Stocks extended gains as investors welcomed surprisingly strong retail sales. Dow rose 50 points. Nasdaq and S&P add about 1%.

Date: Sep 2, 2010 4:02 PM

Stocks extended gains as investors welcomed surprisingly strong retail sales. Dow rose 50 points. Nasdaq and S&P add about 1%.

Stocks open slightly higher after new jobless claims and retail sales come in better than expected. Dow gains 6 points.

Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2010 09:32:07 -0400

Stocks open slightly higher after new jobless claims and retail sales
come in better than expected. Dow gains 6 points.

European Central Bank holds key rate steady at 1%

Date: Thu, 02 Sep 2010 07:49:44 -0400

European Central Bank holds key rate steady at 1%
09/02/2010 07:48:07 AM EDT

The number of people filing for initial unemployment claims unexpectedly fell to 472,000 for week ending Aug. 21.

Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2010 08:33:07 -0400

The number of people filing for initial unemployment claims
unexpectedly fell to 472,000 for week ending Aug. 21.

International Headlines

Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2010 05:02:04 -0400
>TOP STORIES as of 0900 GMT -- 02 September, 2010

> MIDEAST CONFLICT CENTER STAGE IN WASHINGTON
Ahead of direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians on
Thursday, U.S. President Barack Obama said he was "hopeful --
cautiously hopeful" for a two-state solution.

> 3 BABIES FOUND BURIED AT DUTCH HOME
Dutch investigators were trying to determine Thursday whether
the bodies of three babies found at a home in the Netherlands
belong to the woman who lived there.

> DEATH TOLL TOPS 30 IN LAHORE BLASTS
The death toll from a trio of suicide attacks during a Shiite
processions in Lahore, Pakistan, grew to 31 Thursday,
authorities said Thursday.

> HURRICANE HEADS FOR U.S. EAST COAST
Hurricane Earl took aim on the Outer Banks of North Carolina
early Thursday as the powerful storm prepared to take a swipe at
the Eastern Seaboard.

> DUTCH FREE TWO MEN HELD IN TERROR PROBE
Two Yemeni men arrested as possible terror suspects at Schiphol
International Airport in the Netherlands have been cleared of
wrongdoing and freed, Dutch authorities said.

> U.S. TRANSFERS COMMAND IN IRAQ
Vice President Joe Biden marks the transfer of U.S. military
command in Iraq by promising that American engagement with
Baghdad "will continue."

> POLICE: 16 MIGRANTS KIDNAPPED IN MEXICO
At least 16 migrants, including a woman, were being held for
ransom by human smugglers in Tijuana, Mexico, according to a
migrant who was freed, authorities said late Wednesday.

> MOZAMBIQUE FOOD RIOTS TURN DEADLY
Three people died and dozens were injured in riots over
increases in the price of bread, water, energy and other
critical goods in Mozambique, the southern African nation's
official news agency reported Wednesday.

~~~~~~~~~~~
BUSINESS
~~~~~~~~~~~

> DATA BOOST FROM ECONOMIC GIANTS
A surprise bounce in manufacturing activity in the world's two
biggest economies in August cheered investors as it ended the
bleak run of US economic data over the summer.

> INDIA WANTS SKYPE, GOOGLE DATA
India is extending a crackdown on BlackBerry to other e-mail and
internet communications providers, including Skype and Google, a
senior government official said on Wednesday.

> ECO-TOURISM IN WAR-TORN SIERRA LEONE
For many people, the name Sierra Leone still conjures up images
of the country's decade-long civil war and subsequent war crimes
trials.

Markets, Wednesday, 09/1/2010

Date: Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:43:28 -0400

|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Dow : 10,269.47 up 254.75 | S & P : 1,080.29 up 30.96
|
| NASDAQ: 2,176.84 up 62.81 | Bond (10Y): 2.58% up 0.105
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|

MARKETS:
September surprise: Stocks soar
September rally is in full swing after a report shows an unexpected
rise in manufacturing activity. Dow jumps 254 points, Nasdaq, S&P 500
gain 3%.

