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CBOE Files to Raise as Much as $300 Million in IPO (Update1) The Chicago Board Options Exchange, the last major member-owned U.S. bourse, filed to sell up to $300 million in stock in an initial public offering.

Magnitude 7.2 Earthquake at Libertador O’Higgins, Chile: USGS A preliminary magnitude 7.2 earthquake has hit Libertador O’Higgins, Chile, the U.S. Geological Survey reported on its Web site.

Senate’s Dodd Plans to Release Financial Overhaul Bill Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd said he will release his financial overhaul legislation next week while talks on an agreement continue.

Slim Passes Gates, Buffett to Become Forbes Richest (Update1) Mexico’s Carlos Slim beat Bill Gates and Warren Buffett for the top spot on Forbes magazine’s annual list of billionaires, becoming the first person from outside the U.S. to lead the rankings in 16 years.

Fiat May Need to Convince on Chrysler Before Auto IPO (Update2) Fiat SpA, the Italian carmaker that helped Chrysler Group LLC emerge from bankruptcy, may wait to turn around the U.S. business before deciding on a share sale or spinoff for its automotive division.

Treasury Yield Curve Near Record Before $13 Billion Bond Sale The difference in yields between 2- and 30-year Treasuries was near the highest on record as the U.S. prepares to sell $13 billion of bonds amid signs the global recovery is gaining momentum.

Bratz Doll Maker MGA Entertainment Will Consider IPO, CEO Says MGA Entertainment Inc., the maker of the Bratz doll, will consider selling shares in an initial public offering, Chief Executive Officer Isaac Larian said.

Democrats Find No Haven in Job Growth in Districts (Update1) On the eve of the anniversary of President Barack Obama’s economic stimulus plan last month, Republicans targeted Democrat Betsy Markey’s Colorado district with a mailing citing the “painfully high unemployment rate.”

OTC Swaps Clearing Must Be Open to All Firms, Gensler Says Clearinghouses for swaps transactions should be open to any firm that wants to process trades in the $300 trillion U.S. market, according to Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Gary Gensler.

Obama’s Trade Goal Fights His Clean-Energy Plan (Update2) President Barack Obama’s goals of boosting U.S. exports and combating climate change are colliding as the U.S. Export-Import Bank expands financing for oil, gas, mining and power-plant projects.

BofA ‘Comfortable’ Bank Can Absorb Home-Equity Losses (Update1) Bank of America Corp. Chief Executive Officer Brian Moynihan said the lender, the biggest in the U.S., can absorb losses on its $149 billion home-equity loan portfolio even after the four-year slump in housing prices.

Trade Gap in U.S. Unexpectedly Shrinks as Imports Drop (Update2) The trade deficit in the U.S. unexpectedly narrowed in January as demand for foreign oil and automobiles dropped.

Jobless Claims in U.S. Declined Last Week to 462,000 (Update1) The number of Americans filing first-time claims for jobless benefits fell for a second week to a level that indicates companies are nearing the end of payroll reductions as the economy recovers.

Billionaire Owner Gets EU230 Million From Hunter Douglas Payout Dutch billionaire Ralph Sonnenberg, the majority shareholder of Hunter Douglas NV, stands to reap 230 million euros ($314 million) after the world’s biggest maker of window blinds announced a special dividend.

U.S. Stock Futures Decline Amid Concern China Will Raise Rates U.S. stock futures fell, indicating the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index will pare this week’s rally, as higher-than-estimated inflation in China spurred speculation the nation will be forced to raise interest rates.

Trade Gap in U.S. Unexpectedly Falls as Oil, Auto Imports Drop The trade deficit in the U.S. unexpectedly narrowed in January as demand for foreign oil and automobiles dropped.

SNB Keeps Rate Near Zero, Reiterates Stance on Franc (Update1) The Swiss central bank left its benchmark interest rate near zero and reiterated its readiness to sell the franc if needed to keep a lid on the currency.

Pink Floyd Contract Applies to Digital Sales, U.K. Court Rules EMI Group Ltd. should only sell the music of Pink Floyd, the band that recorded the best-selling album “The Dark Side of the Moon,” in full album format and can’t sell single songs online, a London judge ruled today.

Alrosa to Sign $490 Million Diamond Deals on Putin India Trip ZAO Alrosa, the world’s largest diamond company, will sign contracts to supply $490 million of the stones to India in the next three years as it seeks to double sales to the country.

HSBC Private Bank Reports Theft of 15,000 Accounts (Update1) HSBC Holdings Plc’s Swiss private bank said a former employee stole details on 15,000 existing accounts, as banking secrecy comes under growing pressure from nations keen to crack down on tax evasion.

