TD Ameritrade will not let funds inspect its books

(Reuters) - The funds have argued that any merger discussions by the
brokerage must be free of the influence of Toronto-Dominion
Bank , which owns 40 percent of TD Ameritrade.




Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News

REFILE-BancFirst sees $7.5 mln gain in Q3 from investment sale

(Reuters) - The gain will result in a net income of about $4.2 million,
or 26 cents per share, the financial services holding company
said in a statement.




BancFirst said regulatory approval and other conditions
could alter the amount of the expected gain.



Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News

Freightliner, striking Ore. machinists open talks

(Reuters) - The 670 union-represented machinists will remain on strike
until a new contract is ratified, he said, adding that
negotiations with management had re-started on Thursday night.




The union's current contract expired on June 30. Workers
rejected a tentative contract agreement on Monday in a dispute
that centers on retiree health benefits.


Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News

Immtech Pharma files for $50 million stock shelf

(Reuters) - Those purposes could include clinical trials, research and
development expenses, general and administrative expenses, and
working capital.




Under a shelf registration, a company may sell securities in
one or more separate offerings with the size, price and terms
to be determined at the time of sale.


Read more at Reuters.com Government Filings News

CBOT, Genzyme, Macy's, Mannatech, Parametric: U.S. Equity Movers Final

(Bloomberg) -- The following is a list of companies
whose shares had unusual price changes on U.S. exchanges. Stock
symbols are in parentheses after company names. Share prices are
as of 4 p.m. in New York.

CBOT Holdings Inc. (BOT US) rose $17.85, or 8.7 percent, to
$224. Chicago Mercantile Exchange Holdings Inc. (CME US) raised
its offer for the Chicago Board of Trade for a third time, to $11
billion, to fend off rival Intercontinental Exchange Inc. (ICE
US) and form the world's largest futures exchange. Chicago Merc
shares rose $19.11, or 3.4 percent, to $574.80, and
Intercontinental shares gained $4.28, or 2.8 percent, to $156.09.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

UPDATE 2-Chile's LAN director Pinera fined over share trade

(Reuters) - The regulator said Pinera should not have bought the 3
million LAN shares in July last year while he had information
about LAN's unpublished second-quarter results. But it also
accepted the transaction was not driven by his knowledge.




"At the moment at which he made the purchase, was
aware of details of the company's financial balance, which were
not in the public domain," the regulator said.


Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News

Sugar Falls in New York on Speculation India May Export More Raw Supplies

(Bloomberg) -- Sugar in New York fell on speculation
India, the world's second-biggest producer, may boost exports of
the sweetener.

India's sugar output will rise to 30.4 million metric tons
this year from 20.9 million last year, Ratzeburg, Germany-based
F.O. Licht said in a report this week. India plans to export at
least 500,000 tons of raw sugar between December and March,
Jayanthilal B. Patel, chairman of industry-funded trading firm
Indian Sugar Exim Corp., said last month.


Read more at Bloomberg Commodities News

Fidelity National title unit won't be indicted

(Reuters) - NEW YORK, July 6 - Fidelity National Financial Inc. said on Friday that federal prosecutors in Texas decided not to indict its Chicago Title Insurance Co. unit in connection with a probe into alleged fraudulent mortgage loans.



Chicago Title had received a letter on Feb. 16 from the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas saying it was the target of a Houston grand jury investigation.


Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News

UPDATE 1-Valero Texas City refinery shut on power snag

(Reuters) - "We are still assessing the situation at the plant," Valero
spokesman Bill Day said, adding that the power failure was
weather-related.




Oil products traders in the U.S. Gulf Coast said they have
not heard of any similar outages at other area refineries such
as the giant 460,000-bpd BP Pls plant or the 72,000-bpd
Marathon Oil refinery.


Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News

Rice: China 'doesn't play fair' on trade, currency

(Reuters) - Asked if China played fair on trade and currency, Rice said
"China doesn't play fair" said in an interview with CNBC's
"Closing Bell with Maria Bartiromo" program. The network
released a transcript of interview, which was taped on Friday.




Rice said U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson has called
for greater access to the Chinese market, for "reform of the
currency to one that will be reflective of the market" and for
greater respect for intellectual property rights.


Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News

Hilton's real estate secures rich deal price

(Reuters) - That's particularly true when the target owns appealing
properties, allowing the deal to be funded through commercial
mortgage-backed securities as well as corporate debt.




