VENTURE CAPITAL POST

Germany's economy remains robust, the country's central bank said on Monday, predicting a generally positive end to the year despite a slowdown so far.

European stock markets rode out a rough morning to move higher on Monday, recovering some poise at the start of a week likely to be dominated by a meeting of the U.S. Federal Reserve and Scotland's vote on whether to leave the United Kingdom.

The European Union slapped new economic sanctions on Russia on Friday, but said they could be suspended if Moscow withdraws its troops from Ukraine and observes a ceasefire.

Asian shares steadied near seven-year highs on Thursday, underpinned by hopes of a ceasefire in Ukraine, although a cautious mood prevailed for now ahead of a European Central Bank meeting later in the session.

World markets jumped on Wednesday as Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko said a ceasefire had been reached with Russia, raising hopes that a recent escalation in the conflict could be reversed.

German venture capital firm Rocket Internet and Zalando, Europe's biggest specialist online fashion retailer, are both on the brink of announcing plans to list on the Frankfurt stock exchange, several sources with knowledge of the matter said.

The euro fell to its lowest in nearly a year against a firmer dollar on Monday after the head of the European Central Bank said he was prepared to take action if inflation dropped further, raising expectations of quantitative easing.

Russia said on Thursday it was investigating dozens of McDonald's (MCD.N) restaurants, in what many businessmen said was retaliation for Western sanctions over Ukraine they fear could spread to other symbols of Western capitalism.

U.S. stocks advanced on Monday, with the Dow Industrials up roughly one percent, as the threat of an escalation of tensions in Ukraine appeared to wane and the latest flurry of merger action supported equities.

The euro zone economy ground to a halt in the second quarter of the year, drained of vigour by contraction in Germany and stagnancy in France.

The Kremlin's worst clash with the West since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union has accelerated the outflow of two of Russia's most prized assets: money and brains.

World shares and the dollar tumbled on Friday and oil and gold jumped after U.S. President Barack Obama authorised targeted air strikes in Iraq, stoking fears of another drawn-out conflict in the region.

European stocks fell on Wednesday while nervous investors took refuge in high-rated bonds as Russia amassed troops on its border with Ukraine, raising concerns among western powers that it could invade.

The euro was stuck near its lowest level since November and Russian shares tumbled for a third straight day on Monday as new European sanctions for Moscow chilled the already frosty relationship between the two.

European Union ambassadors reached a preliminary agreement on Friday to push ahead with hard-hitting economic sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine crisis but details remained to be worked out, diplomats said.