Market News

Bio-Fuel Production Raises Prices and Harms the Environment
Walid Khadduri - More objections have been coming from different sides over the role of bio-fuel in contributing to the More

Channeling Arab Investments towards the Lebanese Private Sector
Michel Morkos - Lebanon, this small country, is trying to get past over the hot issues that have crippled it More

Examiner: Lehman Torpedoed Lehman - Wall Street Journal
The Business Insider More

Positive Economic Signs Engulfed by Wars
Michel Morkos - Many sectors have recently recorded positive indicators indicative of a potential return of balance to world markets. More

The Iraqi Oil Sector and the Chaos over Responsibilities
Walid Khadduri - Iraq's oil industry is currently passing through a critical phase caused by political disputes. As such, it More

Fed Gets Credit for Rescue
Economists say stimulus helped but cite U.S. central bank's key role in jump-starting growth. More

The WTO Talks and the Future of Agriculture in the World
Michel Morkos - Burdened by the mounting costs if deprived of subsidies and aids in advanced countries, agricultural production is More

The Financial Crisis and the Regulation Flaws
Michel Morkos - Patrick Artus, research director at Natixis consultancy firm for banks and stock exchanges, estimates the loss incurred More

Aftershocks hit Chile as new president sworn in
Three strong aftershocks rock the country, forcing officials to curtail inauguration ceremonies for the new president. More

Oil in a Week (Arab Solar Energy)
Walid Khadduri - An Arab expert working at an international oil company delivered a valuable lecture during an international forum More

The Doha Development Round: "All or Nothing"
Michel Morkos - Initiated seven years ago, the Doha Round constituted a strategic turning point in the WTO talks. The More

Americans' wealth up for 3rd straight quarter
Americans regained more of their shrunken wealth last quarter, mainly because the economy boosted stock portfolios. But the gain was More

The World and the Food Gap
Michel Morkos - The FAO Director General, Jacques Diouf, announced mid last week that in light of the 2007 rise More

Citi Rises 5.6% on Pandit Comments - Wall Street Journal
Reuters More

SEC head urges Congress to act on derivatives
The SEC is calling anew for Congress to impose oversight on derivatives, warning that allowing risky instruments like credit default More

Lehman insolvent weeks before bankruptcy -examiner
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc used accounting gimmicks and had been insolvent for weeks before it filed More

Earnings Watch: Updates, advisories and surprises
A roundup of the latest corporate earnings reports and what companies are saying about future quarters. More

Slim's America Movil Beats Rivals In Market - Forbes
Telegraph.co.uk More

Dodd Ends Talks, Says Financial Bill Will Include Corker Ideas - BusinessWeek
AFP More

Financial Stocks: Regional banks gain, Citi rallies
U.S. regional-bank shares add to weekly gains to close higher, while Citigroup advances as investors cheered Chief Executive Vikram Pandit’s More

Gov't may seek more authority on vehicle safety - The Associated Press
New Zealand Herald More

Government may tighten car safety standards
More

Global stocks rebound on economic optimism
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Global stocks rebounded and oil edged higher on Thursday on renewed optimism over the U.S. economy, More

Americans Shed Debt, See Rise in Net Worth
U.S. households got richer for a third straight quarter at the end of 2009, a favorable trend for an economic More

Positive trade, housing data suggest economic recovery taking hold
TORONTO - There are more signs that the Canadian economy is getting healthier and stronger, with housing and trade data More

Agrium drops hostile takeover offer for U.S. company CF Industries
CALGARY - Fertilizer producer Agrium Inc. is dropping its hostile takeover bid for U.S. company CF Industries Holdings Inc..The CALGARY More

Smithfield Moves Past Pork Problems - Forbes
Washington Post More

Alberta cuts royalty rates for oil and gas industry in bid to win investment
CALGARY - The Alberta government is cutting royalty rates for the oil and natural gas industry starting next year in More

Transat stock hammered after Q1 loss turns out to be deeper than expected
MONTREAL - Transat A.T. Inc. said it's model as one of Canada's largest vacation companies isn't broken even though poor More

MarketWatch First Take: Devon Energy rolls the dice on North America
Brazil and Canada are at the heart of two huge oil-industry bets laid down on the same barrel head. More

Earnings roundup: Xoma 4Q profit falls on weak contract revenue, Pacific Sunwear loss widens
Among the earnings stories for Thursday, March 11, from AP Financial News:BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) _ Biotechnology company Xoma Ltd. said More

Barclays Diamond optimistic on fixed income
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Barclays President Bob Diamond said on Thursday he is optimistic that the robust fixed income trading More

TSX, TSXV Venture market, Nasdaq Canada, Nasdaq volumes on Thursday
TORONTO - Thursday's trading volume for the major stock markets at 5 p.m. ET:TSX: 324,762,131TSXV: 311,007,160Nasdaq Canada: TORONTO - Thursday's More

