Fitch Ratings warned on Thursday that it might downgrade the credit rating of China within two years and there was a greater than even chance of a downgrade of Japan's credit status.
Germany's Constitutional Court rejected on Wednesday a series of lawsuits aimed at blocking German participation in bailout packages for Greece and other euro zone countries, but said parliament must have a bigger say in future rescues.
Gold fell hard Wednesday when some investors took profits from the yellow metal's recent runup in price and other investors abandoned the yellow metal for stocks.
Facebook's revenue doubled to $1.6 billion in 2011's first half, a source with knowledge of its financials told Reuters, underscoring its appeal to advertisers while it grapples with intensifying competition from the likes of Google Inc.
Nvidia's stock has soared after the company's Chief Executive Jen-Hsun Huang outlines a strong fiscal outlook for next year.
Silver prices clawed their way back to near a breakeven point Wednesday after falling early in the day's session by 3.5 percent, a performance that easily outshined gold's movement in early afternoon trading.
Digital graphics chip maker NVIDIA Corp. (NASDAQ: NVDA) unexpectedly provided fiscal 2013 financial guidance, which Jefferies believes primarily to focus investors on its longer-term growth potential.
Stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Wall Street on Wednesday, with futures for the S&P 500 up 1 percent, Dow Jones futures up 0.79 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.97 percent at 0900 GMT (5 a.m. ET).
Internet firm Yahoo! (NASDAQ:YHOO) said its board has removed Carol Bartz as Chief Executive Officer, replacing her with Chief Financial Officer Timothy Morse on an interim basis. Jefferies said the departure of Bartz opens door for Yahoo! to strategic alternatives.
The euro zone's most indebted nations were scrambling on Wednesday to convince investors and the rest of Europe of their commitment to tackle their debt problems, even as the bloc's main paymaster Germany battles increasing opposition to further aid.
Brazil vowed on Tuesday to defend its domestic industry against unfair competition and slapped import tariffs on select Chinese steel products.
Rogers Communications is applying to Canadian authorities to open its own banking unit, enabling the telecommunications company to offer its own credit cards.
Silver mining companies settled mixed Tuesday, while the price of the white metal itself gave up ground to fears that global economic activity may be slowing.
The Arizona Department of Corrections has instituted a one-time $25 fee for visitors fee in order to raise money for prison renewal and maintenance.
South Africa's rand weakened against the dollar on Tuesday, reversing earlier gains on broad-based dollar buying but could get support at around 7.16.
South Africa's finances are sound but the risk of high indebtedness by both the government and individuals lurks if no action is taken now, Deputy Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene said.
German construction activity fell last month for the first time since December, according to a key survey of construction purchasing managers by Markit Economics.
Defying expectations, the U.S. service sector expanded at a slightly faster pace in August -- but remains too weak to help a sluggish economy that's not creating enough jobs.
The Canadian dollar hit its weakest level against the U.S. dollar in nearly four weeks on Tuesday as investors worried that the euro zone's debt crisis was worsening and that the U.S. economy was slipping back into recession.
Loyalists of ousted Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi crossed into Niger late on Monday in a convoy of vehicles, carrying gold and cash, officials from Libya's interim ruling National Transitional Council (NTC) said on Tuesday.
Hong Kong shares edged higher on Tuesday, as a late short covering rally helped snap a two-day losing streak, but strong gains in utilities names and low turnover suggest that investors remain skeptical the bounce can be sustained.
Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold's Indonesia mine workers are set to strike from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 unless the firm meets their demands for a pay rise, Julia Parorongan, the firm's workers union spokeswoman, told Reuters on Tuesday.
Jefferies & Co. said Apple Inc. is looking to merge iOS (iPhone/iPad) with OS X (Macs) into a single platform for apps and cloud services starting in 2012-2013.
Kofax Plc's management confirmed that the board is planning for an initial public offering (IPO) in the United States at some stage in the future with plans to maintain a dual listing between the United Kingdom and the U.S.
Wall Street stock futures pointed to a lower open for equities on Tuesday on renewed fears the euro zone's sovereign debt crisis is worsening, with shares seen tracking a slump in European stocks on Monday when the U.S. market was closed.
European financial markets steadied Tuesday, with the euro jumping against the Swiss franc, after a sharp sell-off a day earlier due to fears for the euro zone's future and that of its banking sector.
Asian shares fell and U.S. Treasury yields dropped to the lowest levels in at least 60 years on Tuesday on fears that Europe's sovereign debt troubles are worsening and could trigger a second full-blown banking crisis.
The rupee dropped for a second straight session on Tuesday in tandem with weakness in the euro, Asian peers and local shares as worries over global growth deepen.
The BSE Sensex fell 0.5 percent on Tuesday, tracking Asian peers that fell on fears that Europe's sovereign debt troubles are worsening and could trigger a second full-blown banking crisis.
China's economic growth may ease to below 9 percent in 2012, partly due to a weak global economy, a senior Chinese foreign exchange official said on Tuesday, backing market expectations that the world's No. 2 economy is set for a mild easing.
