Oil down to near $70 in afternoon European trade ahead of US retail reports

Oil prices fell to near $70 a barrel Monday as investors looked to statistical data due later this week for a reading of the strength of U.S. consumer spending.

Oil hovers below $71 in midday European trade ahead of US retail reports

Oil prices hovered below $71 a barrel Monday as investors looked to statistical data due later this week about the strength of U.S. consumer spending.

Oil hovers near $71 in Asia ahead of US retail reports

SINGAPORE —Oil prices hovered near $71 a barrel Monday in Asia as investors looked to signs later this week of the U.S. consumers’ health.

China’s stimulus fuels stock boom, but Beijing worries; leaders try to cool lending binge

BEIJING — The crowd in the packed Guosen Securities office jostles around buzzing printers that spit out receipts for their share buys, hoping to cash in on China’s stimulus-fueled stock market boom.

Meltdown 101: What does GDP report mean to you and your pocketbook? Plenty, so pay attention

WASHINGTON — The worst bite from the recession into the U.S. economy may well be past — but that doesn’t mean an end to the pain, especially when it comes to job losses.

Treasurys mixed as demand at auction of $42 billion of two-year notes falters

NEW YORK — Treasury prices were mixed Tuesday following a lackluster auction of $42 billion of two-year notes.

Putnam Investments cuts fees for fixed-income, asset allocation funds; restructures pricing

BOSTON — Putnam Investments said Tuesday it is cutting fees for its fixed-income mutual funds by an average 13 percent, and by 10 percent for asset allocation funds holding a mix of stocks and bonds.

Dollar slips, but up vs yen, as positive signal on housing sends investors to riskier trades

NEW YORK — The dollar slipped against most of the major currencies Monday as a strong positive signal on the U.S. housing market led investors to riskier trades in the euro and emerging markets.

World markets advance as US earnings help sentiment, but bomb blasts weigh on Indonesia

HONG KONG — Most Asian stocks traded higher for a fourth day Friday as better-than-expected earnings in the U.S. continued to buoy recovery hopes, but Indonesian markets were shaken by deadly bomb blasts at hotels in the country’s capital. European markets opened higher.

Investors request $668.9 million in program aimed at spurring commercial real estate lending

WASHINGTON — Investors’ appetite picked up this month for a government program aimed at spurring lending in the troubled commercial real estate market.

Investors return to mutual funds in second quarter as market rise whets appetite for risk

BOSTON — Investors shook off some of their caution in this year’s second quarter amid a rising market, shifting the largest amount into stock and bond mutual funds in more than two years, a fund industry consultant reported Tuesday.

10 personal finance basics to consider as you work through the recession

Many employers are setting up financial advice sessions for employees to help them navigate through the market downturn that has reduced 401(k) balances for most of us. It’s a good idea to take advantage of one of these sessions if offered at work. If it’s not an option in your workplace, you can review this checklist to make sure you’re not forgetting any basics.

Where are people turning for a financial education today? They go to work

DES MOINES, Iowa — Recognizing that workers are anxious about their finances, in increasing numbers companies are reaching out to help by setting up seminars at the office and making one-on-one advice available.

Geithner’s message to Middle East officials: Your investments are safe in the United States

WASHINGTON — On his first trip to the Middle East as Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner’s message this week will be similar to the one he delivered to Chinese officials a month ago: your investments in the United States are safe.

Survey of 401k plans shows blacks, Hispanics save less than Asians, whites

DES MOINES, Iowa — A new study of 401(k) plans has revealed that black and Hispanic workers save significantly less for retirement and tap into their accounts more frequently than white and Asian employees.

Most Asian markets sag modestly on grim US jobs report; Europeans shares open lower

HONG KONG — Most Asian markets fell Friday as a weaker-than-expected U.S. jobs report signaled more pain ahead for the world’s largest economy. European stocks also weakened in early trade.

Most Asian markets fall as US jobs report douses economic hopes; oil edges higher

HONG KONG — Most Asian markets fell Friday as a weaker-than-expected U.S. jobs report signaled more pain ahead for the world’s largest economy.

Defense attorney asks judge to uphold bond decision for Texas billionaire Stanford

HOUSTON — Defense attorneys are opposing a prosecutors’ request to delay an order letting Texas billionaire R. Allen Stanford post a bond that would free him until he is tried on charges he swindled investors out of $7 billion.

Prosecutors appeal order that would free Texas billionaire Stanford on bond pending trial

HOUSTON — Prosecutors are asking a federal judge to delay an order allowing Texas billionaire R. Allen Stanford to post bond that would free him until he is tried on charges he swindled investors out of $7 billion.

SEC proposes tightened rules for money-market funds after fund ‘broke the buck’ last year

WASHINGTON — Federal regulators on Wednesday proposed tightened rules for money-market mutual funds that would require them to hold some assets that could be easily converted to cash and to invest only in the highest quality securities.

Schapiro says SEC targeting director elections, mutual fund oversight, in line with Obama plan

WASHINGTON — Making it easier for shareholders to seat directors on company boards, restricting short-selling in down markets, strengthening oversight of mutual funds, and tightening scrutiny and standards for investment advisers are among the pro-investor initiatives being undertaken by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the agency’s chairman said Thursday.

Investors show no appetite for Fed program to bolster commercial real estate loans

WASHINGTON — Investors showed no appetite for commercial real estate loans in the debut of a government plan intended to boost their availability.

Investors show no appetite for Fed program to bolster commercial real-estate loans

WASHINGTON — Investors showed no appetite for a government plan intended to boost the availability of commercial real-estate loans.

US stocks slide as markets abroad pull back; stronger dollar pushes oil, commodities lower

NEW YORK — Investors are back to selling stocks after running short of reasons to keep the market’s rally going.

Bond prices gain for second day on heels of Treasury auctions

NEW YORK — Exuberance over a strong 30-year bond auction extended into a second day Friday, pushing Treasury prices up and yields down.

BlackRock to pay $13.5 billion in cash and stock for Barclays asset management arm & iShares

LOS ANGELES — Ending weeks of speculation, U.S. investment manager BlackRock Inc. said Thursday it will purchase the asset management arm of British investment bank Barclays PLC for $13.5 billion in cash and stock, to become the world’s largest asset manager.

Dollar rebounds against major currencies on discouraging economic reports, Bernanke comments

NEW YORK — The dollar rebounded Wednesday as investors were discouraged by a private-sector report on unemployment and U.S. data on the services industry and factory orders, while Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke warned that record-high budget deficits could endanger the economy’s long-term health.

ConAgra campaign links brands to push itself as food maker as it competes for shelf space

MILWAUKEE — America, meet ConAgra. The maker of Chef Boyardee, Hunt’s tomato sauce and ACT II popcorn is rebranding itself as it looks to tout its portfolio to investors and retailers as stores try to deal with frugal consumers by carrying only the best-performing brands.

Dollar-selling accelerates as US GDP data doesn’t sink rally; multimonth lows vs euro, pound

NEW YORK — The dollar fell steeply to multimonth lows against several currencies Friday as a report saying the US economy is still shrinking couldn’t sink investors’ taste for riskier assets.

Exxon shareholder activists turn to mutual fund investors to help support resolutions

HOUSTON — A group of Exxon Mobil shareholders is appealing to investors in the nation’s biggest mutual funds to help change the oil giant’s approach to environmental issues and corporate governance.