TSX Venture Exchange up 4.14 points to close at 1,560.94 on Thursday
TORONTO - The TSX Venture Exchange closed up 4.14 points at 1,560.94 on Thursday. The volume at 4:30 p.m. was More

'No giveaway Budget' says Darling
Chancellor Alistair Darling warns people not to expect a "giveaway" when he unveils his Budget later this month. More

Financial market highlights: TSX closed up 18.64 points; Dow up 44.51 points
TORONTO - Highlights at the close of Thursday's world financial market trading.Stocks:S&P/TSX Composite Index - 11,979.70 up TORONTO - Highlights More

550 employees at Siemens plant in Hamilton set to lose their jobs
TORONTO - About 550 employees at the Siemens Energy gas turbine plant in Hamilton are set to lose their jobs More

NewsWatch: Sony unveils PlayStation Move motion controller
Sony lifts the wraps on its new motion-control video game system called PlayStation Move, which is expected to hit the More

Canadian dollar inches up 0.15 of a cent to 97.63 cents US on Thursday
TORONTO - The Canadian dollar closed 0.15 of a cent higher to 97.63 cents US on Wednesday.The U.S. dollar stood More

Travelex gold quotes at close: C$1,136 bid, C$1,137 ask; silver C$17.53 bid
TORONTO - Gold was quoted at C$1,136 bid (US$1,108) and C$1,137 asked (US$1,109) at the close of trading Thursday Travelex More

Dollar mixed after jobs, trade data
The dollar slipped against the euro and the pound Thursday but rose against the yen as investors digested mixed U.S. More

The 25 richest counties in the United States
More

After Hours: Pacific Sunwear shares slide; National Semi higher
The teen-clothing retailer issues a disappointing forecast. More

Exxon's growing reliance on expensive oil
Exxon Mobil outlined plans Thursday that rely heavily on oil from tough to reach places, extracting it from the depths More

Jennifer Openshaw: Saving for college in a 529 plan takes work
When it comes to choosing how to invest in a 529 plan, there are over 3,000 choices in all. I’m More

BP to pay Devon $7 bln for fields
LONDON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - BP will pay $7 billion (4.6 billion pound) to Devon Energy for assets that will extend More

Stocks up for 3rd day; financial shares rise
A rally in financial stocks helped the market extend its grind higher to a third day. Standard & Poor's 500 More

Market Snapshot: U.S. stocks up for third day as banks rally
U.S. stocks pick up traction late Thursday, for a third straight day of gains, after Citigroup Inc. said the bank More

National Energy Board give OK to TransCanada's Keystone XL pipeline project
CALGARY - The National Energy Board approved Thursday an application by TransCanada Corp. (TSX:TRP) to build its Keystone XL pipeline More

US Fed Total Discount Window Borrowings Wed $83.79 Billion
US Fed Total Discount Window Borrowings Wed $83.79 Billion More

MarketWatch First Take: Sex sells: Why Tiger's return would boost CBS
With Woods in tow, the Masters could be the second most-watched sports event of the year. (No, it probably won’t More

National Semi reports a higher quarterly profit
National Semiconductor late Thursday reports a jump in third-quarter profit, boosted by higher analog chip sales. More

New Zealand Feb Median House Price Unchanged Vs Jan - REINZ
New Zealand Feb Median House Price Unchanged Vs Jan - REINZ More

PacSun 4Q Loss Widens On Lower Sales, Tax Charge; Shares Fall - Wall Street Journal
PacSun More

Stocks manage gains
Stocks gained Thursday, erasing earlier losses to lift the Nasdaq and S&P 500 to 18-month highs, as investors eyed the More

Canada Bonds End Higher; Long End Leads - Wall Street Journal
CNBC More

China Data Show Moderating Stimulus
The rapid growth in China's bank lending and investment spending slowed in February, official data show, a sign that the More

Long-term debt prices rise after auction
Long-term U.S. debt prices rose Thursday after a government auction of $13 billion in 30-year bonds. More

Mixed News on U.S. Jobs, Trade
Only slightly fewer U.S. workers filed first-time claims for jobless benefits last week, a sign that the job market's revival More

Crude prices settle little changed as traders weigh demand concerns
NEW YORK - Oil prices stayed put, just above US$82 on Thursday, as investors mulled demand uncertainties and a government More

Imax reports $4 million profit in fourth quarter, revenue up helped by ?Avatar?
TORONTO - Massive-screen movie company Imax Corp. rose to profitability in the fourth quarter with help from Hollywood mega-blockbuster TORONTO More

Oil inches higher
Oil prices eked out gains Thursday, as the risk of an overheated Chinese economy and higher continuing jobless claims stifled More

Miners say ‘Avatar’ doesn’t do them justice
It's enough to make a mining executive grit his teeth or his kids to give him the silent treatment. More

N.S. premier defends Daewoo deal against Opposition risky business claims
HALIFAX, N.S. - There is no guarantee Nova Scotia taxpayers' stake in a wind turbine plant will result in any More