Add to the mix assets that line up well next to others
accumulated in the current buyout boom, and the case can be
made for Blackstone paying 25 percent above the record high for
a stock that had already roughly tripled in the previous five
years.


Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News

UPDATE 1-Canada regulator rules against CN grain program

(Reuters) - The small shippers said CN had changed the way it
distributed cars to favor 100-car trains, making it hard for
small shippers that cannot handle the long trains to secure
enough cars.




The shippers said CN's booking program threatened their
long-term survival.


Read more at Reuters.com Government Filings News

UPDATE 1-Chile's LAN director Pinera fined over shares

(Reuters) - The regulator said Pinera should not have bought the 3
million LAN shares in July last year while he had information
about LAN's unpublished second-quarter results.




However, the regulator acknowledged that having the
information did not motivate his purchase.


Read more at Reuters.com Market News

UPDATE 3-Dow Jones says News Corp. deal not yet reached

(Reuters) - NEW YORK, July 6 - Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. has not yet reached a deal to buy Dow Jones & Co. Inc. as discussions continue, representatives for Dow Jones and its controlling Bancroft family said on Friday.



Talks are continuing over such issues as price, a source familiar with the matter also said on Friday.


Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News

CORRECTED - Chile's LAN director Pinera fined over share purchase

(Reuters) - The regulator said it fined Pinera for buying 3 million
shares in July last year while in possession of the information
about LAN's unpublished second-quarter results, even though it
acknowledged the information did not motivate the purchase.




Read more at Reuters.com Market News

Hedge funds eye Mexico amid US subprime woes

(Reuters) - Some international investors, who previously shunned the
Mexican mortgage market because of its relatively small size,
are beginning to buy in, with issues paying yields as much as 2
percentage points above comparable U.S. Treasuries.




"We've seen stronger interest in the Mexican market from
some international investors now that we've seen some adverse
outcomes in the U.S. subprime market," said Luis Arce, chief
financial officer of New York hedge fund Christofferson, Robb
and Company, which manages $1.5 billion of assets.


Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News

Constant Contact files for $86 million IPO

(Reuters) - The Waltham, Massachusetts-based company intends to list its
stock on the Nasdaq under the symbol "CTCT" .




Read more at Reuters.com Government Filings News

Copper Futures Post Second Weekly Gain Amid Labor Unrest, Tight Supplies

(Bloomberg) -- Copper, little changed in New York,
capped a second straight weekly gain as labor unrest raised
concern production may be cut during a time of tight supplies.

Workers have started or threatened strikes in Chile, the
world's largest copper producer, Peru and Mexico. Inventories of
the metal in London have dropped 42 percent this year as
suppliers failed to meet rising demand from China, the world's
biggest consumer of the metal. The price of copper has gained 6.2
percent in the last two weeks amid the labor disputes.


Read more at Bloomberg Commodities News

Canadian Stocks Gain on Takeover Talk; Alcan, Research in Motion Advance

(Bloomberg) -- Canadian stocks rose for a third time in
four days and headed for a weekly gain, as takeover speculation
lifted shares of raw-materials producers and telephone companies.

Alcan Inc. advanced on a report that Rio Tinto Group hired
bankers to help it consider a bid for the aluminum maker. Telus
Corp. extended gains made following BCE Inc.'s takeover last week
in the biggest buyout. Research in Motion Ltd. fell after reaching
a record yesterday.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

ING to close banking operations in Cuba

(Reuters) - "It is a purely business decision ... it comes as part of
our assessment of the economic viability of our operations
around the world," said spokesman Nanne Bos in Amsterdam.




Business sources in Havana said the Dutch bank has lost
business as Cuba increases its exports of nickel to China
rather than European markets via Rotterdam.


Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News

Nigerian Militants Condemn British Girl's Kidnapping, Promise Punishment

(Bloomberg) -- The main militant group in Nigeria's
oil-producing Niger River delta region condemned yesterday's
kidnapping of a 3-year-old British girl and vowed to punish the
abductors.

``We will not condone attacks on children,'' Jomo Gbomo, a
spokesman for the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger
Delta, or MEND, said today in an e-mailed response to questions.
``We have directed that the abductors be found and punished.''


Read more at Bloomberg Energy News

Fidelity National says unit won't be indicted

(Reuters) - Fidelity said that in February 2005, Chicago Title had
agreed with several federal and state regulators to pay a civil
fine and upgrade its internal controls to settle probes into
matters relating to these loans. The unit did not admit
wrongdoing.




