Reuters - European shares hit new 2-1/2 year highs on Friday, with British Airways up 1 percent after it raised its revenue outlook and beat forecasts, and with the market focusing on U.S. employment data due later in the day.

Reuters - European shares were little changed as worries over steep bond yields offset solid results from the world's third-biggest drugs maker, Sanofi-Aventis.

Reuters - The dollar held near a five-month high against the yen on Friday and shuffled in a narrow range against the euro before widely tracked jobs data that could shed light on the health of the U.S. economy.

AP - ChevronTexaco Corp.'s first-quarter profit edged up by 4 percent, but didn't live up to analysts' expectations because oil refinery outages prevented it from taking full advantage of the high gasoline prices that have been tormenting motorists.

Reuters - Tokyo stocks held steady by midsession on Wednesday, the dollar's firmness against the yen lifting several exporters such as Honda Motor Co. while brokerages lost ground on concern over growing competition.

USATODAY.com - Delphi, the biggest U.S. auto supplier and formerly part of General Motors, Thursday restated earnings back to 2000 and closed an internal investigation. The restated earnings show Delphi lost $195 million more from 2000 to 2003 than it originally reported.

AP - U.S. stock futures are trading higher Monday despite rising crude prices following the death of the King of Saudi Arabia. Investors will focus on economic data, including construction spending and manufacturing reports, as well as earnings due from Proctor & Gamble Co. (PG).

Canadian Press - TORONTO (CP) - Global indicators suggested a positive start for North American stock markets Thursday even as crude prices climbed.

AP - Wall Street has been stewing in uncertainty over the economic impact of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, but a new batch of data due in the week ahead will help clarify the situation.

Reuters - The Nikkei average rose 1.92 percent to end at a four-year high on Tuesday as investors snapped up banks and other stocks on optimism about the economy, in a shortened session after a computer systems failure caused the worst disruption ever on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

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.

Canadian Press - TORONTO (CP) - Investors hope that employment reports from Canada and the United States on Friday will give an indication of where the Bank of Canada and the U.S. Federal Reserve are heading on interest rates.

Reuters - Operating profit at Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG rose 33 percent to 9.025 billion Swiss francs ($7.04 billion) in 2005, beating analysts' expectations on strong cancer and flu drug demand.

AP - U.S. stock market futures Wednesday were pointing to a bounce after last session's drubbing inspired by Google and housing data. But a critical study of a Pfizer Inc. drug may provide a damper to those recovery prospects.

AP - Stocks closed out a solid first quarter with a modest decline Friday despite lower oil prices and a round of temperate economic data that mitigated concerns about inflation and higher interest rates. The major indexes finished mixed for the week, but were higher for the month and the quarter.

AP - Japanese tiremaker Bridgestone Corp. said Monday net profit for the first quarter rose 4 percent as strong global sales of tires offset the jump in raw material costs.

Reuters - Engineering firm Chicago Bridge & Iron Co N.V. on Thursday said its first-quarter profit was lower on higher costs associated with restricted share grants, offsetting higher revenue.

Canadian Press - TORONTO (CP) - Investors may want to keep the party hats in storage for a while yet, even though the Toronto stock market roared back to life last week as the U.S. Federal Reserve hinted it may pause interest rate hikes and metals and oil prices surged.

Reuters - The Nikkei edged down 0.07 percent on Tuesday as investors took profits in Canon Inc (7751.T) and other recent gainers, but losses were capped by buying in Pioneer Corp (6773.T) which posted a surprise quarterly profit.

AFP - French pharmaceutical group Sanofi-Aventis has slashed its 2006 earnings per share forecast from 12 percent to just two percent due to competition for its blockbuster blood-thinner Plavix from a generic drug.

Canadian Press - TORONTO (CP) - Stock markets could be in for a calm spell in the next month following the most recent selloff of overbought resource stocks in Toronto and the growing conviction that a U.S. economic slowdown will end with a soft landing.

