GLOBAL MARKETS

A broad asset rally inspired by the U.S. Federal Reserve's pledge to keep rates low paused Friday, as investors sought to gauge how sustainable the burst of optimism will be while waiting for the outcome of crucial Greek debt talks.

U.S. stocks sagged on Thursday as traders cashed in on red-hot bank and technology shares, while the Federal Reserve's commitment to easy money to help the U.S. economy rebound weakened the dollar.

Nokia, the world's largest cellphone maker by volume, reported a 73 percent fall in fourth quarter earnings as sales of its new Windows Phones failed to slow the rapid dominance of Apple's iPhone or to compensate for diving sales of its own old smartphones.

European shares rose on Thursday, halting two-days of losses, after the U.S. Federal Reserve said interest rates would remain low for a considerably longer period than expected and it is ready to offer additional stimulus to boost economic growth.

Stock index futures rose on Thursday, adding to gains from the previous session when the Federal Reserve boosted equities by saying it was likely to keep interest rates near zero until at least late 2014.

The companies expected to see active trade Thursday are: AT&T, Caterpillar, Netflix, Starbucks Corp, Colgate-Palmolive, SanDisk Corp, 3M, Bristol Myers Squibb, Lockheed Martin, EQT Corp and Juniper Networks.

The top aftermarket NYSE Losers Wednesday were: Guggenheim Strategic Opportunities, Covance, Varian Medical Systems, LIN TV, NRG Energy, Quantum Corp, Denbury Resources, EQT Corp, InterOil Corp and Petroquest Energy Inc.

The top aftermarket NYSE gainers Wednesday were: Teradyne, Kodiak Oil & Gas, LSI Logic, Buckeye Technologies, United Rentals, Cliffs Natural Resources and Lennar Corp.

Japan's Nikkei average retreated from a three-month high on Thursday as disappointing results from Fanuc and Fuji Electric weighed, though the Federal Reserve's signal of its readiness to further stimulate the U.S. economy provided support.

Silver is currently on a bullish cycle and the price of bullion is likely to rise from current levels around $32 per ounce to $50 and beyond this year, Swiss banking giant UBS said in a note to clients Tuesday.

Stocks rose on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve said it would keep interest rates near zero through at least 2014 and Apple's spectacular results boosted investor sentiment.

Big profits from Apple and a promise from the Federal Reserve to keep rock-bottom rates for at least two more years powered the U.S. stock market higher on Wednesday.

World stocks and the euro suffered on Wednesday as uncertainty about Greece's debt talks overshadowed strong economic data from Germany, blow-out earnings from Apple, and expectations that the Federal Reserve will push back the timing of an eventual rate hike.

Brent crude slipped below $110 on Wednesday as recession fears, partly rekindled by stalled Greek debt talks, weighed on the outlook for demand, while threats by Iran to respond to European sanctions by shutting a vital trade route supported prices.

Japan's Nikkei average scaled a new three-month high on Wednesday, boosted by gains in exporters such as Toyota Motor and Canon as the yen weakened following data showing Tokyo posted its first annual trade deficit since 1980.

The euro and European shares weakened on Wednesday as fears about the prospect of a Greek debt default overwhelmed positive news on the outlook for Germany, the region's largest economy.

The companies expected to see active trade Wednesday are: Apple, Boeing, CA, Xerox, Automatic Data Processing, Netflix, General Dynamics, SanDisk Corp, Hess Corp, Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Laboratories, ConocoPhillips and Murphy Oil Corp.

The top aftermarket NYSE Losers Tuesday were: Fusion-io, Rock-Tenn, Quest Diagnostics, Cemex SAB, Williams Partners, Petrobras Argentina, Williams-Sonoma, Norfolk Souther and Advanced Micro Devices.

The top after-market NASDAQ gainers Tuesday were: CA, Saba Software, Cirrus Logic, Apple Inc and TriQuint Semiconductor. The top after-market NASDAQ losers were: First Midwest Bancorp, Mercury Computer Systems, Approach Resources, NVIDIA Corp and Nektar Therapeutics.

The top aftermarket NYSE gainers Tuesday were: Radian Group, Peabody Energy, MGIC Investment, Tempur-pedic International, Lions Gate Entertainment, Patriot Coal Corp, MagnaChip Semiconductor, MGM Resorts International, Youku and Hovnanian Enterprises Inc.

Stocks edged lower on Tuesday, with the S&P 500 pulling back from a five-day rally, as talks to resolve Greece's debt crisis hit a snag and a number of earnings from blue chips disappointed investors.

The companies expected to see active trade on Tuesday are: Apple, DuPont, McDonalds, Johnson & Johnson, Advanced Micro Devices, Yahoo, Harley-Davidson, CA, Verizon Communications, Travelers Companies, KeyCorp and International Game Technology.

The top aftermarket NYSE losers Friday were: Kansas City Southern, Hyperdynamics, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Community Bank System, CSX Corp, EnCana Corp, Helmerich & Payne, Murphy Oil Corp, YPF SA and Bank Of Montreal.

The top aftermarket NYSE gainers Monday were: Western Digital, Fifth Street Finance, VMware, K-V Pharmaceutical, Range Resources Corp, Talbots, MBIA, Texas Instruments, Bank of Ireland and Novartis AG.

Japan's Nikkei average hit its highest level in nearly three months Tuesday on hopes that a Greek debt deal will still be reached even after European finance ministers rejected an offer by Greece's private creditors.

Stocks finished almost flat on Monday as investors took a break from a recent rally, awaiting earnings from bellwethers such as Apple later in the week.

Stocks ended little changed on Monday as investors took a pause from a recent rally, awaiting earnings from bellwethers such as Apple later in the week.

European stocks hit their highest close since early August on Monday, with euro zone banks gaining sharply following a report that France and Germany were calling for a relaxation of global bank capital rules to prevent a credit crunch.

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