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NEW YORK (Dow Jones) -- Analysts Friday lauded Chicago Mercantile Exchange Holdings on its deal to trade Nymex metals and energy contracts on its electronic exchange, and said that the move puts pressure on rivals, particularly the Intercontinental Exchange. On Thursday the CME said that it will be the exclusive electronic-trading services provider for Nymex Holdings Inc.'s energy futures and o ...

U.S. stocks lost ground Friday as some investors chose to lock in profits after a week in which the market ran up in anticipation that the March employment report would come in stronger than expected. Initially, market sentiment received a boost after the Labor Department reported the U.S. economy created 211,000 jobs in March, more than the 187,000 expected by economists polled by MarketWatch. ...

European stock markets ticked higher Friday, after U.S. payrolls data showed higher-than-expected job growth paired with lower-than-expected wage growth, while aerospace company BAE Systems traded mostly flat after saying it may sell its stake in Airbus. The French CAC 40 indexadded 0.2% at 5,231, the German DAX 30 indexadded 0.1% at 6,038 and the U.K. FTSE 100added 0.4% at 6,070. The pan-Eu ...

Cadbury Schweppes has put the division behind Butterkist popcorn up for sale as part of its policy of selling off non-core brands. The Monkhill business also makes own-brand sweets for supermarkets and has plants in Pontefract, York, Leeds and Cleckheaton in West Yorkshire. Cadbury expects the sale to complete by the end of the year, with about 800 staff transferring to the new owners. Monkhill generates sales of £80m each year, according to Cadbury. Small brand sell-off The company r ...

The child trust fund (CTF) scheme celebrated a quiet first birthday on Thursday. This groundbreaking scheme generates savings for every child born in the UK since September 2002. All babies get a CTF voucher for £250 (£500 for low income families) and a Budget announcement last month confirmed children would get the same amount at seven, so every child would have £500 (or £1,000) to invest. // There is also the possibility of more cash to come during secondary school, and families can “top up” ...

By Carlos Ruano and Louise Heavens MADRID/LONDON (Reuters) - Spanish construction group Ferrovial (FER.MC: Quote, Profile, Research) launched its takeover bid for airport operator BAA (BAA.L: Quote, Profile, Research) on Friday, but kept its price at 810 pence a share despite hopes of a higher offer. BAA had rejected Ferrovial's original non-binding offer and media had reported that some key BAA shareholders were demanding the Spanish offer more money. In a statement, Ferrovial said it was  ...

U.S. stocks gained in early trading Friday after a March employment report confirmed the robust health of the economy, but also soothed interest-rate fears as wage growth came in weaker than expected. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) rose 45 points to 11,261. The Nasdaq Composite Index (RIXF) was up 12 points to 2,373 while the S&P 500 Index (SPX) gained 4 points to 1,313. Marke ...

European stocks rose marginally on Friday after US payroll figures for March showed stronger than expected gains, while commodities remained in focus as copper hit a new high, gold held near $600/oz and oil above $67 a barrel. // In afternoon trade the FTSE Eurofirst 300 was up 0.4 per cent to 1,386.85, while Frankfurt’s Xetra Dax was 0.2 per cent higher at 6,042.3. In Paris, the CAC 40 was up 0. ...

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - A consortium led by Swedish builder Skanska and financial investor Innisfree have signed a deal to build and operate two hospital refurbishments in London, the Swedish firm said on Friday. Skanska said the agreement signed by the Capital Hospitals consortium for St. Bartholomew's Hospital and Royal London Hospital meant it would receive a construction contract worth around 13.6 billion crowns (1 billion pounds), its biggest construction project ever. "The signing of this  ...

By Carlos Ruano and Louise Heavens MADRID/LONDON (Reuters) - Spanish construction group Ferrovial (FER.MC: Quote, Profile, Research) launched its takeover bid for British airport operator BAA (BAA.L: Quote, Profile, Research) on Friday, but kept its price at 810 pence a share despite hopes of a higher offer. BAA had rejected Ferrovial's original non-binding offer and media had reported that some key BAA shareholders were demanding the Spanish offer more money. In a statement, Ferrovial said ...