Business Today: Futures rise ahead of sentiment, home sales data

02/24/2012 Futures rise ahead of sentiment, home sales data NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stock index futures were higher on Friday, extending gains that have taken equities near highs not seen since before the 2008 collapse of Lehman Brothers. Greece sets stage for Friday bond swap ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece took its first step towards reaping urgently needed funds agreed in a 130-billion-euro rescue package on Thursday as its parliament endorsed a bond swap for private holders of its debt. Insight: Business spending raises U.S. bank hopes (Reuters) - Two-and-a-half years after the official end of the recession, businesses are starting to invest cash again, prompting bankers to hope they might start borrowing, too. Casino mogul Wynn dumps friend-turned-foe MACAU (Reuters) - Casino mogul Steve Wynn ousted his former friend and partner Kazuo Okada from the board of his Wynn Macau unit on Friday, in the latest twist to a gripping legal joust that shines a light into gaming industry governance. Penney quarterly same-store sales fall 1.8 percent (Reuters) - J.C. Penney Co Inc said on Friday that sales at its stores open at least a year had fallen 1.8 percent in the holiday quarter, contributing to a sharp drop in its gross profit margin. Showing rising confidence, U.S. funds ready to invest in Europe LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. fund managers who successfully called the bottom of their home credit market in 2008 are starting to put money back into Europe in a sign of returning confidence in the euro zone. QE3 only needed if economy deteriorates: Fed's Bullard NEW YORK (Reuters) - A third round of Federal Reserve bond purchases should only be done if the U.S. economy deteriorates, and the United States is not in that situation now, a top Fed official said on Friday. Lofty oil new headache for debt-ridden Europe LONDON (Reuters)- No sooner are Europe's debt anxieties easing a touch than a sharp rise in oil prices threatens to impede the economy's tentative recovery from the euro's near-death experience with Greece. Portugal eyes exports as route back to growth LISBON (Reuters) - Portugal is pinning hopes of repairing its fragile economy on an export revival, Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho said on Friday, as the country's recession deepens and it battles to hit tough austerity targets. AIG says it bought some Maiden Lane II assets (Reuters) - Bailed-out insurer American International Group has bought about $2 billion of the mortgage-backed securities being auctioned by the Federal Reserve out of its Maiden Lane II portfolio, Chief Executive Bob Benmosche said on Friday. Related Video Hiring picking up, but challenges remain: Manpower CEO Investors may want to eye IMAX over media conglomerates Economic News QE3 only needed if economy deteriorates: Fed's Bullard Fed's Bullard says willing to adopt single mandate A daily digest of breaking business news, coverage of the US economy, major corporate news and the financial markets. Register Today   The latest Reuters articles on M&A, IPOs, private equity, hedge funds and regulatory updates delivered to your inbox each day. Register Today   » MORE NEWSLETTERS - 3 Times Square New York, NY 10036 USA © Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters Ensure delivery of Reuters Newsmails, add mail@nl.reuters.com to your address book. Details Subscribe to other Reuters newsletters. Unsubscribe from this newsletter. Follow us on Twitter Friend us on Facebook Forward to a friend