MERRILL LYNCH

Hewlett-Packard Co may spin off the world's largest PC business, part of a wrenching series of moves away from the consumer market, including killing its new tablet and buying British software company Autonomy Corp for as much as $11.7 billion.

Barclays fired one of its star commodities traders yesterday, marking what could be the end of an era.

Gold close at a fresh high Thursday as investors sought safety from fresh evidence that the U.S. economy is struggling and not-so fresh evidence that Europe's debt problems are far from over.

Actor Burt Reynolds may lose his home in foreclosure.

Here are five of the most important reasons that are pressuring U.S. stocks on Thursday.

Television and film actor Burt Reynolds is in danger of getting evicted from his home in southeast Florida.

Dell Inc's shares fell 9 percent on Wednesday, a day after weak technology spending forced the world's second-largest PC maker to slash its full-year revenue forecast.

Veteran actor Burt Reynolds is facing foreclosure on his longtime southeast Florida home, according to a lawsuit filed by a mortgage firm.

Following Fitch?s affirmation of ?AAA? rating to U.S. debt, which was in sharp contrast to S&P?s downgrade, the focus now turns to whether Moody?s will retain top rating for the US.

There?s a chance that S&P could downgrade America?s rating another notch to AA if no serious action is taken on the deficit.

Housing bonds that are backed by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, or Ginnie Mae will all be adjusted.

In the municipal market, the downgrade will likely affect credits directly supported by federal aid and credits that rely on federal support streams for part of total revenues.

Physical gold is the ultimate collateral because it has no credit risk, according to the Bank of America Merrill Lynch?s Global Commodity Research team.

The crown may be slipping fast from billionaire trader John Paulson's head.

New China Life, the third-largest life insurance company in China, has filed its listing application with the Hong Kong stock exchange, setting the stage for a planned IPO of up to $4 billion in Hong Kong and Shanghai, sources with direct knowledge of the plans told Reuters on Thursday.

The crown may be slipping fast from billionaire trader John Paulson's head.

Gold is set to widen its premium over platinum after hitting parity for the first time in 2-1/2 years this week, with no end yet in sight to the potent cocktail of fear factors that are benefiting safe havens at the expense of cyclical assets.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch?s Global Commodity Research team announced that they?ve rebalanced their actively managed commodity indices in favor of non-cyclical commodities such as gold.

Wall Street economists see odds of around one-in-three the United States will slip back into recession, heightening expectations the Federal Reserve will launch another round of unconventional credit easing.

For plenty of financial advisers -- who also serve as quasi-therapists, spiritual gurus and confidantes -- Monday was bad.

The companies whose shares are moving in pre-market trade on Tuesday are: MetroPCS Communications, Bank of America, NYSE Euronext, AK Steel Holding, Regions Financial, Regions Financial, MEMC Electronic Materials, Halliburton, Duke Energy, Bristol Myers Squibb and Plum Creek Timber.