Business Today: Wall Street set to rise ahead of Greek deal

Click to View in Browser 03/8/2012 Wall Street set to rise ahead of Greek deal NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wall Street was set to rise on Thursday as strong uptake by investors in Greece's debt swap fed optimism a deal could be completed by a deadline later in the day, staving off a messy default. Jobless claims rise 8,000 last week WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose last week, a government report showed on Thursday, but not enough to change perceptions that the labor market was strengthening. ECB holds rates at 1.0 percent as prospects brighten FRANKFURT (Reuters) - The European Central Bank held its main interest rate at 1.0 percent on Thursday, pausing to assess signs the euro zone economic outlook is stabilizing and to weigh up potential inflation risks posed by a recent spike in oil prices. Whistleblower says BofA defrauded HAMP NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bank of America NA prevented homeowners from receiving mortgage-loan modifications under a federal program in order to avoid millions of dollars in losses while benefitting from financial incentives for participating in the program, according to a complaint unsealed in federal court Wednesday. Planned layoffs dip in February: Challenger NEW YORK (Reuters) - The number of planned layoffs at firms dipped in February, with the transportation and consumer products sectors seeing the most job cuts, a report on Thursday showed. Greece optimistic as bond swap deadline nears ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece moved closer on Thursday to concluding a bond swap deal with private creditors that it desperately needs to stave off a messy default and buy time to repair its exhausted economy. BoE holds policy steady as growth proves patchy LONDON (Reuters) - The Bank of England left its monetary policy unchanged on Thursday, deciding that February's extra 50 billion pounds ($79 billion) of quantitative easing was enough for now to support the economy through a period of fitful recovery. Air France-KLM sees tough 2012 as fuel costs soar PARIS (Reuters) - Franco-Dutch airline Air France-KLM warned that a soaring fuel bill would hit profits this year after it swung to a loss in 2011 and scrapped its dividend. Disney shrugs off shareholder concern on CEO role (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co , which recently voted to give the chairman's post to Chief Executive Robert Iger, said it disagreed with a longtime shareholder that the move would hurt the company. Giant JPMorgan lures brokers with boutique pitch NEW YORK (Reuters) - JPMorgan Securities, the brokerage arm of banking giant JPMorgan Chase & Co , is trying to lure advisers from Wall Street rivals with an unlikely pitch: "We're actually a small boutique." Related Video Market Pulse: ECB to hold fire as critics pipe up Forbes unveils billionaires list Economic News Jobless claims rise 8,000 last week Consumer credit rises more than expected in January 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