Top Stories

Greek Aid Package Considered by EU to Ease Region's Biggest Budget Deficit European officials said they are considering assistance for Greece as its struggle to contain the European Union’s highest budget deficit threatens to erode confidence in the euro.

Greek Bonds Jump as EU's Rehn Signals Support in `Broad Sense of the Word' Greek bonds jumped after the European Union signaled it may aid Greece in return for progress by the country in reducing the bloc’s biggest budget deficit.

Boizel Chanoine, Enel, Ferrovial, Infineon, Siemens: Europe Equity Preview The following companies may be active in European trading. Stock symbols are in parentheses and prices are from the last close.

Vodafone Says It Has No Plans to Pursue Transaction With Kabel Deutschland Vodafone Group Plc, the world’s biggest mobile-phone company, said it doesn’t plan to pursue a transaction with German cable operator Kabel Deutschland Gmbh.

UBS Posts Higher Client Redemptions Amid Return to Profit; Stock Declines Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said the U.S. Senate must create a Consumer Financial Protection Agency to prevent recurrence of banking-industry excesses that pushed the economy to the brink of collapse.

Slovakia Lifts Economic Growth Forecast for 2010 to 2.8% on Export Rebound The Slovak economy will grow more rapidly this year than previously estimated, two government officials said, citing a new Finance Ministry forecast.

Exclusive

Greece Says Call for Help Would Send `Worst Signal' as Bond Yields Surge Greek Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou said he can’t call for outside aid as his government struggles to cut the European Union’s largest budget deficit.

Holders of Billions in Czar Bonds Sue to Recovery Kremlin's Paris Property The Russian government vowed to “defend our rights” after French holders of czarist bonds valued at as much as 100 billion euros ($137 billion) threatened to sue the Kremlin and seize property it owns in Paris.

Sugar Shortage May Turn Acute in Third Quarter on Demand From U.S., Mexico A global sugar shortage, which drove prices to the highest level in three decades, may peak in the third quarter this year on demand from the U.S., Mexico, India and Pakistan, according to U.S.-based Tropix Capital Management.

`Blind Pools' Lose Appeal as Ziman, Callahan Plan Real Estate IPO Comeback Richard Ziman and Timothy Callahan want to raise money in the equity market after selling their real estate companies for a combined $12 billion before the property crash. Investors may balk at bankrolling their return.

`Avatar' Triumphs in China as State-Backed `Confucius' Fails to Break Even A film about the Chinese philosopher Confucius was overwhelmed at the box office by News Corp.’s “Avatar,” grossing 97 million yuan ($14 million) in 2½ weeks on the mainland and failing to break even, its producer said.

Bankers' Stew Disguising CDO Scraps as Tasty Morsels: Book Excerpt Since its inception, the derivatives market has echoed the fairground hawkers’ call to “scream if you want to go faster.” Among the new derivatives, collateralized-debt obligations (CDOs) were particularly hot.