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Stocks finished mixed, following a sell-off in Europe, on worries over Portugal possibly needing a financial bailout, ahead of the kick-off of the fourth-quarter earnings season.

Barcelona and Argentina star Lionel Messi became the inaugural winner of the FIFA Ballon d'Or - the FIFA Men's World Player of the Year 2010, Jose Mourinho won the Men's Coach of the Year award.

Stocks recovered most of their early losses in light volume and ended slightly lower on Monday as prospects for strong earnings helped counter fears Portugal would be forced into a bailout.

Stocks recovered most of their early losses in light volume and ended slightly lower on Monday as prospects for strong earnings helped counter fears Portugal would be forced into a bailout.

Socks cut losses on Monday as the euro gained ground against the U.S. dollar, reflecting reduced worries after calls for Portugal to seek a rescue from its debt crisis.

The Gold Price in Euros whipped within 1.5% of last month's all-time record highs in London trade on Monday, as weaker-economy Eurozone bonds fell sharply on a raft of bail-out rumors and leaks.

U.S. stocks lost ground on Monday, with the Dow and S&P 500 heading for a third straight session of losses, as a once-buoyant market sagged at the start of the earnings season.

The European Central Bank threw Portugal a temporary lifeline on Monday by buying up its bonds, traders said, as market and peer pressure mounted for Lisbon to seek an international bailout soon.

U.S. stocks fell for a third straight session on Monday as a previously buoyant market limped into earnings season.

Futures on major U.S. stock indices point to lower opening on Monday with futures on the S&P 500 down 0.58 percent, futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 0.42 percent and Nasdaq100 futures down 0.40 percent.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a lower open on Monday as renewed concerns about the euro zone sovereign debt crisis overshadowed the lift from several large acquisitions.

Stock index futures were lower on Monday as concerns about the euro zone pressured sentiment and overshadowed news of several big acquisitions.

Portugal does not need to apply for EU aid, Spain's Economy Minister said on Monday, as pressure mounted on Lisbon to seek outside help in managing its finances and risk premiums on both countries' debt widened.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a lower open on Wall Street on Monday, with futures for the S&P 500 down 0.52 percent, Dow Jones futures down 0.44 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures down 0.35 percent at 4:05 a.m. EST.

Mounting fears over sovereign debt in the euro zone kept the euro tethered to four-month lows against the dollar on Monday, with investors nervous ahead of a flurry of bond sales from the region's weaker states.

Pressure is growing on Portugal from Germany, France and other euro zone countries to seek financial help from the EU and IMF to stop the bloc's debt crisis from spreading, a senior euro zone source said on Sunday.

Portugal denied on Sunday that it is under pressure by France and Germany to seek a bailout from Brussels and the IMF to ease concerns over its debts, like Greece and Ireland before it.

A top IMF official warned on Saturday that the United States must start down a budget deficit-cutting path relatively soon or face crushing debt service costs as interest rates rise.

Germany and France want Portugal to accept an international bailout as soon as possible in order to prevent its debt crisis spreading to other countries, German magazine Der Spiegel reported on Saturday.

The Gold Price in Dollars slid to a near 6-week low in early London trading on Friday, dropping below $1360 an ounce, but then bounced back to $1369 as New York trading began and Non-Farm Payrolls showed a rise of 103,000 - below analyst forecasts - and the labor-force participation rate slipped further below two-in-three.

The euro fell to a four-month low against the dollar on Friday ahead of U.S. jobs data and next week's bond issues from euro zone peripheral countries, while world stocks and copper eased. A surprise sharp increase in U.S. private sector job creation in December have raised expectations of stronger non-farm payrolls for the month, with economists now expecting 175,000 jobs were created, up from 1...