Stock Values

The Federal Reserve will have to raise its benchmark interest rate to 3 percent by the end of the year to combat inflation, said Stephen Stanley, chief economist at RBS Securities Inc. in New York.

Citigroup Inc. and Marshall & Ilsley Corp. were among the worst performing stocks in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index this year, dragged down by souring commercial and residential property loans that may extend the declines into 2010.

Japan Airlines Corp., Asia’s biggest carrier by sales, plunged to a record in Tokyo trading after reports the carrier may enter bankruptcy proceedings led investors to sell shares on the year’s last trading day.

GMAC, the home and auto lender that counts the U.S. government as the largest stakeholder, is discussing with the Obama administration a third bailout of $3 billion to $4 billion

Barton Biggs and Marc Faber, who recommended buying stocks in March when investors were dumping them, are again united as they predict gains for U.S. equities and the dollar

Treasuries were little changed after the government sold a record-tying $42 billion of five-year debt, the second of three note sales this week totaling $118 billion.

Sanofi-Aventis SA’s $1.9 billion bid for Chattem was leaked in advance to two French investors who reaped $4.2 million by making illegal insider trades, U.S. regulators claim in a lawsuit

George Soros raises his investment in gold; what the VIX's decline could mean; and more

The U.K. intends to force banks to increase disclosure on compensation, lowering the bar on reporting bonuses to 500,000 pounds ($746,000) from 1 million pounds, Treasury Minister Paul Myners said.

American International Group Inc. bondholders reaped at least $3.2 billion after the bailed-out company announced deals to sell its two largest non-U.S. life insurance divisions for $51 billion.

Investor confidence returned to stocks from New York to Paris to Tokyo on growing signs that the budget crisis in Greece won’t derail the global economy.

European stocks fluctuated as the Stoxx Europe 600 Index remained near a seven-week high for a third straight day. Asian shares and U.S. index futures were little changed.

Most Asian stocks fell as shipping lines and oil companies dropped after crude declined for a second day in New York and a measure of cargo-transport rates retreated for the first time in almost two weeks.

Hedge funds returned 0.5 percent in February, led by North American managers, as global stock markets rose on signs of recovery in corporate earnings and signs that U.S. interest rates will remain low, Eurekahedge Pte said.

Japan’s machinery orders slipped in January after the biggest jump since 2000, indicating a subdued appetite among the nation’s companies to ramp up capital spending even as manufacturing passed its worst.

Investors should buy shares of Taiwanese companies that benefit most from the island’s closer ties with China, according to the manager of Taiwan’s best- performing equities fund.

Ross Morrow, a professor at Iowa State University, talks about the possible impact of U.S. climate-change legislation on gasoline prices. Morrow also discusses the implications of higher prices for the U.S. economy. (Source: Bloomberg)

American International Group Inc., the insurer rescued by the U.S., climbed for a fourth day, jumping 11 percent, on speculation the firm may sell more assets after announcing deals to divest two units for $51 billion.

Treasuries advanced on speculation the government’s $40 billion sale of three-year notes today will attract good demand.

Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc, subject of the world’s biggest bank bailout, has the largest pension deficit relative to its market value out of U.K. finance firms in the FTSE 350 index, according to a report.