Wall St edges lower after string of gains

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks closed slightly lower on Monday as lingering questions about Europe's debt crisis and corporate earnings overshadowed growing optimism about economic growth after a five-week rally.

Greeks delay bailout talks as Merkel demands action

ATHENS/PARIS (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel told Greece Monday to make up its mind fast on accepting the painful terms for a new EU/IMF bailout, but the country's political leaders responded by delaying their decision for yet another day.

Yum profit up as China keeps growing

(Reuters) - KFC parent Yum Brands Inc reported fourth-quarter earnings that topped Wall Street's view after accelerating sales and operating profit at established restaurants in China helped ease worries that growth in its top market was slowing.

Mortgage deal faces setbacks, again

(Reuters) - A multi-state mortgage settlement in the works for more than a year will likely be pushed back again as dissident U.S. states continue to press specific concerns and ignore a Monday deadline to decide whether they will sign it.

SEC's Gallagher wants more oversight of brokers

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congress made a mistake when it stripped away most of the Securities and Exchange Commission's authority to police the holding companies of broker-dealers for risks, according to the SEC's newest commissioner.

BofA investor lawsuit wins class-action status

(Reuters) - Investors suing Bank of America Corp won class-action status for their lawsuit accusing the bank of fraudulently misleading them about the 2008 takeover of Merrill Lynch & Co and the size of Merrill's losses and bonus payouts.

MF Global shortfall worsened as bankruptcy neared

(Reuters) - In its chaotic final days, MF Global's floundering brokerage used increasingly large chunks of customer money in an effort to keep the company afloat, creating a massive shortfall in customer funds, the trustee liquidating the brokerage has found.

Housing plan helps nearly 1 million homeowners

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Nearly 1 million U.S. homeowners have won permanent reductions on mortgage payments since the Obama administration launched its foreclosure prevention program in 2009, the U.S. Treasury said on Monday, only a fraction of the total it aimed to reach.

Ford won't bid to replace military Humvees

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co said on Monday it had decided not to participate in a new Pentagon competition to replace the U.S. military's fleet of workhorse Humvee vehicles.

787 glitch may pressure Boeing production outlook

(Reuters) - Boeing Co faces fresh questions over whether it can meet what was already viewed to be an overly ambitious production schedule for the 787 Dreamliner, after the aerospace company said it had found a problem with the jet's fuselage.