Stocks rocket up as investors cheer strong U.S. and Chinese manufacturing. Dow rises 254 ponts. Nasdaq, S&P add 3%.

Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 16:06:03 -0400

Stocks rocket up as investors cheer strong U.S. and Chinese
manufacturing. Dow rises 254 ponts. Nasdaq, S&P add 3%.

U.S. stocks surge on hopes over economic growth

Date: Wed, Sep 1, 2010 at 12:00 PM

U.S. STOCKS SURGE ON HOPES OVER ECONOMIC GROWTH

U.S. stocks start month on a strong note after a reading on manufacturing activity climbs in August, defying expectations of a fall.  

AUG. PRIVATE-SECTOR PAYROLLS FALL 10,000: ADP
U.S. private-sector employment fell 10,000 in August, according to the ADP employment report released Wednesday, breaking a six-month run of increases.  

CEOS THAT LAY OFF WORKERS EARN MORE: STUDY
Chief executives of the 50 firms that laid off the most workers since the onset of the economic crisis earned 42% more than the average pay for an S&P 500 company, according to a study released Wednesday. 

MEN LOSE MORE GROUND THAN WOMEN IN PAY SLIDE
Wage growth among middle- and low-income U.S. workers has been shaky for a decade, but in the last three years it collapsed, with wages growing at less than half the rate they had in the period right before the recession, and some workers' pay actually decreasing.  

SALARIES AND WAGES ARE RISING, BUT NOT BY MUCH
After two years of holding back on salary raises, U.S. employers say they plan bigger increases of workers' wages in 2011 -- but those plans could change if the economy continues to falter.  

International Headlines

Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 05:02:04 -0400
>TOP STORIES as of 0900 GMT -- 01 September, 2010

> OBAMA ENVOY SEES 'WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY' FOR MIDEAST PEACE
U.S. President Barack Obama seeks to broker Mideast peace, with
his envoy identifying an opportunity for Israeli and Palestinian
leaders to reach a deal within a year.

> BIDEN TO MARK IRAQ POWER TRANSFER
After more than seven years of American military operations in
Iraq, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden will help mark the transfer
of U.S. military command in Iraq on Wednesday.

> HURRICANE EARL SPURS EVACUATIONS IN U.S.
As Hurricane Earl continues to spin toward the East Coast,
authorities in North Carolina are ordering more people to get
out of the way.

> POLICE DISMANTLE MALE PROSTITUTION RING
National Police said Tuesday an investigation that began in
February has resulted in the arrest of 14 people involved in an
organization dedicated to the sexual exploitation of men,
Spain's first such bust of its kind.

> EIGHT KILLED IN CANCUN BAR BOMBING
Eight people died early Tuesday after attackers hurled several
Molotov cocktails into a Cancun, Mexico, bar, the state attorney
general said.

> WEATHER STALLS EFFORT ON BP OIL WELL
Thad Allen, the government's point man on the BP oil disaster,
and Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser will meet
Tuesday before briefing the public on the cleanup effort.

~~~~~~~~~~~
BUSINESS
~~~~~~~~~~~

> AXIS OF FASHION WORLD TILTS EAST
From individual consumers of luxury goods, the Chinese and
Indians have become consumers of luxury companies, in a shift
that has far-reaching implications for the $80 billion a year
industry.

> CURRENCY TRADING HITS RECORD LEVELS
Currency trading has surged to record levels in 2010, even as
the foreign exchange market becomes increasingly concentrated
among a smaller number of banks and trading centres.

> CHINESE MANUFACTURERS REPORT GROWTH
Fears that the Chinese economy is running out of steam eased
after a survey showed that factory activity accelerated in
August, but results from other Asian economies were gloomier due
to slackening demand from beyond the region.

Dow spikes 127 points at the open on strong economic data out of China. Nasdaq up 1.6%; S&P 500 rises 1.3%.

Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 09:33:04 -0400

Dow spikes 127 points at the open on strong economic data out of
China. Nasdaq up 1.6%; S&P 500 rises 1.3%.

