S&P

The United States had its triple-A rating confirmed by two key ratings agencies on Tuesday after Washington struck a last-minute deal to avoid a debt default, but threats of future downgrades remain.

On Tuesday, President Barack Obama signed a bill to raise the U.S. debt ceiling, preventing the nation from defaulting for the first time in its history.

Over the last seven consecutive days, the index has plunged 6.76 percent.

Stocks dropped on Tuesday as worries about the health of the global economy and a possible downgrade for U.S. debt sent the S&P 500 crashing through key technical levels in an ominous sign for markets.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said he is not sure whether the bitterly fought debt agreement to be considered Tuesday by the Senate will avoid a downgrade of the U.S. top-tier credit rating.

Global financial markets reflected relief over the resolution of debt limit ceiling impasse in the U.S.

Lawmakers were close to a last-ditch $3 trillion deal on Sunday to raise the U.S. borrowing limit and assure jittery financial markets that the United States will avoid a potentially catastrophic default.

Standard & Poor's on Wednesday cut Greece's sovereign credit rating further into junk territory, lowering it to CC from CCC, saying the European Union's proposed debt restructuring would put the country into "selective default."

'History shows that even when the decision to raise the debt ceiling goes down to the wire, it does not lead to a default or a change in the perception that the US is the gold standard against which to benchmark other debt. This time around the stakes are higher.'

Credit ratings agency S&P Friday, like Moody's Thursday, warned that the U.S.'s credit rating could be downgraded, if an agreement on raising the debt ceiling is not reached soon. Meanwhile, the Reid/McConnell 'last chance' debt deal plan appeared to gain momentum Thursday, raising hope that a debt deal agreement will be reached soon.

The stock market was on fire today after investor confidence increased after two promising reports on the job market were released. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 94 points or 0.7%, closing at 12.720.

The European Commission has criticized international credit ratings agencies in the wake of the decision by Moody’s Investors Service to downgrade Portugal’s debt to “junk” status.

Standard & Poor's 500 Index closed Friday with another gain, ending with its biggest weekly gain in a year.

The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers are: Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Pharmasset, Cytori Therapeutics, and Sequenom. The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: QuinStreet, CIENA, Finisar, JDS Uniphase, SunOpta, and Westport Innovations.

The bull market that began in March 2009 may be over, warned a report from Standard & Poor’s.

Spot Gold prices rose for the second day running in London on Tuesday, reclaiming half of last week's 7% drop from the all-time Dollar high as world stock markets rallied again with commodity prices.

With today’s gain, the S&P 500 index has now more than doubled in value from the Mar. 9, 2009 bear market low.

For over 70 years the United States has been widely considered AAA top-notch benchmark sovereign risk. Standard & Poor (S&P)'s decision to impose a negative outlook now puts this status under question for the first time, reflecting the unsustainable debt trajectory and risks of policy response gridlock.

US stocks ended sharply lower on Monday after Standard & Poor’s (S&P) revised its rating outlook on the United States to negative.

Standard and Poor’s Rating Service cut its outlook on the US Government’s long-term debt to negative this morning and the implications are quite resounding.

U.S. stocks advanced in early trade on Monday as anticipation of solid first-quarter corporate earnings buoyed sentiment.