Asian stocks extend global rally on economy hopes

Asian stocks extended a global rally Thursday amid investor optimism that the U.S. economy may grow more than previously expected this year.
Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 rose 0.8 percent to 8,881.27 while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 1.2 percent to 20,585.44 and Seoul’s Kospi added 1.4 percent to 1,985.82.
Signs of an improving U.S. economy have helped bolster […]

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Global Economy, Recession Risk Are Bankers

The fragility of the global economy is the greatest threat to the banking industry as a return to recession could mean more losses from bad loans and bank failures, according to an industry survey.
Macro-economic risk rose to become the number-one concern among bankers, the Centre for the Study of Financial Innovation, a forum for […]

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Disney CEO Iger’s pay up 12 pct in 2011

Walt Disney Co. has awarded CEO Bob Iger a 2011 pay package valued at $31.4 million, up 12 percent from a year ago. That’s according to an Associated Press analysis of data disclosed to regulators on Friday.
The Burbank-based company says Iger merited a boost in compensation for excellent management in a tough economic environment.
Disney generated […]

Housing starts fell 4.1 percent in December

New construction of U.S. houses retreated in December, putting an end to a year in which builders broke ground on a record-low number of single-family homes, the Commerce Department estimated Thursday.
Housing starts fell 4.1 percent to an annualized rate of 679,000 last month, after a strong gain in November had put starts at their highest […]

Stock futures rise modestly ahead of economic data

Wall Street futures are rising modestly on hopes the International Monetary Fund will get a cash infusion and ahead of a host of U.S. economic reports.
Dow futures are up 20 points at 12,440. The broader Standard & Poor’s 500 futures are up 3 points to 1,293. The Nasdaq composite is up 9 points at 2,398.
Christine […]

St. Louis-based CPI Corp. sued for allegedly misleading investors

A pension fund has sued St. Louis-based CPI Corp., alleging that the portrait studio operator broke federal securities laws by misleading investors about the company’s financial health.
The suit, filed by IBEW Local 98 Pension Fund, is seeking class action status for shareholders who purchased the company’s common stock between April 20, 2010 and December 21, […]

Unions: Nigeria strike over fuel resumes Monday

Two major labor unions in Nigeria say a paralyzing nationwide strike will resume Monday after negotiations with the government failed.
The Nigeria Labor Congress and the Trade Union Congress issued a joint statement Sunday confirming strikes would continue.
The strikes began Jan. 9 over spiraling gasoline prices following the removal of an estimated $8 billion in fuel […]

Private hiring soars; seasonal issues cloud gain

The U.S. jobs recovery gathered pace as a measure of private-sector hiring surged in December and claims for unemployment benefits fell, suggesting the battered labor market may continue to strengthen in 2012.
The ADP National Employment Report’s December job tally of 325,000 surprised economists who had expected a gain of roughly half that size. It […]

High salaries for Italian lawmakers stirs anger

A government-mandated report has confirmed what many Italians long suspected: The euro11,000 ($14,300) that Italian lawmakers earn each month far outpaces what their peers in some of Europe’s largest economies get.
Italy’s bloated public sector and the privileges of its political elite have come under fire as the country battles its debt crisis with tax hikes, […]

Japan to Double Sales Tax by 2015 as Noda Fights Off Ruling Party Revolt - Bloomberg

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