Financial News

US stocks ended a positive week in rampant style as Wall Street kicked off the year with four consecutive days of gains. // The major indices closed at fresh four-and-a-half year highs with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 0.7 per cent to 10,959.31 and the S&P 500 0.9 per cent higher at 1,285.45. Heavyweight gains came in the energy sector as the price of oil jumped more than 2 per cent i ...

WASHINGTON (Dow Jones) -- Verizon Communications on Friday closed the $8.5 billion purchase of MCI Inc., the nation's second largest long-distance carrier, as the combined company gears up to battle for dominance in the U.S. phone market. The merger follows on the heels of the acquisition of AT&T Corp. by SBC Communications(T). The two-mega deals effectively eliminate the standalone long- d ...

By Keiron Henderson LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index closed at a fresh 4-1/2 year high on Friday, ending the first week of the New Year up more than 100 points as oils and miners pushed ahead and bid talk re-emerged. Broadcaster ITV climbed 4.2 percent as traders reported speculation it could become a bid target. Brokerage Killik said that the stock looked undervalued and should be attractive to bidders, possibly from the United States. "We believe the company's emergence from a me ...

By Keiron Henderson LONDON (Reuters) - The FTSE 100 index closed at a fresh 4-1/2 year high on Friday, ending the first week of the New Year up more than 100 points as oils and miners pushed ahead and bid talk re-emerged. Broadcaster ITV climbed 4.2 percent as traders reported speculation it could become a bid target. Brokerage Killik said that the stock looked undervalued and should be attractive to bidders, possibly from the United States. "We believe the company's emergence from a messy re ...

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- Verizon Communications on Friday closed the $8.5 billion purchase of MCI Inc., the nation's second largest long-distance carrier, as the combined company gears up to battle for dominance in the U.S. phone market.   MARKETWATCH TOP NEWS U.S. stocks gain as jobs data fuel interest-rate hopes Highlights of rising and falling U.S. stocks Dec. pa ...

By Friedel Rother LONDON (Reuters) - UK stocks held on to modest gains on Friday as takeover chatter buoyed a number of firms including broadcaster ITV (ITV.L: Quote, Profile, Research) and mid-cap spread betting company IG Group (IGG.L: Quote, Profile, Research) , while an upbeat broker note boosted defence group BAE Systems (BA.L: Quote, Profile, Research) . Compass Group (CPG.L: Quote, Profile, Research) , the world's biggest caterer, rose 2.1 percent as traders cited talk of keen interest ...

Tessa Thorniley, Daily Mail6 January 2006 TRAVELODGE, Britain's second-largest hotel chain, looks set to go under the hammer later this year with a £1.1bn price tag. OTHER STORIES Gloomy new year for companies Wimpey woe on completions and prices Market report: Friday 09.00 Car sales down by 5% Price war takes toll on JJB Sports THE EDITOR'S CHOICE TOP STORY: 2006 Mone ...

Geoff Foster, Daily Mail6 January 2006 ONE company definitely glad to see the back of 2005 is Business Post. OTHER STORIES Market report: Friday preview Slimma shapes up on own-brand push New on the market Share tips - Best of the rest Invesco tops best-sellers list THE EDITOR'S CHOICE TOP STORY: 2006 Money-saving tips TOP TOOL: Your budget calculator HAPPY NEW YEAR: Buy a n ...

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) - U.S. stocks edged higher in choppy trade, with strength in technology shares supporting the Nasdaq Composite, but a disappointing profit outlook from Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and broker downgrades for Boeing Co. and Merck & Co. were capping gains on the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The Dow industrials(DJI)was off a session high of 10,908.25, up 8 points at 10,887. T ...

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) - U.S. stocks turned mixed Thursday as some investors locked in gains made over the last two sessions, with a disappointing profit outlook from Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and broker downgrades for Boeing Co. and Merck & Co. adding to the selling pressure. A drop in jobless claims to a five-year low and a stronger-than-expected report on the services sector were helping to p ...