OSI Restaurant same-store sales fall at 4 restaurant brands

(Reuters) - Same-store sales at its Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine
Bars rose 1.2 percent, it added.





Read more at Reuters.com Market News

Canada's Dollar Is Little Changed Near 30-Year High as Surplus Expands

(Bloomberg) -- The Canadian dollar was little
changed near a 30-year high after a government report showed the
nation's current account surplus expanded in the first quarter
to the biggest in a year.

The currency traded at 93.23 U.S. cents at 8:33 a.m. in
Toronto from 93.14 U.S. cents yesterday. It reached 93.56 U.S.
cents today, the highest since July 1977. One U.S. dollar buys
C$1.0724.


Read more at Bloomberg Currencies News

Cantor to combine eSpeed, BGC in $1.3 billion deal

(Reuters) - The deal is structured as a takeover of BGC by eSpeed, and the companies said on Wednesday that by acquiring BGC, eSpeed will be able to develop new products more effectively and benefit from a larger capital base.




"We believe that the combined company will generate greater revenue opportunities by applying technology to improve voice broker productivity, while accelerating the pipeline from voice to fully electronic trading," BGC Chief Executive Lee Amaitis said.


Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News

Gold May Fall in London on Speculation Dollar Will Gain; Silver Declines

(Bloomberg) -- Gold may fall in London on
speculation U.S. employment data will boost the dollar against
other currencies, eroding the metal's appeal as an alternative
investment. Silver declined.

The dollar may gain from speculation accelerating job
creation in the U.S. will bolster consumer spending, decreasing
the likelihood the Federal Reserve will lower interest rates.
Gold and the dollar typically move in opposite directions.
Bullion surged 23 percent last year while the U.S. currency lost
11.4 percent against the euro.


Read more at Bloomberg Commodities News

South African Bonds Decline After Inflation Breaches Central Bank's Target

(Bloomberg) -- South African government bonds fell
after inflation accelerated to an annual 6.3 percent in April,
exceeding the central bank's target range for the first time in
more than three years.

The yield on the 13 percent bond due August 2010, also
known as the R153, rose to 8.2 percent, with the price at
113.19. Bond yields move inversely to prices. Against the
dollar, the rand fell 0.5 percent to 7.178 as of 11:41 a.m. in
Johannesburg.


Read more at Bloomberg Bonds News

UPDATE 1-US mortgage applications fell last week-MBA

(Reuters) - The Mortgage Bankers Association said its seasonally
adjusted index of mortgage applications for the week ended May
25 dropped 7.3 percent to 636.4.




Borrowing costs on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages, excluding
fees, averaged 6.32 percent, up 0.09 percentage point from the
previous week and its highest since the week ended Oct. 20,
when it stood at 6.36 percent.


Read more at Reuters.com Economic News

Williams-Sonoma reports lower quarterly profit

(Reuters) - Analysts, on average, were expecting earnings of 13 cents per share, according to Reuters Estimates.




Sales in the quarter rose 2.7 percent to $816.1 million.


Read more at Reuters.com Business News