Saudi Benchmark Index Gains, Led by Saudi Basic Industries: Gulf Stocks

(Bloomberg) -- Saudi shares rose for the first time
in three trading sessions, led by Saudi Basic Industries Corp.,
which said it may build factories in China.

The Tadawul All Share Index gained 36.02, or 0.5 percent, to
7745.27 in Riyadh. The index has dropped 2.4 percent this year,
adding to last year's 53 percent decline. The benchmark is the
world's eighth-worst performer this year among 90 indexes tracked
globally by Bloomberg.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

Endemol's new owners to invest, shop: report

(Reuters) - Mediaset, owned by opposition leader Silvio Berlusconi, and De Mol are buying 75 percent of Endemol from Spain's Telefonica and are also in the market for the remaining 25 percent.




De Mol said he saw synergies for Endemol with Internet companies and search engines.


Read more at Reuters.com Business News

Wall St closes up as Nasdaq, Coke spur M&A optimism

(Reuters) - U.S. stocks rose on Friday as takeover news, including Nasdaq's plan to buy Nordic exchange company OMX, boosted investor optimism, although trading was light ahead of a long holiday weekend.

Nasdaq Stock Market Inc.'s planned $3.7 billion acquisition of OMX would give the second-largest U.S. stock exchange a platform to expand in Europe, following a series of mergers in the sector.


Read more at Reuters Africa