China's biggest four banks issued around CNY50 billion (US$7.9 billion) in new yuan loans in the first half of July, double that of the same period of last month, the state-run Shanghai Securities News reported Thursday, citing unnamed sources.

Spain may be able to use European Union bailout funds to buy public debt and thus alleviate the pressure on its borrowing cost and lower the risk premium, reports El Pais in its Thursday Internet edition, citing EU documents.

Brazilian credit-card networking services provider Redecard SA (RDCD3.BR) said second-quarter net profit rose 20% year-on-year as a sluggish local economy failed to undercut credit-card use in Latin America's largest economy.

Brazil's telecommunications regulator Anatel has suspended sales by three mobile-phone companies in some states because of the volume of customer complaints.

American Express Co.'s (AXP) second-quarter profit was essentially flat as the pace of customer card-spending slowed, though it continued to benefit from historically low loan losses.

The U.S. futures industry's method of regulating itself needs rethinking after a second scandal rocked the sector in less than a year, the head of the business's main lobby group said Wednesday.

Venezuelan state oil monopoly Petroleos de Venezuela, or PdVSA, said Wednesday it has finalized a term sheet for a $2 billion credit line it will receive from U.S. oil major Chevron Corp. (CVX) which will go towards the companies' Petroboscan joint venture in the South American country.

Capital One Financial Corp.'s (COF) second-quarter earnings plunged 90% from a year earlier as the company booked a slew of charges related to its acquisition of HSBC Holdings PLC's (HBC, 0005.HK, HSBA.LN) U.S. credit-card portfolio and a settlement with U.S. regulators.

U.S. regulators named eight payment and clearing firms as systemically important, a designation that says their failure could jolt the U.S. economy and thus subjects them to enhanced government oversight.

Special to Dow Jones Newswires JAKARTA--Indonesia's Supreme Court said Wednesday it has rejected an appeal filed by the country's antitrust agency on a case against Pfizer Inc. (PFE), its affiliates and an Indonesian company, affirming an earlier ruling by a district court.