• Markets await Bernanke as central bankers gather
  JACKSON HOLE, Wyoming (Reuters) - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke tackles financial stability in a key speech on Friday but economists doubt he will provide solid clues about future policy action to calm the credit crunch.

  

  

  
• Fannie and Freddie debt gains as deep share dive abates
  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Investors' growing belief in the likelihood of a federal bailout of home-funding giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac triggered a rally in the debt prices of the two companies on Thursday while a steep fall in their shares prices abated.

  

  

  
• Firms settle auction-rate probes; but more to come
  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Three of Wall Street's top investment banks agreed to pay millions of dollars in fines and buy back billions of dollars in frozen, illiquid securities after U.S. regulators reached settlements over the way the firms sold auction-rate securities.

  

  

  
• Oil firm at $121 on Russia tension, dollar dive
  SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices held near $121 a barrel on Friday, a day after their biggest gain in 3 months, after a renewed slump in the U.S. dollar and mounting tension between the United States and Russia rekindled investor appetite.

  

  

  
• Gap profit beats Street, PacSun disappoints
  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Gap Inc reported a 50 percent jump in quarterly net income on Thursday, beating Wall Street estimates, as cost-cutting, lower inventories and other moves that boosted profit offset declining sales at its family of clothing stores.

  

  

  

Coverage includes breaking news, market reports, newsmaker interviews and key company profiles.

• Japan back from Bubble
  Oct. 18 - Japanese real estate prices are rising again, 16 years after its "Bubble" era ended in tears.
• Intel cheers Asian shares
  Oct. 18 - Asian shares rose Thursday on expectations of lower U.S. interest rates and strong results by tech giant Intel.
• New facets for diamond business
  Oct. 16 - The world diamond industry says it wants to rethink its business strategy and give more power to producing countries in Africa.
• Posting for profit
  Oct. 10 - A new service from Blinkx.com allows consumers to take a cut of ad revenue from video on their own websites.
• A380 finally lands in Singapore
  Oct. 17 - Two years later than originally scheduled, the Airbus A380 superjumbo lands in Singapore ready for commercial service.