Atlantia Takes Control Of South America Unit, Seeks Partners

MILAN – Italian toll-road operator Atlantia SpA (ATL.MI) said it has gained complete control of Autostrade Sud America Srl, a subsidiary in South America, in the latest of a series of deals that will enable it to generate a third of its profit from activities overseas in the coming years.

German lawmakers approve new Greek bailout

The German parliament approved a second, 130 billion ($173 billion) loan package for Greece on Monday after Chancellor Angela Merkel warned lawmakers that it would be irresponsible to abandon the country to bankruptcy.

Apollo Global Plays Catch-Up in Oil With $7.15 Billion El Paso Unit Buyout

Apollo Global Management LLC (APO), seeking to catch up with KKR & Co. and Blackstone Group LP (BX) in the buyout industry’s race for energy assets, agreed to acquire El Paso Corp. (EP)’s oil- and gas-exploration unit for $7.15 billion.

Singapore Wealth Fund Extends Resources Spree

Singapore’s sovereign wealth funds continue to step up their investment in resources companies.

Analysis: Corporate debt to get boost from ECB's new cheap loans

LONDON (Reuters) - The second dose of cheap cash from the European Central Bank at the end of this month should spread more broadly across financial markets than the first, sweeping money into non-bank corporate bonds.

CME Group to double stake in Dubai exchange

The CME Group said it is doubling its stake to 50 percent in the Dubai Mercantile Exchange, a hub of trading for oil contracts in the Persian Gulf.

Italy's bank chief confirms recession in 2012

ROME (AP) — Italy's central bank chief on Saturday predicted that the eurozone's third-largest economy will see a return to growth next year, but he confirmed forecasts that 2012 will be a "year of recession."

Hedge funds bet Glencore won't pay more for Xstrata

Funds including Pine River Capital Management, Arrowgrass Capital Partners and Och-Ziff have taken a series of complex positions in both Glencore and Xstrata.

Conrad Says an Economic Crisis May Be Only Way to Prod Lawmakers on Debt

An economic catastrophe like the debt crisis in Europe or a Middle East conflict may be the only way to get congressional action this year on a broad reduction of the U.S. deficit, Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad said.

Fidelity, Vanguard, Pimco Say U.S. Inflation Will Be Contained in 2012

Fidelity Investments, Vanguard Group Inc. and Pacific Investment Management Co., which together oversee $4.53 trillion, say U.S. inflation will be contained this year.

Billionaire Batista in Talks With Sovereign Funds to Sell Gold Unit Stake

Brazilian billionaire Eike Batista, whose investments range from iron ore to coal, said he’s in talks with sovereign wealth funds and other potential “strategic partners” to sell a stake in his AUX gold unit.

China's CIC brushes aside Merkel investment plea

(Reuters) - The head of China's $410 billion sovereign wealth fund CIC brushed aside a call by German Chancellor Angela Merkel to buy European government debt, saying such investments were "difficult" for long-term investors.

US stocks gain following latest Greek debt deal

NEW YORK: US stocks rose on Monday after Greece's parliament voted for spending cuts so it can get a bailout to save the country from bankruptcy.

Foreign investors press 'sell' button on Indian banks

NEW DELHI: Overseas investors seem to be on a selling spree when it comes to the Indian banking stocks, as they have pared their holdings in at least 28 public and private sector banks of the country in the past few months.

A Contrarian Bets Ireland and Hungary Will Rebound

For months now, a big investor has been betting billions of dollars that two of Europe’s most wounded countries will bounce back from the beating they have taken during the region’s debt crisis.

Asia 1.25 Billion Over 60 by 2050 Shows Why Bonds Beat Stocks

Feb. 9 (Bloomberg) -- With Asia’s elderly population poised to double within four decades, more money is being plowed into preserving wealth than enhancing growth, driving up demand for the region’s bonds that are beating returns on stocks.

Ben Bernanke warns on still-high unemployment

WASHINGTON: Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke reiterated his concerns about high levels of US unemployment Tuesday, just days after a surprisingly large drop in the jobless rate caused cheer.

China’s ‘Sunshine’ Trusts Avoid Global Hedge-Fund Malaise to Triple Assets

Wealthy Chinese investors are turning to “sunshine” private trusts, the prototypes of hedge funds in the communist nation, as the property market cools, stocks slump and bank-deposit rates fail to match inflation.

European stocks lower as Greece debt talks drag on

European stock markets moved lower Monday, slipping back after sharp gains made on strong US jobs data last week as investors once again tracked a lack of progress on Greece's debt problems.

Hedge Funds Underestimating Europe’s Will to Force Greek Losses

Feb. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Hedge funds seeking to wring profits from a Greek debt restructuring are underestimating the will of policy makers to impose losses on them, according to investors who say trying to beat the politicians is too risky.

Korean Teachers’ Credit Union Plans to Buy London Property in First Half

The Korean Teachers’ Credit Union, with 20.9 trillion won ($18.5 billion) of assets, plans to buy a 12-story office building in London in the first half as declining property prices boost returns.

Hungary's Orban seeks to wipe out communist past

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Steps away from Budapest's ornate Parliament building, hidden in a basement studio on a leafy street, art dealer Peter Pinter was holding the third of his hugely successful auctions, entitled 'Going once, going twice... gone for good.'

U.S. Stocks Decline

NEW YORK—U.S. stocks fell after a weak reading on U.S. consumer confidence trumped early enthusiasm for a European Union pact to tighten fiscal ties.