INVESTMENT

Citigroup Inc's negotiations to exit TARP are uncertain, but headed in the right direction, a U.S. Treasury official told television network CNBC.

Wall Street was poised to open higher on Thursday after new claims for jobless benefits rose more than expected but the number of people seeking extended benefits fell, and a separate report showed the U.S. trade deficit unexpectedly narrowed.

Stock index futures rose on Thursday as investors awaited weekly data that will provide a measure of the health of the jobs market.

Taming Hedge Funds; Citi's Bailout Exit Takes Shape; Barbie-Bratz Case Reconsidered

Citigroup Inc's negotiations to exit TARP are uncertain, but headed in the right direction, a Treasury official told television network CNBC.

U.S. securities regulators are investigating at least nine mergers, including Pfizer Inc's takeover of Wyeth and Merck & Co Inc's acquisition of Schering-Plough Corp, for possible insider-trading violations, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

Stock index futures rose on Thursday as investors awaited weekly data that will provide a measure of the health of the jobs market.

Stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Wall Street on Thursday, with futures for the S&P 500 up 0.3 percent, Dow Jones futures up 0.2 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.2 percent.

Government bonds in Australia and South Korea fell on Thursday as investors pushed forward expectations for interest rate rises in 2010 because of bullish growth views, while Asian stocks slid on year-end profit taking.

Citigroup Inc plans to pay back TARP by raising money in an equity offering that could be announced as early as Thursday and could be some $20 billion, television network CNBC reported, citing sources.

It wasn't too long ago big-time hedge fund managers like James Pallotta were erecting monuments to themselves. In Pallotta's case, it was a $21 million Georgian-style mansion he built in 2007 in Weston, a leafy Boston suburb uncomfortable with such displays of wealth.

Calpers, the biggest U.S. public pension fund, has fired or will sack a number of its real estate portfolio managers amid steep losses for its property assets, according to a report on its web site.

A former senior IBM Corp executive denied being involved in a sprawling hedge fund insider trading case and asked a court on Wednesday to dismiss civil charges by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Calpers, the biggest U.S. public pension fund, has fired or will sack a number of its real estate portfolio managers amid steep losses for its property assets, according to a report on its web site.

Sempra Energy (SRE.N) may join Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc (RBS.L) in selling off their entire joint commodities business, offering quick entry into a lucrative market with a diverse, global trading book.

Citigroup Inc plans to pay back TARP by raising money in an equity offering that could be announced as early as Thursday and could be some $20 billion, television network CNBC reported, citing sources.

Stocks ended higher on Wednesday as the U.S. dollar fell and investors' appetite for risk returned, lifting shares of financial, technology and natural resource companies.

NEW YORK, Dec 9 (Reuters) - U.S. gold futures hit their lowest level in more than three weeks on Wednesday, falling sharply for a fourth-straight session as expectations of a dollar bounce and easing inflation sent bullion investors racing to cut positions.

Citigroup Inc plans to pay back TARP by raising money in an equity offering that could be announced as early as this Thursday, cable television network CNBC reported on Wednesday, citing sources.

Traders have been scooping up Research in Motion's call options this week, betting the shares will benefit from a BlackBerry distribution deal in China and stronger-than-expected earnings.

Citigroup Inc is in a position to repay TARP, the bank's chairman, Dick Parsons, told cable television network CNBC on Wednesday.