MARKET ACTIVITY

Stocks point to higher open ahead of G-7 meeting Investors are far from shrugging off their anxieties about the economy, but are growing confident that more details will emerge soon about government efforts to revive it

Hartford Financial Services Group Inc.
said Thursday it has gotten regulatory relief that will boost its capital levels and that it will no longer be eligible for a government lending program

U.S. Treasuries poised for gain on stimulus skepticism
With risk-averse investors returning to their safe haven, U.S. Treasuries surged toward a weekly gain as markets became doubtful that the U.S. stimulus would revive the world's biggest economy. Yields fell on the benchmark 10-year Treasury, and spreads narrowed on Treasury Inflation Protected Securities. Bloomberg (13 Feb.)

Doubts about U.S. efforts drive gains for gold, bonds
Global worries that the U.S. stimulus would not do enough to breathe life into the economy drove equities and oil futures lower, driving up prices for gold and bonds. Traders were alarmed by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner's failure to offer details about his plan for rescuing the U.S. financial system. Forbes/Reuters (12 Feb.)

Sirius, Ergen Move Closer to Deal
Sirius XM's talks with Ergen moved closer to saving the company from bankruptcy proceedings, even as it weighs an offer from Liberty Media.