Banks must disclose how much they pay top employees, a UK government sponsored report recommended on Thursday in a bid to quell public anger over "bonuses as usual" in a sector shored up by taxpayer bailouts.

Dubai struggled to ease fears of debt default on Thursday after its move to delay repayments at two flagship firms shook confidence in the Middle East as a centre for investment and a source of capital.

Shares of China Minsheng Banking, which raised $3.9 billion in the world's fifth largest initial public offering of 2009, fell 3.1 percent in their Hong Kong trading debut, underscoring the recently soured investor sentiment for mainland banks.

AIG and former chief executive Maurice "Hank" Greenberg have reached an agreement to bury a long-standing, bitter legal battle, and the insurer will turn over materials for the former boss to use in writing a memoir, as well as photographs and a Persian carpet.

Stocks posted modest gains Wednesday, but it was enough to propel the Dow and S&P to new 13-month closing highs, as economic data buoyed recovery hopes.

There could be less jingle in the Salvation's Army's hallmark red kettles this season. The charity is testing kettles that take debit and credit cards.

Bank of America is having such a hard time finding a new CEO that some analysts are wondering if Ken Lewis might have to stay past his planned Dec. 31 departure.

Stocks clawed higher Wednesday after a report showed new-home sales rose more than expected.

Greek bank shares fell as much as 7.0 percent on Wednesday, adding to earlier losses and underperforming the broader Greek market, on funding concerns after central bank comments on Tuesday.

Stocks clawed higher Wednesday after a report showed new-home sales rose more than expected.

As much as $7 trillion of debt piled up by banks falls due by the end of 2012, which could force them to refinance their borrowings at higher cost, the Wall Street Journal said, citing a Moody's Investors Service report.

Export-driven Asian economies need to focus on regional financial markets to rebalance as US policy remains uncertain and ‘very volatile’ and unreformed banks act as a brake on the huge flow of liquidity coming from central banks, Kevin Gaynor, chief markets economist at RBS, told CNBC Tuesday.

US stock index futures climbed further Wednesday after a batch of data signaling that the US economy was building on strength but also that the recovery would be gradual.

American International Group, the insurer that received billions of dollars in a U.S. bailout, has been authorized by its board to pay Chief Executive Robert Benmosche's $7 million compensation, after it laid to rest concerns that he may quit the post.

Half of the losses suffered by banks could still be hidden in their balance sheets, more so in Europe than in the US, IMF chief  Dominique Strauss-Kahn was quoted as saying.