AP - General Motors Corp. says its losses widened to $15.5 billion in the second quarter as North American sales plummeted and the company faced expenses due to labor unrest and its massive restructuring plan.

Reuters - Analysts at Standard & Poor's Rating Services warned against mortgage-related debt products in internal e-mails that, in one case, called the complex financial deals 'ridiculous,' the Wall Street Journal reported in its weekend edition.

Reuters - Former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin said on Sunday he sees the current uncertain economic situation continuing for 'quite some period of time.'

AP - Wall Street headed for a moderately lower open Monday as investors awaited key government readings on factory orders and personal income.

AFP - Europe's main stock markets rebounded strongly on Tuesday as inflationary concerns eased with tumbling oil prices and the banking sector rose amid bumper profits at Standard Chartered, traders said.

Reuters - (Reuters) September Dow Jones and Standard & Poor's futures were roughly flat on Wednesday, suggesting the blue-chip indexes (.DJI) (.SPX) may get off to a steady start after Tuesday's hefty gains.

AP - American International Group Inc. posted its third straight quarterly loss, a rude awakening to investors hoping that troubles in the insurer's mortgage market investments were starting to level off.

AFP - Chinese share prices plummeted 4.47 percent on Friday as investors dumped Olympics-related stocks just hours before the opening of the Beijing Games, dealers said.

AFP - Wall Street ended the week on an up note Friday as cooling oil prices diminished fears that the economy could be further singed by inflationary pressures and after the Federal Reserve kept interest rates on hold.

Reuters - Short trading in 19 major U.S. financial stocks will revert to rules governing other shares on Wednesday as a Securities and Exchange Commission experiment against abusive short selling expires.

AFP - Chinese share prices closed down 5.21 percent Monday, extending Friday's steep decline as investors rushed to dump stocks after losing hope that government support was imminent, dealers said.

Reuters - The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is working to unveil a proposal next month that would permanently tighten existing rules for short selling, the New York Post said citing people in talks with the agency.

AFP - London shares dipped on Wednesday, amid renewed jitters about the health of the world's top banks and slowing economic growth.

AP - Korean Air Lines Co. posted a second-quarter net loss amid soaring fuel costs and a weak South Korean currency, it said Thursday.

AP - Stock futures pointed to a modest advance Friday as oil prices dropped back below $114 a barrel, suggesting to Wall Street that consumers' energy bills will become more manageable.

AFP - Wall Street investors ply the dog days of summer next week with few economic indicators on the calendar but stiff headwinds from volatile oil prices, rising inflation and slowing global growth.

AP - The past four weeks on Wall Street have been quite a welcome contrast. Stocks have risen, the dollar has strengthened and oil prices have plummeted.

AFP - Chinese share prices closed down 5.34 percent Monday amid renewed worries about an economic slowdown and a share supply glut as selling restrictions were due to be lifted on billions of shares, dealers said.

AP - U.S. stocks headed for a sharply lower open Tuesday after a steeper-than-expected jump in wholesale inflation raised fresh concerns about the drag rising prices are having on the economy.

AFP - Chinese share prices surged 5.89 percent by midday Wednesday amid speculation that the authorities will soon launch new measures to boost the ailing stock market, dealers said.

AP - Qantas Airways Ltd. reported Thursday a 44 percent rise in annual net profit, but acknowledged it is beginning to feel the effect of a slowing economy and higher fuel costs.

Reuters - Banc of America Securities analyst Michael Hecht cut his earnings outlook on U.S. investment banks Goldman Sachs Group Inc and Morgan Stanley to reflect a tough fixed-income sales and trading environment, and a downward trend in equity markets.

AFP - US stocks lost momentum in the past week as financial woes continued to weigh down Wall Street with investors looking ahead to a busy week of economic news.

AP - It was another seesaw week on Wall Street, but it ended with a jolt of good news: a $6-a-barrel tumble in oil. This week, investors will be watching to see if crude extends its drop or bounces back up again.

AP - Wall Street headed for a moderately lower open Monday as investors watched to see if oil will extend its recent losses and also awaited a reading on existing home sales.

AP - PetroChina is expected to report that its first-half net profit fell by at least a third, analysts say, as losses in its refining business eroded gains from surging crude oil prices.

Reuters - The number of troubled U.S. banks rose 30 percent to 117 in the second quarter, the highest level in five years, and a top regulator warned that conditions will worsen as the housing slump and credit crisis continues to pound profitability.

Reuters - Chinese central government departments misused or mismanaged more than 46 billion yuan ($6.73 billion) last year, including using disaster relief money to build government offices and diverting funds to speculate in stocks, the National Audit Office said on Thursday.

AFP - Europe's main stock markets advanced on Friday after share prices had risen sharply in Tokyo on the back of a strong performance by Wall Street overnight.

AFP - Wall Street returns from vacation season to enter what is historically the most perilous period of the year amid conflicting signals about the US economic outlook.