HSBC said Friday it has bought back its London headquarters from Spanish real estate company Metrovacesa in an 838 million pounds ($1.2 billion) deal.

The latest job cuts  in the banking sector come amid an overall wave of layoffs across the United States as companies move to cut costs in the face of slackening demand and a general economic downturn.

The latest job cuts  in the banking sector come amid an overall wave of layoffs across the United States as companies move to cut costs in the face of slackening demand and a general economic downturn.

The latest job cuts  in the banking sector come amid an overall wave of layoffs across the United States as companies move to cut costs in the face of slackening demand and a general economic downturn.

The latest job cuts  in the banking sector come amid an overall wave of layoffs across the United States as companies move to cut costs in the face of slackening demand and a general economic downturn.

The latest job cuts  in the banking sector come amid an overall wave of layoffs across the United States as companies move to cut costs in the face of slackening demand and a general economic downturn.

The latest job cuts  in the banking sector come amid an overall wave of layoffs across the United States as companies move to cut costs in the face of slackening demand and a general economic downturn.

The latest job cuts  in the banking sector come amid an overall wave of layoffs across the United States as companies move to cut costs in the face of slackening demand and a general economic downturn.

The latest job cuts  in the banking sector come amid an overall wave of layoffs across the United States as companies move to cut costs in the face of slackening demand and a general economic downturn.

The latest job cuts  in the banking sector come amid an overall wave of layoffs across the United States as companies move to cut costs in the face of slackening demand and a general economic downturn.

Markets are braced for more hemorrhaging in jobs, with a Friday employment report expected to record 200,00 more jobs vaporized in October. This would push the jobless rate up two-tenths of a point to 6.3 percent.

Markets are braced for more hemorrhaging in jobs, with a Friday employment report expected to record 200,00 more jobs vaporized in October. This would push the jobless rate up two-tenths of a point to 6.3 percent.

Stocks closed lower as investors worried about the global economic downturn and enthusiasm for China's deep-pocketed stimulus plan faded.

Stocks shot out of the gate Monday, boosted by China's massive stimulus plan.  Techs sat out the rally, dragged down by Dish Networks after the satellite TV provider's dismal results and Google after Microsoft announced a deal with Sun.

Stocks shot out of the gate Monday, helped by developments in the financial sector and China's near-$600 billion economic stimulus plan, announced over the weekend.