ECONOMY & MARKETS

The top after-market NASDAQ Losers Wednesday were: Shutterfly, Accuray, Nektar Therapeutics, BioScrip, Echelon Corp, Merge Healthcare, Astronics Corp, IAC/InterActiveCorp, FSI International and IPC Hospitalist Co.

China's gold output reached 360.96 tons in 2011, up 5.9 percent year-on-year, according to the latest statistics from the China Gold Association.

The top aftermarket NYSE gainers Wednesday were: RealD, Petroquest Energy, RailAmerica, GenCorp, Allstate, Penn Virginia, Graphic Packaging Holding, Huntsman and Sequans Communications.

The top aftermarket NYSE losers Wednesday were: Sandridge Energy, Materion Corp, Endeavor International, McDermott International, OMNOVA Solutions, MEMC Electronic Materials, General Cable Corp, W.R. Berkley Corp, Ciber and Fair Isaac Corp.

A proposed settlement to resolve mortgage abuses by top U.S. banks will give states broad authority to punish firms that mistreat borrowers in the future, according to documents seen by Reuters on Wednesday.

Mort Zuckerman, the venerable real estate developer and media mogul, has a taste for urbanism. He attributed the strong fourth quarter and 2011 for his real estate investment trust Boston Properties, Inc. (NYSE:BXP) to its focus on major cities.

Employers hired fewer workers in January than they did in December, showing companies and banks that lend to them remain concerned U.S. economic growth will cool after expanding rapidly in the fourth quarter of 2011, according to a survey of economists.

Pfizer, the world's biggest drug company, appeared Wednesday to have escaped negative investor reaction after announcing a recall of birth-control pills, with stock prices fluctuating throughout the trading session before closing up 13 cents to $21.31.

Europe's biggest oil company, Royal Dutch Shell is expected to take a hit in its refining and marketing earnings, but could follow the likes of ExxonMobil in posting profit that at least matches analyst expectations thanks to high oil prices.

In 2010, Child Protective Services received over three million notices regarding the alleged maltreatment of nearly six million children. Of the referrals that were eventually screened and investigated, the CPS determined that over 1,500 children died from abuse and neglect that year. Now a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found, “The total lifetime estimated financial costs associated with just one year of confirmed cases of child maltreatment (physical abuse, sexual abuse, psych...

Portugal and Greece dominated the headlines out of Europe Wednesday, as both nations appeared to be opening new chapters in the continuing Eurozone sovereign debt crisis. Paradoxically, positive developments in one country were actually seen as the reason negative news were emerging from the other.

Many major automakers reported January sales on Wednesday, and their results signaled further rebound in a recovering United States auto industry.

AMR Corp.'s American Airlines will work to drastically reduce costs by more than $2 billion annually, the company said Wednesday, with a heavy portion of those cuts resulting from a reduction in labor costs.

President Barack Obama called on Wednesday for an expanded homeowner refinance program that would lift restrictions for more borrowers, representing another government effort to aid the ailing housing market.

Boosted by non-residential developments, builders increased their December 2011 spending at a rate higher than economists had expected. The gain confirmed previously observed trends about the ongoing economic recovery in the U.S., which has seen better than expected progress in industry while still facing a soft residential housing market.

Some Apple users are unhappy with the way their gadgets are produced, and are calling on Apple to overhaul their production line ahead of the iPhone 5 release and make it the first ethical phone.

The Chinese yuan has been a laggard in Asia in the year so far while other regional currencies, including the Japanese yen, are posting strong gains against the U.S. dollar (USD) and the euro (EUR).

The rupee hit a near three-month high on Wednesday, clawing back all early losses, supported by robust dollar inflows, local share gains and a recovery in the euro.

The BSE Sensex rebounded in late trade on Wednesday to post its highest close in 12 weeks, as metal producers and auto makers jumped, although investors were doubtful the rally could be sustained after a rise of nearly 12 percent so far this year.

Such an event would clearly pose a dire threat to Israel and its mandated Jewish identity.

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) has reported a 57 percent decline in its fourth quarter profit despite the strong sales of Kindle devices.

Japanese electronics maker Sharp said Wednesday it expected a full year net loss of $3.8 billion as it was confronting a slump in the sales of LCD color televisions and solar batteries.

The top after-market NASDAQ Loser Tuesday were: JDA Software Group, Amazon.com, Ubiquiti Networks, C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Harmonic, Concurrent Computer Corp, Silgan Holdings and Sify Technologies.

The top after-market NASDAQ gainers Tuesday were: Key Tronic Corp, Medivation, Aspen Technology, Fortinet, Myriad Genetics, Seagate Technology, Stratasys and ZAGG Inc.

The top aftermarket NYSE gainers Tuesday were: Molina Healthcare, Brunswick, W.R. Berkley, Manitowoc Co and Gafisa SA. The top aftermarket NYSE losers were: Unisys Corp, Medical Properties Trust, Oasis Petroleum, Skilled Healthcare Group and E-Commerce China Dangdang Inc.

President Barack Obama pushed into second-gear at the Washington Auto Show on Tuesday, taking a swipe at potential challenger Mitt Romney as the Republican primaries in Florida were underway.

A leading indicator of the state of global industry -- whose biggest dips in the past have come just before the world economy fell into recession -- is dropping like a lead anchor. Some savvy market forecasters are saying this should be sounding alarm bells. But what do the experts who actually work in shipping have to say?

Chrysler is profiting from strong Jeep sales and automakers are expected today to announce healthy year-over-year January sales increases in the U.S., with only General Motors Corp. trailing the pack.

The Columbus, Ind.-based company is expected to earn $424 million, or $2.24 per share, up from 362 million or $1.84 per share in the year earlier period, estimates carried by Thomson Reuters said. Analysts expect revenue of $4.7 billion, up from $4.1 billion in the year earlier period.