Market News

* Reid to ask for 'unanimous consent' on sanctions

SINGAPORE/HONG KONG (Reuters) - Royal Bank of Canada and Credit Suisse are among the suitors seeking to bid for the non-U.S. wealth management businesses of Bank of America Merrill Lynch , sources told Reuters, in a deal that could be worth around $2 billion.

After inconclusive elections and fruitless political horse-trading, debt-laden Greece will finally name a government Thursday, but only to hold the fort until fresh polls next month.

(Reuters) - Nine creditors of Residential Capital LLC, including the insurers American International Group Inc and Allstate Corp , were selected to join the unsecured creditors committee for the mortgage lender's bankruptcy.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's economy bounced back from a year-end lull in the first quarter, powering ahead of other major industrial nations thanks to rebuilding of the tsunami-battered northeast, solid private spending and some improvement in exports.

SINGAPORE, May 17 (Reuters) - Gold rose half a percent onThursday as bargain hunters resurfaced after prices tumbled toanother 4-1/2 month low in the previous season, but gains couldbe limited by fears of a deepening debt crisis in Greece, evenas the euro rebounded.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Investors who want Facebook Inc shares when the No. 1 online social network goes public later this week may have lost the opportunity. TD Ameritrade and Fidelity's brokerage arm both stopped accepting orders of Facebook shares as of Tuesday evening, according to representatives for each of the comp …

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's economy rebounded in January-March from a lull in the previous quarter, shaking off the pain of a strong yen and Europe's debt crisis on solid consumer spending and rebuilding from last year's earthquake.

(Reuters) - Older people who reported drinking a few daily cups of coffee were less likely to die over the subsequent 14 years than were those who abstained from the beverage or rarely drank it, according to a U.S. study of 400,000 people.

(Reuters) - Array BioPharma Inc's experimental lung cancer drug, selumetinib, w as shown to increase survival by an additional 4.2 months over chemotherapy alone, according to new data released on Wednesday.

SINGAPORE, May 17 (Reuters) - U.S. crude prices steadiednear $92 a barrel on Thursday as concerns over a Greek exit fromthe euro zone offset support from U.S. government data showing asmaller rise in crude stocks than an industry report earlierthis week.

WASHINGTON, May 16 (Reuters) - Senate Democratic LeaderHarry Reid will ask the U.S. Senate to approve a new package ofoil and economic sanctions on Thursday to pressure Iran toabandon its nuclear program, a Democratic leadership aide toldReuters.

ATHENS (Reuters) - IMF chief Christine Lagarde warned of "extremely expensive" consequences were Greece to leave the euro zone, a once taboo possibility that European leaders have begun to discuss openly after the nation descended into political chaos.