Greeks Strike Over Budget Cuts, Bonds, Stocks Decline (Update1) Greek hospitals, airports and schools were shut and police scuffled with protesters as unions staged the second general strike this year against government budget cuts to curb the European Union’s biggest deficit.

British Airways Closer to Strike as Union Talks Fail (Update1) British Airways Plc’s 12,000 flight attendants moved closer to a strike after talks with Europe’s third-largest airline over pay cuts broke down.

Solar Prospectors Chase Italian, Israeli ‘Gold Mines’ (Update2) Olivier de Vergnies quit managing family fortunes at Dexia Private Bank (Switzerland) Ltd. in 2008 to run a New York start-up at 100 Wall St. that’s trying to tap riches in solar energy.

Brown Tries to Turn Double-Dip U.K. Threat to Benefit (Update2) Gordon Brown is trying to turn the threat of a double-dip U.K. recession into an advantage.

Yanukovych Gets Old Ally Azarov as Premier in New Coalition Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych secured a Cabinet led by an old ally who’ll seek to use a new majority in parliament to pass this year’s budget and unfreeze a $16.4 billion rescue loan.

Shun Spain on ‘Death by 1,000 Cuts,’ Merrill Says (Update1) Investors should avoid Spain’s bonds as the euro region’s highest levels of joblessness stifle the country’s ability to cut its budget deficit, according to Invesco Ltd. and Bank of America Corp.’s Merrill Lynch unit.

Israel Plans First Bond Sale in Euros in Five Years (Update2) Israel is selling its first bonds in euros in almost five years as the country seeks to diversify its sources of funding.

Feldstein Says Euro’s Fall Due to ‘Panic’ Over Greece (Update1) Harvard University Professor Martin Feldstein said the euro’s 4.6 percent decline against the dollar this year has been “panic selling” stemming from the financial crisis in Greece.

Bond Spreads at Narrowest This Year Lure GMAC: Credit Markets Corporate bond yields fell to the lowest this year relative to benchmark government securities, luring GMAC Inc. to sell its longest-maturity notes since 2004.

EMI’s New Chief Needs to Raise Money in ‘Make or Break’ Dash Charles Allen, the new executive chairman of EMI Music, needs to raise money in a “make or break” dash, while stroking artists’ egos to prevent the loss- making music company from being taken over.

BP Pays $7 Billion for Devon Assets in Brazil, Gulf (Update3) BP Plc will pay Devon Energy Corp. $7 billion for assets in Brazil, the Gulf of Mexico and Azerbaijan, adding fields that may extend its production lead over Exxon Mobil Corp.

Biden Said Delay in East Jerusalem Building to Give Talks Time Vice President Joe Biden welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement that building plans for east Jerusalem would take years and said the time lag gave diplomats the opportunity to address the issue.

Treasury Yield Curve Near Record Before $13 Billion Bond Sale Treasury 30-year yields were near the highest on record compared with two-year rates as the U.S. prepared to sell $13 billion of long bonds amid signs the global recovery is gaining momentum.

Pulp Price Surges on Chilean Quake, Finnish Strike (Update1) Chile’s earthquake and a Finnish port strike may propel pulp prices to a record, hastening a tightening of inventories after papermakers cut output.

Hold Cash as ‘General Correction’ Looms, HSBC Says (Update1) Global financial markets are yet to bottom and investors should hold cash, investment-grade debt or defensive stocks to ride out a coming “general correction,” according to HSBC Holdings Plc.

Romania Offers Yield Above Croatia’s in Biggest Bond (Update1) Romania will offer bond yields higher than similarly rated Croatian debt to lure investors to its biggest sale of Eurobonds.

Commodities Decline, Yen Gains as China’s Inflation Accelerates Commodities fell and the yen strengthened on increasing speculation that China, the world’s fastest-growing economy, will slow its expansion to control inflation. Stocks swung between gains and losses.

Solar Prospectors Chase Italian, Israeli ‘Gold Mines’ (Update1) Olivier de Vergnies quit managing family fortunes at Dexia Private Bank (Switzerland) Ltd. in 2008 to run a New York start-up at 100 Wall St. that’s trying to tap riches in solar energy.

Lufthansa Targets Earnings Growth on Traffic Increase (Update1) Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Europe’s second-biggest airline, forecast operating profit will rise this year as the company reduces spending and travel increases.

European Stocks Fluctuate; BHP Billiton Slips, Volkswagen Gains European stocks fluctuated as basic-resource producers fell on speculation rising inflation will prompt China to pare back stimulus measures, offsetting a rally by auto shares. Asian equities gained.