World policymakers gather in Washington later this week to ponder how to sustain economic recovery at a time when the United States is about to turn off its money taps.
Institutional investors
Italian gaming group GTECH said on Saturday it will hold an extraordinary shareholders' meeting on Nov. 4 to approve steps needed for the completion of its $4.7 billion buyout of U.S. slot machine maker International Game Technology.
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission said on Friday it paused its "shot-clock" on the review of the proposed $45 billion merger between the two largest U.S. cable providers, Comcast Corp and Time Warner Cable Inc.
Investors hope the Bond King can remake himself as a team player. Bill Gross last week abruptly left Newport Beach, California-based Pimco, the firm he built into a bond giant, to join Janus Capital Group (JNS.N), a small Denver firm that touts on its website how its friendly, team-oriented culture creates "strong collaborators."
The S&P 500 posted its best day since August on Friday following a stronger-than-expected September U.S. jobs report that bolstered the outlook for the U.S. economy.
Japan's August core machinery orders due next week are expected to rise modestly for a third straight month, a Reuters poll found - doing little to ease fears that the government's growth-promotion policies aren't working fast enough.
Facebook (FB.O), the world's most popular social network, gained European Union clearance on Friday for its proposed $19 billion takeover of mobile messaging startup WhatsApp in a deal setting it against the telecoms industry.
Euro zone business grew at the slowest rate this year in September, reflecting falling demand in the region where new orders were the weakest in almost a year, surveys showed on Friday.
U.S. stocks ended flat in a volatile session on Thursday as energy stocks rebounded and investors bought beaten-down shares, especially small caps.
The coming year is unlikely to bring any relief to the weakening Canadian dollar as the Bank of Canada's neutral stance prompted analysts in a Reuters poll to renew their pessimistic forecasts for the currency.
Asian stocks fell on Thursday, dragged lower after the first case of Ebola diagnosed in the United States spooked Wall Street overnight, while a bout of risk aversion pushed down yields and put the dollar's recent rally on pause.
Alternative investment manager Investcorp will complete the $1.43 billion sale of Berlin Packaging to Oak Hill Capital Partners in the first week of October, it said in a statement on Wednesday.
The dollar rose above 110 yen for the first time in six years and held near a two-year peak against the euro on Wednesday, as investors added to bets that U.S. data will drive the Federal Reserve to tighten policy.
Pershing Square Holdings, a fund managed by activist investor Bill Ackman, raised $3.07 billion ahead of a stock market listing in Amsterdam, the company said on Wednesday.
Rupert Murdoch's News Corp (NWSA.O) said it would buy Move Inc (MOVE.O), the owner of property websites such as realtor.com, for about $950 million to expand its digital marketing business.