No need to raise funds for SIFI rules: Mizuho CEO

Japan's Mizuho Financial Group can meet additional capital requirements without raising funds if it becomes subject to stricter global rules under consideration for banks deemed "too big too fail", its CEO said.

Wall Street ends year with strong gains

US stocks closed out a year of double-digit gains and the S&P's best December since 1991 with a quiet and little changed session on Friday as investors found no reason to make big bets ahead of the new year. Improving economic indicators late in 2010 and stimulative measures from the US Federal Reserve propelled gains in the second half of the year, overcoming headwinds from Europe's sovereign debt crisis and continued high US unemployment.

South African stocks, rand jump in 2010

South Africa's rand ended 2010 near three-year highs and stocks booked gains for a second consecutive year, after 12 months in which investors favoured high-risk assets over underperforming developed markets. On Friday, Johannesburg's Top-40 index of blue chips ended 0.4 percent lower at 28,639.40 points, but up 14.6 percent for the year and a massive 260 percent for the decade.

Toronto stocks index end 2010 on high note

Toronto's main stock index pushed higher on Friday in sparse New Year's Eve trade, as strong metal prices and a rally by miners kept the market on track for its best December in five years and double-digit growth in 2010. The index was up 3.8 percent for the month and 14.4 percent for the year, touching its highest level since August 2008 in the previous session.

Early trade in New York: Swiss franc soars to record highs

The Swiss franc hit record highs versus the euro and dollar on Thursday and looked set to extend gains as lower US bond yields and concern about the eurozone debt crisis prompted investors to seek safety in the Swiss currency. The dollar weakened broadly, hitting a seven-week low against the yen and a 28-year low against the Australian dollar after a surprisingly strong Treasury auction on Wednesday put pressure on government bond yields.

Dollar slides in New York

The dollar hit a seven-week low against the yen and dropped versus the euro on Wednesday, as US government bond yields tumbled following a solid debt auction, diminishing the appeal of the greenback. Rising global stock prices on expectations of stronger economic growth in 2011 also lifted investors' appetite for higher-yielding currencies and pressured the safe-haven US dollar, analysts said.

Dollar withers to new lows in Asia

The dollar weakened broadly on Thursday, hitting a seven-week low against the yen and a 28-year low against the Australian currency as traders took falls in US bond yields as a cue to sell it. US Treasury prices recovered on Wednesday, pushing yields sharply lower, after a $29 billion auction of seven-year notes drew surprisingly strong demand a day after a weak five-year sale.