BofA could still put Countrywide into bankruptcy, executive says

By Karen Freifeld

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bank of America Corp (BAC.N) could put its Countrywide Financial unit into bankruptcy if it fails to win court approval for an $8.5 billion settlement with mortgage investors, a bank executive said on Monday.

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S&P revises U.S. credit outlook to 'stable' from negative

By David Gaffen and Daniel Bases

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Standard & Poor's on Monday removed the near-term threat of another credit rating downgrade for the United States by revising its outlook to stable from negative, citing an improved economic and fiscal outlook.

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U.S. hiring outlook positive; global employers uncertain: report

By Madeline Will

NEW YORK (Reuters) - More employers in the United States plan to hire workers next quarter than in any period since the fourth quarter of 2008, according to a survey by Manpower Group (MAN.N), the global employment services giant.

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Asian shares hit 2013 lows; Nikkei slides as BoJ disappoints

By Chikako Mogi

TOKYO (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar slipped against the yen after the Bank of Japan held off from taking fresh steps to curb bond market volatility, while Asian shares sagged to a fresh 2013 low as China growth worries and continued uncertainty over the U.S. bond-buying program depressed sentiment.

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Gold Falls Most in Two Weeks on Fed Stimulus Speculation

By Debarati Roy & Joe Richter

Gold futures slumped the most in two weeks as U.S. consumer confidence climbed in May to the highest in almost six years, stoking concern that the Federal Reserve may scale back monetary stimulus.

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Junk Bonds Get Destroyed at the Close

Stocks finished lower on Friday following the release of a mixed batch of economic data.

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Morgan Stanley’s Hadden Barred From CME Trading for 10 Days

By Michael J. Moore

Morgan Stanley (MS)’s head of interest-rates trading, Glenn Hadden, was suspended from accessing all CME Group Inc. trading floors for 10 days to resolve claims tied to his 2008 transactions in Treasury futures.

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