Explorer Oil Products Pipeline Was Shut Down on June 14 by Leak in Texas

(Bloomberg) -- Explorer Pipeline Co. shut down its
Houston-to-Chicago petroleum product pipeline July 14 because of
a jet fuel leak, a company official said.

The line, which carries gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, is
expected to return to operation by 8:00 a.m. tomorrow, Rod
Woodford, Explorer's manager of shipper relations, said in a
telephone interview. The leak happened in a 28-inch section of
the line located about 70 miles north of Houston, Woodford said.


Read more at Bloomberg Energy News

Oil Is Steady After Nearing a Record in London on Reduced North Sea Output

(Bloomberg) -- Crude oil was little changed after
approaching a record in London, as a damaged pipeline in the
North Sea curtailed production.

Chevron Corp. and ConocoPhillips cut North Sea output last
week because BP Plc shut an undersea pipeline. Hedge-fund
managers and other speculators increased their net-long position
in New York oil futures, bets on rising prices, to the highest
in at least 13 years, according to U.S. Commodity Futures
Trading Commission data.


Read more at Bloomberg Energy News

US STOCKS-Indexes little changed; Verizon up on M&A talk

(Reuters) - NEW YORK, July 16 - U.S. stocks were little
changed on Monday as investors paused after Friday's record
highs to weigh the latest speculation on the mergers and
acquisition front.




Shares of Verizon Communications were the top gainer
on the Dow after a Financial Times Web site said on Monday
Vodafone Group was considering a $160 billion takeover
bid for the U.S. wireless operator. Vodafone denied the report,
but Verizon shares still rose 2.5 percent to $42.81.


Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News

GM's $1,000 Per Silverado Health-Care Tab Gives Advantage to Toyota Tundra

(Bloomberg) -- The $40,000 blue Chevy Silverado
pickup that Justin Crenshaw bought last month in Oklahoma City
had one built-in feature that Kent Hickman's new Toyota Tundra
lacked: the health-care tab for retired factory workers.

Paying the retiree health benefits adds about $1,000 to the
cost of each Silverado made by General Motors Corp. Toyota Motor
Corp., which will overtake GM this year as the world's largest
automaker and is boosting Tundra sales in the U.S., is spared
almost all such expenses, according to auto industry analysts.


Read more at Bloomberg Exclusive News

OPEC sees modest 2008 demand, lower need for its oil

(Reuters) - The assessment, in OPEC's July Monthly Oil Market Report, underscores OPEC's view that crude supply is enough and oil prices near a record high reflect a strain on refineries and other factors beyond its control.




"The outlook for the oil market in 2008 is shaping up to be quite similar to the current year, with continued tightness in the downstream supporting high product prices and frequent refinery outages exerting further upward pressure, despite the healthy crude oil market," OPEC's report said.


Read more at Reuters.com Business News

Corn, Soybeans May Fall in Chicago on Wet-Weather Forecast; Wheat May Drop

(Bloomberg) -- Corn may decline and soybeans may
fall from a three-year high on speculation rains will revive U.S.
crops harmed by a prolonged dry spell. Wheat in Chicago also may
decline.

Some fields from Minnesota to Ohio may get as much as
3 inches (7.6 centimeters) of rain in the next five days, while
the driest parts of Nebraska, South Dakota and Iowa may receive
up to 1 inch beginning on July 18, said John Dee, president of
Global Weather Monitoring in Mohawk, Michigan.


Read more at Bloomberg Commodities News

U.S. Stocks Decline as Oil Rises; SanDisk, Dow Jones & Co. Shares Retreat

(Bloomberg) -- U.S. stocks fell after oil rose
above $74 a barrel, spurring concern higher fuel prices may
hamper consumer spending and corporate profits.

SanDisk Corp., the world's largest maker of flash-memory
cards, declined after UBS AG downgraded the shares. Dow Jones &
Co. retreated after the Wall Street Journal reported that a
member of the publisher's controlling family is trying to block
its' sale to Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

Richards Bay derailment on Sunday 150,000T coal lost

(Reuters) - A derailment on the rail lines to South Africa's Richards Bay Coal Terminal on Sunday closed both the lines and caused a loss of around 150,000 tonnes, transport sources said.

Both lines were closed after a train carrying wood derailed near a crossing point, they said.


Read more at Reuters Africa

India's BSNL reconsiders GSM tender, seeks govt nod

(Reuters) - "We dwelt on all the options," Sinha said, but he declined
to give any further details.




