FEDERAL RESERVE

This backdrop of the weakening of the global economy could promote a broad round of coordinated central bank easing.

U.S. stock futures plunged Friday after a surprisingly weak nonfarm payrolls report raised fears that the nation's nascent recovery may be losing steam and raising the possibility that the Federal Reserve may opt for economic stimulus measures.

Economic data and news flows are light this morning as market participants take stock of the significant moves across asset classes in the past wee

Texas manufacturing grew in May while the state's production index was steady, indicating sustained growth from the month before, although the outlook is poor, the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas said Tuesday.

The economic calendar is quite full this week, with most of the focus on the U.S. nonfarm payrolls report. The Institute for Supply Management, or ISM, manufacturing index and the second estimate of U.S. first-quarter gross domestic product also will draw a lot of attention.

You can't blame investors for feeling a bit squeamish regarding deploying new money in the U.S. stock market these days, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average?s (DJIA) recent slide from 13,300 to 12,450 unnerving even the most experienced institutional investors. Where?s the market headed in the next six months?

French and German consumer confidence showed unexpected strength, reports showed Friday. While the market is cheering about the good news, some economists view this as a warning sign of a euro zone crisis fatigue - something that is as dangerous, if not more so than the crisis itself.

U.S. mortgages rates have dropped to record lows for four consecutive weeks, but that doesn't mean more homes will be sold. In fact, at least one housing expert argues that extremely low rates are causing banks to be even more stringent with underwriting approvals, turning away more prospective buyers and hurting the national housing market.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City said Thursday that manufacturing growth in the Midwest and part of the Rocky Mountain region rebounded in May and that firms were more optimistic than in previous months.

Is Ron Paul 2012 trying to upstage presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney during the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa?

The recent multibillion-dollar trading loss suffered by JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM), the country's largest bank by assets, has strengthened the case against letting bank executives serve as directors of Federal Reserve regional banks and thus regulating themselves, policy makers say.

Comments regarding a rebound in the Chinese economy from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development lifted stocks earlier Tuesday and kept Asian and European bourses in the green. The comments came after Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao said last weekend his government would focus more on growth than inflation.

JPMorgan Chase & Co Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon said on Monday that the bank had suspended repurchases of its stock, but is maintaining its dividend, while working down losing trades in credit derivatives.

During my many years of following American political thought, one overwhelming truth has emerged: There is nothing as powerful as an idea (be it intelligent or stupid) whose time has come.

This week's economic calendar is relatively light in the U.S. with the releases of existing home sales, durable goods orders, and the University of Michigan consumer confidence survey. Attention will likely focus on data out of Europe. Euro zone PMIs, Germany IFO survey, and first-quarter gross domestic product data for the U.K. will be released.

Asian markets fell this week as they succumbed to the pressures of the euro zone debt crisis and the economic data about the U.S. missing estimates. The Chinese Shanghai Index dropped 2.1 percent and the Japanese Nikkei fell 3.8 percent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index plunged 5.1 percent and India's BSE Sensex slumped 0.86 percent.

A day after the largest bank in Japan agreed to comply with a U.S. District Court order barring it from doing business with Iran, bankers and government officials in Tokyo are reportedly trying to find a way to circumvent the commercial embargo.

Asian stock markets slumped Friday as renewed concerns over euro zone crisis and lackluster economic data from US dented investor sentiment.

Asian stock markets tumbled on Friday, following an overnight slump on Wall Street as weaker-than-expected U.S. economic data and a deepening euro zone crisis dampened sentiment.

JPMorgan Chase & Co Chief Executive Jamie Dimon has agreed to testify before Congress over the bank's recent trading losses, which have ignited a political debate over whether large U.S. banks need to be reined in by regulators or new laws.

European stocks lost big Thursday as Greek banks were cut loose from European Central Bank support and Spain's borrowing costs kept skyrocketing. The head of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, also warned today of the extremely expensive consequences of Greece leaving the currency bloc.