CITIGROUP

BHP Billiton has brought in more banks to help it find the $70 billion it needs to fund its planned takeover of Rio Tinto, Britain's Sunday Times newspaper reported.

Copper fell on Thursday on concerns over weakened demand for the red metal as the U.S. economy confronts big losses by investment banks and government reports showing rising consumer prices and stagnant industrial production.

Citigroup Inc., the nation's largest bank by assets, reported the company's biggest quarterly loss and slashed dividends on Tuesday as loan defaults in recent quarters forced it to write down the value of subprime-mortgage investments by $18 billion.

Citigroup will announce at least a $10 billion injection and a write-down of as much as $20 billion in mortgage-related investments when it announces its fourth quarter earnings tomorrow, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

The dollar fell near its all-time low on Monday on speculation poor results from major U.S. banks this week will prompt the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates.

A pair of the largest U.S. banks are expected to report big losses this week, including write-downs worth tens of billions of dollars due in part to the ongoing global credit crisis, triggered by bad bets in mortgage-related investments.

Citigroup is expected to get investments from Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, the government-run China Development Bank and other investors that could total between $8 billion and $10 billion, according to a report.

Saudi Arabian Prince Alwaleed bin Talal will inject new cash into Citi

U.S. stocks rose for a second day on Thursday after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke pledged to further cut interest rates and on news that Bank of America is reported to buy struggling mortgage lender Countrywide Financial Corp.

Citigroup, Inc. and Merrill Lynch & Co., U.S. banks which have seen heavy losses due to bad bets on the mortgage market, are in discussions to get up to $10 billion and $4 billion in capital respectively primarily from foreign governments, according to a report on Wednesday.

Blockbuster Inc Chief Executive James Keyes said on Wednesday he was comfortable the nation's leading DVD rental chain will meet financial targets of its debt agreements in the first quarter and beyond.

CITIC Securities, China's largest listed brokerage, said on Monday its net profit more than quintupled last year.

Stocks looked set to open lower on Wednesday, with the focus on economic data for clues about the outlook for growth and the Federal Reserve's next monetary policy move. Worries about the still escalating U.S. housing crisis and its implications for the overall economy point to a subdued start to the new year, Germany's Postbank said in a daily note.

As more banks report write-downs tied to the global credit crunch, analysts say Wachovia Corp may have losses lurking in an area that has garnered less investor attention.

U.S. and European banks including Citigroup Inc and HSBC Holdings PLC are considering selling off

U.S. and European banks including Citigroup Inc and HSBC Holdings PLC are considering selling off parts of their businesses as they prepare for tough times ahead, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Billionaire Joseph Lewis disclosed in a regulatory filing on Wednesday that he has increased his stake in hard-hit investment bank Bear Stearns Cos to 9.57 percent.

U.S. stock index futures were pointing to a slightly higher open on Wall Street on Thursday, as investors awaited data that could shed more light on the health of the economy.

Nikko Cordial Corp., a major Japanese brokerage firm and the holding company for Nikko Cordial Securities and other subsidiaries, announced on Wednesday that it has obtained shareholder approval to become a wholly owned subsidiary of Citigroup Inc., a major U.S. bank through an equity swap under a triangular merger.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc said on Tuesday fourth-quarter earnings rose 2 percent, beating expectations and capping a record year, but its shares fell after the investment bank cautioned that markets will remain challenging in the near future.

Aon Corp, one of the world's largest insurance brokers, said on Monday it has agreed to sell two units for about $2.75 billion and will use the proceeds to buy back shares.