Futures for the Dow Jones industrial average, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq 100 rise 0.9 to 1 percent, pointing to a higher open on Wall Street on Thursday.
Gold hit a fresh record high on Thursday as the dollar struggled, while emerging market stocks climbed to their highest level this year.
U.S. asset manager BlackRock Inc is in the running to help state regulators estimate risks in insurers' investments, the Wall Street Journal said, citing regulators and a National Association of Insurance Commissioners official.
The European Central Bank is expected to keep interest rates at a record-low 1.0 percent on Thursday and its head Jean-Claude Trichet will probably caution against high hopes of a speedy economic recovery.
The arrest of a New Yorker for using Twitter to alert protesters to police movements at a meeting of world leaders in Pittsburgh last month would be deemed a human rights violation if it happened in Iran or China, rights activists charge.
General Motors Co is on track to complete a wrenching cost-cutting but faces risks from an uncertain U.S. economy and rising unemployment as it tries to win back consumers, the automaker said on Wednesday.
A U.S. District Court dismissed a lawsuit of former employees of Washington Mutual against JPMorgan Chase & Co to recover their retirement account losses after the collapse of the thrift.
The Standard & Poor's 500 and Nasdaq indexes edged up on Wednesday with investors responding positively to early earnings results as the quarterly reporting period got under way.
The Aussie dollar pulled back from its early morning highs above 89 cents yesterday dipping to an intraday low of 0.8865 following slightly softer than forecast Home Loan data. The markets insatiable desire for the AUD resurfaced however as it bounced back to eventually exchange at an overnight high near 0.8950, its highest level since early August 2008.
U.S. consumers have cut their use of credit by 4.5 percent from all-time highs last year, as the latest report released today by the Federal Reserve showed a $12 billion decline in August.
The Standard & Poor's 500 and Nasdaq indexes edged up on Wednesday as investors responded positively to early earnings results as the quarterly reporting period got under way.
Oil prices fell toward $69 a barrel on Wednesday after U.S. data showed fuel stocks surged last week in the world's biggest energy consumer, signaling a recovery in oil demand could take more time.
The Dow Jones industrial average slipped while other major indexes were little changed on Wednesday as investors booked profits after two days of strong gains and turned cautious at the approach of earnings season.
The dollar gained against the euro and a basket of major currencies on Wednesday as optimism following Australia's interest rate hike fizzled out and traders said the greenback's recent decline was overdone.
Verizon has teamed with Google on Tuesday to co-develop several Android-based devices that will be pre-loaded with innovative applications from both parties as well as third-party developers, in an effort to fight off the iPhone and its exclusive agreement with AT&T.
Energy prices are volatile. They change as market participants adjust their expectations to new information from physical energy markets and markets for energy-related financial derivatives. Futures and options markets are a valuable source of information regarding these changing expectations.
The Dow Jones industrial average fell while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq indexes were little changed on Wednesday following two days of strong gains, as the first wave of quarterly earnings reports trickled into the market.
Microsoft has improved its offer to give users in Europe the chance to choose other Web browsers, EU antitrust regulators said on Wednesday and asked rivals to comment on the proposal.
Two new stocks debuted on Wednesday with opposing performances, as Banco Santander's Brazilian unit started with a whimper, while insurance risk specialist Verisk Analytics Inc kicked off with a bang.
Julius Baer's purchase of ING's Swiss private banking assets marks the start of a consolidation wave in the wealth management industry, insiders told the Reuters Global Wealth Management summit.
Salesforce.com Chief Executive Marc Benioff will make a high-profile speech at a conference held by arch rival Oracle Corp, giving him a rare chance to hawk his goods in hostile territory.
Changes to a settlement that would allow Google Inc to put million of books online should be presented in court by Nov. 9, the judge presiding over the case said on Wednesday.
U.S. oil major ConocoPhillips on Wednesday cut its capital budget for 2010 and said it planned to divest $10 billion in assets in a bid to improve its financial position.
Apple has selected Foxconn to build the company's anticipated tablet PC, DigiTimes reported on Wednesday, citing market sources. The report says the device will hit the market in Q1 2010, with initial shipments of 300,000-400,000 units.
The Federal Reserve told bank examiners last month that banks were slow to take losses on their commercial real estate loans that have suffered as property values sink.
The Dow was lower while the S&P and Nasdaq were flat on Wednesday, following two days of strong gains, as the first batch of quarterly earnings reports trickled into the market.
Oil prices dipped below $70 a barrel on Wednesday as a strengthening dollar prompted less investment in crude and after U.S. data showed fuel stocks surged last week in the world's biggest energy consumer.
Google Inc Chief Executive Eric Schmidt said on Wednesday that the worst of the advertising recession was over, and pointed to signs of a recovery in both Europe and the United States.
General Motors Co is on track to hit its cost-cutting targets but faces risks as it tries to win back consumers in an uncertain U.S. economy, the automaker said on Wednesday.
Microsoft has improved its offer to give users in Europe the chance to choose other Web browsers, EU antitrust regulators said on Wednesday, asking rivals to comment on the proposal.
