AFP - German heavy industry giant ThyssenKrupp, the world's 10th biggest steel maker, said that earnings reached record levels in the year ended September 30 on the back of strong demand for its products and services.

PC Magazine - Net revenue grows 6 percent to $320 million, Linux subscriptions more than triple to 65,000, and Identity solutions grow 35 percent year over year.

Canadian Press - TORONTO (CP) - The Bank of Canada will take centre stage this week with economists widely predicting the central bank will once again raise interest rates by a quarter point.

AP - U.S. stock market futures were range bound Monday, as oil prices climbed and with limited corporate news but for Verizon Communications' plan to sell a unit valued at more than $17 billion.

USATODAY.com - Say goodbye to the old New York Stock Exchange. Tuesday its members vote on a proposal to merge with Archipelago and become a for-profit, publicly traded company.

AP - The New York Stock Exchange underwent the biggest change in its 213-year history Tuesday as its owners voted to acquire electronic rival Archipelago Holdings Inc. and turn the not-for-profit institition into a publicly traded corporation.

AP - Toll Brothers Inc., a leading builder of luxury homes, reported Thursday that its fiscal fourth-quarter profit rose 72 percent, but said fiscal 2006 earnings could miss Wall Street expectations on a slowing housing market, and was uncertain of its outlook for 2007.

Canadian Press - TORONTO (CP) - Global indicators were mixed for North American stock markets early Friday as natural gas prices hit a record high with the arrival of snowy weather.

AP - Falling energy prices gave stocks a modest lift Friday as Wall Street set aside worries about interest rates and a weak forecast from Intel Corp. But the gains weren't enough to help the major indexes, which ended the week with losses.

AP - Wall Street could have a chance to revive its recently sluggish rally in the coming week — as long as the Federal Reserve cooperates.

AP - Stock market futures were pointing to early gains on Monday, on a possible $30 billion acquisition in the oil sector, another price target upgrade from Wall Street on Internet search engine Google Inc. and noises from Kuwait that the OPEC oil cartel won't change its output quota.

AP - Traders largely kept to the sidelines on Tuesday ahead of a crucial interest-rate decision in the U.S., with ConocoPhillips' $35.6 billion acquisition of Burlington Resources mostly priced into the market after word of the deal leaked over the weekend.

Reuters - The Nikkei average booked its biggest loss in over two months on Wednesday, falling 1.99 percent as investors sold JFE Holdings Inc. (5411.T) and other steel shares due to concern they had risen too quickly.

Reuters - Japan's Nikkei share average fell 1.36 percent on Thursday as sharp rises in the yen spurred selling in Toyota Motor Corp. (7203.T) and other exporters and encouraged investors to take profits in recent gainers.

Canadian Press - TORONTO (CP) - Global indicators were mixed for North American stock markets early Friday, while crude-oil prices eased despite increasingly wintry weather in key regions.

AP - Traditionally, the last two weeks of the year are a time of light volume but rising stocks on Wall Street. Yet this year, there may not be enough of a rise to take to the bank.

AP - A legal victory for Pfizer Inc. looks set to boost the whole pharmaceutical sector higher and lift U.S. stock markets Monday, with an $11 billion energy deal and Google Inc.'s reported stake buy in Time Warner Inc. also a focus.

AP - Better-than-expected wholesale inflation data gave stocks a modest lift in early trading Tuesday, aided by strong earnings from Wall Street firm Morgan Stanley.

AP - A raft of acquisitions helped push stocks higher Wednesday, while lower-than-expected gross domestic product growth eased inflation fears.

Reuters - Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (005930.KS), the world's top maker of memory chips, rose as much as 3 percent to hit a record high on Thursday, amid growing optimism about its earnings prospects.

AP - Ford Motor Co.'s health-care deal, further mergers-and-acquisitions activity and data on durable goods orders will be in focus in what's expected to be a thinly-traded final trading day before Christmas.

Reuters - The Nikkei share average rose 1.04 percent to end above 16,000 for the first time in five years on Monday, partly due to bright prospects for the retail industry after Seven & I Holdings Co. Ltd. (3382.T) said it would buy a department store group.

Reuters - U.S. stock index futures rose on Tuesday, suggesting a higher market opening, as oil dipped below $58 a barrel and portfolio managers were expected to adjust their holdings before the end of the year.

Reuters - U.S. stocks gained on Wednesday ahead of a report expected to show consumer confidence rose in December and as Boeing Co. shares rose.

AP - A multi-billion dollar hotels deal, data on the housing sector and the latest gyrations of the energy commodities market looked set to be the focus of another low-volume session for U.S. stock markets Thursday.

USATODAY.com - The stock market hasn't been able to get close to its previous highs, but Wall Street will boast at least one record when it closes today: The number of earnings restatements in 2005 will shatter all previous marks.