In 2006, BSNL invited tenders for 45.5 million GSM lines,
and Ericsson and Nokia emerged as the two
lowest bidders at $107 and $176 per line respectively.


Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News

Brent Crude Oil Rises Above $78 a Barrel, Nearing Record on Supply Concern

(Bloomberg) -- Brent crude oil rose above $78 a
barrel, nearing a record high, as a damaged pipeline in the North
Sea curtailed supplies and as speculators made their largest bet
yet on higher energy prices.

Brent gained after a BP Plc pipeline in the North Sea shut
down, limiting output from fields run by Chevron Corp. and
ConocoPhillips. Hedge-fund managers and other speculators increased
their bets on rising oil prices to a record last week, according to
U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission data.


Read more at Bloomberg Energy News

Canadian Stocks May Rise, led By Research In Motion; Kinross May Advance

(Bloomberg) -- Canadian stocks may rise for a fourth
day after Research In Motion Ltd.'s market value exceeded Motorola
Inc.'s for the first time and investors speculated that gold prices
may increase for a third week.

Research In Motion, the BlackBerry maker, may rise 1 percent
to C$241.18, based on bids already submitted on the Toronto Stock
Exchange. The company's market capitalization surpassed Motorola's
after it won a greater share of sales with its e-mail-equipped
phones.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

MedCath completes recapitalization of Harlingen

(Reuters) - As part of the recapitalization, MedCath and Texas-based Valley Baptist Health System, a not-for-profit health system, will each convert a portion of their existing debt with Harlingen Medical Center to ownership in the hospital.






Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News

Texas Gas Agency Leads $9 Billion of U.S. Municipal Bond Sales This Week

(Bloomberg) -- U.S. state and local governments
plan to sell $9 billion of bonds this week, led by a Texas
agency raising money to buy natural gas.

Municipal Gas Acquisition and Supply Corp. plans the
largest offering of municipal bonds this week, a $1.9 billion
sale by JPMorgan Chase & Co. that will be used to purchase gas
for utilities. The sale comes as demand for bonds has been
stoked by a rise in yields over the last two months.


Read more at Bloomberg Bonds News

REFILE-IBM to buy DataMirror for $161 mln

(Reuters) - IBM, which is in the midst of an aggressive effort to build
its software revenue through acquisitions, said it will buy all
outstanding DataMirror common shares at C$27.00 cash each, or a
total of C$170 million .




DataMirror is based in Markham, Ontario, and provides
technology that helps companies capture and analyze data in
real-time. IBM said it expects the deal to close in the third
quarter.



Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News

Mosaid to sell semiconductor IP assets to Synopsys

(Reuters) - The deal is expected to close in August 2007, with the
payment subject to a $2 million holdback for one year, the
company said in a statement.





Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News

KKR Cancels $1.4 Billion Sale of Loans to Refinace Maxeda Leveraged Buyout

(Bloomberg) -- Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.
canceled plans to sell 1 billion euros ($1.4 billion) of loans
for Dutch home-improvement retailer Maxeda BV because of market
volatility.

The deal is the third to be postponed or restructured by
KKR in as many weeks as losses from the U.S. subprime mortgage
rout reduce investor demand for risky debt. The New York-based
buyout firm is trying to raise 9 billion pounds ($18 billion)
this week to finance its takeover of Nottingham, England-based
drugstore chain Alliance Boots Plc.


Read more at Bloomberg Bonds News

U.S. Stock Futures Rise After New York Manufacturing Data Beats Forecasts

(Bloomberg) -- U.S. stock-index futures rose after
a gauge of manufacturing in New York state climbed to the
highest in a year.

McDonald's Corp. advanced after the world's largest
restaurant company reported profit from continuing operations
that topped analysts' estimates. Eaton Corp., the second-
biggest maker of hydraulic equipment, gained after boosting its
full-year earnings forecast. Verizon Communications Inc., the
second-largest U.S. phone company, jumped on a report it may be
the target of a $160 billion takeover bid.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

UPDATE 1-N.Y. Fed manufacturing index climbs in July

(Reuters) - The New York Fed's "Empire State" general business
conditions index rose for the fourth consecutive month to 26.46
in July, the highest since June 2006, from 25.75 in June.




Economists polled by Reuters had expected a June reading of
18.00.


Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News

Quandts vehemently deny mulling sale of BMW shares

(Reuters) - Dealers earlier said shares in BMW had risen by 2.5 percent on rumors that the Quandts, who hold 46.6 percent in the company, were talking to investors from China and the Middle East about a potential sale.




