ICE's NYSE swoop creates derivatives giant

LONDON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - IntercontinentalExchange Inc agreed as part of its $8.2 billion takeover of NYSE Euronext to pay the New York Stock Exchange operator a termination fee of $750 million if it fails to gain antitrust clearances, suggesting a high level of confidence the deal will go through. Big Board parent NYSE could get out of the arrangement for a fee of $300 million if a sweeter deal...

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Stocks sink after Republicans cancel budget vote

NEW YORK (AP) — Investors sent Washington a reminder Friday that Wall Street is a power player in talks to avoid the "fiscal cliff." Stocks fell sharply after House Republicans called off a vote on tax rates and left federal budget talks in disarray 10 days before sweeping tax increases and government spending cuts are scheduled to take effect. The Dow Jones industrial average lost as much as 189...

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Titan Advisors withdraws funds from SAC Capital - WSJ

(Reuters) - Titan Advisors LLC has decided to withdraw all of its money from the hedge fund firm SAC Capital Advisors LP, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, as SAC faces scrutiny because of several employees linked to insider-trading charges. It's unclear how much money Titan, an asset-management firm based in New York, had invested with SAC for its clients, although it has $3 billion invested...

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Wall Street ends lower after "fiscal cliff" setback

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks finished lower on Friday after a Republican plan to avoid the "fiscal cliff" failed to gain sufficient support on Thursday night, draining hopes that a deal would be reached before 2013. Still, stocks managed to rebound from the day's lows near the end of the session, and for the week, the three major U.S. stock indexes still ended higher, with the S&P 500 gaining...

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Wall Street Week Ahead: A lump of coal for 'Fiscal Cliff-mas'

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wall Street traders are going to have to pack their tablets and work computers in their holiday luggage after all. A traditionally quiet week could become hellish for traders as politicians in Washington are likely to fall short of an agreement to deal with $600 billion in tax hikes and spending cuts due to kick in early next year. Many economists forecast that this "fiscal cliff"...

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James and Bosh feel Heat have plenty of room to improve

MIAMI (Reuters) - LeBron James and Chris Bosh feel the defending champion Miami Heat have work to do if they are to reach peak form in time for the National Basketball Association (NBA) playoffs, but both embrace the challenge.The Heat (16-6) trail only the New York Knicks (19-6) in the Eastern Conference just past the quarter-mark of the NBA's regular season but Bosh is well aware his team is not...

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Barring setback, Redskins' RG3 looks good to go

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Robert Griffin III looks good to go.The Washington Redskins rookie had a full practice Thursday for the second straight day as the team prepares for this week's game against the Philadelphia Eagles."I like what I see," coach Mike Shanahan said. "If there is no setback, he should be ready to go."Griffin missed Sunday's win over the Cleveland Browns with a sprained right knee. On...

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Placido Polanco agrees to $2.75M deal with Marlins

MIAMI (AP) — Former All-Star third baseman Placido Polanco agreed to a $2.75 million, one-year contract Thursday with the Miami Marlins, plugging the final hole in the team's projected lineup following a payroll purge.The 37-year-old, who can earn an additional $250,000 in performance bonuses, battled injuries this year and hit .257 with two home runs and 19 RBIs in 90 games with the Philadelphia...

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AP IMPACT: Steroids loom in major-college football

WASHINGTON (AP) — With steroids easy to buy, testing weak and punishments inconsistent, college football players are packing on significant weight — 30 pounds or more in a single year, sometimes — without drawing much attention from their schools or the NCAA in a sport that earns tens of billions of dollars for teams.Rules vary so widely that, on any given game day, a team with a strict no-steroid...

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Cleared Minnesota college coach fights suspension

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota college football coach who was cleared of child porn charges is fighting a suspension, his union said Thursday, although neither it nor the university would say what prompted the punishment or shed light on his prospects for reinstatement.Coach Todd Hoffner received a written notice from Minnesota State University, Mankato late Tuesday afternoon about a 20-day unpaid...

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