QUANTITATIVE EASING

The head of the Federal Reserve's New York branch said the U.S. economy isn't in the clear yet, but recent data have been a bit more upbeat, giving investors renewed hope of a fresh round of quantitative easing.

You can't blame investors for feeling a bit squeamish regarding deploying new money in the U.S. stock market these days, despite the Dow Jones Industrial Average's (DJIA) recent rise to 13,000. Where's the Dow headed in the next three months?

Economic growth showed signs of becoming more self-sustaining as the number of Americans claiming new jobless benefits fell back to a four-year low last week and manufacturing activity in the Northeast picked up this month.

U.S. economic growth showed signs of becoming more self-sustaining as the number of Americans claiming new jobless benefits fell back to a four-year low last week and manufacturing activity in the Northeast picked up this month.

Gold rose Thursday, reversing a three-day plunge that left prices beneath their critical 200-day moving average.

Expectations that the euro zone will fall into recession this year or, at best, post anemic growth, are growing.

Gold fell to its lowest since mid-January on Wednesday after a modest upgrade of the U.S. Federal Reserve's economic outlook added zip to the dollar and gave investors an excuse to lighten holdings of bullion.

The Federal Reserve officials decided to keep the near-term interest rates unchanged at ultra-low levels but offered few clues about plans for further easing, as highly anticipated, while the Fed noted recent strength in the labor market and that strains have eased in global financial markets.

The Federal Reserve on Tuesday provided few clues on the prospects for further monetary easing, offering just a slight upgrade to its economic outlook while restating concerns about the high level of unemployment.

The Federal Reserve on Tuesday acknowledged recent signs of strength in the economy and said recent financial market strains have eased, offering few clues on the chances for further monetary easing.

The Bank of Japan kept monetary policy on hold on Tuesday, overruling a lone proposal for more stimulus and disappointing some in markets who thought the central bank could follow up last month's easing with another move to amplify its impact.

The Bank of Japan held off on easing monetary policy on Tuesday after last month's surprise loosening, but board member Ryuzo Miyao unsuccessfully proposed a further easing by increasing the bank's asset-buying and loan scheme by 5 trillion yen ($61 billion).

It is our view that a rate cut from China could prove to be the next catalyst to push equity markets higher.

Gold fell on Monday, under pressure from a softer euro and from dwindling expectations for the Federal Reserve to signal the need for more measures to keep U.S. rates low, although longer-term investors took their bullion holdings to a fresh record.

China's economy is on course for a soft landing, a clutch of indicators showed on Friday, easing investor fears of a sharp slowdown and revealing ample room for Beijing to loosen policy further to support growth.

Japan's government on Friday kept up pressure on the central bank to further support an economic recovery, but the Bank of Japan appears set to hold monetary policy steady at its regular policy meeting next week.

China's annual consumer inflation slowed sharply to a 20-month low in February, and factory output and retail sales also cooled more than forecast, giving policymakers ample room to further loosen monetary policy to support flagging growth.

British factory output rebounds in first quarter and economy shows signs of recovery, according to survey by trade body EEF.

Central bankers around the world took their foot off the loose monetary policy throttle Thursday and kept benchmark interest rates steady on inflation concerns and the lack of new threats to gross domestic product growth.

Gold rose Thursday, led by a climb in the euro on the back of growing confidence in Greece's ability to complete a bond swap to avoid defaulting on its debt, and by evidence that this week's decline to six-week lows had lifted investor demand.

The Bank of England left its monetary policy unchanged on Thursday, deciding that February's extra 50 billion pounds ($79 billion) of quantitative easing was enough for now to support the economy through a period of fitful recovery.