FT.com - Japanese stocks ended flat on Monday, with strong early gains in the morning session petering out ahead of forthcoming full-year earnings results.

FT.com - London equities lost opening gains in morning trade on Monday with banking stocks falling furthest on concern that Barclays (NYSE:BCS)' record EU67bn offer for ABN Amro could trigger a costly bidding war for the Dutch group.

FT.com - London equities moved higher in opening trade on Monday, helped by news of Barclays (NYSE:BCS)' record EU67bn offer for ABN Amro as rival bidders continued to circle the Dutch group. Scottish & Newcastle also made strong gains after FT reports of a potential break-up bid for the brewer.

AFP - European stock markets began the week in negative territory amid merger and acquisition news in the banking, pharmaceutical and transport sectors, dealers said Monday.

Reuters - Stock index futures pointed to a flat market open on Monday, with one of the busiest weeks of earnings reports set to begin as the Dow industrials flirt with the 13,000 level.

FT.com - London equities were little changed in midday trade on Monday with banking stocks falling furthest on concern that Barclays (NYSE:BCS)' record EU67bn offer for ABN Amro could trigger a costly bidding war for the Dutch group.

AP - Wall Street headed back to work Monday with another batch of earnings report due and the Dow Jones industrial average within striking distance of 13,000.

Reuters - Hasbro Inc. , the nation's second largest toy maker, on Monday posted a quarterly profit versus a year-earlier loss, helped by sales of board games and brands like Littlest Pet Shop and Playskool.

AP - Fiat SpA said Monday that its net income more than doubled in the first quarter, due largely to growth in its flagship auto and trucks businesses.

AP - Wall Street headed back to work Monday with the Dow Jones industrial average within striking distance of 13,000. Investors were enthusiastic about earnings reports and new takeover activity, but itching to take profits after the blue-chip index's record-breaking run.

Reuters - Stock index futures pointed to a flat market open on Monday before a busy week for earnings reports and with the Dow industrials taking aim at the 13,000 level for the first time.

Reuters - Bank of America Corp. on Monday said it expects its $21 billion purchase of ABN Amro Holding NV's LaSalle Bank Corp. unit to add 2 percent to earnings per share in the first year and 5 percent once cost savings are phased in.

AP - Delta Air Lines Inc., a week away from exiting bankruptcy, reported Monday that it narrowed its loss in the first quarter on an 11.4 percent rise in sales.

AP - Hasbro Inc., the nation's second-largest toymaker, said Monday that it swung to a first-quarter profit on growth in its Marvel product line and core brands such as Littlest Pet Shop, Nerf and Play-Doh.

AP - Stocks traded flat Monday, with the Dow Jones industrial average within striking distance of 13,000. Wall Street was enthusiastic about earnings reports and new takeover activity, but cautious about extending the blue-chip index's record run.

FT.com - Wall Street stocks edged upwards in light trade on Monday with investors mindful that equities are approaching a number of psychologically significant technical levels.

AP - Hasbro Inc., the nation's second-largest toymaker, swung to a first-quarter profit Monday on growth in its Marvel product line and core brands and said it was anticipating strong sales this spring and summer in movie-related products. Its shares rose more than 7 percent.

AP - Drugmaker Novartis AG posted an 11 percent increase in first-quarter earnings Monday, led by strong sales of its hypertension and cancer treatments.

AP - Kimberly-Clark Corp., the maker of Kleenex tissue and Huggies diapers, said Monday its first-quarter profit rose 64 percent on strong sales growth and cost-cutting efforts.

AP - Stocks hovered at historically lofty levels Monday, as investors showed enthusiasm for earnings reports and new takeover activity but stopped short of propelling the Dow Jones industrial average past the 13,000 mark.

FT.com - Wall Street stocks held steady in light trade on Monday following a recent run-up to a number of psychologically significant benchmarks.

AFP - Unwary investors should be suspicious of e-mails, cell phone text messages and faxes touting supposedly cheap Chinese stocks which promoters claim will rocket in value, US regulators said Monday.

Reuters - Stocks were little changed on Monday, leaving the Dow just shy of 13,000, after a brokerage cut its rating on drug company Pfizer Inc. and offset stronger-than-expected earnings news.

AP - Delta Air Lines Inc., a week away from exiting bankruptcy, reported Monday that it narrowed its loss in the first quarter on an 11.4 percent rise in sales.

Reuters - Hasbro Inc. on Monday posted a profit that trounced expectations, on strong sales of Spider-Man toys and its Littlest Pet Shop and Playskool brands, sending its shares up 8 percent.

AP - Drug maker Novartis AG posted an 11 percent increase in first-quarter earnings Monday, led by strong sales of its hypertension and cancer treatments.

FT.com - Wall Street stocks were lower in light trade on Monday following a run-up to a number of psychologically significant benchmarks.

AP - Stocks retreated from historically lofty levels Monday as rising oil prices chilled investor enthusiasm for strong earnings reports and new takeover activity. The Dow Jones industrials came within 17 points of 13,000 before pulling back.

Reuters - Texas Instruments Inc. ,the world's biggest maker of chips for mobile phones, posted lower quarterly profit and revenue on Monday as the company worked through inventory issues.

AP - Hasbro Inc., the nation's second-largest toymaker, swung to a first-quarter profit Monday on growth in its Marvel product line and core brands and said it was anticipating strong sales in movie-related products this spring and summer. Its shares rose nearly 8 percent.

Reuters - Network equipment maker Juniper Networks Inc. posted on Monday an anticipated fall in quarterly profit, and its shares fell as it gave a slightly weaker-than-expected 2007 outlook.

Reuters - Chipmaker Texas Instruments Inc. posted a smaller-than-expected fall in quarterly profit and said a broad recovery would help it beat second-quarter targets, sending its shares up 9 percent on Monday.

Reuters - Diversified manufacturer Crane Co. said quarterly profit rose due to improvement across all its segments, except the aerospace and electronics division.

AP - Boston Scientific Corp. on Monday said its first-quarter profit fell by 64 percent on weak sales of the medical device maker's top-selling product as well as costs from the company's $27 billion acquisition of Guidant Corp. last spring.