UNITED STATES

Stocks edged lower on Friday, building on three days of losses as data showed consumers saw little improvement ahead for the economy.

U.S. retail sales rose in July in a hopeful sign for the economy, but the gains were concentrated in auto and gasoline station sales, suggesting underlying momentum in consumer spending remains tame.

Gold retreated from the one-month high it hit in earlier trade as the dollar, European equities and U.S. stock futures all lifted from lows after U.S. retail sales and inflation data. It remained supported by overall jitters over the outlook for the global economy, however, as investors spooked by disappointing U.S. economic data turned to the metal as a safe store of value. Spot gold was bid at $1,213.10 an ounce at 9:06 a.m. EDT, against $1,211.20 late in New York on Thursday. Earlier it rose...

The euro fell on Friday after lackluster results in an Italian bond auction renewed worries about the euro zone peripheral economies and offset strong German growth data. The U.S. dollar headed for its best weekly performance since early 2009 against a basket of currencies after concerns about the U.S. and global economic outlook prompted investors to dump riskier assets and seek safety in the greenback.

The dollar may bounce from a 15-year trough against the yen in the near term due to technical factors and overstretched speculative positioning, but the options market shows potential for a grind toward fresh lows.

Wall Street was headed for a lower open on Friday after retail sales data suggested momentum in consumer spending remained limp, heightening concerns about the fragile economic recovery.

U.S. retail sales rebounded in July but showed hints of lingering economic softness underscored by separate figures indicating underlying inflation pressures stuck at their lowest level since the 1960s.

Retail sales rose in July in a hopeful sign for the economy, but the gains were concentrated in auto and gasoline station sales, suggesting underlying momentum in consumer spending remains tame.

Euro zone gross domestic product grew at its fastest pace in more than three years in the second quarter, boosted by a strong performance by Germany and France, but concerns remain that the rebound could falter.

U.S. stock index futures signaled losses on Friday as investors awaited consumer sentiment and retail sales data to get a better reading on the economy.

Germany's economy grew at the fastest rate since reunification in the second quarter as companies stepped up investment and exports surged, providing fresh evidence that the recovery has shifted up a gear.

Oil jumped by a dollar to above $76 a barrel on Friday in a technical rebound from the steepest three-day decline since mid-May, and as the euro surged after strong second quarter German economic growth.

Gold climbed to a one-month high in Europe on Friday, extending the previous session's rise, as investors spooked by a raft of disappointing U.S. economic data turned to the metal as a safe store of value.

Gold extended gains in Asian trade Friday after concerns over global economic recovery prompted safe haven buying. Gold for immediate delivery was seen trading at $1215.17 an ounce at 12.00 noon Singapore while US Gold for December delivery was at $1,216.73 an ounce on the comex division of Nymex.

India may shut down Google and Skype Internet-based messaging services over security concerns, the Financial Times reported on Friday, as the government threatened a similar crackdown on BlackBerry services.

India may shut down Google and Skype Internet-based messaging services over security concerns, the Financial Times reported on Friday, as the government threatened a similar crackdown on BlackBerry services.

The euro jumped and Asian stocks extended gains on Friday after stunning German data showed Europe's biggest economy grew at its fastest pace in 23 years, alleviating some doubts about the strength of global growth.

The yen inched further away from 15-year peaks on Friday as talk swirled that Japan's authorities may soon intervene to curb it, while Asian stocks edged up to claw back some of the week's heavy losses.

A rare 1794 U.S. silver dollar, one of the first minted in the country, sold for $1,207,500 at a Boston auction, the auctioneers said. Bowers and Merena Auctions of California, which held the auction Saturday at the Park Plaza Hotel and Towers in Boston, said the so-called Flowing Hair silver dollar is considered the fourth finest still in existence. Only about 140 are believed to remain in the world, the Boston Globe reported Wednesday.

Researchers at the United Kingdom's Oxford University and the United States National Institutes of Health (USNIH) have found that stress can prevent women from getting pregnant.

It was a quiet night for currencies overnight, the AUD grinding higher at one stage, back above USD0.9000.