AP - Baidu.com Inc., the leading Chinese Internet search engine, said Wednesday third-quarter profits rose sharply, but shares fell after its fourth-quarter revenue forecast missed analyst expectations as it switched to a new advertising sales system.

AP - U.S. stock futures gained ground on Friday, as investors hoped that the last session's late buying could continue ahead of a critical poll on manufacturing sentiment and data on monthly auto sales.

AP - U.S. stock markets are closed today to observe the national day of mourning for former President Gerald Ford.

TechWeb - The search giant said quarterly profit nearly tripled, helped by a lower tax rate and expense controls, but revenue growth failed to impress investors.

AP - Japanese stocks fell moderately Thursday as investors remained cautious despite Wall Street's overnight rebound from a global market selloff triggered by a drop in Chinese shares.

FT.com - Japanese stocks rose on Monday morning, spurred by upbeat projections for capital spending contained in the Bank of Japan's Tankan survey of business confidence.

FT.com - London equities were sharply lower on Tuesday morning, tracking a weak close on Wall Street overnight, while miners made early losses.

AP - After three consecutive quarters of losses, homebuilder Hovnanian Enterprises Inc. says better management of its land inventory should allow the company to post a profit in the fourth quarter and for 2008.

AP - The first week of the third quarter will probably be a quiet one as many fund managers, having put the final touches on their portfolios last week, leave on their Fourth of July vacations.

AP - Asian markets fell Wednesday after Wall Street resumed its slide from last week amid persistent concerns that woes in the U.S. housing loan market could spread and drag on global growth.

Reuters - Representatives of the Qatari Investment Authority have indicated a willingness to pay as much as 15 pounds a share for Nasdaq's 31 percent stake in the London Stock Exchange the Sunday Times newspaper said.

Reuters - Japan's Nikkei rose 0.4 percent on Monday as investors bought Fanuc Ltd and other large-cap shares after the Bank of Japan's tankan survey showed manufacturers remained optimistic despite turmoil in global credit markets.

FT.com - Japanese stocks got a boost on Thursday from the US Federal Reserve's latest interest rate cut and figures showing surprisingly strong US economic growth.

TechWeb - Dell Inc reported lower-than-expected quarterly profit margins and warned that rising costs could depress future results, sending its shares down 10 percent.

AP - Wall Street ended a painful year with another steep loss Monday as investors glumly anticipated that 2008 would bring more of the uncertainty and turbulence of 2007.

AP - Japanese shares fell Friday after Japanese banks reported larger-than-expected losses due to the subprime mortgage crisis. A slump in China's Shanghai Stock Exchange also weighed on Tokyo trade.

AP - Stocks fell sharply Friday after a series of depressing economic and corporate reports as well as high oil prices stoked concerns about the health of the economy. The major stock indexes fell more than 2.5 percent and the Dow Jones industrials lost 315 points.

Reuters - Investment bank Lehman Brothers , computer maker Dell , auto makers such as GM and Ford as well as a key manufacturing gauge are likely stock market focal points on Tuesday.

AP - Starbucks Corp. is dialing back expectations for its U.S. stores in light of economic uncertainty but has a three-year plan for snazzy new drinks and future profit growth fueled by aggressive international expansion.

AFP - European stocks fell Monday as credit-crunch concerns resurfaced in the banking sector after Britain's Bradford & Bingley warned on profits and agreed to a US cash boost, dealers said.

AP - Wall Street appeared headed for a sluggish start to the third quarter Tuesday, hurt by ongoing concerns about the damage rising oil prices will do to the economy.

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.

AFP - New French energy giant GDF Suez said Monday its first half net profit and sales rose by double digits, allowing it to confirm its forecasts for the year.

Reuters - Michael Sroka dreamed up a day-trading website for sports fans while still in high school, and the concept will finally come to fruition with the launch of OneSeason.com.

AFP - Sharp falls in consumer spending in the United States and Germany deepened fears of a global recession as stock markets ended one of their most traumatic months in history with mixed results.

AP - Hong Kong's key stock index rose Monday as traders snapped up bargains and China-related stocks.