U.S. private-sector employment down 10,000 in August; July growth revised down 5,000

Date: Wed, 01 Sep 2010 08:22:17 -0400

U.S. private-sector employment down 10,000 in August; July growth
revised down 5,000
09/01/2010 08:20:36 AM EDT

Number of planned job cuts plummeted to a 10-year low in August, first decline in 3 months, says outplacement firm Challenger.

Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 07:34:07 -0400

Number of planned job cuts plummeted to a 10-year low in August, first
decline in 3 months, says outplacement firm Challenger.

Breaking News

Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:08:04 -0400

U.S. President Barack Obama declares the U.S. combat mission in Iraq
over, pledging continued commitment to Iraq.

Markets, Tuesday, 08/31/2010

Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:56:48 -0400

|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Dow : 10,014.72 up 4.99. | S & P : 1,049.33 up 0.41
|
|NASDAQ: 2,114.03 down 5.94 | Bond (10Y): 2.48% down 0.068
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

MARKETS:
Stocks end August with a whimper
All three major gauges end the month with losses. Investors mull Fed
meeting minutes and relatively upbeat economic news.

Stocks fall, giving up early gains, after Fed minutes show conflict over economic policy. Dow, S&P and Nasdaq end the month lower.

Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:02:05 -0400

Stocks fall, giving up early gains, after Fed minutes show conflict
over economic policy. Dow, S&P and Nasdaq end the month lower.

SAKS MAY GET A $1.7 BILLION BID: REPORT

Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:00:51 -0400

SAKS MAY GET A $1.7 BILLION BID: REPORT
The luxury retailer Saks could soon be on the receiving end of a $1.7
billion cash bid from a group of U.S. and U.K. private-equity firms,
according to a media report.

HERMES INTERNATIONAL'S FIRST-HALF PROFIT RISES 55%
Hermes International SCA, the Paris luxury-goods producer, reported
Tuesday a 55% surge in first-half net profit, buoyed by strong sales
in Asia.

RETAIL GIANT CARREFOUR SWINGS TO PROFIT
Carrefour, the world's second-largest retailer, posts a first-half net
profit and expresses confidence in meeting financial goals for the
year as its unveils changes in its hypermarket format.

FDIC says number of troubled banks in second quarter rises to 829 – highest since 1992.

Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:12:03 -0400

FDIC says number of troubled banks in second quarter rises to 829 –
highest since 1992.

Consumer confidence improved in August, beating economist forecasts. Index stands at 53.5, up from 51 in July.

Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:07:03 -0400

Consumer confidence improved in August, beating economist forecasts.
Index stands at 53.5, up from 51 in July.

Stocks open lower as investors remain jittery about the recovery. Dow drops 30 points. Nasdaq slides 0.4%. S&P 500 falls 0.3%.

Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:32:03 -0400

Stocks open lower as investors remain jittery about the recovery. Dow
drops 30 points. Nasdaq slides 0.4%. S&P 500 falls 0.3%.

International Headlines

Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 05:02:09 -0400

> DUTCH ARRESTS OVER AIRPORT SECURITY CONCERNS
Two men held in the Netherlands may have been trying to test
U.S. airport security by putting bottles with electronic devices
attached in checked bags, a source said.

> WORK DUE TO BEGIN ON MINE RESCUE SHAFT
Chilean officials plan to start drilling a rescue shaft Monday
as they begin a months-long operation to reach 33 miners trapped
underground since August 5.

> SOUTH AFRICA UPS OFFER TO STRIKERS
The South African government has increased its wage and housing
offers to striking workers, a union spokesman said.

> UPDATE EXPECTED ON STALLED GULF CLEANUP
Thad Allen, the government's point man on the BP oil disaster,
and Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser will meet
Tuesday before briefing the public on the cleanup effort.

> KENYA, AFRICAN UNION DEFEND BASHIR VISIT
Kenya and the African Union are defending a visit by Sudanese
President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted on allegations of war
crimes and genocide.

> U.S. EXPANDS SANCTIONS ON NORTH KOREA
U.S. President Barack Obama issued an executive order to impose
financial sanctions on North Korean entities and individuals
doing business with and for the secretive nation.

> S. KOREA OFFERS FLOOD AID TO N. KOREA
South Korea's Red Cross has offered $8.4 million in flood aid to
North Korea, the Yonhap news agency said Tuesday.

