PORTUGAL

U.S. stocks fell on Friday, failing to recover from the previous day's brutal selloff, after U.S. jobs data pointed to a slow recovery and investors worried about the health of the euro zone's weakest economies.

U.S. stocks fell in choppy trade on Friday as investors struggled to interpret a mixed jobs report, while sovereign debt troubles in the euro zone roiled markets heading into the weekend.

Facing the most severe economic strains since its birth 11 years ago, the euro zone looks likely to hold together for now but the exit of some of its weaker members cannot be ruled out in the long term.

European policymakers scrambled on Friday to reassure markets on the stability of their 16-nation currency bloc as investors shed euro assets for a second day on fears about debt-laden member states like Greece and Portugal.

U.S. stock index futures fell on Friday, following Wall Street's worst day in more than nine months, as lingering worries over the fiscal health of some European countries curbed risk appetite ahead of a key U.S. jobs report.

U.S. stock index futures fell on Friday, following Wall Street's worst day in more than nine months, as lingering worries over the fiscal health of some European countries curbed risk appetite ahead of a key U.S. jobs report.

The euro and the stocks and bonds of debt-laden members of the currency bloc fell for a second straight day on Friday as fears over Portugal and other European sovereigns spread, pushing investors into safe havens.

Global shares hit three-month lows and the euro fell to an eight-month low against the dollar on Friday as euro zone sovereign debt problems and nerves ahead of U.S. jobs data led investors to dump riskier assets.

Asian stocks fell to five-month lows on Friday as investors dumped riskier assets after growing sovereign debt problems in the euro zone and rising U.S. jobless claims sparked jitters about the global economic recovery.

Oil edged up on Friday after its biggest one-day fall since July a day ago, as intervention by the Swiss National Bank to buy euros pared dollar gains.

Asian stocks fell to near five-month lows on Friday as investors dumped riskier assets after rising sovereign debt problems in the euro zone and poor jobs data sent U.S. and European stocks tumbling.

Oil was steady near $73 on Friday, near lows for the year after its biggest one-day drop since July in the previous session, as the dollar jumped to its highest against the euro in eight months.

Asian stocks fell to near five-month lows on Friday as investors dumped riskier assets after rising sovereign debt problems in the euro zone and poor jobs data sent U.S. and European stocks tumbling.

The Australian Dollar opens sharply lower today against the greenback at 0.8650 dragged down by a lower Euro and weaker global stocks and commodity prices overnight.

Oil fell 5 percent on Thursday in the steepest daily drop since July and the fifth-largest trading volumes ever on the New York Mercantile Exchange as investors dumped commodities and other risky assets.

Major U.S. stock indices plunged today, taking the stock market into negative territory for February.

The Dow briefly fell below the crucial 10,000 mark on Thursday as stocks suffered their worst losses in more than nine months.

Oil prices plunged 5 percent on Thursday, the steepest one-day drop since July, as rising U.S. unemployment claims and fear that debt-laden European economies may falter prompted a commodities sell-off.

Wall Street fell 2 percent on Thursday as escalating sovereign debt problems in Europe and a surprise rise in U.S. jobless claims sparked concerns about the health of the global economy.

Oil prices plunged more than 5 percent on Thursday in their steepest one-day drop since July, after a rise in U.S. jobless claims and spreading concern over Europe's economic health drove investors to sell commodities and seek less risky assets.

U.S. stocks sank on Thursday as escalating fears of sovereign debt problems in Europe led investors to dump riskier assets.