INVESTMENT

PHILADELPHIA - CVC Capital Partners failed to repay a loan owed to Chuo Mitsui Capital Co and lost its stake in restaurant chain Skylark Co, The Nikkei reported in its Friday morning edition.

Vital signs for healthcare stocks are improving at the expense of what is shaping up to be a watered down government health reform initiative.

Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is investigating whether any state residents were among the thousands of U.S. customers of Swiss bank UBS AG who may have evaded income taxes.

The U.S. Federal Reserve asked a federal judge not to enforce her order that it reveal the names of the banks that have participated in its emergency lending programs and the sums they received, saying such disclosure would threaten the companies and the economy.

China Everbright Bank's 11.5 billion yuan ($1.68 billion) private share placement has been approved by regulatory authorities, furthering the bank's quest for an initial public offering.

Swiss bank UBS currently has no plans to buy back toxic assets which were transferred to the country's central bank last autumn as part of a government rescue package, a spokeswoman said on Thursday.

NYSE Euronext said on Thursday the trans-Atlantic stock exchange will buy NYFIX Inc for $144 million, to optimize trading efficiency.

Morgan Stanley (MS.N), Looking to fortify its equity trading business in Europe, has hired Richard Evans, a former top trader with Citigroup Inc (C.N), as head of strategy in the region, the Wall Street Journal said on Thursday.

What goes up eventually comes down, even in stock markets. Still, it can take a long time, much to the chagrin of those looking for a buying opportunity.

Hedge fund manager John Paulson, who bet against financial companies after foreseeing the credit crisis, has been buying Citigroup Inc shares over the past few weeks, the New York Post reported, citing sources.

U.S. banking regulators partially retreated from a much-criticized proposal to impose new rules on private equity investment in troubled banks, aiming to encourage responsible investment in distressed banks.

Two Sunbelt banks filed for initial public offerings on Wednesday to raise money that would be used in part to pay off money owed to the U.S. Treasury, setting the stage for the first U.S. IPOs by banks in more than two years.

Robert McCann, former head of Merrill Lynch's wealth management unit, is in talks to settle a suit he filed August 24 against Bank of America Corp seeking to lift a noncompete clause, allowing him to join a chief rival, a source with direct knowledge of the situation said.

U.S. banking regulators voted on Wednesday to ease rules applying to private investments in troubled banks.

Robert McCann, former head of Merrill Lynch's wealth management unit, is in talks to settle a suit he filed Aug. 24 against Bank of America Corp (BAC.N) seeking to lift a noncompete clause, allowing him to join a chief rival, a source with direct knowledge of the situation said.

General Electric has put its security business up for sale in an auction that could fetch about $2 billion, sources familiar with the situation said on Wednesday.

U.S. stocks seesawed on Wednesday despite strong data on new home sales and durable goods orders as investors paused after a recent sharp run-up.

U.S. regulators are likely to back down from the tough stance they took a month ago on rules for auctions of troubled banks, which could clear the way for more private equity bidders to come back into the game.

British private equity firm Terra Firma said it has bought Everpower Wind Holdings in a deal that a source said was worth around $350 million, looking to tap into the growing renewable energy sector.

South Africa's largest property and casualty insurer Santam Ltd expects underwriting margins to remain under pressure in the second half after a rise in high-value property fire claims hit first-half returns.

India's Bharti Airtel and South Africa's MTN hope to finalize by mid-September a deal that could lead to a full merger, with the Indian firm adding another adviser and getting closer to lining up loans, three sources said.