A closely-watched indicator of German business confidence jumped in February, the fourth month in a row the index has risen, suggesting that country's economy is continuing to grow at a moderate pace even as the wider Eurozone area experiences near-recessionary stagnation.
Sears Holdings Corp. (SHLD) posted a fourth-quarter loss Thursday and said it will spin off its Hometown, outlet and hardware-store businesses as part of an effort to increase liquidity.
It didn't take long for the initial relief following Tuesday's long-awaited Greek bailout deal to die down. Global stocks ended Wednesday lower as investors took a cautious stance on the Eurozone economic outlook following disappointing business activity data and Fitch's announcement to cut Greece's credit rating further into junk status.
Platinum prices shot up more than three percent Wednesday after Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd., the world's second largest platinum producer, told buyers April deliveries would be slashed in half because of a strike in South Africa.
U.S. stocks fell on Wednesday with the S&P 500 stalled near a 10-month-old high after weak data on Europe's business activity raised concerns about a recession.
Euro zone private sector business activity shrunk in February, an unexpected turn that has renewed old fears and prompted new concerns of a recession in the region's economy while it lags through a debt crisis.
The climbing oil prices could undermine the U.S. economic recovery and it is an extremely disturbing report for President Barack Obama as it could hurt his re-election chances.
The financial world welcomed Tuesday's approval of Greece's plans for what amounts to an orderly default with gains in global stocks and commodities.
Stocks dipped on Tuesday as shares pulled back after the Dow breached 13,000 for the first time since May 2008, the latest big move in stocks' recent rally.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average briefly climbed back above the psychologically important 13,000 level shortly before noon Tuesday for the first time since 2008.
Tuesday's long-awaited second rescue package for Greece steadied the euro and removed the immediate threat of a disorderly bond default, but markets remained cautious in early morning trading, fearful of what lies ahead for the stricken country.
Stock index futures pointed to a rise in U.S. equities on Tuesday after the market opens following Monday's Presidents Day holiday, with futures for the S**9**P 500, the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Nasdaq 100 rising 0.4 percent to 0.5 percent.
If the coming earnings from U.S. retailers are as unimpressive as the rest of the profit season has been, Wall Street could face a tough time justifying a stock market at nine-month highs. All things considered, strategists believe the market could face resistance in a push higher.
The Dow finished the week with solid gains Friday, edging closer to the 13000 mark which could be another indication of improvement in the U.S. economy.
Prompted by a delay in a big trade of a popular exchange-traded fund, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is taking a closer look at a possible connection between high-frequency traders and hedge funds jumping in and out of ETFs, among other areas, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The major U.S. indices floated close to yearly highs Friday, but extremely low volumes of trading, divergences in the behavior of important sub-indices and various other technical indicators suggested U.S. equities might be in for a price-slashing correction soon.
Stock index futures were little changed Friday as investors were set to take a breather from a rally that pushed the S&P 500 to a nine-month high in the previous session.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development released a report Tuesday calling on Germany to raise its property taxes dramatically. The group has also called on Denmark, Norway, and the U.K. to do the same.
Robust economic data and European Central Bank support for Greece energized U.S. stocks Thursday, as investors ignored possible bank downgrades and lifted equities to a nine-month high.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.76 percent to 12,884.75 by early afternoon trading, while the Nasdaq rose 1.01 percent to 2,945.17. The S&P 500 rose 0.83 percent to 1,354.37.
Wall Street stocks were set to open little changed on Thursday as concerns about a possible downgrade of global banks by Moody's were offset by upbeat U.S. data on the labor and housing sectors.
Stock index futures fell on Thursday after a Moody's warning of a possible downgrade of global banks and a further holdup in a bailout for debt-laden Greece.
