GLOBAL MARKETS

The companies whose shares are moving in pre-market trade Friday are: Deutsche Bank, Microsoft Corp, EDAC Technologies, Goodyear Tire & Rubber, First Solar, General Electric, Advanced Micro Devices, Riverbed Technology, Sandisk Corp and Nokia Corp.

Asian stock markets were mostly lower Friday as weak US economic data and fears over European debt crisis weighed on the sentiment.

Futures on major US indices point to a higher opening Friday as investors awaited the earnings from major firms including General Electric Co. and McDonald's.

Asian stock markets declined Friday as batch of disappointing economic readings from the US signaled that the recovery was slowing in the world's biggest economy.

Asian shares slipped Friday as disappointing U.S. economic data stirred doubts about the strength of recovery, while the yen weakened after the Bank of Japan flagged the prospect of further monetary easing to support the struggling economy.

The Spanish stock market plunged on Thursday, closing just 1.3 percent above its March 2009 low and reigniting fears about the euro zone sovereign debt crisis and the weak U.S. labor market.

Chinese workers who are exposed to silica dust in mines, and pottery and gemstone factories suffer not only from respiratory illnesses, but are at higher risk of contracting heart and infectious diseases and cancer, researchers in China have found.

Asian shares moved in a narrow range Thursday after the previous day's rally as investors grew cautious ahead of a key Spanish bond sale that would test the market's risk appetite as concerns mounted over the euro zone's debt crisis.

Investment guru Jeffrey Gundlach's natural gas outlook for the long term is extremely bullish despite recent depressed prices, even as futures on the fuel breached a 10-year low on Wednesday.

Asian stock markets rallied on Wednesday as sentiment was boosted by a successful Spanish debt auction and strong global growth forecast from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The companies whose shares are moving in pre-market trade Wednesday are: United Rentals, Csx Corp, Seagate Technology, Amarin Corp, Yahoo!, Halliburton, Cree, Intel Corp, Logitech International and International Business machines Corp.

US stock index futures pointed to a lower opening Wednesday after posting strong gains in the previous session.

Asian stock markets surged Wednesday, following solid gains on Wall Street overnight as stronger International Monetary Fund (IMF) global forecast and falling Spanish bond yields buoyed sentiment.

Stabilizing risk appetite lifted Asian shares and riskier currencies Wednesday, after firm demand at Spanish debt sales, positive corporate earnings, and improved sentiment in Germany boosted investor confidence.

Good corporate earnings, falling Spanish interest rates and an upward revision in the International Monetary Fund's outlook for the U.S. economy on Tuesday offset a weak housing report to lift equities and industrial commodities.

U.S. stocks soared Tuesday on good corporate earnings, falling Spanish interest rates and an International Monetary Fund forecast for strong economic growth in the United States.

The outbreak of a new livestock disease in western Europe last year, particularly harmful to offspring, could move further into areas surrounding the worst affected countries in the next cycle of new births, scientists say.

The companies whose shares are moving in pre-market trade Tuesday are: Endocyte, Comerica, Canadian Solar, Sprint Nextel, Valero Energy, U.S. Bancorp, Bank of America , China Gerui Advanced Materials Group, KIT digital, Host Hotels and Resorts and Goldman Sachs Group.

Most of the Asian stock markets ended lower Tuesday after data showed that foreign direct investment (FDI) into China declined for the fifth month in a row.

Futures on major US indices point to a higher opening Tuesday ahead of the quarterly earnings from top investment bank Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) and key housing data due to be released before market opens.

Asian stock markets declined for the second day Tuesday despite better-than-expected US retail sales data as concerns over Europe's debt crisis continued to weigh.

Investment management firm Loomis Sayles' stock market forecast for 2012 and beyond is quite bullish.

Spain's debt yields rose above 6 percent on Monday as investors worried about its budget deficit, knocking the euro and sending safe-haven German bonds to a record last set at the height of the euro zone crisis.

The companies whose shares are moving in pre-market trade on Monday are: First Solar, Alpha Natural Resources, CF Industries Holdings, Advanced Micro Devices, Halliburton, Citigroup, Mattel, Hasbro, Infosys and SCANA Corp.

Asian stock markets ended lower Monday as surge in Spain's borrowing costs renewed concern over the eurozone debt crisis.

Futures on major US stock indices point to a higher opening on Monday ahead of economic data including retail sales.

Asian stock markets declined Monday, following a slump in the US and European stocks last week on renewed eurozone concerns.

The bears were on the prowl Friday, as negative economic news out of China, Spain, and the U.S. left global investors struggling to find safe places for their cash -- and the positive developments that did surface appeared to have little effect.

The top after-market NASDAQ losers Thursday were: XOMA Corp, BE Aerospace, Interactive Brokers Group, UTi Worldwide, Itron, Bruker Corp, Commerce Bancshares, YRC Worldwide, Hudson City Bancorp and Myriad Genetics.