INVESTMENT

On Thursday night, comedian Bill Maher publicly announced his intention to donate $1 million to the super PAC supporting the reelection of President Barack Obama.

This comes as something of a breakthrough since Assad had long provided a sanctuary for Hamas exiles.

The top aftermarket NYSE gainers Thursday were: Salesforce.com, 3D Systems Corp, American International Group, Magna International, Pacific Drilling, American Equity Investment, Rackspace Hosting and Suntech Power Holdings.

Citigroup Inc. exited investment in India's Housing Development Finance Corp. for $1.9 billion resulting in a pre-tax gain to it of $1.1 billion and an after-tax gain of approximately $722 million.

Asian shares rose Friday as solid U.S. data improved sentiment, but the upside may be capped by concerns that rising oil prices could deal a further blow to the fragile euro zone economy and moves to take profits after recent gains.

French wine and spirits maker Moet Hennessy wants to produce a super-premium red wine at the foot of the Himalayan mountains in southern China.

Bailed-out insurance giant American International Group Inc. (NYSE:AIG), boosted by a one-time accounting gain, reported fourth-quarter profit of $19.8 billion. Favorable stock market conditions also helped offset large losses stemming from Thailand floods.

Three economic reports lit a fire Thursday under global markets, sending U.S. stocks and many commodities higher. The S&P 500 stock index briefly topped its April 2011 peak of 1,363.61.

French wine and spirits maker Moet Hennessy wants to produce a super-premium red wine at the foot of the Himalayan mountains in southern China, targeting the palates of the country's wealthy wine drinkers, in a move whose results won't be known for years.

Venezuela's economy grew last year, after two straight years of GDP contraction.

The euro zone area will fall back into recession this year due to the contracting economies of Greece, Italy and Spain, the administrative arm of the European Union said Thursday, abandoning its earlier prediction that recession will be avoided.

The BSE Sensex fell for a second consecutive day on Thursday as investors took profits on expiry of monthly derivatives amid concerns about high oil prices.

Argentina's President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner expressed her “profound sadness” over Wednesday's train crash in Buenos Aires, which left 49 people dead and more than 600 injured.

The top aftermarket NYSE gainers Wednesday were: Spirit Aerosystems Holdings, Penn Virginia, Sturm, Ruger & Co, Macquarie Infrastructure, Qihoo 360 Technology Co, Aegean Marine Petroleum Network, Whiting Petroleum Corp, MGIC Investment Corp, Stone Energy and QEP Resources.

A target of less than 8 percent growth for China could be set by Premier Wen Jiabao amid the risk of financial instability, according to a report.

The Federal Housing Finance Administration (FHFA), overseer of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, detailed a plan on Tuesday for the companies' uncertain futures, grappling with the challenges of political hostility, reluctant private investors and a fragile housing market.

Gold jumped to a three-month high on Wednesday, reversing early losses after bullish technical factors triggered fund buying, and platinum prices hit their highest in five months on supply worries.

The Great Bend, Kan.-based company listed as much as $50 million in assets and debt in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of New York.

As one of the world's top gold producers, Newmont Mining Corp (NYSE:NEM) seems to have a lot of advantages on its side. But uncertainty about peripheral items, including the effect of recent acquisitions and political developments that could hurt its bottom line, are keeping Wall Street analysts skeptical on the company.

When it comes to the debate on whether the United States is experiencing inflation, it is typically not a yes or no interchange. If you have read the first two parts (Part 1, Part 2) of my series on inflation, you are well aware that I am on the side that inflation is already upon us. My counterparts, typically, will not only disagree, but will also bring up the issue of deflation.

Fitch Ratings downgraded J.C. Penney's debt rating to junk levels, expressing skepticism about the retailer's ability to reverse declining revenue trends with a highly-publicized makeover.