INVESTMENT

Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson had frequent conversations with Goldman Sachs Group Inc's chief executive during last fall's financial crisis, raising questions about his ties to his former firm, according to a New York Times report.

Bank of America Corp on Friday revealed that its U.S. operations lost money in the second quarter as the quality of consumer and commercial loans deteriorated.

A new bidder has emerged to buy the 137-year-old Boston Globe from New York Times Co, a person familiar with the matter said on Friday.

China Investment Corporation (CIC), the nation's sovereign wealth fund, reaped the benefits of investing cautiously during the global financial crisis after it reported a negative 2.1% return on its global portfolio for 2008, ChinaDaily reported on Friday.

Bank of America Corp on Friday revealed that its U.S. operations lost money in the second quarter as the quality of consumer and commercial loans deteriorated.

If the strong earnings trend keeps up next week, black will be back in style on the balance sheets of more of the nation's retailers.

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc posted its best quarter in nearly two years, as recovering stock markets boosted the value of its equity investments and derivatives bets.

With so-called flash orders exploding into public view, investors are wondering if the rapid-fire dissemination of their investing intentions is costing them money.

Investors heartened, Obama's 'true recovery,' Employers cutting less jobs

Stocks rallied on Friday, pushing the Standard & Poor's 500 to a 10-month high as the July jobs report was less bleak than feared and underpinned hopes the economy was on track for recovery.

Global Swiss bank UBS AG failed to settle U.S. charges of helping wealthy American customers dodge taxes, setting the stage for at least another five days of tense negotiations over a case that goes to the heart of Switzerland's famed bank secrecy laws.

Royal Bank of Scotland has suffered a damaging but not yet destructive exodus of top staff and some areas of investment banking had lost significant numbers, the British bank's chief executive said.

Royal Bank of Scotland reported more losses on Friday as investment banking profits failed to offset bad debts, and the state-controlled lender warned of more poor results to come before a lasting recovery.

No final out-of-court settlement has yet been been reached in a tax-evasion dispute pitting the U.S. government against Swiss bank UBS AG , a U.S. Justice Department attorney said on Friday.

Recovery more certain, AIG soars, No final tax deal

Royal Bank of Scotland reported more losses on Friday as investment banking profits failed to offset bad debts and the state-owned lender warned of more poor results to come before its own and the economy's recovery.

Stock index futures pointed to a mixed open on Wall Street on Friday, as investors braced for key monthly jobs data.

Asian stocks dipped on Friday as investors grew cautious before a key U.S. jobs report, while the Australian dollar got only a brief lift despite signals from the central bank that interest rates could rise over time.

Private equity firm Blackstone Group LP reported higher quarterly earnings on Thursday, topping Wall Street expectations, and said it was sitting on its biggest cash pile ever, with $29 billion to deploy.

Blackstone Group LP's restructuring advisory business is booming as more companies hit the wall every day and need advice, the private equity firm's COO said on Thursday.

The Nasdaq Stock Market and BATS Exchange said in separate statements on Thursday they will voluntarily stop offering so-called flash orders, a controversial service that gives certain firms an advance look at market-bound trading orders.