GOLDMAN SACHS

The U.S. Treasury approved 10 banks to buy back $68 billion of government shares on Tuesday, a first crucial step for banks to be set free from government restrictions.

Stocks were set to open higher on Tuesday after Texas Instruments raised its quarterly outlook, underpinning other technology stocks, while rising oil prices boosted energy shares.

Treasury officials are expected to unveil Tuesday that up to ten of the biggest banks have approval to repay their Troubled Asset Relief Program funds, people familiar with the matter said.

The U.S. Federal Reserve is expected to say Goldman Sachs Group Inc, JPMorgan Chase & Co and perhaps a few other banks will be allowed to repay money to the Troubled Asset Relief Program, The Wall Street Journal said on Monday, without saying where it got the information.

The Obama administration is expected to announce next week that a higher-than-expected number of large financial institutions will be allowed to repay their government bailout funds, the Washington Post reported in its Saturday edition.

Morgan Stanley is likely to be part of the first wave of major banks to exit the U.S. government's bank bailout program after recently selling more than $2 billion of shares, research analysts said on Wednesday.

Clinton-era Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Arthur Levitt has signed on as an advisor to Goldman Sachs Group Inc , the Wall Street firm said on Tuesday.

Clinton-era Securities and Exchange Commission chairman Arthur Levitt has signed on as an advisor to Goldman Sachs Group Inc , the Wall Street firm announced on Tuesday.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc sold $1.9 billion worth of shares in Industrial and Commercial Bank of China on Monday, according to a source familiar with the pricing.

Goldman Sachs was on Monday selling up to about $1.9 billion worth of shares in Industrial and Commercial Bank of China at a discount of 4 percent to 6 percent to the Chinese lender's Monday closing price, according to a term sheet.

SunTrust Banks Inc , a U.S. Southeast regional bank ordered by federal regulators to raise $2.2 billion of equity capital, on Monday speeded up a previously announced capital-raising plan, hoping to benefit from recent investor demand for banks' securities.

Goldman Sachs was on Monday selling up to about $1.9 billion worth of shares in Industrial and Commercial Bank of China at a discount of 4 percent to 6 percent to the Chinese lender's Monday closing price, according to a term sheet.

Wall Street faces a historic shake-up next week as General Motors, a pillar of American industry, heads into bankruptcy, but the market could advance further if economic data signals the worst of the recession has passed.

The Agricultural Bank of China is set to open in New York and London, building a round-the-clock commodity trading team and taking global Beijing's ambition to be a major force on commodity markets.

Following a Morgan Stanley plan unveiled last week, Citigroup and Bank of America are likely to soon raise base salaries for investment bankers to compensate for limits on annual bonuses, the Wall Street Journal said, citing people familiar with the matter.

Oil firmed above $61 on Friday as fundamental support came from consumer nations such as China, the United States and Africa's top producer Nigeria after weeks of equity-led rallies.

U.S. stocks pared gains on Wednesday as a pullback in financial shares offset positive broker comments on bellwethers McDonald's and Procter & Gamble.

JPMorgan Chase & Co and several other banks eager to escape the restrictions and stigma linked to government bailout funds may get the chance to do so in the next few weeks.

World stocks rose for the fourth session in a row on Wednesday, despite overnight losses on Wall Street, lifting demand for higher-yielding currencies.

Japan's Nikkei stock index rose 0.4 percent on Wednesday with trading houses up after a brokerage upgraded Mitsubishi Corp, but gains were limited as a slightly firmer yen dragged on exporters such as Honda Motor Co.

JPMorgan Chase & Co and several other banks eager to escape the restrictions and stigma linked to government bailout funds may get the chance to do so in the next few weeks.