Fidelity said it is still cooperating with the U.S.
Attorney. It disclosed the decision in a U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission filing. The Jacksonville, Florida-based
company's shares rose 10 cents to $23.70 in afternoon trading.


Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News

Newmont rises on bullish move on gold hedges

(Reuters) - "The fact that Newmont's hedge positions are now fully closed out removes the possibility of further hedge related buying from the company," said James Steel of HSBC Securities.




"In this sense, the news is not gold-friendly. However, we believe the closing out of hedges also implies a positive price outlook," he wrote in a research note.


Read more at Reuters.com Hot Stocks News

Corn Rises as U.S. Exports Improve After Price Drops to Eight-Month Low

(Bloomberg) -- Corn in Chicago gained for a second
straight session, after falling to an eight-month low, as
overseas demand for U.S. supplies rose.

U.S. exporters reported net sales of 1.068 million metric
tons of corn in the week ended June 28, 42 percent more than
the previous week, the Department of Agriculture said today. An
additional 860,900 tons were sold for delivery in the next
market year, which starts Sept. 1. And unknown buyers have
purchased at least 116,000 tons since yesterday, the USDA said.


Read more at Bloomberg Commodities News

US Treasury's Paulson seeks more Latam investment

(Reuters) - Paulson made the announcement days ahead of a trip next
week that will take him to Brazil, Uruguay and Chile where he
will flag the Bush administration's interest in helping the
region and developing closer ties.




"We are committed to helping the region reduce poverty,
fight corruption, build a middle class and generate more
opportunities," Paulson said, noting that Latin America
currently spends less than 2 percent of its gross domestic
product on new infrastructure projects.


Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News

European Government Bonds Post Weekly Decline on Outlook for ECB Rates

(Bloomberg) -- European government bonds fell this
week, extending the worst quarterly slide in almost eight years,
after European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet
signaled policy makers may need to lift interest rates further by
year-end.

Benchmark debt dropped today, sending 10-year bund yields to
near a five-year high, after a report showed manufacturing orders
in Germany rose more than expected in May. Bonds fell yesterday
after Trichet said inflation in the region needs ``careful
monitoring,'' as the ECB kept its key rate at 4 percent.


Read more at Bloomberg Bonds News

Copper Falls From 8-Week High on Speculation Rally May Have Been Overdone

(Bloomberg) -- Copper fell from an eight-week high in
New York on speculation that gains may have been exaggerated
during a six-session rally that sent prices up 8.4 percent.

Inventories monitored by the London Metal Exchange fell 2.3
percent today to 105,475 metric tons. The total still is 15
percent higher than a year ago.


Read more at Bloomberg Commodities News

Workers at Oil Refinery in Regina, Saskatchewan May Go on Strike Tomorrow

(Bloomberg) -- Workers at Federated Co-operatives
Ltd.'s 100,000 barrel-a-day oil refinery in Regina, Saskatchewan,
may strike as soon as tomorrow, a union official said.

Workers voted in favor of a strike, which can legally begin
at 10 a.m. local time tomorrow, Kate McKinley, a spokeswoman for
the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada, said
in an interview today.


Read more at Bloomberg Energy News

Aviva's new CEO must woo investors to boost shares

(Reuters) - Currently the group's finance director, Moss takes over as
chief executive of Britain's largest insurer next Thursday from
Richard Harvey, one of the longest-serving FTSE 100 bosses.




Moss has been part of the management team since he joined in
2004 and has effectively led the group's strategy since Harvey's
early retirement was announced in January.


Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News

CBOT, Golden Telecom, Mannatech, Raymond James, Rowan: U.S. Equity Movers

(Bloomberg) -- The following is a list of companies
whose shares are having unusual price changes on U.S. exchanges.
Stock symbols are in parentheses after company names. Share
prices are as of 11:40 a.m. in New York.

CBOT Holdings Inc. (BOT US) rose $10.28, or 5 percent, to
$216.43. Chicago Mercantile Exchange Holdings Inc. (CME US)
raised its offer for the Chicago Board of Trade for a third time,
to $11 billion, to fend off rival Intercontinental Exchange Inc.
(ICE US) and form the world's largest futures exchange. Chicago
Merc shares fell $6.94 to $548.75, and Intercontinental shares
gained $3.11 to $154.92.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

BHP, Standard Bank, AngloGold lift S.Africa stocks

(Reuters) - BHP Billiton buoyed South African shares on Friday on firm base metal prices and lingering consolidation talk within the sector, and Standard Bank led banks higher on a positive research note.

