FALL

The upbeat kharif sowing statistics in India is likely to moderate the dependence on imported oil in the current year. The data from the Ministry of Agriculture informed that the area under kharif oilseeds crop as on 19th August 2010 shows an increase of about 4 lakh hectares during the week and is reported at 161.40 compared to 153.19 lakh tonnes at the same time of the last year.

Last week US jobless claims data increased concerns that US may be tipping back to into recession and The Reuters/Jefferies CRB Index of 19 raw materials dropped to the lowest level since July 29, while the dollar advanced. This resulted in weakness in gold, base metals and energy complex. The Baltic Dry Index, a measure of commodity shipping costs, had its biggest two-week gain in 14 months as Chinese iron ore buying extended a surge in charter rates for vessels that carry the steelmaking raw m...

A one-year prospective cohort study led by Professor Stephen Lord from the Neuroscience Research Australia as NSW University reveals perceived risk of falling influences whether an older individual actually fall regardless of the actual physiological risk.

The cost of borrowing dollars fell on Wednesday and eurodollar futures rose amid growing market conviction financing rates will remain low for a longer period. The average cost of 3-month funds in Singapore SIUSD3MD=ABSG fell to a 15-week low of 0.35778 per cent from 0.37611 percent. The rates have fallen every day since July 16, the last time they had risen. Dollar funding costs have fallen by over 10 bps this month.

Fewer Americans fell behind on their credit card payments than expected in July, as consumers coped better with their debt, but the drop in delinquencies to their lowest levels so far this year doesn't suggest a recovery in spending, analysts said.

Fewer Americans fell behind on their credit card payments in July, major credit card lenders said, bringing delinquencies to their lowest levels so far this year.

Capital One Financial Corp's U.S. credit-card defaults continued their decline for the fourth straight month, signaling that fewer Americans were falling seriously behind in their credit card payments.

Crude oil prices slumped below $80 a barrel again this week as the Federal Reserve and other official forecasters took a dimmer view of the economic recovery. Friday's closing price for the benchmark West Texas Intermediate futures contract of $75.39 a barrel marked a retreat from the contract's short-lived foray outside the $70 to $80 a barrel range it has been trapped in for months. Prices fell nearly 7% from last Friday's close of $80.70 a barrel.

Kohl's Corp gave a profit forecast that missed Wall Street expectations, citing the cost of adapting to new consumer credit card laws, and expects slower sales growth.

Shares of technology bellwether Cisco Systems Inc fell 8 percent in pre-market trade Thursday, a day after CEO John Chambers' comments about an uncertain economy spooked investors, prompting at least one brokerage to cut its rating on the stock.

The dollar teetered toward a 15-year low against the yen on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve gave a more pessimistic assessment of the weakening U.S. economy, while technology plays dragged Asian stocks lower.

Dish Network Corp said it lost satellite television customers in the second quarter due to intense competition and consumers struggling with the economic downturn.

Global commodity prices have begun to soften as China's economic juggernaut slows. The prices of steel, zinc and aluminium have fallen in the past three months. China's manufacturing sector growth rate has dropped to February 2009 levels, when global markets had just bottomed out after the Lehman impact. While absolute price levels still remain above the year-ago levels, the softening of commodity prices is expected to impact Indian companies in coming quarters.

The Washington Post Co's quarterly profits quadrupled, but its shares dived as much as 8 percent as the company said the proposed U.S. Department of Education regulations could hurt its Kaplan education unit, which accounts more than 60 percent of its revenue.

Wheat prices surged to a two-year high while shares in European brewers and food producers fell on Friday as markets reacted to the sudden imposition of a ban on grain exports from drought-hit Russia.

Stocks were set for a lower open on Friday after data showed the economy shed far more jobs than expected last month, exacerbating worries the path to economic recovery would be rocky.

The cost of borrowing dollars in Asian interbank markets fell to a three-month low on Thursday after recent poor economic data fuelled expectations the Federal Reserve would resume buying Treasuries to support liquidity.

Concerns about new banking regulations and a shaky economic recovery tempered optimism over improving results from more of Europe's top banks on Wednesday.

More of Europe's top banks beat earnings forecasts on Wednesday, as bad debts shrank more than expected in the first half, outweighing a slowdown in investment banking, which was hit by sovereign debt fears.

Global shares fell and the dollar headed toward a 15-year low against the yen on Wednesday on growing concern about the U.S. economy as recent data has sparked talk of more monetary easing by the Federal Reserve.

Japanese stocks fell behind their Asian peers and slid 2 percent on Wednesday as the yen climbed toward 15-year highs against the U.S. dollar after weak U.S. data spurred talk of more Federal Reserve easing.