Read more at Reuters.com Hot Stocks News

UPDATE 2-Mattel posts higher quarterly profit

(Reuters) - Net income rose to $43.1 million, or 11 cents a share
beating average analyst expectations of 10 cents a share.




Quarterly sales rose 6.5 percent to $1.02 billion from
$957.7 million a year ago, led by an 18 percent increase in
international markets sales as sales declined 3 percent in the
U.S.


Read more at Reuters.com Market News

Eaton quarterly operating earnings top forecasts

(Reuters) - In April, Eaton, whose products range from electrical power distribution and control equipment to engine parts and hydraulic and fluid power systems, forecast operating earnings of $1.40 to $1.50 a share.




The company said net income declined, due in part to charges related to the integration of acquisitions.


Read more at Reuters.com Market News

U.S. Stock-Index Futures Decline as Oil Rises; SanDisk, Dow Jones Retreat

(Bloomberg) -- U.S. stock-index futures fell after
oil rose above $74 a barrel, spurring concern that higher fuel
prices may hamper consumer spending and corporate profits.

SanDisk Corp., the world's largest maker of flash-memory
cards, declined after UBS AG downgraded the shares. Dow Jones &
Co. retreated after the Wall Street Journal reported that a
member of the publisher's controlling family is trying to block
its' sale to Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

DJO to be bought by ReAble Therapeutics

(Reuters) - NEW YORK, July 16 - Knee and ankle brace maker DJO Inc. said on Monday it agreed to be bought by medical device maker ReAble Therapeutics Inc. for about $1.6 billion including debt, in a bid to increase its market share.



The cash offer of $50.25 per share by ReAble, which is controlled by private equity Blackstone Group . represents a 19 percent premium over DJO's Friday closing price of $42.10.


Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News

REFILE-No EADS cap hike needed now-German govt official

(Reuters) - BERLIN, July 16 - No capital increase is needed at
aerospace and defence group EADS in the short term,
German government aerospace coordinator Peter Hintze said on
Monday.




Germany and France wanted to discuss the group's
shareholding structure further, Hintze said, adding that EADS'
financial situation was good to very good.


Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News

Futures slip on higher oil, Verizon rises

(Reuters) - The second-quarter earnings season picks up steam this week, with blue-chip fast food chain McDonald's Corp. set to reveal its second-quarter results before the opening bell.




Deals hatched over the weekend include a plan to sell real estate investment trust Mission West Properties to a private equity fund for $1.8 billion. IHOP Corp. proposed to buy casual-dining chain Applebee's International Inc. in a $2.1 billion deal.


Read more at Reuters.com Hot Stocks News

US STOCKS-Futures point lower on oil; Verzion up on bid talk

(Reuters) - NEW YORK, July 16 - U.S. stock index futures
indicated a weaker market open Monday as higher oil prices
stood in the way of the Dow and S&P stock gauges extending the
record highs set on Friday




The second-quarter earnings season picks up steam this
week. Fast food chain McDonald's Corp. gave a per-share
earnings outlook that beat Wall Street's forecast. For
details, see [ID:nWNAS602].


Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News

Concourse at Miami airport briefly evacuated

(Reuters) - The TV station said a screener saw what might have been an explosive device in a bag but it was a false alarm. Hundreds of passengers at the airport's concourse F, which serves mainly Latin American and Caribbean airlines, had to wait outside.




Neither airport officials nor local representatives of the Transport Security Administration could be reached for comment.


Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News

UPDATE1-Genpact sees $16-$18/share price band for 35.3 mln IPO

(Reuters) - Genpact is offering about 17.6 million shares in the IPO,
while some stockholders are offering the remaining shares, the
company said in an amended filing with the U.S Securities and
Exchange Commission.




Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, JP Morgan, Wachovia Securities,
Merrill Lynch & Co., Banc of America Securities, Credit Suisse,
Deutsche Bank Securities and UBS Investment Bank were
underwriting the IPO, Bermuda based Genpact said.


Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News

IBM to buy DataMirror for $161 mln

(Reuters) - DataMirror is based in Markham, Ontario, and provides
technology that helps companies capture and analyze data in
real-time. IBM said it expects the deal to close in the third
quarter.





Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News

UPDATE 2-Atlas Copco posts record Q2, lifts capacity

(Reuters) - STOCKHOLM, July 16 - Compressor and machinery
maker Atlas Copco reported better-than-expected
quarterly pretax earnings on Monday and said it would raise
manufacturing capacity to meet strong demand.




