IBT Staff Reporter

Gold scaled a record high on a weak dollar and global stocks jumped on Monday after better-than-expected U.S. home sales data and rosy economic news in the euro zone bolstered appetite for riskier assets.

The Aussie dollar began the week on somewhat of a negative note with early Asian sellers pushing it down from the open of 0.9145 to a low near 91 cents. Support held however as local equity markets opened strongly and New Motor Vehicle Sales for the month of October increased by 3.7%. The AUD entered offshore exchange testing the 92 cent level finally consolidating gains above this level following an increase in risk appetite thanks mainly to upbeat European and U.S economic data. After topping ...

IT research firm Gartner on Monday raised its 2009 outlook for personal computer shipments, but reiterated that Windows 7 won't impact PC sales in holiday season till 2010.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Monday completing a 2005 U.S.-India nuclear cooperation deal would boost investment opportunities in his country, a hopeful sign for U.S. companies eyeing India's potential $150 billion market in power plants.

Hewlett-Packard Co said a strong performance in China and improved profit margins in its services business helped drive quarterly earnings 14 percent higher.

U.S. stocks snapped a three-day losing streak on Monday as stronger-than-expected home sales data fueled optimism while a weaker dollar boosted commodity-linked stocks.

Italy's Ferrero family is united in its decision to look at options for British confectioner Cadbury, a source close to the family told Reuters, after newspapers reported a potentially deal-breaking division.

Thousands of emails related to global warming from the Climate Research Unit at East Anglia University in the U.K were hacked into and posted online, with government representatives now calling for an independent inquiry into what is being dubbed, the Climategate.

China on Monday accused a U.S. congressional advisory panel of bias for a report in which it said the Chinese government appeared increasingly to be piercing U.S. computer networks to gather useful data for its military.

Twitter, the social internet firm that tracks trends through individuals' updates of events around them, may eventually go to the stock market for funding if necessary, its co-founder Biz Stone said.

U.S. stocks rose on Monday, with the S&P 500 on track to snap a three-day sell-off as stronger-than-expected home sales data fueled optimism about the economic recovery while a weaker dollar boosted commodity-linked stocks.

Web search leader Google Inc said it is buying Silicon Valley display advertising technology startup Teracent, which expands its competition with display leader Yahoo Inc.

Hackers have built a virus that attacks Apple Inc's iPhone by secretly taking control of the devices via their Internet connections, security experts said.

Web search leader Google Inc said it is buying Silicon Valley display advertising technology start-up Teracent, which expands its competition with display leader Yahoo Inc.

U.S. stocks rose on Monday, with the S&P 500 on track to snap a three-day sell-off as stronger-than-expected home sales data fueled optimism about the economic recovery while a weaker dollar boosted commodity-linked stocks.

Gold scaled a record high at $1,173.50 an ounce on Monday as a weaker dollar boosted buying in gold as a hedge against depreciation of paper currencies.

Israel has softened its terms for a prisoner swap with Hamas and the two are nearing a deal to exchange hundreds of jailed Palestinians for an Israeli soldier held in the Gaza Strip, officials said on Monday.

The White House said on Monday it was reviewing options to spur economic activity and job creation, but stressed any action would be taken in the context of the fiscal challenges facing the country.

President Barack Obama on Monday added to his schedule an evening session with top advisers on Afghanistan as he closes in on a decision on whether to send thousands more U.S. troops.

The risk of strike action at Dutch mail company TNT NV grew on Monday after members of its two largest unions rejected proposals that included a pay cut of up to 3.5 percent to prevent massive job cuts.

Technology distributor Tech Data Corp posted better-than-expected quarterly results, helped in part by tighter cost controls, and forecast strong fourth-quarter revenue, sending its shares to a year-high.

Hitachi Ltd is expected to sign a high-speed railway project deal in the UK worth more than 500 billion yen ($5.62 billion), as the electronics conglomerate stepped up its efforts to exploit overseas markets, the Nikkei business daily reported.

Danish telecom operator TDC, which has been widely tipped as a candidate for a big stock offering, said on Monday its main owner had begun reviewing strategic alternatives for the company.

South African fixed-line phone group Telkom plans to spend 6 billion rand ($800 million) over five years to launch a mobile phone business as profits from its fixed-line business tumbled.

Inventor Judah Klausner filed suit against Motorola Inc and Research In Motion, alleging infringement of technology patents related to visual voicemail.

Research group Gartner Inc on Monday raised its 2009 forecast for personal computer shipments, citing stronger-than-expected third-quarter sales.

The world's largest seismically isolated building, the new international terminal at Istanbul's Sabiha Gökçen Airport, is now complete and open for business.

President Barack Obama's December jobs forum may be better at serving his political need to show the White House cares about sky-high U.S. unemployment, than discovering new ways to cheaply boost economic growth.

Twitter, the social internet firm that tracks trends through individuals' updates of events around them, may eventually go to the stock market for funding if necessary, its co-founder Biz Stone said.