> ISRAELI PM HEADS FOR PEACE TALKS
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leaves for Washington,
D.C., on Tuesday with the goal to "seriously and responsibly"
advance a peace agreement with the Palestinians.

~~~~~~~~~~~
BUSINESS
~~~~~~~~~~~
> WHY ARE CHINA BANK RESULTS SO SIMILAR?
China's big banks are all majority owned by the state, their top
executives are mostly former central bankers. But even for such
a homogenous industry their first-half profit results looked
eerily similar.

> CEO PAY HITS FRESH PR MINEFIELD
Is a chief executive's job 19 times more valuable than that of
the US president and hundreds of times more valuable than the
average worker in his or her company?

> AIRLINES' SHARES SOAR
Airline share prices have risen more than 70 per cent from their
lowest point at the beginning of last year, outperforming the
broader equity market, as investors bet on a strong recovery in
the highly cyclical aviation business.

Markets, Monday, 08/30/2010

Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:09:38 -0400

|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Dow : 10,009.73 down 140.92 | S & P : 1,048.92 down 15.67 |
| NASDAQ: 2,119.97 down 33.66 | Bond (10Y): 2.54% down 0.107
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

MARKETS:
Stocks drop as fear returns
Worries about the U.S. economic recovery overshadow billion-dollar
corporate deals and Bank of Japan's new monetary-easing policies.

Stocks tumble on thin summer trading as doubts over the recovery persist. The Dow shed 140 points; Nasdaq and S&P fall about 1.5%.

Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 16:01:07 -0400

Stocks tumble on thin summer trading as doubts over the recovery
persist. The Dow shed 140 points; Nasdaq and S&P fall about 1.5%.

Genzyme rejects Sanofi-Aventis buyout offer

Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:00:51 -0400

Genzyme rejects Sanofi-Aventis buyout offer
Genzyme formally rejects a $69-a-share buyout offer made by
Sanofi-Aventis, saying it undervalues the biotechnology company.

DOLLAR GAINS ON EURO; YEN RISES BROADLY
Japan's yen advances after an emergency easing by the Bank of Japan
failed to stem recent strength in the currency. The dollar mostly
gains but loses ground agains the yen.

U.S. STOCKS FALTER AS INVESTORS FIXATE ON ECONOMY
Wall Street trades broadly lower to start off a week that culminates
with the U.S. employment report for August.

ISRAEL STOCKS SLIP; PARTNER RISES AFTER REPORT
Israeli stocks edge lower on Monday, with strength in Ratio Oil and
Israel Chemicals offset by weakness among the banks, the chemicals
companies and the drugmakers.

SALARIES AND WAGES ARE RISING, BUT NOT BY MUCH
After two years of holding back on salary raises, U.S. employers say
they plan bigger increases of workers' wages in 2011 -- but those
plans could change if the economy continues to falter.

International Headlines

Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 05:02:06 -0400
>TOP STORIES as of 0900 GMT -- 30 August, 2010

> DRILLING TO REACH TRAPPED CHILEAN MINERS SET TO BEGIN
Chilean officials plan to start drilling a rescue shaft Monday
as they begin a months-long operation to reach 33 miners trapped
underground since August 5.

> BP STARTS FINAL STEP TO KILL GULF OIL WELL
More than three weeks after plugging its ruptured oil well with
cement and mud from above, BP plans to start a procedure Monday
that will pave the way for a permanent fix for the well.

> 9 DIE IN RUSSIAN RETIREMENT HOME FIRE
A fire at a retirement home northwest of Moscow killed nine
people early Monday morning, Russian state media said.

> BANK OF JAPAN TAKES STIMULUS STEPS
The Bank of Japan moved to halt the rise of the yen and support
the country's faltering economy by expanding a special bank
lending programme by half to Y30,000bn.

> MAYOR KILLED IN MEXICAN BORDER STATE
The mayor of a city in the Mexican border state of Tamaulipas
was killed and his 10-year-old daughter was injured Sunday,
officials said.

