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Financial shares are higher while American International Group (AIG) strikes a deal to sell its interest in MetLife (MET). In sector ETFs, Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) is up 1.77% to $16.69. In mid-day news, shares of Am

BlackRock Inc. (NYSE:BLK), Spain's Banco Santander SA (NYSE:STD) and more than 10 other private equity firms are looking to extend bids for Citigroup's (NYSE:C) U.S.

This is what's in the news for Thursday, Match 3rd. Reuters reports that AIG (AIG) sold $9.6B of MetLife (MET) shares yesterday producing gross proceeds of about $6.3B to accelerate its payback of U.S. Treasury bailout funds,

ADRs of Zurich Financial Services (ZFSVY) are down after Bloomberg reported the insurer will pay as much as $2.1 billion for 51% of Banco Santander's (STD) insurance business in Chile, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. Zurich

Santander's bid comes to $5.8 billion for 100% of Zachodni shares.

Santander ADRs are up 0.17%, or $0.02, to $12.11."

"ADRs of Banco Santander (STD) are just higher on a Bloomberg report that it has made a bid to acquire Polish lender Bank Zachodni, which it bought a majority stake in last year from Allied Irish Banks.

Equity futures are pointing higher this morning with the Dow Jones Industrial Average looking to open 64 points higher while the broader S&P500 index is looking to open nearly 8 points higher.

We are halfway through the trading day and we are tracking where the big money is placing their bets. Often times that’s in the options market where institutional investors tend to take positions. Today Banco Santander tops th

Welcome to the Financial News Network Option Report.