The Sweden-based firm posted record pretax earnings of 3.22
billion Swedish crowns , compared with 2.20
billion crowns a year ago and a mean forecast of 2.88 billion in
a Reuters poll of analysts.


Read more at Reuters.com Market News

U.K. Benchmark Index Falls, Paced by Lonmin, BHP Billiton; Barclays Gains

(Bloomberg) -- U.K. stocks fell for the first time
in three days, led by Lonmin Plc after the mining company said it
will delay the sale of as much as 90,000 ounces of platinum. BHP
Billiton Plc and Xstrata Plc slid as copper retreated.

Barclays Plc paced advancing shares after Royal Bank of
Scotland Plc sweetened its 71.1 billion euro ($98.1 billion)
offer for ABN Amro Holding NV. GlaxoSmithKline Plc and BT Group
Plc advanced after brokerages raised their recommendation for the
companies' shares.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

GLOBAL MARKETS-World stocks hit life high, oil eyes record

(Reuters) - While most global markets proved resilient to last week's
housing and credit-related woes, the dollar remained on back
foot, hitting its lowest in more than 20 years against sterling
and the New Zealand dollar.




European shares raced towards last week's 6-1/2 year peak,
defying export-damaging strength of the euro and an inflationary
rise in energy prices. Banking stocks rallied after a group led
by Royal Bank of Scotland revised its offer for Dutch
bank ABN Amro .


Read more at Reuters.com Economic News

KPMG sees M&A peak near

(Reuters) - It also found a discrepancy between deal values and volumes.




"The last time the market witnessed this kind of 'disconnect' -- where the average deal size rose, but the number of deals fell -- occurred at the height of the dot-com boom in 2000," KPMG said.


Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News

Partners eye UK govt's atomic weapons stake

(Reuters) - The two firms have first refusal on the government's stake
as long as they pay what the government calculates is the market
rate.




"As founding members of the consortium we are interested in
exercising our pre-emption rights that will form part of the
process," Serco and Lockheed said in a joint statement.


Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News

US trade act seen as mixed blessing for Africa

(Reuters) - Nora Bannerman checks the pristine white uniforms made for American pharmacist Walgreens in her factory in the humid heart of the Ghanaian capital Accra.

Her Sleek Garments company exports shirts, pants and uniforms under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a 2000 U.S. law that allows nearly 40 African countries to export some goods free of duties and quotas into the United States.


Read more at Reuters Africa

Embraer May Make Bigger Jets to Rival Airbus, Boeing, Chief Executive Says

(Bloomberg) -- Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica SA
may make bigger jets to challenge Airbus SAS and Boeing Co. in the
next decade if new engine technology is developed, Chief Executive
Officer Frederico Curado said.

``If there is a huge change in the structure of the dynamics
of this market, we will certainly look into that,'' Curado said in
an interview in Paris.


Read more at Bloomberg Emerging Markets News

US stocks set for steady open, earnings in focus

(Reuters) - London Brent hit a fresh 11-month high of $78.12 --
just 53 cents away a record high of $78.65 last August.




By 0955 GMT, Dow futures were up 0.05 percent and
both S&P & Nasdaq futures ticked up 0.1 percent.


Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News

European Bonds Advance Before This Week's Interest, Redemption Payments

(Bloomberg) -- European bonds gained for a second
day on speculation interest and redemption payments to investors
this week will be reinvested in government debt.

Bunds advanced for the fifth day in six before Austria,
Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Greece this week pay out
about 23 billion euros ($31.7 billion) in interest, according to
ING Bank NV. That compares with around 7 billion euros of new
bonds being auctioned. Government bonds gained last week as
investors exited riskier assets.


Read more at Bloomberg Bonds News

Gold steady near 5-week highs, dollar moves watched

(Reuters) - But dealers were cautious ahead of Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's testimony to the U.S. Congress on Wednesday and Thursday that might influence the dollar.




Gold rose as high as $667.75 an ounce before dipping slightly to $666.90/667.70 by 0958 GMT, against $666.60/667.40 in New York late on Friday.


Read more at Reuters.com Hot Stocks News

Polyus Delays Target to Triple Gold Production by Three Years to 2015

(Bloomberg) -- OAO Polyus Gold, Russia's biggest
producer of the metal, expects a three-year delay in meeting
its target to triple output, with the 4 million-ounce figure
more realistic by 2015, Chief Executive Officer Pavel Skitovich
said.

