Global Markets News

* Indexes: Dow up 0.6%, S&P 500 up 0.9%, Nasdaq up 1.4% (Updates close with volume, weekly performances, other details)

* Xilinx surges on report of buyout offer by AMD (Updates to close)

* Indexes up: Dow 0.5%, S&P 0.7%, Nasdaq 1.1% (Updates to late afternoon)

* Indexes up: Dow 0.61%, S&P 0.89%, Nasdaq 1.32% (Updates to early afternoon)

* Indexes up: Dow 0.44%, S&P 0.60%, Nasdaq 0.96% (Adds comment; updates share prices)

* Indexes up: Dow 0.30%, S&P 0.53%, Nasdaq 0.82% (Updates to open)

Wall Street's main indexes opened higher on Friday, setting up the S&P 500 and the Dow for their second straight weekly gain on hopes of more fiscal aid and growing expectations of a Democratic victory in next month's presidential election.

* Futures up: Dow 0.43%, S&P 0.49%, Nasdaq 0.51% (Adds comment; updates share prices)

U.S. stock index futures rose on Friday, setting the S&P 500 up for its second weekly gain in a row as hopes for more fiscal aid boosted optimism against the backdrop of political uncertainty ahead of the presidential election.

* Indexes: Dow up 0.4%, S&P 500 up 0.8%, Nasdaq up 0.5% (Updates close with volume, other details)

Italy's business lobby Confindustria said on Saturday it saw just a "partial" rebound for the country's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2021 after an expected 10% contraction this year, as the coronavirus epidemic still loomed.

COVID-19 shattered records for new cases in the U.S. Midwest, while Europe surpassed 100,000 daily cases for the first time after countries including Russia and the UK saw no respite in the mounting number of infections every day in the past five days.

Norwegian Air is considering laying off staff at its base at Gatwick Airport, a spokesman said on Friday, as the struggling budget airline steps up its cost-cutting drive to survive the industry's worst crisis.

Swiss watch brand Frederique Constant, owned by Japan's Citizen Watch Co, is hoping to limit the fall in sales to 25% this year as September business was almost back to normal, its chief executive told Reuters.

BASF slashed its outlook on Friday after heavy writeoffs sent it to a quarterly net loss of 2.6 billion euros ($3.1 billion), blaming a slump in demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic and a glut in basic chemicals.

Rolls Royce shares on Friday were heading for their best weekly gain since listing in 1987 as the British aircraft engine maker's plan to raise money to cope with the coronavirus travel crisis triggered bargain hunting among investors.

German chemicals maker Covestro raised its full-year guidance as it reported a better-than-expected quarterly core profit on Friday, citing cost-cutting measures, improved volume growth and better margin development.

After U.S. Q2 results beat expectations, Q3 will show whether dire forecasts for companies' bottom lines were justified.

Poland's biggest fashion retailer LPP aims to pay out dividends next year after deciding against any payout this year, its deputy head Przemyslaw Lutkiewicz said on Friday.

British Land said on Friday it would resume paying dividends in November, as the mall and office owner collected 69% of its September-quarter rent and expects collections to improve further over the coming weeks.