Senate Passes $150 Billion Jobs Bill
The U.S. Senate voted 62-36 Wednesday to approve a roughly $150 billion bill that extends a series of tax credits More

Still down? It may be time to take a loss
With a yearlong rally,  it's time to admit some investments are losers, sell them and move along. Hanging on just More

Wall Street reform hits an impasse
More

972 Foreclosure Filings in Hawaii in February - New York Times
Washington Post More

Trying to flunk banks out of college
President Obama has been waging a war with banks over who gets to dole out cheap student loans backed by More

US House Tax Panel Drafts $15 Billion In Incentives For Small Business
US House Tax Panel Drafts $15 Billion In Incentives For Small Business More

UPDATE: US Household Net Worth Rises Third Straight Quarter
UPDATE: US Household Net Worth Rises Third Straight Quarter More

Obama urges China action on yuan
US President Barack Obama has urged China to change its currency strategy to help re-balance the global economy. More

Patchwork Pension Plan Adds to Greek Debt Woes - New York Times
Reuters More

Man Utd in Malaysia sponsor deal
Manchester United signs a five-year sponsorship deal with communications group Telekom Malaysia. More

UK Treasury: No Giveaways In Budget, Don't Need More Tax Hikes
UK Treasury: No Giveaways In Budget, Don't Need More Tax Hikes More

Some nurses paid more than family doctors
Despite the growing shortage of family doctors in the United States, medical centers last year offered higher salaries and incentives More

'No decision yet' on BA strikes
The union representing BA cabin crew says there will be no immediate announcement about strike dates. More

FTSE ends lower on miners, banks
LONDON (Reuters) - The top share index closed 0.4 percent lower on Thursday, pressured by miners and banks after data More

Financial reform bill coming from Democrats
Senate Democrats on banking panel plan to release and start working on a financial overhaul bill next week, without Republican More

Banks to weigh in on Obama tax idea
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The banking industry will tell Senate tax writers on Friday they oppose a plan by U.S. President More

Obama outlines steps in bid to double exports
President Barack Obama sought to put some detail behind his lofty drive to double U.S. exports over the next five More

11 quirky budget cuts
From police horse to fireworks to wrangling stray chickens, these cash-strapped cities are eliminating all kinds of services. More

South Africa: Mining Production Up 7.7 Percent for January
Stats SA reports the index of total mining production was 7,7% higher in January 2010 compared with January 2009. More

Japan Revises Down GDP
Japan revised down its reading on the economy's fourth-quarter growth rate, saying business investment was weaker than initially thought. More

Credit Market Springs to Life
Companies around the globe are aggressively borrowing in the debt markets once again -- a sign of renewed confidence in More

Why the U.S. can't inflate its way out of debt
It's dawning on people that getting a handle on burgeoning U.S. debt will be a long and hard process. More

Somalia: WFP to Assist Puntland in Expanding Bossasso Port
The government of Somalia's Puntland state has signed agreement with the United Nations World Food Programme to expand the capacity More

Iceland hopes to restart Icesave talks next week
COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Iceland's foreign minister said on Thursday he was hopeful Reykjavik could restart talks with Britain and the More

2nd UPDATE:Gensler:CFTC Working On Proposed Rule On Co-Location
2nd UPDATE:Gensler:CFTC Working On Proposed Rule On Co-Location More

EU defends hedge fund rules against U.S. critics
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union hit back on Thursday against U.S. criticism of plans to crack down on hedge More

TrimTabs: Economic Recovery 'Seems To Be The Real Deal'
TrimTabs: Economic Recovery 'Seems To Be The Real Deal' More

Conservatives promise superfast Internet
LONDON (Reuters) - Investing in a high-speed Internet network would open up a new global trade route for Britain, boosting More

HSBC admits huge Swiss data theft
About 24,000 clients of HSBC's private banking operation in Switzerland had personal details stolen, the bank admits. More

Households recovering from economic freefall
The net worth of American households increased slightly during the final three months of 2009, the Federal Reserve said Thursday. More

No plans for "Christmas tree" budget
LONDON (Reuters) - Chancellor Alistair Darling said on Thursday that he did not plan generous giveaways in his March 24 More

Free financial advice launched
A free national financial advice service is being launched by the government. More

Ex-Cazenove partner gets 21 months jail
LONDON (Reuters) - A former partner of Cazenove, known as the Queen's stockbroker, was jailed for 21 months on Thursday More

US Household Net Worth Up 1.3% To $54.18 Trillion In 4Q
US Household Net Worth Up 1.3% To $54.18 Trillion In 4Q More

Fast food chains face tomato famine
Fast food joints are scrambling to find alternate sources for one of America's favorite sandwich toppings after a winter freeze More

Health-care reform's 'back-door' tax
The big talk on Capital Hill may be about health-care reform, but as part of this massive undertaking, the Democrats More