Futures point to weak Wall St; Devon Energy seen up (at Reuters)

* U.S. stock index futures fell on Thursday, pointing to a weaker start for Wall Street. By 0859 GMT, futures for the Dow Jones industrial average , the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq slipped 0.2 to 0.3 percent. * BP has agreed to buy Brazilian, Azeri and Gulf of Mexico assets from Devon Energy for $7 billion, as the U.S. oil producer refocuses on onshore U.S. fields .

[$$] Financials Help Stocks Scratch Out Gains (at The Wall Street Journal)

Financials Help Stocks Scratch Out Gains Bank of America and J.P. Morgan Chase rose as data on U.S. wholesale inventories showed improving demand.

Greed Is Good. So Are Cannes Film Awards. (at New York Times)

Gordon Gekko appears unlikely to return to Wall Street until the fall. Variety reported Wednesday that 20th Century Fox was delaying the release of Oliver Stone s Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps on hopes that it would be included in the Cannes Film Festival in May.

Stocks to Watch: Stocks in focus for Thursday (at MarketWatch)

Among the companies whose shares are expected to see active trade in Thursday s session are National Semiconductor, Smithfield Foods and Aeropostale.

Financials Lead Stocks Higher (at The Wall Street Journal)

Financials Lead Stocks Higher Stocks edged higher thanks to a rally in the financial sector led by AIG and Citigroup, which conducted a successful offering of $2 billion in securities.

Summary Box: Stocks rise after inventories fall (AP)

GOOD NEWS, MODEST MOVES: The Dow Jones industrial average tacked on only 3 points Wednesday after the government said that inventories at wholesalers fell in January while sales rose.

Stocks rise after inventories fall and sales gain (AP)

Scant buying lifted stocks for a second day Wednesday after the government reported a drop in companies inventories. The Dow Jones industrials rose only 3 points as the market remained in a lull that began on Monday.

How the major stock indexes fared on Wednesday (AP)

Scant buying lifted stocks for a second day Wednesday after the government reported a drop in companies inventories. The Dow Jones industrials rose only 3 points as the market remained in a lull that began on Monday.

US STOCKS-Bets on economy lift Wall Street; banks, tech lead (at Reuters)

* KBW bank stock index at highest since November 2008 * Nasdaq Composite rises for fifth straight day * Abbott Labs to buy Facet Biotech for $27 per share * Dow up 0.03 pct, S&P 500 up 0.45 pct, Nasdaq up 0.78 pct

US STOCKS-Wall St up on economy bets; banks, tech lead (at Reuters)

* KBW bank stock index at highest since November 2008 * Nasdaq Composite rises for fifth straight day * Abbott Labs to buy Facet Biotech for $27 per share * Dow up 0.03 pct, S&P 500 up 0.45 pct, Nasdaq up 0.78 pct

U.S. stocks end up as inventories fall (at MarketWatch)

U.S. stocks added to their gains on Wednesday after the government said inventories fell in January. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 2.95 points to 10,567.33. The S&P 500 Index rose 5.16 points to 1,145.61.