ECONOMY & MARKETS

European stocks extended gains while sterling slipped across the board as the Bank of England cut interest rates, joining other central banks in an attempt to counter the risk of an economic slowdown from the credit crisis.

U.S. stocks rose on Wednesday after a government report said the labor market is strong, easing some worry about a looming economic slowdown.

The dollar rose against major currencies on Wednesday after a U.S. government reports showed strong job growth, more factory orders and productivity gains.

The dollar fell against major currencies on Tuesday amid concerns about company earnings, a lower U.S. market, an interest rate cut in Canada and the latest address from the Federal Reserve.

U.S Stocks fell for a second day Tuesday, as major stocks fell on news of deteriorating credit markets.

Jitters about the U.S. economy and the credit crisis kept investors away from riskier assets on Tuesday, sending stocks sharply lower and boosting the Japanese yen against higher-yielding currencies.

The yen gained against the dollar and higher-yielding currencies for a second day on Tuesday as escalating concerns about credit turmoil prompted investors to cut back on risky positions.

Stocks fell on Tuesday after a brokerage cut its earnings outlook for major Wall Street companies and as uncertainty about the outlook for a credit crisis recovery mounted.

US stocks were nearly flat on Monday after dropping earlier following comments by Eric Rosengren, the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President, said the economy's expansion will slow down.

Japan's Nikkei average took a breather on Monday after gaining more than 5 percent the previous week, as exporters such as Canon Inc slipped on a slightly stronger yen.

The yen gained broadly on Monday as investors cut exposure to risk amid expectations of widening financial sector losses tied to the U.S. subprime market.

Stocks were little changed on Monday after comments by the Treasury Secretary that a mortgage aid plan was in the works helped offset declines after a report showing slower growth in manufacturing last month.

Shares in Adidas rose more than 3 percent on Monday as traders cited market talk that U.S. rival Nike and Japanese sports shoe maker Asics were interested in the German company.

Wall Street's rebound from its first full-fledged correction in more than four years could continue this week if investors believe a plan to keep millions of Americans from losing their homes can work.

Asian stock markets mostly rose on Monday as financial shares extended gains on hopes of further U.S. interest rate cuts, but some technology stocks eased after Dell Inc's disappointing outlook.

The Dow and S&P 500 rose on Friday, capping a dismal November with a four-day rally, as financial stocks rallied on optimism over a proposed rescue for struggling homeowners and on heightened expectations for more interest-rate cuts.

Dell, the world’s second-largest personal-computer maker, decreased $3.80 to $24.33, being viewed as the biggest drag on the S&P 500.

Consumer spending inched up by an unexpectedly small 0.2 percent last month and construction spending tumbled, according to reports on Friday that heightened concerns on the health of the economy.

The dollar rallied against major currencies on Thursday after the Federal Reserve Bank’s chief indicated he was open to further rate cuts to combat a downturn in the U.S. economy.

US Stocks rose as markets opened on Friday, heading towards their biggest weekly gain since March, following comments made by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke late yesterday that boosted expectations for another interest-rate cut in the near future.

Stocks rose on Friday on a report the U.S. Treasury will soon unveil a plan to help stem the subprime mortgage crisis and on comments by Fed chief Ben Bernanke that added to expectations of an interest-rate cut.

European stocks opened at a two-week high on Friday while the yen slipped, as expectations grew of U.S. interest rate cuts that could stem the slowdown in the world's largest economy.

China's main stock index fell 2.6 percent on Friday, led by index heavyweights such as PetroChina, ending November with a loss of 18 percent -- its biggest monthly drop since July 1994.

The yen fell broadly on Friday and high-yielders gained after comments by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke cemented expectations of easier monetary policy, which may help the U.S. economy to avoid a recession.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Thursday a resurgence in financial strains in recent weeks had dimmed the outlook for the U.S. economy, signaling an openness to lowering interest rates again. He said the Fed will have to remain exceptionally alert and flexible.

Hewlett-Packard Co. in the third quarter continued to expand its lead over rivals in the global PC market, while Taiwan based Acer saw the largest increase, displacing Dell as the world's No. 2 notebook maker.

Treasuries and three-month bill yields dropped to less than 3 percent amid great concerns over banks’ willingness to lend that led investors to relative safety of U.S. government debt.

Britain's FTSE 100 index remained steady on Thursday, with an increase in commodity stocks due to speculations for M&A and higher raw material prices.

The dollar rose against the euro on Thursday after Goldman Sachs analysts said the dollar’s drop may be at an end and a new report indicated weaker consumer confidence in France, one of Europe’s key economies.