South Africa's rand fell more than 1.2 percent to a six week low against the dollar on Wednesday and government bonds touched a six month low ahead of a central bank's policy decision next day, expected to see rates unchanged.
Morocco's cereal-planted areas were 62 percent above their level a year earlier in mid-December, while the amount of rainfall surged by almost as much, the central bank said.
Gold rallied for a third consecutive session on Wednesday, boosted by broad weakness in the dollar and robust Asian consumer demand, while anticipation of more resilient global growth took platinum to 30-month highs.
US stocks traded mixed in early trade on Wednesday, following mixed earnings from financial heavyweights Goldman Sachs and Wells Fargo and a government report showed that U.S. housing starts fell more than expected in December.
Futures on major U.S. indices point to a lower opening on Wednesday after Goldman Sachs reported a decline in quarterly profit and a government report showed that U.S. housing starts fell more than expected in December.
The Singapore Exchange (SGX), Singapore’s stock market, said it will do away with its lunch break and launch continuous all-day trading from March.
The companies that reported earnings before the markets open on Wednesday are: Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, U.S. Bancorp, State Street, Northern Trust, Bank of New York Mellon and Hudson City Bancorp.
Agribusiness behemoth Cargill Inc. said it plans to split off its majority 64 percent stake in fertilizer-maker Mosaic Co. (NYSE: MOS), in a transaction valued at $24.3 billion.
World stocks reached their highest levels in nearly 2-1/2 years on Wednesday with the MSCI world equity index reaching 1324, the highest since August 2008.
The companies which are expected to see active trade on Wednesday are Apple, Goldman Sachs, eBay, IBM, Cree, Wells Fargo, U.S. Bancorp and Xilinx.
Futures on major U.S. indices point to a flat opening on Wednesday ahead of quarterly earnings from top investment bank Goldman Sachs and key housing data due to be released before market opens.
Swiss drug maker Roche said its investigational drug for advanced skin cancer - RG7204 - showed significant survival benefit in a late stage study.
Hong Kong stocks are set to rise on Wednesday following a higher close on Wall Street which was supported by commodity-related counters and strong earnings from technology bellwethers Apple (AAPL.O) and IBM (IBM.N).
U.S. stocks climbed modestly higher, despite some negative developments with market behemoths Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) and Citigroup (NYSE: C).
Ordinary American citizens can for the first time invest in the yuan, China's currency, through Bank of China's branches in the U.S.
Ghana's stock exchange expects at least four new listings this year, including a local float by oil group Tullow Plc, and predicts that inflows of new pension funds will boost trading volumes.
German precious metals refinery group Heraeus reports massive demand for bars and coins, even as ETF trust funds and Comex futures contracts saw considerable profit-taking driven liquidations by institutional traders.
As Apple shares are plunging due to Steve Jobs' renewed health concerns, some Street analysts think it is a good buying opportunity to accumulate shares.
The top pre-market NASDAQ stock market gainers are: ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Datalink, Sterling Bancshares, China XD Plastics and Ku6 Media. The top pre-market NASDAQ stock market losers are: Apple, Avago Technologies, Cypress Semiconductor, NVIDIA and ASML Holdings.
The companies that reported earnings before the markets opened on Tuesday are: Citigroup, Forest Laboratories, Comerica, Delta Air Lines and TD Ameritrade.
China's key stock index closed up 0.1 percent, supported by a key technical level and better-than-expected earnings from two banks.
China faces growing challenges in managing its foreign exchange reserves -- the world's largest at $2.85 trillion, the country's foreign exchange regulator said in remarks published on Tuesday.
Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) shares plunged on German stock exchanges today after it was reported that Chairman Steve Jobs would take another leave of absence, fuelling worries about the potential length of his absence and the extent of his health issues.
South African stocks fell on Monday, snapping a four-day advance, with paint company Freeworld Coatings sliding 4 percent after saying a proposed takeover bid by Japan's Kansai Paint was unfair to shareholders.
Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple Inc. (AAPL), has taken medical leave to focus on his health. In his absence, Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook will be responsible for day to day operations.
The United States productivity growth will slow substantially in 2011 and could even fall below the rate in the euro area, The Conference Board reported on Monday.
U.S. bank stocks are flying high, and this week's earnings could give investors more reason to be optimistic about the sector.
Hong Kong stocks are expected to edge higher on Monday to a near two-month high, as the appetite for risky assets stays steady after JP Morgan's quarterly earnings report lifted Wall Street on Friday.
China's key stock index opened down 0.7 percent on Monday, with banking and property stocks slipping, after the People's Bank of China announced a rise in lenders' required reserves for the fourth time in just over two months.
Seoul shares are likely to open cautiously on Monday after the latest move by China to tighten monetary policy, while crude refiners and airlines may be tracked on crude oil prices' continued gains.
