Oil slipped towards $76 on Friday as stock markets in Asia fell following disappointing U.S. economic indicators, while potential Atlantic storms provided some support to prices. Japan's Nikkei average shed 2.2% on Friday, after reports showing U.S. industrial production slowed sharply last month and manufacturing output snapped a three-month streak of increases capped Wall Street

The dollar weakened on Friday, crawling towards a seven-month trough against the yen after a series of U.S. data this week underscored a slackening in the economy's recovery. Market players closely watched whether the dollar could hold above its July 1 low of 86.96, its lowest since early December, as a fall below that level

China will stick with the policies that cooled economic growth last quarter and will keep faith with the euro despite Europe's debt problems, Premier Wen Jiabao said on Friday. At a joint news conference with visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Wen said the world's third-largest economy was trending in the direction that the government wanted.

JPMorgan Chase & Co posted better-than-expected quarterly earnings on Thursday as it wrote off fewer bad loans, but its shares edged lower as investors fretted about management's sober assessment of the economy. Much of JPMorgan's gains in the quarter came from areas that cannot be a stable source of income in the future, such as

The broadest overhaul of U.S. financial rules since the Great Depression is likely to clear a crucial hurdle in Congress on Thursday morning, paving the way for President Barack Obama to sign the measure into law. Democrats are expected to muster the 60 votes they need — if just barely — to advance the legislation

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has defeated attempts by his former management agency to sue him for 4.3 mln pounds, labelling their claim "a joke" and an attempt to exploit him. The 24-year-old England player had been accused of withholding commission on multi-million pound deals brokered by sports management firm Proactive, who used to represent

Britain's top companies are likely to use big name brands, patents and other exotic assets to help plug shortfalls in pension schemes and fund longer lifespans in the face of lower market returns. Blue-chip firms have hired consultants and are mooting deals with trustees of pension funds to use so-called contingent assets, most commonly real

Italian and British banks will come through European stress tests without needing to raise new capital, top officials said on Thursday. "The tests on Italian banks will obviously present diverse results but I am confident that they will show that the capital resources of the single banks are adequate," said Bank of Italy Governor and

Shares in Greek lender Piraeus Bank <BOPr.AT> were suspended from trading on Thursday after it offered to buy stakes in ATEbank <AGBr.AT> and Hellenic Postbank (TT), the Athens stock exchange said. "The Athens bourse … decided on the temporary trade suspension of shares in Piraeus Bank, ATEbank and Hellenic Postbank after the securities regulator was