Gold at new highs; Asian shares climb

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Gold struck another peak on Thursday because of its investor appeal as a safe asset and Asian stocks looked past Wall Street's weak finish to eke out gains. The yen slipped amid growing market talk that Japan may step up quantitative easing to battle deflation.

Bank of America to repay TARP

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bank of America Corp <BAC.N> said it would repay $45 billion of taxpayer bailout funds, a move that could free the top U.S. lender from pay curbs as it looks to hire a new CEO but also makes it more vulnerable to further economic shocks. The surprise announcement on Wednesday marks a victory for outgoing Chief Executive Kenneth Lewis, who is expected to retire from his post by the end of the year. Lewis has said that repaying the government was something he wanted to accomplish before stepping down.

American, TPG ready to invest $1.1 billion in JAL

TOKYO (Reuters) - American Airlines said it, Oneworld alliance members and private equity fund TPG would be willing to invest $1.1 billion in Japan Airlines to match a similar bid from rival Delta and the SkyTeam alliance. American is eager to prevent JAL's defection from Oneworld, as Delta Air Lines said that it could team up with a private equity fund or venture capital firm to offer more than its previously announced $1 billion to JAL.

GE, Comcast to announce NBCU deal

NEW YORK (Reuters) - General Electric Co <GE.N> and Comcast Corp <CMCSA.O> are set to announce a joint venture on Thursday morning that would give the cable company eventual control of NBC Universal in this year's biggest media deal. The deal values NBC Universal at about $30 billion and Comcast's cable networks at $7.25 billion, sources familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

GM's management was "surprised" by CEO's exit: Lutz

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - General Motors Co's <GM.UL> management team was "surprised" and "saddened" by the sudden departure of Chief Executive Fritz Henderson this week, GM's Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said on Wednesday. "I think it's fair to say that we were totally surprised," Lutz told reporters at the Los Angeles auto show. "None of us had any hint that this was coming."

Job losses decline again; Fed sees improvement

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. labor market improved in November, with private sector job losses declining for the eighth straight month and employers planning fewer layoffs, separate reports showed on Wednesday. Although employers are still shedding jobs, economists said the figures suggest the United States is on track to start adding jobs next year.

RBS warns of risks as government takes charge of bonuses