European Commodity Stocks, Rio Tinto, Total May Advance; RWE May Decline

(Bloomberg) -- European stocks may gain for a third
day, led by mining and energy companies as prices for copper and
aluminum advanced and oil traded near a nine-month high.

Rio Tinto Group, the world's third-largest mining company,
rose in Australian trading. U.S.-traded securities of Total SA,
Europe's largest refiner, ended higher than their close in France.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

Indian Bonds Head for Weekly Decline as Government Sells Debt Securities

(Bloomberg) -- India's 10-year bonds headed for the
second week of losses as the government today prepared to sell
debt at the fourth auction in five days.

The government today will sell 60 billion rupees ($1.5
billion) of the 7.49 percent notes due April 2017 as part of its
annual borrowing program. It raised as much as 160 billion rupees
earlier this week to partly pay for the purchase of a stake in
State Bank of India, the country's biggest commercial lender.


Read more at Bloomberg Bonds News

Wal-Mart Fuels Power Shift in Arkansas as Little Rock Companies Take Deals

(Bloomberg) -- It was one tough week for Little
Rock.

The city learned May 20 that Alltel Corp., its biggest
publicly traded company, was being taken over. That came on the
heels of news that Acxiom Corp., its fourth-biggest publicly
traded company, was being bought.


Read more at Bloomberg Bonds News

Malaysian Government Bonds Gain; Ringgit Heads for Best Week in Two Months

(Bloomberg) -- Malaysia's government bonds rose on
speculation a rebound in the local currency will boost demand
for the nation's debt. The ringgit headed for its biggest weekly
gain in almost two months.

Benchmark three-year notes headed for a weekly gain, ending
two weeks of losses, after demand increased yesterday at a
government sale of Islamic bonds. A stronger ringgit will
deliver additional returns to foreign investors when they
convert the value of their holdings to their local currency.


Read more at Bloomberg Bonds News

Yen Heads for Weekly Loss as Fukui May Signal Only Gradual Rate Increases

(Bloomberg) -- The yen headed for a weekly loss on
speculation Bank of Japan Governor Toshihiko Fukui will signal
plans to raise the overnight lending rate gradually after
leaving it unchanged today.

The yen traded near a 4 1/2-year low against the dollar as
the lowest borrowing costs in the industrialized world spur
investors to take out loans in Japan and buy higher-yielding
assets in so-called carry trades. Fukui will speak today after
policy makers unanimously decided to keep the benchmark rate at
0.5 percent for a fifth meeting.


Read more at Bloomberg Currencies News

Taiwan Dollar Falls on Overseas Investment Demand; Bonds Rise Before Break

(Bloomberg) -- Taiwan's dollar weakened to the
lowest in almost three weeks on speculation investors will buy
U.S. dollars to put money in higher-yielding assets overseas.
Local government bonds gained.

The island's currency headed for the biggest weekly loss
since January as lawmakers yesterday approved a proposal to
allow insurers to invest up to 45 percent of assets abroad from
the current 35 percent. Taiwan's benchmark interest rate is the
second lowest in Asia after Japan, encouraging local investors
to send money abroad to seek better returns.


Read more at Bloomberg Currencies News

Regulators look at two online ad takeovers: report

(Reuters) - So far, the FTC has not made "second requests" for extra
information from either Microsoft or Yahoo, the newspaper
reported. Those requests would suggest a closer level of
scrutiny.




A Microsoft spokesman told the Journal that the company is
"cooperating fully" and it looks "forward to addressing any
questions the FTC may have."


Read more at Reuters.com Business News