IBT Staff Reporter

Shares of graphics chip maker Nvidia Corp. plunged nearly 7 percent on Friday afternoon, after company comments late Thursday that it could face supply constraints outshined a better-than-expected quarterly report.

British billionaire Richard Branson declined to rule out a stock market listing for Virgin Atlantic in the event that his Virgin Group bought out its Singapore partner in the airline.

Tighter credit, broad deterioration in the housing market and skittish consumer spending will lead to a slower U.S. economy than earlier estimated, according to the most closely watched forecast by U.S. economists.

U.S. retail sales excluding cars rose a modest 0.2 percent in July, as declining gasoline prices reined in overall sales growth, according to data from SpendingPulse released on Friday.

U.S. consumers generally expect the labor market to stay healthy, with only a third anticipating a rise in the unemployment rate in the coming year, according to a survey released on Friday.

A gauge of future U.S. economic growth fell in the latest week on lower stock prices and higher interest rates, and the measure's growth rate was down almost 1 percent, a research group said on Friday.

Sunrise Senior Living, a senior living chain exploring a possible sale, on Friday posted disappointing revenue under management, sending shares down 4 percent.

Reliant Pharmaceuticals Inc. filed with U.S. regulators on Friday to raise up to $400 million in an initial public offering of common stock.

Sweden's financial regulator said on Friday it had requested information from Borse Dubai regarding its move this week to acquire shares in OMX and was considering whether a statement from the state-run firm may already represent an offer to buy all of OMX.

The U.S. Federal Reserve provided the banking system with $38 billion on Friday, the largest amount of liquidity since the days after the September 11 attacks six years ago, adding ample funds for the second day running as financial markets fretted over credit conditions.

Microsoft said Thursday that its highly anticipated Halo 3 video game broke industry records, recording more than 1 million preorders.

Plasma display makers will likely see their revenue decline beginning in 2009 as they face increased pressure from rival liquid crystal display manufacturers (LCD).

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved expanded use of Pfizer Inc's blockbuster cholesterol-lowering medicine Lipitor by five new categories, including one to reduce the risk of non-fatal heart attacks and strokes, the company said on Wednesday.

British billionaire Richard Branson declined to rule out a stock market listing for Virgin Atlantic in the event that his Virgin Group bought out its Singapore partner in the airline.

U.S. regulators are scrutinizing the books of some top Wall Street brokers and investment banks for subprime-mortgage losses, according to a report in the online version of the Wall Street Journal.

Nikko Cordial Corp., the Japanese unit of Citigroup, said it was not looking to sell its merchant banking arm, denying a report that it was in talks with Japan's Norinchukin Bank about a potential $3.4 billion deal.

European stocks extended their losses on Friday, losing more than 2 percent as a deepening concern surrounding the U.S. subprime mortgage market continued to hit stocks worldwide and pushed U.S. futures in the red.

The yen firmed broadly on Friday as continued turbulence in global financial markets caused investors to shun risk, cutting their exposure to carry trades.

Oil prices slipped below $71 on Friday, as worries over threats to economic growth from a deepening credit squeeze in global financial markets outweighed forecasts for robust oil demand.

Shares in Dutch bank ABN AMRO fell as much as 11 pct on Friday as analysts cited a report that Fortis may find it difficult to finance its part of the deal to buy ABN together with Royal Bank of Scotland and Santander.

The European Central Bank mounted a second day of action to calm panicky credit markets on Friday, after Asia central banks joined a global campaign by monetary authorities to inject extra cash into banking systems.

U.S. stock index futures signaled a further decline on Wall Street on Friday as concerns about the impact of losses related to U.S. subprime mortgages stoked flight from global equity markets.

Fears of a global liquidity crisis gathered pace on Friday, hitting stocks and high-yielding currencies, while the European Central Bank and Asian authorities acted to calm surging short-term borrowing costs. What started as trouble with risky U.S. residential mortgages is now gripping global markets.

EMC Corp.'s Vmware raised the target price of its initial public offering to as much as $1.1 billion, making it one of the largest technology IPOs since Google in 2004.

Opteum Inc. said second-quarter losses would be much higher than expected and added that its quarterly filing would be delayed as certain discontinued operations need to be included in its results for the period.

Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis President Gary Stern, playing down jitters in global money markets, said on Thursday that subprime mortgage problems were limited in scope and the Fed routinely injects substantial liquidity into the banking system.

Central banks from Tokyo to Sydney injected extra cash into banking systems or pledged to do so on Friday, as Asia joined a global campaign by monetary authorities to calm panicky credit markets.

An adviser to Broadcom Corp. ex-Chief Executive Henry Nicholas, on Thursday appeared in federal court in California, where he faces charges that he failed to report currency withdrawals from an Orange County bank.

Man Group Plc, slated to become the first firm to list a hedge fund on the New York Stock Exchange this autumn, will delay the public offering as market conditions have deteriorated dramatically, a source familiar with the company's plans said on Thursday.