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.


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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.


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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.


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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.


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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.


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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.


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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.


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