US STOCKS-Futures rise before inflation, other data

(Reuters) - Shares of fast-food chain Wendy's International Inc.
will likely be in the spotlight after billionaire
Nelson Peltz said his Triarc Cos. Inc. could offer up
to $41 a share for the company. For details, see
[ID:nN30445780].




The core personal consumption expenditure index, the
Federal Reserve's favorite inflation indicator, is forecast to
have risen 0.2 percent in June, according to economists polled
by Reuters.


Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News

German Stocks Advance, Led by MAN on Earnings; DaimlerChrysler, BMW Rise

(Bloomberg) -- Germany's benchmark DAX Index rose,
heading for the biggest one-day gain in more than two weeks. MAN
AG shares paced the advance after Europe's third-largest
truckmaker reported its 16th consecutive profit increase.

Shares of DaimlerChrysler AG and Bayerische Motoren Werke
AG, the world's biggest luxury carmakers, also climbed.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

UPDATE 1-Clinphone warns on full-year profits, shares dive

(Reuters) - Shares in the Nottingham-based firm, which helps researchers
conduct clinical trials, dropped 36.4 percent to 79.5 pence,
valuing the company at 52.8 million pounds .




Clinphone said service levels dropped during June and July
because of outages from third-party telecoms suppliers as well
as internal data processing problems.


Read more at Reuters.com Market News

CNA, Dow Jones, Ingersoll, RadioShack, Rural Cellular: U.S. Equity Movers

(Bloomberg) -- The following is a list of companies
whose shares are having unusual price changes in U.S. exchanges.
Stock symbols are in parentheses after company names. Share
prices are as of 2:40 p.m. in New York.

Some mortgage lenders fell after American Home Mortgage
Investment Corp. (AHM US) delayed its quarterly dividend and
raised doubts about whether it has enough cash to stay in
business. Shares of American Home were halted.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

Oliver Press picks up 12 pct in Emageon, seeks strategic options

(Reuters) - Emageon could not be immediately reached for comment.




Shares of Birmingham, Alabama-based Emageon were trading up
2.5 percent at $9.05 in late morning trade on the Nasdaq.



Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News

UPDATE 1-Exxon profits dips 1 pct on natgas price weakness

(Reuters) - Shares fell nearly 2 percent to $91 before the bell.




The company's production dipped 1 percent on an oil
equivalent basis from last year due to field decline and lower
European demand for natural gas.


Read more at Reuters.com Market News

UPDATE 2-Benchmark profit falls on restructuring charges

(Reuters) - Shares in Benchmark fell 5.3 percent to $22.73 in morning
trading on the Nasdaq.




The company, which makes computers, telecommunications
equipment and other electronics, posted second-quarter net
income of $25.9 million, or 35 cents a share, compared with
$27.5 million, or 42 cents a share, a year earlier.


Read more at Reuters.com Market News

UPDATE 1-West Marine Q2 earnings beat Street view, shares rise

(Reuters) - Shares of the company rose nearly 6 percent to $14.10 in
midday trade on the Nasdaq.




The company said its second-quarter net income rose 42
percent to $20.1 million, or 92 cents a share, from $14.2
million, or 66 cents a share, a year ago.


Read more at Reuters.com Market News

UPDATE 1-Tidewater 1st-qtr profit up, but shares tumble

(Reuters) - HOUSTON, July 26 - Tidewater Inc. , the
world's largest provider of vessels for the offshore oil
service industry, on Thursday said its first-quarter profit
rose as rates for its equipment climbed, but higher-than
expected costs hampered results.




Shares of Tidewater swooned, falling more than 8 percent,
or $6.53, to $70.37 in afternoon trade on the New York Stock
Exchange.


Read more at Reuters.com Market News

South Korea's Kospi Index Falls Most in Four Months; Lotte Shares Decline

(Bloomberg) -- South Korea's Kospi index fell the
most in four months as investors judged excessive the rally that
this week drove the Kospi index above 2,000 for the first time.
Samsung Electronics Co. led the decline.

``Today's loss is because of profit-taking,'' said Kim Ki
Bong, who oversees $2 billion at CJ Asset Management Co. in
Seoul. ``Shares have become more volatile of late as people are
quicker to sell if the market turns down and buy more heavily
during the rallies.''


