Business Today: Stocks futures rise, markets to close worst week of year

Click to View in Browser 05/18/2012 Stocks futures rise, markets to close worst week of year NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stock index futures edged up on Friday but major indexes were setting up to close their worst week of the year, while Facebook's debut could help lift battered investor sentiment. Investors brace for Facebook debut on Wall Street (Reuters) - Investors are bracing for Facebook's Wall Street debut on Friday after the world's No.1 online social network raised about $16 billion in one of the biggest initial public offerings in U.S. history. Banks' rising bad loans add to Spanish troubles MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish bank bad loans rose in March to their highest in 18 years, figures from the Bank of Spain showed on Friday, underscoring the problems facing the government as it attempts to clean up the sector and get its economy back on track. China cries foul after U.S. sets tariffs on solar imports (Reuters) - The United States imposed punitive tariffs on solar panel imports from China, the latest in a series of trade disputes between the world's two biggest economies and sparking accusations by Beijing of protectionism. BMW eyes new production sites abroad: source MUNICH (Reuters) - Premium carmaker BMW is considering new production sites around the world, with one option being Mexico, a person familiar with the situation told Reuters on Friday. Italy to keep debt profile outside riskier area MILAN (Reuters) - The average lifespan of Italian debt, which has fallen during the euro zone crisis as investors favor safer short-term issues, should still be close to the current level of 6.8 years at the end of 2012, a top Italian debt official said. Euro zone market turmoil to last 12-24 months: German finance minister PARIS (Reuters) - Market turmoil over the euro zone crisis could last another 12 to 24 months, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said on Friday, saying it was up to the Greeks to decide if they wanted to stay in the single currency. Analysis: JPMorgan CEO gets crisis marks but war isn't over NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shooting from the hip may have got Jamie Dimon into deep trouble -- shooting straight may help to get him out of it. China second quarter GDP growth seen at 7.5 percent: government think-tank BEIJING (Reuters) - China's annual economic growth could slow to 7.5 percent in the second quarter, largely due to curbs on the property sector and headwinds from external demand, the State Information Center, a government think-tank, said in a report published on Friday. JPMorgan's Dimon says will testify before Congress WASHINGTON (Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase & Co Chief Executive Jamie Dimon has agreed to testify before Congress over the bank's recent trading losses, which have ignited a political debate over whether large U.S. banks need to be reined in by regulators or new laws. Related Video Asian stocks tumble, lose 2012 gains Reuters Today: G8 drive to pull Europe from financial abyss Economic News Jobless claims steady, mid-Atlantic factories sag China cries foul after U.S. sets tariffs on solar imports 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