IBT Staff Reporter

French bank Societe Generale warned the economic recovery was still fragile, with moderate growth prospects in Europe, after it beat forecasts with an almost fourfold leap in second-quarter net profit.

French bank Societe Generale warned the economic recovery was still fragile, with moderate growth prospects in Europe, after it beat forecasts with an almost fourfold leap in second-quarter net profit.

Lloyds , Britain's biggest retail bank which was part-nationalized during the credit crisis, returned to profit in the first half of 2010 from a loss a year earlier after lower bad debt charges boosted earnings.

Global shares fell and the dollar headed toward a 15-year low against the yen on Wednesday on growing concern about the U.S. economy as recent data has sparked talk of more monetary easing by the Federal Reserve.

Toyota Motor Corp <7203.T> reported its best operating profit in two years on Wednesday, beating market estimates, and lifted its cautious forecasts despite a sluggish U.S. recovery and a stronger yen.

Oil fell on Wednesday for the first day in five as a rally that powered prices to three-month highs near $83 a day earlier lost steam, while industry data showed U.S. gasoline stockpiles rose unexpectedly last week.

French bank Societe Generale beat forecasts with an almost fourfold leap in second-quarter net profit as lighter loan-loss provisions and toxic assets helped offset weaker investment banking revenue.

Japanese stocks fell behind their Asian peers and slid 2 percent on Wednesday as the yen climbed toward 15-year highs against the U.S. dollar after weak U.S. data spurred talk of more Federal Reserve easing.

FGIC Corp filed for bankruptcy protection late on Tuesday, saying it was not paid dividends by its troubled bond insurance unit Financial Guaranty Insurance Company since the onset of the financial crisis more than two years ago, court documents showed.

Gold prices climbed in Asian trade Wednesday after reports said China, the world's largest gold producer, decided to expand its market. Spot gold was seen trading at $1192.01 an ounce at 12.00 noon Singapore time while December-delivery futures was at $1195.30 an ounce on the Comex division on Nymex.

Australia's official economic data is struggling to capture growing online sales as the country's consumers belatedly embrace e-commerce, suggesting that soft retail trade data is missing part of a fast-growing market.

Barnes & Noble , the number one U.S. book store chain, is putting itself up for sale as business suffers in the high-stakes battle for a leading role in the digital books market.

Oil fell on Wednesday for the first day in five as a rally that powered prices to three-month highs near $83 a day earlier lost steam, while industry data showed U.S. gasoline stockpiles rose unexpectedly last week. The dollar hovered near a three-month trough against the euro following Tuesday's data showing U.S. consumer spending and incomes were flat in June and the index for pending sales of previously owned homes fell to a record low.

Gold extended gains and rose to its strongest in a week on Wednesday as investors shifted out of equities after poor U.S. data sparked concerns about the health of the global economy.

The yuan held flat against the dollar on Wednesday and its performance lagged far behind the global fall in the U.S. dollar index .DXY, which has broken through a major 200-day moving average support. The market's enthusiasm over yuan appreciation from a sliding dollar was dampened by the People's Bank of China's clear signal it does not want the yuan to move widely despite dollar weakness.

The dollar hit an eight-month trough against the yen on Wednesday, crawling towards its lowest level since 1995, as weak U.S. data and talk of the Federal Reserve embarking on further policy easing pushed down Treasury yields.

The killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was until recently widely believed to have been perpetrated by the Syrians, or at least on their behalf. It was the assassination of Mr. Hariri that led to the forced departure of Syrian troops from Lebanon as a result of international pressure and wide-ranging opposition from the Lebanese street.

Mobile phone group Motorola is teaming up with Verizon Wireless to develop a digital tablet device that would rival Apple's iPad, the Financial Times said on Wednesday.

The 2 fattening foods that I'm going to talk about in this article may actually shock you... most people falsely believe these 2 foods are healthy

Specific vegetables that actually help to stimulate the burning of stomach fat? Sounds crazy right?

(Corrects name in paragraph 5 to Hassan Ahmed from Charles Neivert)

As a Certified Nutrition Specialist, I usually shock people with this fact... it's true that there is a type of healthy natural trans fat that actually helps you to burn off abdominal fat.

The Australian Dollar fell below 0.9100 US earlier in the day following an unexpected decline of -3.3% in June building approvals.

The Australian Dollar has opened above USD0.9100 after a night in which ambiguity and uncertainty presented themselves to the markets again.

Drinking alcohol regularly may not be too bad for the health, at least for rheumatoid arthritis sufferers or those at high risk of acquiring the painful condition. A study by British researchers showed that non-drinkers were more prone to developing the debilitating condition than those who drank alcohol more than 10 days per month.

Auto sales rose 5 percent in July in an uneven recovery that left Toyota Motor Co <7203.T> and Honda Motor Co <7267.T> sputtering with declines from strong results a year ago.

The Australian Dental Association has found in a recent study that more Australian children are suffering from tooth erosion. The cause, it says, is too much drinking of acidic fruit juice bars, soda and sports drinks.

Consumer goods makers like Procter & Gamble Co and Clorox Co have bet on new products to spur growth, but heavy promotional expenses will keep that growth moderate in the next year.

Barnes & Noble , the world's largest brick and mortar bookseller, said it is looking into selling itself, as its business suffers in the high-stakes battle for a leading role in the digital books market.