The goal set last December by former CEO Evgeny Ivanov,
who said Polyus would produce almost 4 million ounces of gold a
year by 2012, is more feasible by 2015, Skitovich said today in
an interview in Siberia's Severo-Yeniseisk, without giving
details.


Read more at Bloomberg Emerging Markets News

CORRECTED - RBS-led consortium makes 38.4 euro/shr ABN offer

(Reuters) - The consortium kept its offer for ABN at 38.4 euros per
share, but raised the cash component of the offer to 93 percent
from about 79 percent before. It said the remaining 5 billion
euros of the offer will comprise new RBS shares.




The new offer from the consortium, which also includes
Spain's Santander and Belgian-Dutch Fortis , is
for ABN without its U.S. unit LaSalle, after a Dutch court on
Friday allowed the disputed sale of that business to Bank of
America .


Read more at Reuters.com Market News

Platinum Rises as Lonmin Delay Erodes Surplus; Palladium Price Advances

(Bloomberg) -- Platinum rose in London after Lonmin
Plc, the world's third-biggest platinum company, said it would
delay sales of some of its metal at a time when global supply was
barely keeping pace with demand.

The sale of between 70,000 and 90,000 ounces of platinum
from inventories will be postponed until after September, London-
based Lonmin said in a statement today. The sales were expected
to help platinum supplies exceed demand in the second half of
2007 from a deficit in the first half, London-based platinum
marketer Johnson Matthey Plc said in May.


Read more at Bloomberg Commodities News

German 2008 Power Falls for Third Day as Carbon Emission Permit Costs Drop

(Bloomberg) -- German electricity for delivery next
year fell to the lowest in more than 11 weeks as a reduction in
carbon-emission permit prices cut the cost of power generation at
plants that burn fossil fuels.

Next-year baseload power prices in Germany, Europe's biggest
electricity market, slid for the third session, falling as much
as 0.3 percent to 54.95 euros ($75.76) a megawatt-hour at 10:40
a.m. in Berlin, according to broker GFI Group Inc. That's the
lowest since April 27, when the contract sank to 54.80 euros a
megawatt-hour. Baseload refers to electricity delivered around
the clock.


Read more at Bloomberg Energy News

Planting to revive Liberia cocoa farms after war

(Reuters) - As Liberia recovers from a ruinous civil war, tropical agriculture experts plan to revive cocoa farming there by educating growers and helping them plant thousands of high-yielding, disease-resistant hybrid trees.

Liberia is a tiny producer, its crop of under 5,000 tonnes of cocoa beans a year dwarfed by the 1.35 million tonnes regularly harvested in neighbouring top producer Ivory Coast.


Read more at Reuters Africa

Niger hopes for oil riches under northern desert

(Reuters) - Niger plans to award oil exploration permits by the end of next month for a vast block under the Sahara desert it hopes will turn it into Africa's newest crude producer.

The landlocked former French colony is one of the poorest states on earth but is sandwiched between oil producers Nigeria to the south and Libya and Algeria to the north. This has raised expectations among its population for a future oil bonanza.


Read more at Reuters Africa

Polish Zloty Rises to Near Two-Month High Versus Euro Before Wages Report

(Bloomberg) -- The Polish zloty advanced to near a
two-month high against the euro before a report on wage growth
that may add to the case for a third increase in interest rates
this year.

Economists predict average gross wages grew 8.8 percent in
June, according to a survey conducted by Bloomberg News. Higher
wages, coupled with accelerating inflation, may prompt the
central bank to raise borrowing costs to cool the economy.


Read more at Bloomberg Currencies News

Refco's Banker Elsner Moves From Cote d'Azur to Vienna Jail on Bawag Loss

(Bloomberg) -- Helmut Elsner didn't hesitate to bend
the rules.

Rushing to get to a ski race, the future chief executive
officer of Austria's Bawag P.S.K. Bank once sped past dozens of
cars backed up on a road in the Tyrolean Alps, then told police
he was a translator for the French team. After discovering he
hadn't been invited to a prestigious golf tournament, Elsner
gained entry by calling up organizers and offering to sponsor a
reception.


Read more at Bloomberg Exclusive News

U.K.'s FTSE 100 Gains for Third Day; Barclays, Vodafone Rise, Lonmin Falls

(Bloomberg) -- U.K. stocks rose for a third day, led
by Barclays Plc after Royal Bank of Scotland Plc sweetened its
71.1 billion-euro ($98.1 billion) offer for ABN Amro Holding NV.

