ECONOMY & MARKETS

The Brookings Institutions' MetroMonitor, which tracks America's 100 largest metropolitan areas, found a sharp reversal of the job growth that was occurring earlier in the year.

UBS initiated coverage of General Motors with a 'neutral' rating and $37 price target, saying that the automaker has no near-term catalysts to move the stock.

Investors are increasingly attracted to U.S. stocks as the fiscal/sovereign debt crisis in the euro zone deepens, according to a fund manager survey by Bank of America-Merrill Lynch (BoAML)

Business activity in New York State rebounded in December after contracting sharply in November for the first time since mid-2009.

The top pre-market NASDAQ stock market losers are: Motricity, BSD Medical, American Capital, Aixtron, Vodafone Group, Logitech International, YRC Worldwide, Broadcom, AutoNavi Holdings, and Baidu.

Benchmark Capital raised its profit estimates and price target on Google Inc., citing the company's strong operating momentum in search business.

The top pre-market NASDAQ stock market gainers are: Cypress Bioscience, SodaStream International, Joy Global, MannKind, Maxygen, First Solar, Corinthian Colleges, JA Solar Holdings, VIVUS, and Orexigen Therapeutics.

Roubini Global Economics (RGE) has predicted that global economy's growth next year will be marginally weaker than this year, with eurozone holding the biggest risk to global growth, and that the U.S. will not emerge any time soon from the worst unemployment crisis it has faced in decades.

It is inevitable for Indian banks to compromise on margin as the country is going through a rising interest rate scenario, which has pushed most banks' stocks below their end-September levels, but at least three main private banks are still selling at a higher price, probably helped by valuation advantage and mostly steady pricing of deposits by Indians residing abroad.

The brokerage maintained its 'buy' rating on shares of the software major with a price target of $33.

The U.S. home loan demand continued to fall in the week ended Dec.10, posting a decline for three straight weeks as the mortgage rates hit a six-month high.

Moody's Investor Services said on Wednesday that it has put Spain's Aa1 debt rating under review for a possible downgrade taking into account the large debt burden of the country and its funding needs next year.

The Bank of Japan's Tankan business survey showed on Wednesday business confidence among large manufacturers dropped in December, the first decline in seven quarters, and that the prognosis going forward was gloomier.

Futures on major U.S. stock indices point to a lower opening on Wednesday with futures on the S&P 500 down 0.47 percent, futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 0.39 percent and Nasdaq100 futures down 0.47 percent.

The percentage of Chinese who are satisfied with current price levels sharply dropped to the lowest level in 11 years despite the government efforts to contain rising prices, the People's Bank of China (PBoC) said.

Swiss drug maker Novartis will pay $12.9 billion to buy the remaining shares of Alcon it doesn't already own to broaden its presence in the booming eye-care market, which is expected to outgrow the pharmaceuticals market in coming years.

The top after-market NASDAQ stock market losers are: Hansen Natural, Terremark Worldwide, Cubist Pharmaceuticals, National Beverage, Salix Pharmaceuticals, Dynamex, Merge Healthcare, Immucor, Cytokinetics, and P.F. Chang's China Bistro.

The top after-market NASDAQ stock market gainers are: SurModics, Blue Coat Systems, Golar LNG, BJ's Restaurants, MannKind, Cathay General Bancorp, RealNetworks, Scientific Games, First Solar, and Advanced Energy Industries.

Precious metals were down in Asian trade on Wednesday, as dollar's gains following Tuesday's FOMC decision to keep the US quantitative easing program uninterrupted weighed on the investment appeal of the commodities.

Stocks retreated in the final hour of trading after the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged at near-zero, maintained its bond-buying program and warned about the slow pace of economic recovery in the U.S.

Gold and silver fell off day's highs after stronger-than-expected US data released Tuesday morning in New York strengthened the greenback, losses in which had helped the metals rose to 1-week highs earlier in the day, but both metals held on to the SMA support strongly.

US stocks advanced in early trade on Tuesday, following better-than-expected reports on retail sales and producer prices.

Despite a robust expansion in output and healthy headline growth figures, the eurozone economic growth will moderate next year, but gain traction again in 2012, the European Commission said in a report released on Tuesday.

The top pre-market NASDAQ stock market losers are: optionsXpress Holdings, Gulfport Energy, Veeco Instruments, Horizon Technology Finance, Bruker, NGP Capital Resources, SunPower, Huntington Bancshares, Logitech International, and Powerwave Technologies.

Producer prices for finished goods in the U.S. rose more than expected in November, posting an increase for the fifth straight month.

Futures on major U.S. stock indices point to modestly higher opening on Tuesday, following better-than-expected reports on retail sales and producer prices.

The top pre-market NASDAQ stock market gainers are: Genoptix, Sanderson Farms, Infinera, Amgen, Ness Technologies, MannKind, Silicom, Comcast, NVIDIA, and Orexigen Therapeutics.

Futures on major U.S. stock indices point to a modestly higher opening on Tuesday ahead of a wave of economic data including the US Federal Open Market Committee statement (FOMC).

DNA sequencing equipment maker Life Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ:LIFE) announced the launch of its Ion Personal Gene Machine (PGM) sequencer that gives results in two hours.