INVESTMENT

European consumers are tightening the purse strings as their confidence in the region's economy continues to fade amid concern that the recession may worsen.

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) shares climbed almost 2 percent in mid-day trading Wednesday, a day after Moody's Investors Service upgraded the Dearborn, Mich.-based automaker's credit rating to investment grade.

Spain may say on Wednesday how it will plug a hole of at least 8 billion euros ($10.21 billion) at Bankia, part of an effort to clean up a banking sector laden with bad debts and stop the country sinking further into the euro zone debt crisis.

The Indian rupee descended to the all-time-low of 56.04 per dollar Wednesday even as the Reserve Bank of India and the Indian government said that they were monitoring the situation closely and taking corrective measures.

Egypt went to polls Wednesday in country's first free election for a president after weeks of intense speculation and debate. The historic presidential election, contested by Islamists and secularists, heralds the setting up of a democratic system.

The G8 leaders also said that it is ?our imperative to promote growth and jobs?.

The U.S. sale of advanced F-16s fighter jets to Taiwan is looking more likely than ever of being formalized into law, after being approved by the U.S. House of Representatives.

As Republicans take the words of Newark Mayor Cory Booker and other Democrats to slam Obama's attack on Mitt Romney's private-equity roots, Democrats would like to remind the public that prominent GOP politicians have gone after Bain Capital, too.

Formula 1, the popular global auto racing sport, is on its way to a possible IPO as financial investors such as Waddell & Reed Financial Inc. (NYSE: WDR), Norges Bank Investment Management and BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE: BLK) bought 21 percent of the company, CVC Capital Partners, owner of Formula 1, confirmed Tuesday.

It has been assumed from the beginning that the 2012 presidential campaign will hinge on the economy, and a new Washington Post/ABC News poll finds voters split on whether President Barack Obama or Mitt Romney is better equipped to tackle the paramount issue.

As U.S. entertainment companies look for new opportunities in light of a stagnant home market, new partnerships with China are emerging, but the process of linking media worlds between the two countries is also a two-way street.

French hotel giant Accor SA (Paris: AC) said Tuesday it will sell the underperforming Motel 6 U.S. budget hotel chain to asset manager Blackstone Group LP for $1.9 billion, as part of an effort to cut debt and shift focus from the U.S. to fast-growing emerging markets.

Blaming the Euro Zone crisis for a weak Indian economy Indian Finance3 Minister Pranab Mukherjee said that government is taking several steps to protect the economy and rupee from further pressures.

Fitch cut Japan's sovereign credit status on Tuesday to the lowest level among global ratings agencies as a political stalemate dims the chance that the country can curb its snowballing debt.

Jeremy Lin's agent said his client and the New York Knicks may part ways this summer, opening the hairy prospect of Linsanity's early demise.

Portuguese investment bank Espirito Santo has downgraded Indian bio-technology major Biocon from neutral to sell based on several issues, including accounting practices which the bank says are objectionable.

A leading economic indicator for China rose at a steady speed in April compared to the previous month indicating that the country?s economy may not have the hard landing as expected earlier.

Japan's Nikkei share average rose in early trading Tuesday, continuing Monday's technical correction as investors picked up bargains after last week's flurry of aggressive selling, triggered by concern over a deepening euro crisis.

China can now bypass Wall Street when buying U.S. government debt and go straight to the U.S. Treasury, in what is the Treasury's first-ever direct relationship with a foreign government, according to documents viewed by Reuters.

The labor organizer who became a major voice in the late U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy's successful 1994 U.S. Senate campaign against Mitt Romney resurfaced in another Obama re-election ad that hits Romney on his record at Bain Capital.

Barclays PLC, the UK's second-largest bank by asset, said Monday it plans to sell its entire $6.1 billion stake in U.S. asset manager BlackRock Inc., as the tougher global regulatory environment has made such holding less attractive.