BARCLAYS

Goldman Sachs said it expected upside in prices of oil, gold and copper this year, citing greater supply risks and stronger fundamentals.

Asian shares rose to a one-month high and the euro clung near its strongest in a week Friday as strong demand in Spanish and Italian debt sales tempered risk aversion ahead of another auction from Rome later in the day.

Bill Gross, the manager of the world's largest bond fund, said on Wednesday that the "demise" of PIMCO's flagship fund is exaggerated.

When a country builds a skyscraper, a financial collapse will soon follow, a new report from Barclay's Capital -- suggesting investors should take a hard look at India and China.

The abrupt exit of Jasjit Bhattal, the highest-ranking ex-Lehman executive at Nomura Holdings, marks a crucial juncture for Japan's top brokerage as it decides whether to replace him with an experienced global banker to foster expansion, or with an in-house local to focus on the home market.

Barclays Capital reiterated its belief that China is a big growth opportunity for Apple Inc. and could be bigger than even the U.S., within a few years.

Barclays Capital expects ultrabooks to take center stage at this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) as the thin and light concept emerges at the forefront of new product design trends.

Barclays Capital expects Apple Inc. to ship iPad 3 in March/April but other rumors suggest the next-generation of iPad is coming sometime in the next two months.

European stocks were essentially flat on Monday at mid-day in choppy trade, bouncing from last week's sharp pull-back, with gains in defensives limited by a drop in banking shares led by Unicredit following its rights issue.

German exports bounced back in November boosting the country's trade surplus, a sign that Europe's largest economy may avoid a sharp slowdown in contrast to France which is expected to have run up a record trade deficit in 2011.

A weakening dollar combined with bargain hunting, short covering and Chinese physical demand to lift gold prices Monday for the fifth time in the last six trading sessions.

Wedbush Securities expects Apple Inc. to launch the iPad 3 in the fiscal second quarter but other rumors suggest the next-generation of iPad is coming sometime in the next two months.

The top aftermarket NYSE losers Friday were: Mistras Group, Federated Investors, Neustar, ITT Educational Services, Vishay Intertechnology, RPC and RealD Inc.

The top aftermarket NYSE gainers Friday were: SunCoke Energy, Schawk, Mobile TeleSystems, Greenhill & Co, National Fuel Gas, HollyFrontier Corp, USG Corp, Computer Sciences, Talbots and iSoftStone Holdings.

Counting container ships plying the high seas and air cargo takeoffs is one way to track the outlook for the global economy. Both measures point to weak growth in the months ahead but no severe storms.

Canada's famously conservative banks, hit last week by a high profile downgrade, may still be the least bad option for Canadian investors in what could be another ugly year for stock markets.

The estate of Lehman Brothers is battling Bank of America and Barclays in court over the sale of Archstone, the large multifamily housing landlord that real estate mogul Sam Zell's Equity Residential is seeking to buy.

Barclays Capital released its 2012 price outlook for precious metals Thursday. Despite short-term hurdles, a clouded macro-economic environment against a backdrop of low interest rates and political uncertainties continue to stoke investor appetite for a more diversified and less riskier portfolio.

Europe's market slid on Thursday, with banks the biggest fallers on worries that some of them will have to follow UniCredit and offer deep share price discounts when they recapitalize to shore up ravaged balance sheets.

Apple Inc. is expected to release iPad 3 anytime in the next two months, as reports and analysts forecast suggest February to March time frame.

Jefferies & Co. downgraded its rating on shares of Yahoo Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO) to hold from buy with a price target of $18, after the company announced the appointment of PayPal's President Scott Thompson as new chief executive officer and director effective Jan. 9.