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The Reserve Bank of India disappointed the industry as it left the repo rate and cash reserve ratio unchanged at 8 percent and 4.75 percent, respectively, in its mid-quarter policy review Monday. The reverse repo rate, at which banks lend money to the RBI, also remains unchanged at 7 percent.

European markets rose Friday amid expectation that central banks around the world would coordinate to announce stimulus measures to rejuvenate the global economic growth.

This week's data releases could reignite hopes that the Federal Reserve will soon provide more policy stimulus. May's producer price index and consumer price index should show that inflationary pressures are easing, with the latter falling below the Fed's 2 percent target rate. Retail sales and industrial production figures for May are likely to come in on the soft side, as well.

Standard & Poor's said on Monday that India could become the first of the so-called BRIC economies to lose its investment-grade status, sending the rupee and stocks lower, less than two months after cutting its rating outlook for the country.

While the euro zone fiscal crisis has grabbed the spotlight, the U.S. faces its own fiscal crisis. The simultaneous onset of tax increases and spending cuts scheduled for Jan. 1 -- which will trigger unless Republicans and Democrats can agree on a balanced budget solution -- will likely send the economy plunging off a $720 billion fiscal cliff and into the arms of another recession.

Italian banks appear close to joining Spanish banks as the euro zone's latest contribution to the financial world's endangered species list.

The April trade data is likely to garner the most market attention, while the Fed Beige Book will set the tone for the upcoming Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting. On Thursday, markets will also be watching Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke's testimony to Congress, which could provide clues on whether the Fed is ready to take additional steps to support growth.

Asian shares and the euro extended losses Friday as China's factory activity data delivered its weakest reading this year, highlighting concerns the worsening euro zone debt crisis will further undermine global economic growth.

Asian shares eased Friday, with China's factory activity data and a U.S. jobs report due later in the day making investors cautious as the escalating euro zone debt crisis threatened to further undermine growth worldwide.

After ditching Super Bowl ads, General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) pivoted away from the NFL and instead entered into a five-year advertising partnership for its Chevrolet brand with the popular British soccer team Manchester United, a move meant to bolster the brand's global awareness, the company announced Thursday.

India's economic growth slumped to its lowest level in nine years in the first three months of 2012, marking a dramatic slide in the fortunes of a country whose economy was boasting nearly double-digit growth before the global recession.

The Q4 GDP data for India plunged the volatile rupee further in the morning trade Thursday, as the Indian currency hovered near an all-time low of 56.52 against the dollar. The rupee was trading at 56.38/39 at 10 am IST, after testing the 56.52 level in early trade.

Japanese trading house Marubeni Corp. (Tokyo: 8002), which has been on a global shopping spree in recent years so it can become a dominant grain supplier to China, just took a strategic step toward that goal.

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.

Sam Zell, the Chicago real-estate mogul, has become so well-known for feasting on distressed assets that he's been called the grave dancer. This week, Zell took the nickname to the next level: He's about to receive $70 million from a ghost.

Shares of Facebook (Nasdaq: FB), the No. 1 social network, fell 3.4 percent again Friday, a week after their disastrous debut in their initial public offering.

Bombay Stock Exchange Sensex started on a negative note Friday and was trading in the red in the morning session.

The staff of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has concluded its investigation into Lehman Brothers Holdings and will not likely recommend charges, according to the excerpt of a memo.

Despite the wild success of the Barclay's Premier League, the teams that play in it are losing money at an alarming rate.

Shares of Facebook (Nasdaq: FB), the No. 1 social network, rose $1.03 to close at $33.03 on Thursday. A week ago, they were priced at $38 for the IPO.

Facebook (Nasdaq: FB), the No. 1 social network, didn?t just set records for enriching inside investors like CEO Mark Zuckerberg, COO Sheryl Sandberg, Accel Partners and Digital Sky Technologies. Underwriters fared very well.

Among the companies whose shares are moving in pre-market trading Wednesday are: Ares Capital Corp, Alcatel Lucent, FreightCar America, Jive Software, Dell Inc, Renren Inc, BlackRock, Alcoa and Facebook Inc.

The European Central Bank (ECB) is propping up Greece with a secret infusion of ?100 billion ($126 billion) in emergency liquidity assistance (ELA) funds, the Financial Times reported Tuesday.

Barclays PLC, the UK's second-largest bank by asset, said Monday it plans to sell its entire $6.1 billion stake in U.S. asset manager BlackRock Inc., as the tougher global regulatory environment has made such holding less attractive.

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.

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J.C. Penney Co Inc shares plunged nearly 20 percent on Wednesday, their worst decline ever, wiping away $1.43 billion in market value a day after the retailer shocked Wall Street with a much worse-than-expected drop in sales and by scrapping its dividend.

Global bank stocks fell Monday as investors panicked that a weekend electoral impasse in Greece might be a prelude to that country to leave the 17-member euro zone.

The main event this week is April?s retail sales report, which could see some payback after the unseasonably warm weather boosted March?s results. In Europe, investors will get a look at how the region?s economies fared in the first quarter.