U.S. Stock-Index Futures Rise; GE, Intuit, Verizon Advance in Europe

(Bloomberg) -- U.S. stock-index futures rose on speculation mergers and acquisitions will increase.

General Electric Co. gained in Europe on expectations the world's biggest maker of medical-imaging machines will sell its plastic unit to Saudi Basic Industries Corp. for about $11 billion.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

Hungarian Forint Set for Weekly Decline; Bank May Lower Rates Next Week

(Bloomberg) -- The Hungarian forint is set to log the fourth consecutive week of losses on speculation the central bank may cut interest rates as soon as next week.

The forint is the worst performer versus the euro so far this month, falling 2 percent. Policy makers will probably cut the benchmark rate, the highest in the EU, by a quarter-point at their next meeting on May 21, a Bloomberg News survey shows. The bank has left the key rate at 8 percent since October.


Read more at Bloomberg Currencies News

U.K. Working-Day Electricity Rises, Bolstered by Power Premium in France

(Bloomberg) -- U.K. power for delivery on the next working day jumped on expectations that some traders would take advantage of higher prices in neighboring France.

U.K. working-day-ahead baseload power increased 33 percent to trade at 28 pounds ($55.31) a megawatt hour, compared with a last price of 21 pounds yesterday for electricity delivered today, according to prices on Bloomberg from the energy broker GFI Group Inc. The average price for working-day power this week was 23.70 pounds a megawatt hour.


Read more at Bloomberg Energy News

Cadbury and oils boost FTSE but BA falls

(Reuters) - The FTSE 100 of Britain's leading shares edged up on Friday, with London-based drinks and sweets company Cadbury Schweppes and oil stocks supporting, while British Airways weighed.

At 0719 GMT, the FTSE 100 was 18.7 points, or 0.3 percent higher at 6,598.0, with many investors looking to UK retail sales data for April and University of Michigan consumer sentiment index, for future direction later in the session.


Read more at Reuters Africa

Shanghai copper 5-pct limit down on LME, stocks

(Reuters) - Shanghai copper prices fell by their 5 percent limit on Friday and London futures extended their near-5 percent fall in the previous session as investors fretted about oversupply and rising stocks.

Shanghai August copper ended at 61,360 yuan a tonne, down 3,230 yuan from Thursday's settlement.


Read more at Reuters Africa

India Plans to Boost Coal Production, Curb Imports to Supply Power Plants

(Bloomberg) -- India, which uses coal to power half of its electricity-generation capacity, plans to boost output 6.8 percent in the year to March 2008 as demand rises, a minister said. Imports may decline by more than a quarter.

The South Asian nation plans to mine 462 million metric tons of the fuel in the 12-month period compared with 433 million tons a year earlier, Dasari Narayana Rao, mines minister, said in a written reply to Parliament in New Delhi.


Read more at Bloomberg Energy News

Realia Borrows 1.6 Billion Euros to Refinance SIIC de Paris Acquisition

(Bloomberg) -- Realia Business SA, the Spanish real- estate developer, is borrowing 1.6 billion euros ($2.2 billion) to refinance the acquisition of SIIC de Paris and other debt.

The 10-year loan is in two parts paying margins of as much as 85 basis points more than Euribor, a benchmark for borrowing, according to a banker with direct knowledge of the deal.


Read more at Bloomberg Bonds News