IBT Staff Reporter

The dollar edged lower on Friday, paring some of the previous day's gains, while the euro garnered support following the data that showed the euro zone economy had finally pulled out of recession in the third quarter.

Abercrombie & Fitch posted a much better-than-expected quarterly profit on Friday, helped by cost cuts, and the retailer's shares rose more than 6 percent.

China's Commerce Minister said on Friday that use of safeguard measures by a certain large country violates international pledges against protectionism.

U.S. stock index futures rose on Friday after a selloff in the previous session that halted a six-day Dow winning streak, as investors awaited a slew of earnings reports and data on consumer spending.

U.S. President Barack Obama headed into talks with Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama on Friday in which he will likely try to smooth strained ties as the allies adjust to a rising China.

The euro zone economy jumped out of recession in the third quarter, data showed on Friday, but with slightly less spring than expected after growth in the area's top three economies fell short of market forecasts.

The head of the International Monetary Fund said on Friday that capital flows to emerging markets reflected the positive outlook for those economies but warned that they can destabilise currencies and asset prices.

News, details on corporate bond issues in the European markets on Friday

British Airways and Spain's Iberia announced on Thursday a preliminary agreement for a $7 billion merger to create the world's third-largest airline by revenue.

The euro zone economy jumped out of recession in the third quarter, data showed on Friday, but with slightly less spring than expected after the area's top three economies fell short of market forecasts.

The U.S. dollar eased on Friday after overnight gains and ahead of euro zone growth data, boosting metal and crude prices, while world stocks drifted higher. The dollar rose overnight against a basket of currencies but succumbed to another sporadic bout of profit-taking, and traders said the currency's broad weakness was likely to continue over the longer term.

Stock index futures pointed to a higher open for U.S. shares on Friday after snapping a six-day winning streak in the previous session, with investors awaiting earnings from JC Penney and Abercrombie & Fitch .

A rare rally in the U.S. dollar was the focus in Asia on Friday as investors wondered if President Barack Obama's nine-day visit to the region would generate pressure on some countries to let their currencies rise.

U.S. private equity firm Bain Capital is finalizing a roughly 100 billion yen ($1.1 billion) deal to buy Japanese telemarketer Bellsystem24 from Citigroup Inc , three sources familiar with the matter said.

Some former bankers are planning to bid for failing banks in the Federal Insurance Deposit Corp auction process, and getting financial backing from Wall Street firms like Goldman Sachs Group Inc and Deutsche Bank AG , the Wall Street Journal reported citing sources.

Chinese Internet users want to quiz U.S. President Barack Obama about trade feuds, basketball, Tibet and whether he will cede California to China, according to websites seeking questions for a town hall meeting.

Apple's global smartphone share reached 17 percent as iPhone sales totaled 7 million units in the third quarter, following the continued rollout of the iPhone 3GS in new countries, research firm Gartner said on Thursday.

Gold retreated from a record high above $1,120 an ounce on Thursday and global stocks lost ground as doubts about a lasting economic recovery underpinned the dollar.

Blockbuster Inc , the largest U.S. movie rental chain, posted a larger-than-expected quarterly loss as revenue fell more than 20 percent, and its shares dropped 12 percent in after-hours trade.

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Clicker.com launched a TV Guide for Internet television on Thursday, designed to provide a new way to find everything from old Seinfeld episodes to cooking shows.

Sales of video game equipment and software in the United States tumbled 19 percent in October to $1.07 billion, research group NPD said on Thursday, troubling figures as the industry heads into the most important selling weeks of the year.

Clicker.com launched a TV Guide for Internet television on Thursday, designed to provide a new way to find everything from old Seinfeld episodes to cooking shows.

The weakness in the U.S. dollar risks inflating a bubble in the oil market, which could threaten consumer spending and potentially cause a double dip recession.

WASHINGTON - Drug makers, Internet companies and nonprofits called for clarity on what is a gray area for U.S. health regulators: how drug promotion on Twitter, Wikipedia, blogs and other social media can be regulated.

U.S. monetary authorities did not intervene in the foreign exchange markets in the third quarter as the dollar fell broadly against major and emerging market currencies, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said.

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair will face questioning next year about Britain's entry into the Iraq war from a committee which has heard the decision was illegal and based on deception, its chairman said on Friday.

Chile's government said on Thursday any eventual purchase of U.S. missiles and radar equipment will be infinitely lower than a possible $665 million purchase the Pentagon has disclosed.

A 19-year-old New York man who was arrested for armed robbery has been exonerated thanks to a status update he posted on social networking site Facebook.