Shares News

Most European stock markets ended with mild losses on Friday, without much economic or corporate news to drive Continental markets, but the U.K. index ended higher after gains from the tobacco sector, defense company BAE Systems and oil companies. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 indexended 0.05% higher at 5,903, while the German DAX Xetra 30 indexdeclined 0.28% at 5,817 and the French CAC-40 indexfell 0.18 ...

PARIS (AFX) - Share prices closed slightly lower as mixed trading on Wall Street prompted consolidation of positions ahead of the weekend, ending a 5-day run of gains that had been built on hopes that further US interest rate tightening would not be necessary, dealers said. The CAC-40 index finished down 9.15 points at 5,135.69. On the week, the benchmark gained 150.17 points or 3.0 pct from last ...

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AFX) - Insurance company State Auto Financial Corp. said Friday its board of directors approved a penny increase in its regular quarterly dividend. The boost raises the company's dividend to 10 cents per share. The dividend is payable Sept. 29 to shareholders of record as of Sept. 15. Shares of State Auto Financial fell 15 cents to $30.06 on the Nasdaq in morning trading. Copyri ...

NEW YORK (AFX) - Insurance company ACE Ltd. said Friday that its board declared a quarterly dividend of 25 cents per ordinary share. The Bermuda-based company will pay the dividend on Oct. 13 to shareholders of record on Sept. 30. Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

U.S. stocks lost ground Friday as investors locked in profits after a four- session run of gains, with Dell Inc a notable decliner after the computer maker's quarter results disappointed investors. But tobacco companies gained on a favorable court ruling and Microsoft's stock rallied after it boosted its share repurchasing program. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) was off 11 points at  ...

Treasury prices extended their gains Friday morning, putting pressure on yields, after the University of Michigan August sentiment reading showed an unexpectedly sharp drop from July levels, underscoring the current economic slowdown. A softer economy spurs safe-haven interest in low-risk instruments like bonds and supports the case for the Federal Reserve to end its rate hike program. The 1 ...

LOS ANGELES (AFX) - Utility Southwest Water Co. said Friday it declared a quarterly cash dividend of 5.24 cents per share on its common stock. The company will pay the dividend on Oct. 20 to stockholders of record on Sept. 30. Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

LONDON (AFX) - The UK government said it has agreed a deal reportedly worth 10 bln stg to sell Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft to Saudi Arabia. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said it had agreed commercial principles with the Saudi government that would pave the way for an order for a reported 72 of the jets. The MoD said in a statement that it had signed an "understanding document" with th ...

NEW YORK (AFX) - Investors pushed stocks mostly lower in early trading Friday after Dell Inc. handed Wall Street disappointing quarterly results and oil rebounded from an eight-week low. Dell, the world's largest computer maker, pressured the technology sector after reporting that its second-quarter profit plunged 51 percent. The company, already reeling from a massive laptop battery recall e ...

U.S. stocks were mixed in early trading Friday, with tobacco companies gaining on a favorable court ruling, but Dell Inc's disappointing quarterly results weighed on the technology sector. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) rose 34 points to 11,369. The Nasdaq Composite Index (RIXF) fell 4 points to 2,154 while the S&P 500 Index (SPX) added 1 point to 1,298.43. Over the last four  ...