GlaxoSmithKline Plc and BT Group Plc advanced after brokerages
raised their recommendation for the companies' shares. Vodafone
Group Plc climbed on speculation the company is the front-runner to
become Apple's Inc's regional partner for the iPhone.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

Qatar's Al-Shaheen Oil-Loading Terminal Closed by Weather, Inchcape Says

(Bloomberg) -- Qatar's al-Shaheen offshore crude
oil loading terminal closed this morning because of weather
conditions in the Persian Gulf, Inchcape Shipping Services said.

The terminal operated by Maersk Oil, a unit of Denmark's
A.P. Moeller-Maersk A/S, will remain ``closed until further
notice,'' Inchcape said in an e-mailed advisory today.


Read more at Bloomberg Energy News

Mol Board Rejects `Unsolicited and Unwelcome' Takeover Approach From OMV

(Bloomberg) -- Mol Nyrt., Hungary's biggest oil
refiner, rejected an approach from OMV AG, calling it ``unsolicited
and unwelcome.''

An OMV spokesman denied the Austrian company made a formal
offer to acquire Mol. ``There's never been a formal offer from our
side,'' Thomas Huemer said in a telephone interview.


Read more at Bloomberg Emerging Markets News

European stocks inch higher, banks in focus

(Reuters) - European shares rose in early trade on Monday, climbing for a third consecutive session, with banks among biggest gainers after a group led by Royal Bank of Scotland revised its offer for Dutch bank ABN AMRO.

ABN gained 3.4 percent, while Barclays, which has also made an offer for the Dutch financial group, rose 2.1 percent.


Read more at Reuters Africa

Choking risk for babies prompts Gerber recall

(Reuters) - The packages were distributed in the United States, Puerto
Rico and the Caribbean, the company said on its Web site.




Novartis said the recall was minor and that it would have no
financial impact on the group, nor would the group make
provisions to cover any losses from the recall.


Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News

Network Rail, Ceva, CRH, Arcelor Plan to Sell Debt: European Bond Alert

(Bloomberg) -- CRH PLC, the world's second-biggest
building materials supplier, is among borrowers seeking to raise
the equivalent of at least 3 billion euros ($4.1 billion) in bond
sales in euros and pounds, according to data compiled by
Bloomberg.

Companies have sold the equivalent of $1,037 billion of
bonds denominated in euros and pounds so far this year, up from
$836 billion in the same period last year.


Read more at Bloomberg Bonds News

German DAX Benchmark Index Advances; Infineon, Bayer, BMW Pace Increase

(Bloomberg) -- German stocks advanced, led by
Infineon Technologies AG, Bayer AG and Bayerische Motoren Werke
AG.

The benchmark DAX Index rose 23.41, or 0.3 percent, to
8116.18 as of 9:08 a.m. in Frankfurt. The HDAX Index of the
country's 110 biggest companies climbed 0.3 percent.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

European Stocks Advance, Led by ABN Amro, Barclays, RBS, BT Group

(Bloomberg) -- European stocks rose for a third day,
led by ABN Amro Holding NV after Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc
sweetened its 71.1 billion-euro ($98.1 billion) offer for the
Dutch lender, seeking to trump Barclays Plc.

Barclays also climbed. BT Group Plc advanced after Merrill
Lynch & Co. upgraded the stock.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

Dollar recovers before Bernanke testimony, kiwi bid

(Reuters) - The dollar recovered from a record low against the euro on Monday, supported by strong U.S. consumer sentiment and expectations of hawkish comments from the Fed chairman in testimony this week.

Analysts expect Ben Bernanke to tell the U.S. Congress in monetary policy testimony on Wednesday and Thursday that the Federal Reserve is more worried about a flare-up in inflation than about any serious damage to the economy from housing market turbulence.


Read more at Reuters Africa

European Government Bonds Little Changed Before Today's Inflation Report

(Bloomberg) -- European government bonds were
little changed before a report today that will probably show
inflation held near the European Central Bank's target last
month, boosting the case for higher interest rates.

The European Union will probably say consumer prices in the
13-nation euro region increased 1.9 percent in June from a year
earlier, the same as in May, according to economists in a
Bloomberg survey. ECB policy makers last week said benchmark
borrowing costs remain supportive of economic growth.


Read more at Bloomberg Bonds News