David L Godines

E.ON AG (EOAN.XE) Monday reported a near 13% increase in net debt in the first half of the year compared with the end of last year driven mainly by the company's investment program and dividend payments to shareholders.

Russia's Federal Antimonopoly Service and a government commission on foreign investment have worked out a possible amicable agreement to a dispute with Telenor (TEL.OS), the biggest shareholder in VimpelCom Ltd. (VIP), Russian business dailies Kommersant and Vedomosti report Friday and Monday,

European stock markets trimmed losses in midmorning action on Monday, as banks and utility firms lent support.

The Olympic Games may have provided a temporary boost to consumer and business confidence in the U.K., but ultimately the games cannot alter Britain's underlying economic problems, Bank of England Governor Mervyn King wrote in an article Sunday.

German insurer Allianz SE (ALV.XE) and reinsurer Munich Re AG (MUV2.XE) are considering a plan to invest in German power grid expansion at the Dutch state-owned network operator TenneT Holding BV, the daily Handelsblatt reports Monday, citing people close to the negotiations.

The main U.K. stock index traded lower on Monday, as resource firms weighed heavily on stocks.

Austria-based Raiffeisenlandesbank Niederoesterreich AG has planned a series of European investors meetings ahead of a potential inaugural, euro-denominated, benchmark-sized, covered bond, one of the banks organizing the meetings said Monday.

Hong Kong rail operator MTR Corp. (0066.HK) said Monday its first-half net profit fell 33%, as lower property sales volume and a fall in revaluation gain offset an increase in rail and retail income.

Swedish private equity firm EQT said Monday that its EQT VI fund will buy UC4, the world's largest independent IT process automation software vendor, from Carlyle Europe Technology Partners and founder Franz Beranek for an enterprise value of 220 million euros ($270.3 million).

Gold futures inched higher in European trading hours on Monday, which came despite a rise in the U.S. dollar.