Investors piled into index heavyweight BHP as companies in the mining sector approached the reporting season with a strong tail-wind of robust commodity prices, that would see their earnings and possibly dividends grow, traders and analysts said.


Read more at Reuters Africa

Cattle Futures Gain as U.S. Exports Indicate Rising Beef Demand; Hogs Fall

(Bloomberg) -- Cattle futures rose for a third
straight session as a weekly export sales report indicated strong
demand for U.S. beef. Hog prices fell.

U.S. exporters reported net sales of 11,300 metric tons of
beef for the week ended June 28, including 1,300 tons for Japan
and South Korea, U.S. Department of Agriculture data show. Sales
to those two nations, which had been closed to U.S. beef for much
of the past three years because of mad-cow disease concerns,
indicates longer-term sales growth, said Troy Vetterkind, a
trader at e-Hedger in Chicago.


Read more at Bloomberg Commodities News

Mexico stocks stocks up, led by America Movil gains

(Reuters) - Mexican lawmakers are debating changes to President Felipe
Calderon's tax reform proposal that was unveiled last month.




A key opposition party said on Thursday it plans to make
changes to the bill, but some investors see the legislation
being approved by September.


Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News

U.K. Gilts Post Weekly Loss on Rates; Pound Stays Near Highest in 26 Years

(Bloomberg) -- U.K. bonds fell this week, pushing 10-
year yields to the highest in more than seven years, on
speculation the Bank of England will add to yesterday's interest-
rate increase in coming months to cool inflation.

The BOE raised rates for a fifth time in 12 months, to a
six-year high of 5.75 percent, and signaled further increases may
be needed. The central bank said inflation risks in the medium
term ``lie to the upside.'' The government said today factory
production rose in May to the highest in almost six years, a sign
rates aren't too high to support economic expansion.


Read more at Bloomberg Currencies News

Coffee Falls for Fourth Straight Session in New York on Rising Stockpiles

(Bloomberg) -- Coffee futures fell for the fourth
straight session in New York as warehouse supplies rose and
Brazil, the world's largest producer, received favorable weather
for its crop.

Stockpiles in warehouses monitored by the New York Board of
Trade rose to 4.19 million bags as of July 4, a gain of 9,600
from the day before. There were 4.17 million bags stored at the
exchange's delivery points in New York, New Orleans, Hamburg,
Miami and Antwerp, Belgium, at the end of June.


Read more at Bloomberg Commodities News

Alcan says Alcoa bid lacking, mulls options

(Reuters) - "We've said that from the outset that we were in discussion with third parties," Michaud said. She declined to identify the third parties.




Earlier on Friday, Alcoa said U.S. Department of Justice antitrust investigators had asked it for additional information regarding its May 7 offer for Alcan. Alcoa said it had a detailed road map to resolve competition issues.


Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News

Rand firmer despite dollar-positive data

(Reuters) - The South African rand was a touch firmer against the dollar late on Friday despite the release of dollar-friendly U.S. jobs data, which eased concerns about an interest rate cut in the world's biggest economy.

U.S. employers added 132,000 new jobs in June, more than expected, and also boosted payrolls more strongly than previously thought in April and May.


Read more at Reuters Africa

UPDATE 1-Material Sciences posts quarterly loss; shares fall

(Reuters) - Chief Executive Clifford Nastas said he expects the
slowdown in the U.S. auto market to continue through the year.




Ford, General Motors and DaimlerChrysler, which account for
about 45 percent of Material Sciences' sales, have been seeing
lower U.S. sales on high gas prices and a weak housing market.


Read more at Reuters.com Market News

Brazil's Real Gains as Local Inflation in June Less Than Analysts Expected

(Bloomberg) -- Brazil's real rose as slower-than-
expected inflation boosted speculation the value of local assets
will remain attractive.

The real rose 0.5 percent to 1.9035 per dollar at 9:29 a.m.
New York time. For the year, Brazil's currency has gained about
12 percent, the best performer among the 16 most-actively traded
currencies against the dollar.


Read more at Bloomberg Currencies News

ADC Telecom to cut about 50 positions in Germany

(Reuters) - ADC also said the reductions, to be completed around
December, will not result in the closure of any facilities.





Read more at Reuters.com Government Filings News

Nymex Gas Falls as Report Signals Ample U.S. Supplies for Use Next Winter

(Bloomberg) -- Natural gas in New York fell after a
weekly government inventory report showed supplies rose at a pace
that suggests storage will reach a record level by the end of the
injection season in October.

