(Reuters) - MF Global Holdings Ltd, the futures broker run by former Goldman Sachs chief Jon Corzine, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after a tentative deal with a buyer fell apart. The firm's meltdown in less than a week is a stunning setback for Corzine, who sought to turn MF Global into a mini-Goldman. Corzine became CEO last year after losing his governorship of New Jersey, and his big bets on euro-zone debt sealed the company's fate.

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(Reuters) - Japan sold the yen for the second time in less than three months after it hit another record high against the dollar Monday, saying it intervened to counter excessive speculation that was hurting the world's No. 3 economy. The intervention vaulted the dollar more than 4 percent higher, which would mark its biggest one-day gain in three years, and Finance Minister Jun Azumi said Tokyo would continue to step into the market until it was satisfied with the results.

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(Reuters) - A judge for the Securities and Exchange Commission has dismissed a case against two former State Street Corp executives accused of misleading investors about the amount of exposure a $2.9 billion fund had to risky subprime mortgage-related investments. Chief Administrative Law Judge Brenda Murray ordered that the proceedings against John P. Flannery and James D. Hopkins be dismissed, according to an October 28 initial decision.

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(Reuters) - Italian bond yields rose on Monday nearly to levels seen in August when the ECB intervened to shore up debt markets, indicating new concerns that problems in the euro zone's third largest economy could threaten the entire bloc. With Italy now firmly at the heart of the euro zone debt crisis, yields on its 10 year, fixed-rate bonds known as BTPs jumped to 6.1 percent from 5.9 last week, piling pressure on Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's government as it faces fresh criticism over its handling of the economy.

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(Reuters) - Stocks edged lower on Friday as investors paused after a rally that lifted the S&P 500 index almost 20 percent from near bear market levels where it had sunk earlier this month. Stock indexes had soared 3 percent in the previous session after a deal on European debt. The S&P index closed above its 200-day moving average for the first time since August, a sign of an improving trend for stocks after five straight months of losses.

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(Reuters) - Sluggish income growth led U.S. households to cut back on saving in September to raise their spending, showing the economy's recovery remains fragile. Consumer spending increased 0.6 percent, the Commerce Department said on Friday, after a 0.2 percent gain in August. However, incomes edged up only 0.1 percent after a 0.1 percent August drop.

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(Reuters) - The head of Europe's bailout fund sought financial support from China on Friday to help resolve the bloc's debt crisis, saying that while no quick deal was in sight he was still confident Beijing would keep buying bonds issued by his fund. Klaus Regling, chief executive of the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF), was in Beijing for talks with Chinese officials a day after euro zone leaders struck a hard-fought accord on the two-year crisis that nonetheless left major economies Italy and Spain under financial market pressure.

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(Reuters) - Chevron Corp and Total posted higher quarterly profits on Friday, the latest two major oil companies to reap the benefit of firm oil prices and rosier refinery conditions. The third-quarter profits from Total and Chevron capped a week of earnings figures that saw gains at Exxon Mobil, Royal Dutch Shell and BP Plc as benchmark Brent oil prices hover near $112 per barrel, nearly 50 percent higher than the year-earlier quarter.

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(Reuters) - Shares of MF Global Holdings Ltd hit another all-time low and its bonds were in freefall on Friday as troubles intensified for the U.S. futures brokerage that is looking to sell off units in order to retain customers and to survive. The company run by former Goldman executive Jon Corzine has shed 63 percent of its market capitalization this week. That could hamper MF Global's dealmaking ability, while at the same present possible buyers with assets at big discounts.

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(Reuters) - Stocks rallied in early trading on Thursday after European leaders agreed to boost the region's bailout fund and struck a deal with banks and insurers to accept 50 percent losses on Greek bonds. The S&P 500 rose more than 2 percent, breaking out of a trading range of around 1,230-1,250. The broad index has been struggling to push past the levels for weeks as uncertainties over Europe persisted.

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