AFP - The Shanghai Stock Exchange is mulling a proposal to widen the daily trading band as a first step before eventually scrapping the limit altogether, state press reported Tuesday.

AP - Hertz Global Holdings Inc., the world's largest renter of cars, reported Monday night that it made a profit on record revenues in its first quarter since going public in November.

FT.com - London equities fell in opening trade on Tuesday, with losses for SABMiller after the international brewer lost an important contract. The overall decline was small as strong numbers from Antofagasta helped miners contain the wider fall .

AP - U.S. stock futures lost ground Tuesday as concerns mounted about the viability of subprime mortgage lenders and whether their troubles would spread to other parts of the economy.

AP - Stocks fell sharply in early trading Tuesday as investors grew unnerved that troubles for subprime lenders and a weaker-than-expected reading on retail sales signaled trouble for the economy.

AP - U.S. stock futures lost ground Tuesday as concerns mounted about the viability of subprime mortgage lenders and whether their troubles would spread to other parts of the economy.

AP - Kroger Co., the nation's largest traditional grocery store chain, said Tuesday its fourth-quarter profit climbed 36 percent on strong sales growth.

AP - Goldman Sachs Group Inc., the largest Wall Street investment house, on Tuesday said its first-quarter profit rose 28.6 percent to a company record on robust trading and investment banking.

AP - Revlon Inc., the beauty products maker controlled by financier Ron Perelman, said Tuesday it swung to a fourth-quarter loss as U.S. sales declined and the company incurred restructuring charges and costs to discontinue its line of cosmetics for older women.

AP - Subprime mortgage lender New Century Financial Corp.'s problems deepened Tuesday as the New York Stock Exchange took steps to delist its shares and the company disclosed a federal prosecutor in California is conducting a criminal investigation into its accounting errors and trading in its securities.

AP - Kroger Co., the nation's largest traditional grocer, said Tuesday that its fourth-quarter profit climbed 36 percent on strong sales growth amid tough competition.

AP - Revlon Inc., the beauty products maker controlled by financier Ron Perelman, said Tuesday it swung to a fourth-quarter loss as U.S. sales declined and the company incurred restructuring charges and costs to discontinue its line of cosmetics for older women.

Reuters - Kroger Co. , the largest U.S. grocery chain, got an unexpected tax benefit and posted a 36.4 percent jump in quarterly profit on Tuesday as it attracted shoppers with remodeled stores featuring a better selection of products.

AP - Goldman Sachs Group Inc., the largest Wall Street investment house, on Tuesday said its first-quarter profit rose 29 percent to a company record on robust trading gains and investment banking fees. Its shares rose 2 percent.

Reuters - U.S. stocks fell sharply on Tuesday, pushing all three major indexes down 1 percent, as mounting losses in the subprime mortgage sector caused investors to sell riskier assets.

AFP - European stock markets mostly fell on Tuesday, with London financial shares hit by vague market rumours that a large hedge fund had run into trouble, dealers said.

AP - Kroger Co., the nation's largest traditional grocer, said Tuesday that its fourth-quarter profit climbed 36 percent on strong sales growth amid tough competition.

AP - Stocks plunged Tuesday, driving the Dow Jones industrials down more than 240 points in their second-biggest drop of the year as troubles piled up for subprime lenders.

FT.com - A steep sell-off swept through global stock markets on Tuesday as investor confidence was hit by the escalating woes of the US subprime mortgage market and weak US retail sales data.

FT.com - Stocks fell sharply and goverment bonds rallied on Tuesday as further bad news from the beleaguered US mortgage sector fuelled concerns over growth prospects for the broader economy.

FT.com - Concern about its exposure to the US housing market saw Wolseley (NYSE:WOS) register one of the biggest declines in a weak FTSE 100 Tuesday.

Investor's Business Daily - Wall Street has come to expect fat financial returns at investment banks, and Goldman Sachs didn't disappoint 20uesday when it blew past first-quarter earnings views.

AP - Japanese stocks dipped sharply during Wednesday morning trading, falling in the wake of an overnight plunge on Wall Street. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index fell 512.04 points, or 2.98 percent, to 16,666.80 points on the Tokyo Stock Exchange by the end of morning session. The index had fallen 0.66 percent to finish at 17,178.84 points Tuesday.

FT.com - A steep sell-off swept through global stock markets on Tuesday as investor confidence was hit by the escalating woes of the US subprime mortgage market and weak US retail sales data.

Reuters - The Nasdaq Stock Market has appointed new management in Asia, seeking to boost listings by companies in China and elsewhere in the region.

FT.com - Asian stocks fell sharply on Wednesday morning, led by Tokyo, following overnight sell-offs on Wall Street amid growing concerns about the subprime mortgage market.