Gas in storage rose 78 billion cubic feet for the week ended
June 29, the Energy Department said today. Inventories were
expected to rise by 82 billion cubic feet last week, according to
the median of 23 responses in a Bloomberg survey of analysts. The
average weekly increase over the past five years is 86 billion
cubic feet and was 72 billion in the same period a year earlier,
according to the department.


Read more at Bloomberg Energy News

Gauge of U.S. economy edges up in latest week-ECRI

(Reuters) - The index rise was partly offset by lower stock prices,
said Lakshman Achuthan, managing director at ECRI.




WLI annualized growth rate declined to 6.3 percent from 6.5
percent the prior week.


Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News

Platinum Rises as Wage Disputes at South Africa Mines May Disrupt Supplies

(Bloomberg) -- Platinum rose, heading for its
second weekly gain in three weeks in New York on concern wage
disputes will lead to strikes at mines in South Africa, the
biggest producer of the metal. Palladium also gained.

Anglo Platinum Ltd. last week raised a wage offer in an
attempt to avert a strike, and employees at Impala Platinum
Holdings Ltd. turned down a proposed pay increase. The two
South African companies are the world's biggest platinum
producers.


Read more at Bloomberg Commodities News

Laidlaw profit beats Street view, takeover delayed

(Reuters) - The operator of the iconic Greyhound Lines buses and
ubiquitous yellow U.S. school buses also said that its takeover
by FirstGroup Plc , Britain's biggest bus company, has
been delayed by the U.S. Department of Justice.




Laidlaw reported its net income for its fiscal 2007 third
quarter, ending May 31, rose 79 percent to $61 million, or 76
cents a share, from $34.1 million, or 35 cents a share, a year
earlier. Last year's results included a loss of 9 cents a share
from discontinued operations.


Read more at Reuters.com Market News

German Stocks Increase, Led by ThyssenKrupp on Upgrade; BMW, Daimler Climb

(Bloomberg) -- Germany's benchmark DAX Index rose,
recovering some of yesterday's decline. ThyssenKrupp AG paced
gains after Goldman, Sachs & Co. recommended buying the stock.

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG climbed after the world's
largest maker of luxury cars said sales increased to a record
last month. Shares of DaimlerChrysler AG also increased.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

U.S. Stocks Advance on Takeovers; Exxon Mobil Shares Rise as Oil Climbs

(Bloomberg) -- U.S. stocks rose and the Standard &
Poor's 500 Index headed for the first back-to-back weekly gains
since May, helped by takeovers and improved earnings prospects
for energy companies.

CBOT Holdings Inc., owner of the third-biggest futures
exchange, climbed after the Chicago Mercantile Exchange raised
its buyout offer. Exxon Mobil Corp., the world's largest energy
producer, gained after crude oil rose to a 10-month high.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

Dow Jones, News talks continue: source

(Reuters) - Dow Jones shares gained 1.6 percent to $58.77 on the New York Stock Exchange.




The comments countered a report in London's The Business weekly magazine that said the two sides have completed talks and were expected to announce a deal next week, citing unnamed sources acting for the Dow Jones board.


Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News

UPDATE 1-Kodak finds errors in 2005 segment results

(Reuters) - Kodak shares were down 42 cents or 1.5 percent at $27.63 on
the New York Stock Exchange after the news.




The photography company said it discovered the errors after
it provided a filing on June 27 with comparable 2006 and 2005
statements to reflect a new segment reporting structure that it
began on Jan. 1 this year and to report its health group
business, which was sold on May 1, as a discontinued
operation.


Read more at Reuters.com Market News

Genzyme's diarrhea drug Tolevamer fails trial

(Reuters) - The results represent a blow to Genzyme, one of the world's biggest biotechnology companies, as tolevamer had been considered one of the more promising drugs in its pipeline.




"These are disappointing results that alter our expectations about the potential for commercializing tolevamer in the near future," said Henri Termeer, Genzyme's chief executive, in a statement.


Read more at Reuters.com Business News

US stock indexes dip at open; job data raises rate fears

(Reuters) - U.S. stocks dipped at the open on Friday after a report pointing to stronger-than-expected job growth boosted bond yields, raising fears that higher interest rates may cut into corporate profits.

The Dow Jones industrial average was down 17.24 points, or 0.13 percent, at 13,548.60. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index


Read more at Reuters Africa