AFP - Ukraine has reached a deal with international financial bodies and the EU for payment of Russian gas bills, the European Commission said Friday, allaying fears of another winter cut-off.

AFP - Europe’s main equity markets turned flat on Friday after poor economic data and downbeat company earnings in the recession-struck eurozone.

AP - British cleaning and pest control company Rentokil Initial PLC reported Friday a 55 percent drop in first-half net profit as revenue sagged in a tough economic environment, but shares jumped after it said it expected better earnings in the second half.

AFP - Shares in London closed lower on Friday as investors digested a report on US economic growth that showed a smaller-than-expected contraction but continued weakness in consumer spending.

AP - Moody’s Investors Service said Thursday it raised its rating outlook on auto parts retailer Advance Auto Parts Inc. to positive from stable and affirmed its debt and liquidity ratings for the company.

AFP - Europe’s main equity markets turned flat on Friday after poor economic data and downbeat company earnings in the recession-struck eurozone.

AP - Falling prices and rising unemployment in the 16 nations that use the euro show an economy still mired in recession despite recent green shoots of recovery, according to EU statistics published Friday.

AP - The stock market is a day away from locking in its best July in 20 years. Stocks added to an already impressive run Thursday as another round of earnings reports gave investors new reasons to be optimistic about the economy. The latest reports struck a theme that has played out for weeks: Times are tough but companies aren’t doing as badly as feared. Many have chopped costs to produce profits well beyond the market’s modest expectations.

AP - Moody’s Investors Service said Thursday it raised its rating outlook on auto parts retailer Advance Auto Parts Inc. to positive from stable and affirmed its debt and liquidity ratings for the company.

AP - Oil prices traded below $67 a barrel Friday as a stock market rally in the U.S. and Asia fizzled out in Europe and as investors braced for a key economic growth figure out of the U.S.