> OVER 30 AFGHAN INSURGENTS KILLED
Afghan and coalition soldiers killed more than 30 insurgents,
including 13 would-be suicide bombers, as they fought off
assaults on two military bases and government buildings in
eastern Afghanistan, the NATO-led International Security
Assistance Force (ISAF) said on Sunday.

> ALLEGED CRICKET BETTING SCAM MAN BAILED
UK police interviewed four members of the Pakistani cricket team
over allegations that gamblers fixed part of a match against
England, the Pakistani team manager says.

> NETANYAHU: ISRAEL'S GOAL IS PEACE
Israel's goal is to "responsibly and seriously promote a peace
agreement" in the upcoming direct talks with Palestinians,
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in his weekly
Cabinet meeting Sunday.

~~~~~~~~~~~
BUSINESS
~~~~~~~~~~~

> GOOGLE PLANS PAY-PER-VIEW FILMS
Google's YouTube video site is in negotiations with Hollywood's
leading movie studios to launch a global pay-per-view video
service by the end of 2010, doing battle with Apple for digital
distribution.

> DOWNBEAT MOOD AT JACKSON HOLE
If the mood at Jackson Hole in 2008 was one of crisis, and 2009
sounded relief, the mood in 2010 was one of angst.

> THREE MEXICAN AIRLINES SHUT DOWN
Grupo Mexicana suspended operations at its three airlines
Saturday "until further notice," citing the financial problems
inherited when the group changed owners a week ago.

Stocks open lower after reports show personal spending rose, but Americans still aren't saving enough. Dow dips 25 points.

Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:34:04 -0400

Stocks open lower after reports show personal spending rose, but
Americans still aren't saving enough. Dow dips 25 points.

International Headlines

Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 05:02:04 -0400
>TOP STORIES as of 0900 GMT -- 29 August, 2010

> THOUSANDS FLEE AFTER VOLCANO ERUPTS IN INDONESIA
A volcano that had been inactive for more than 400 years erupted
in Indonesia early Sunday, causing thousands of people to flee
their homes, officials said.

> PLAN B: WIDEN CHILE MINERS' SUPPLY PIPE
Engineers in Chile say they are preparing to use a special
drill, typically used to bore wells, to halve the time it will
take to reach 33 men trapped in a mine since August 5.

> MORE DEATHS FEARED AS FLOOD RECEDES
The death toll from Pakistan's massive flooding could rise
substantially as flood waters recede and more bodies surface,
government officials say.

> IRAN CUTS VISITS FOR WOMAN FACING DEATH
The Iranian woman awaiting possible execution by stoning was
denied visits from her family and attorney this week, just days
after her lawyer's home was ransacked and searched.

> EXPLOSION AS MEXICANS MOURN MIGRANTS
An explosive device detonated Saturday three blocks away from a
mass honoring 72 migrants found slain near the Mexican border,
state media reported.

> REPORT: KIM JONG IL WRAPS UP CHINA TRIP
North Korean leader Kim Jong Il may have met with Chinese
President Hu Jintao on Friday, South Korea's official news
agency reported.

> ICC: NO PLAYER ARRESTS OVER SCAM CLAIM
No players or team officials have been arrested in connection
with a British tabloid's expose on an alleged match-fixing scam
involving the Pakistani cricket team, the International Cricket
Council said Sunday.

> CHINA ORGANIZES PROBE INTO PLANE CRASH
China's State Council has organized a task force of six central
government agencies to investigate the country's first fatal
passenger plane crash in almost six years, state media reported
Saturday.

~~~~~~~~~~~
BUSINESS
~~~~~~~~~~~

> THREE MEXICAN AIRLINES SHUT DOWN
Grupo Mexicana suspended operations at its three airlines
Saturday "until further notice," citing the financial problems
inherited when the group changed owners a week ago.

> BOEING DELAYS DREAMLINER DELIVERY DATE
Boeing has said its 787 Dreamliner passenger jet will be delayed
by several more weeks. The jet is already more than two years
late.

> FED STANDS BY TO BOOST U.S. GROWTH
Ben Bernanke, Federal Reserve chairman, said on Friday that
weaker-than-expected consumer spending growth and a "depressed"