumer inflation slowed sharply to a 20-month low in February, and factory output and retail sales also cooled more than forecast, giving policymakers ample room to further loosen monetary policy to support flagging growth.

The result should clear the way for the European Union and International Monetary Fund to release a 130 billion euro bailout package agreed with Greece in February.

Greece has successfully closed a bond swap offer aimed at reducing its colossal debt pile and averting a chaotic default that would pitch the euro zone into a fresh crisis.

Employment likely grew solidly for a third straight month in February, a sign the economic recovery is becoming more durable and in less need of further monetary stimulus from the Federal Reserve.

Bank of America, one of five banks in $25 billion settlement with the government over foreclosure practices, has struck a side deal that will allow it to reduce penalties in return for bigger cuts to borrowers' mortgage balances, the Wall Street Journal said.

Citigroup Chief Executive Vikram Pandit finally got his payday. The third biggest U.S. bank company paid Pandit $14.86 million in 2011, compared with a salary of $1 and no bonus in 2010, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Committee.

One late-night visit by the FBI was all it took for the notorious hacker known as Sabu to switch sides and become a valued snitch.

Nathan Acosta is feeling a little overwhelmed.

British satellite broadcaster BSkyB, part of Rupert Murdoch's UK media business, is facing an escalating investigation into whether it is a fit and proper owner of a broadcasting licence, Britain's telecoms regulator said on Thursday.

Wall Street companies hired an extra 4,900 workers from January 2011 to January 2012, the New York Department of Labor said on Thursday in revised data that countered expectations of job losses in the securities industry.