WORLD FINANCE UPDATE:
The Australian dollar is lower against the greenback which also fell overnight despite the release of upbeat US economic data.
At 0630 AEST on Friday, the local currency was trading at 73.53 US cents, down from 73.68 cents on Thursday.
And the Australian share market looks set to open lower after US stocks fell for a third straight session as disappointing earnings from Caterpillar, American Express and others overshadowed some stronger reports.
At 0645 AEST on Friday, the September share price index futures contract was down 20 points at 5,513.
ELSEWHERE:
ATHENS - Greece's creditors will head to Athens shortly to begin talks on a mammoth new bailout after the country's parliament approved a second batch of reforms needed for the negotiations to proceed.
WASHINGTON - Initial claims for US unemployment insurance benefits fell to their lowest level in nearly 42 years last week in another sign of tightening in the country's jobs market.
WASHINGTON - Average long-term US mortgage rates fell this week, retreating from highs for the year and amplifying the incentive for prospective home buyers.
LONDON - British publisher Pearson is selling its salmon-pink flagship business newspaper, the Financial Times, to Japanese digital media group Nikkei.
NEW YORK - Visa Inc says its fiscal third-quarter profit jumped 25 per cent, helped by a double-digit rise in payments processed on its network.
WASHINGTON - Samsung remained the top global smartphone vendor in the second quarter despite slowing sales, while Apple and Chinese manufacturers boosted market share, a survey shows.
OAK BROOK, Illinois - McDonald's has posted a second-quarter profit of $US1.2 billion ($A1.63 billion).
SEATTLE - Amazon.com has reported a surprise second-quarter profit on continued strength of its cloud-computing business and strong revenue both domestically and abroad.
SEATTLE - Starbucks says its quarterly sales jumped eight per cent at established locations in its flagship Americas market, driven by an uptick in customer visits and higher average spending per visit.
NEW YORK - General Motors reports that its quarterly earnings have quadrupled due to solid sales in the US and China even with revenues dented by the strong dollar.
NEW YORK - US heavy equipment maker Caterpillar has reported a steep drop in second-quarter profit and lowered its full-year sales forecast, citing the sluggish global economy and a stronger US dollar.
NEW YORK - United Airlines has reported record earnings of $US1.2 billion ($A1.6 billion) for the second quarter, helped by a $US1 billion fall in fuel costs.
ST PAUL, Minnesota - Lower expenses have helped 3M post a higher second quarter profit but foreign currency translation has pressured the company's revenue.
MILAN - The maker of the iconic Italian sports car Ferrari has filed with US regulators its plans to launch an initial public offering on Wall Street, parent company Fiat Chrysler Automobiles said on Thursday.
Share