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

UPDATE 3-Siemens promises changes after weak Q3, VDO sale

(Reuters) - FRANKFURT, July 25 - Siemens' new chief
executive promised speedy and far-sighted changes after
announcing an 11.4 billion euro disposal, a $7
billion acquisition and weak quarterly results on Wednesday.




Shares in the German group plunged 7 percent after Siemens
disappointed on both top and bottom lines with its third-quarter
results. It gave no clear reasons after rivals General Electric
and Alstom reported booming demand.


Read more at Reuters.com Market News

Delphi Financial still sees 2007 earnings of $3.15-$3.25/shr

(Reuters) - Shares of the company were up more than 6 percent at $41.21
in late morning trade on the New York Stock Exchange.





Read more at Reuters.com Market News

WellPoint quarterly profit rises

(Reuters) - WellPoint is looking to reassure investors about its
direction after replacing its chief executive and chief
financial officer in recent months.




Shares of the Indianapolis-based company have risen about 4
percent this year, roughly in line with the Morgan Stanley
Healthcare Payor index .


Read more at Reuters.com Market News

TREASURIES-Benchmark yields hit 7-week lows on stocks

(Reuters) - However, a lack of liquidity and perceptions that
Treasuries were at expensive levels limited safe-haven flows
from the equity market, analysts said. Shares on Wall Street
tumbled after poor profits from companies related to the
housing market spooked investors. For details, see [.N].




"We are getting a little bit of it, but not much. The
liquidity in both bonds and stock markets is less than
desirable," said Carley Garner, an analyst at Alaron Trading
in Chicago.


Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News

UPDATE 2-Centene Q2 earnings in-line, trims '07 profit view

(Reuters) - Shares of the company were trading up almost 9 percent at
$22.59 in afternoon trade on the New York Stock Exchange.




The company had said in March its unit finalized a contract
award to provide managed care to participants in the Texas
foster care program, which was expected to add 3 cents to 4
cents a share to its fourth-quarter earnings.


Read more at Reuters.com Market News

Egyptian shares up, CIB rises again on merger talk

(Reuters) - Main Egyptian stock indexes rose on Tuesday, with shares in Commercial International Bank (CIB) climbing on continued market speculation it would buy Arab-African International Bank, traders said.

Shares in CIB, one of Egypt's top private banks, rose 3 percent to close at 72.99 pounds a share.


Read more at Reuters Africa

Baoshan, Angang Shares Surge After Brokerages Raise Steel-Price Forecasts

(Bloomberg) -- Chinese steel shares, including
Baoshan Iron & Steel Co. and Angang Steel Co., rose for a third
day after brokerages including JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised
forecasts for steel prices.

Shares of Baoshan Iron & Steel, China's largest steelmaker,
rose as much as 5.2 percent to 12.70 yuan, the highest since May
29, and traded at 12.61 at 10:38 a.m. in Shanghai. Angang Steel
surged as much as 19 percent to HK$21.70 in Hong Kong. Its yuan-
denominated shares rose as much as 9.4 percent to 21.38 yuan in
Shenzhen.


Read more at Bloomberg Commodities News

China Aviation Oil's Shares Increase by 10 Percent to Record in Singapore

(Bloomberg) -- Shares of China Aviation Oil
(Singapore) Corp. rose to a record in Singapore.

The jet-fuel trader's shares jumped as much as 29 cents, or
10 percent, to S$3.12 ($2.07) apiece on the Singapore exchange.
That was the biggest one-day increase since July 9. The stock
traded at S$3.06 at 10:02 a.m. local time.


Read more at Bloomberg Emerging Markets News

WRAPUP 1-Citigroup, Wachovia profits top forecasts

(Reuters) - Profit rose 18 percent at Citigroup, the largest U.S. bank,
and 24 percent at Wachovia, the fourth largest.




Shares of both companies fell, however, as investors
worried that banks would get stuck with more soured consumer
loans or riskier corporate debt on their balance sheets.


Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News

Microsoft Q4 profit rises despite Xbox charge

(Reuters) - The company had warned earlier this month that it would
incur a charge of up to $1.15 billion in the quarter ended in
June to fix an "unacceptable" number of Xbox 360 repairs and
offer a new extended warranty to customers.




Shares of Microsoft have risen 6 percent in the year to
date, compared to a 10 percent gain in the S&P 500 during the
period.


Read more at Reuters.com Business News