U.S. stocks closed lower on Friday as data showed the economy contracted in the first quarter but indexes still posted gains for the month.

Swedish fingerprint sensor firm Fingerprint Cards said it had cooperated with Google on fingerprint recognition in the new Android software platform, as the U.S. software group looks to boost the use of fingerprint sensors on mobile phones.

India's plans to allow domestic firms to raise rupee-denominated debt abroad for the first time are being eclipsed by the rising cost of funds in international markets, making it harder for cash-starved businesses to take advantage of the relaxed rules.

U.S. data center company Equinix Inc (EQIX.O) said on Friday it had agreed to buy British peer Telecity Group (TCY.L) in a deal worth 2.35 billion pounds ($3.6 billion) which ends Telecity's pursuit of smaller Dutch firm Interxion Holding NV (INXN.N).

The dollar inched higher on Friday, putting it on track for a monthly rise in May, while Chinese shares steadied after a plunge a day earlier that stoked concerns about the financial health of the world's second largest economy.

The U.S. economy likely contracted in the first quarter as it buckled under the weight of unusually heavy snowfalls and a resurgent dollar, but activity since has rebounded modestly.

Some of the biggest investors in Vodafone say they are open to a European tie-up with Liberty Global, as the British company is now in a stronger position to negotiate a deal with John Malone's cable group.

The euro rose on Thursday as Greece fought to reach an agreement with its lenders to avoid an imminent default, but mixed signals on the state of the negotiations kept other markets little changed.

Contracts to buy previously owned U.S. homes rose for a fourth straight month in April to a nine-year high, buoying the outlook for the housing market and the overall economy.

Avago Technologies Ltd (AVGO.O) agreed on Thursday to buy Broadcom Corp (BRCM.O) for $37 billion in the largest merger of chipmakers ever, turning a lesser known company run by a ferocious dealmaker into one of the biggest industry players.

U.S. stocks eased on Thursday as mixed messages about Greece's debt talks kept investor uncertainty high along with a sharp drop in Chinese shares after brokers tightened margin rules.

The chief executive of German drugs and chemicals group Bayer (BAYGn.DE), Marijn Dekkers, said on Wednesday he could not comment on the possible takeover of Syngenta (SYNN.VX) by Monsanto (MON.N).

China's stock markets plunged on Thursday, with indexes dropping over 6 percent in record high turnover as investors rushed to sell after more brokers tightened margin trading requirements for clients and the central bank drained money market liquidity.

Oil prices recovered on Thursday after a two-day slide as the dollar weakened, making fuel less expensive for holders of other currencies.

China's factories struggled to expand in May despite recent interest rate cuts and other policy stimulus, a Reuters poll showed, suggesting the government may have to do more to halt a protracted slowdown in the economy.

The dollar took a breather on Thursday after hitting its highest level against the yen since 2002, and stocks stuttered as high-flying Chinese shares tumbled and European officials downplayed talk of an imminent deal to keep Greece afloat.

The top U.S. telecommunications regulator wants to make it harder for telemarketers and other businesses to place unwanted robocalls and text messages under changes to autodialing rules proposed on Wednesday.

Oil prices fell by up to 3 percent for a second straight day on Wednesday as a resurgent dollar weighed on the market amid concerns that U.S. crude supplies may have started rising again after three weeks of draws.

Japan's Takata Corp, which for months resisted U.S. regulators' demands to widen a recall over its potentially lethal air bags, has had an "attitude shift" and is in a mood to compromise to try to resolve the ballooning auto safety crisis, said a person close to the company.

CBS Corp (CBS.N) CEO Leslie Moonves met with Apple Inc (AAPL.O) last week to discuss a TV deal, he said at a technology conference Wednesday, and that discussions and negotiations for such a deal are ongoing.

U.S. stocks ended sharply higher on Wednesday and the Nasdaq logged a record high close, led by a rebound in technology and healthcare stocks and optimism that Greece would avoid defaulting on its debt.

Australian Symon Drake-Brockman is on the front line of a revolution in European finance. The former head of global debt markets at Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS.L) now runs Pemberton Asset Management in London's genteel Belgravia, several miles from the "Square Mile" City of London financial district where bankers work.

European banks Deutsche Bank, Barclays and UBS have seen their market share in foreign exchange trading slump in the past year, as U.S. banks led by Citigroup (C.N) grabbed business, according to widely watched industry rankings.

Former Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said that China's economic slowdown should not worry markets as there was no risk of a hard landing, and emphasized that a move to raise U.S. rates should be viewed as a positive sign for the world's largest economy.

A string of reversals from sharp moves the previous day marked global financial market trading on Wednesday, with stocks and oil gaining ground and the U.S. dollar falling after its biggest rally in two years.

Charter Communications Inc, seeking to remake the U.S. cable television industry by acquiring larger rival Time Warner Cable Inc for $56 billion, will try to skirt the regulatory obstacles that helped sink Comcast Corp's earlier bid for Time Warner Cable.

Amazon’s decision to change its tax-efficient European business structure could raise its tax bill by as much as $100 million a year but authorities will have to fight for additional money and any payments will be hidden from public view.

When the Federal Reserve raises U.S. interest rates for the first time in nearly a decade, it should weigh the effects on global economies and can expect some bouts of financial market volatility, a top Fed official said on Tuesday.

A gauge of U.S. business investment spending plans increased solidly for a second straight month in April, a hopeful sign for manufacturing activity after a long spell of weakness.

U.S. stocks fell on Tuesday, pushing the S&P 500 to its biggest decline in three weeks, weighed down by concerns about Greece and some upbeat data that fueled expectations that a U.S. rate hike could come sooner rather than later.