Reuters - Bank of America Corp on Monday reported a quarterly profit that fell less than expected, as improved investment banking results offset a surge in bad loans, causing shares of the largest U.S. retail bank and mortgage lender to soar. Read more…

AFP - The United States and European Union took aim at emerging economies at crucial WTO trade talks on Monday, warning them to open up their markets if the seven-year Doha Round is to succeed. Read more…

AFP - Europe's main stock markets fell on Monday when the financial services sector was dampened by news of a disappointing rights issue from British home loan provider HBOS, dealers said. Read more…

AFP - The nation's biggest mortgage lender HBOS said on Monday that shareholders had agreed to buy just eight percent of its 4.0-billion-pound rights issue. Read more…

Reuters - A Fortress Investment Group LLC fund, the Fortress Mortgage Opportunities Fund, is down about 30 percent three months after the firm raised funds for it, the Wall Street Journal reported on its website on Sunday. Read more…

Reuters - The U.S. economy needs months to recover from its slowdown, but the banking system remains sound despite a home mortgage crisis that could cause more problems, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said. Read more…

Reuters - The economy will need months to recover from a growth slowdown caused by a home mortgage crisis, turmoil in financial markets and high energy prices, Treasure Secretary Henry Paulson said on Sunday. Read more…

Reuters - The European Commission wants to cooperate closely with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on the planned regulation of credit rating agencies, the German financial weekly Euro am Sonntag reported. Read more…

AFP - Troubled mortgage finance giant Freddie Mac announced plans Friday to raise 5.5 billion dollars through a new share offering as it registered with stock market regulators. Read more…

Reuters - U.S. regulators on Friday approved Freddie Mac's application to register its stock with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, clearing the way for the troubled mortgage finance company to raise fresh capital. Read more…

Reuters - Employment services company Manpower Inc said on Friday that business was slowing in large Western European markets, including France, its biggest operation, sending its shares down 11 percent. Read more…

AP - Mortgage financier Freddie Mac took a step toward issuing common stock to help bolster its balance sheet Friday when it completed a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Read more…

Reuters - Freddie Mac expects to purchase mortgages with significantly higher unpaid principal balances, the U.S. mortgage finance company said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday. Read more…

AP - Israeli drugmaker Teva Pharmaceutical says it will buy rival generic drug company Barr Pharmaceuticals for more than $7 billion, in a move to expand its presence in U.S. and Eastern European markets. Read more…

AFP - London shares slid 0.52 percent in early deals on Friday, at the end of a highly volatile week for global equities amid stubborn investor jitters over the US banking results season. Read more…

AFP - US mortgage giant Freddie Mac may attempt to raise capital by selling up to 10 billion dollars in new shares after its stock rebounded this week, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday. Read more…

Reuters - Mortgage giant Freddie Mac is considering raising capital by selling as much as $10 billion in new shares to investors, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Read more…

AP - Merrill Lynch & Co. says it swung to a loss in the second quarter amid massive write-downs from soured mortgage-backed securities and other risky investments. Read more…

AP - Treasury prices fell sharply Thursday as upbeat earnings from JPMorgan Chase & Co. and an unexpected jump in housing starts alleviated some of investors' concerns about the credit crisis. Read more…

Reuters - JPMorgan Chase & Co posted a smaller-than-expected drop in earnings on resilient stock and bond underwriting revenue, sending its shares surging, but the company cautioned that the mortgage market and the economy are getting worse. Read more…

Reuters - Investors snapped up shares of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae for a second day on Thursday after Freddie pulled off its second successful debt sale following Sunday's announcement of a U.S. rescue plan for the two housing finance companies. Read more…

AP - JPMorgan Chase's profit took a 53 percent hit in the second quarter as mortgage and other loan defaults worsened, but the bank's results were better than expected and gave Wall Street a lift. Read more…

AP - Stocks are headed for a higher open following a better-than-expected government report on housing starts and stronger-than-anticipated earnings from several big companies. Read more…

Reuters - Home building projects started in June surprisingly rose 9.1 percent due chiefly to a change in New York City building codes that, if it were ignored, would have seen starts decrease by 4.0 percent, a government report said on Thursday. Read more…

Reuters - S&P 500 stock index futures extended gains on Thursday after a report showed U.S. housing starts unexpectedly rose in June, raising hopes the housing market may be stabilizing. Read more…