GOLDMAN SACHS

Goldman Sachs Group Inc posted better-than-expected quarterly earnings, fueled by outsized bond trading profits.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc posted better-than-expected quarterly earnings, fueled by outsized bond trading profits.

European shares hit a fresh one-year high on Thursday, with analysts pointing to third-quarter earnings beating forecasts, though mobile phone giant Nokia (NOK1V.HE) bucked the trend. At 1041 GMT, the FTSEurofirst 300 .FTEU3 index of top European shares was up 0.5 percent at 1,021.65 points, having risen as far as 1,022.26, the highest since Oct. 7, 2008.

Britain's top share index was 0.1 percent lower by mid-session Thursday, weighed on by weaker commodity stocks as metal prices fell, ahead of results from U.S. banks Citigroup (C.N) and Goldman Sachs (GS.N)

U.S. stock index futures were flat on Thursday, a day after the Dow Jones industrial average .DJI topped the key 10,000 level and ahead of quarterly results from Goldman Sachs and Citigroup.

Stock futures were flat on Thursday, a day after the Dow Jones industrial average topped the key 10,000 level and ahead of quarterly results from Goldman Sachs and Citigroup.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a slight increase in equities on Thursday after the Dow Jones Industrial average index pierced the 10,000 level in the previous session.

JPMorgan Chase & Co has gradually increased the risk it takes trading commodities and the second-largest U.S. bank is approaching levels last seen before the financial crisis rocked global markets.

The New Jersey governor's race is virtually tied between Democratic incumbent Jon Corzine and Republican Christopher Christie after months in which the challenger held the lead, a poll released on Wednesday said.

JPMorgan Chase & Co quarterly profit rocketed to forecast-beating $3.6 billion as bond trading revenue surged, boosting optimism about a strengthening rebound in top Wall Street banks.

Smaller Letdown; Retailers drop; Big bank profit

Rallying commodity markets are adding to profits of Wall Street houses like Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan, and banks are ramping up commodity desks again, a year after the recession cut into operations.

U.S. stocks weakened on Tuesday as disappointing sales from Johnson & Johnson stirred jitters about the strength of earnings, snapping the S&P 500's six-day winning streak.

U.S. stocks weakened on Tuesday as disappointing sales from Johnson & Johnson stirred jitters about the strength of earnings, snapping the S&P 500's six-day winning streak.

U.S. stocks weakened on Tuesday as disappointing sales from Johnson & Johnson stirred jitters about the strength of earnings, threatening to break the S&P 500's six-day winning streak.

Major U.S. defense contractors, braced for restrained U.S. spending and higher pension costs, are likely to forecast flat or slow growth for 2010, while commercial aerospace firms could offer more evidence that economic conditions are firming.

Stock futures turned mostly lower on Tuesday as Johnson & Johnson's third-quarter sales figures disappointed investors, offsetting a lift from higher commodity prices that rose with the weaker U.S. dollar.

Bank of America-Merrill Lynch has hired Tan Chong Lee, who was last at Goldman Sachs, as its head of Southeast Asia investment banking, two sources familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

European shares were lower at midday on Tuesday, dragged down by financials ahead of earnings news from major U.S. banks and after prominent sector analyst Meredith Whitney downgraded her rating on Goldman Sachs (GS.N).

* U.S. stock index futures pointed to a slightly lower opening on Wall Street on Tuesday, with futures for the S&P 500 SPc1 down 0.13 percent, Dow Jones DJc1 futures down 0.11 percent and Nasdaq 100 NDc1 futures down 0.06 percent at 0830 GMT.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a slightly lower opening on Wall Street on Tuesday, with futures for the S&P 500 down 0.13 percent, Dow Jones futures down 0.11 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures down 0.06 percent at 4.30 a.m. EDT.