Japan's Nikkei average fell to a one-month closing low on Monday after downgrades of nine European countries, including a cut in France's triple-A rating, escalated fears over the region's ability to end its debt crisis.
The top aftermarket NYSE gainers on Friday were: AOL, CVR Energy, Frontline, Dolby Laboratories and Covance. The top after market NYSE Losers were: Wabash National Corp, Kemet Corp, Walter Energy, Primerica and Teekay Tankers.
Stock investors will return to a tug of war between signs of domestic strength and overseas concerns next week as a batch of critical earnings reports look to add credence to the idea the economy is improving, while credit rating downgrades in Europe will keep that region's difficulties in view.
Stocks dropped on Friday, snapping a four-day winning streak, after news reports that Standard & Poor's would downgrade credit ratings on several euro-zone countries.
A whopping 44 percent of all mutual-fund shareholders are baby boomers, according to an Investment Company Institute report. As they take withdrawals from their retirement kitties over the next couple of decades, you're looking at a major, potentially market-altering event.
U.S. stock investors will return to a tug-of-war between signs of domestic strength and overseas concerns next week as a batch of critical earnings reports look to add credence to the idea the economy is improving, while credit-rating downgrades in Europe will keep that region's difficulties in view.
Asian shares rose to a one-month high and the euro clung near its strongest in a week Friday as strong demand in Spanish and Italian debt sales tempered risk aversion ahead of another auction from Rome later in the day.
The S&P 500 closed at a five-month high for the third day on Thursday but had difficulty extending gains in the face of lackluster economic data and another European bond market test.
Spain and Italy spread cheer through euro zone markets on Thursday with successful debt auctions at sharply lower borrowing costs in 2012's first real test of appetite for debt from the euro zone's bruised periphery.
Stock index futures rose on Thursday after well-received European sovereign debt auctions encouraged investors ahead of job market and retail sales data expected to show the economy is steadily recovering.
The top aftermarket NYSE losers on Wednesday were: Qihoo 360 Technology, Safeway, Chevron, Camden Property Trust, Genworth Financial, Tyson Foods, Mueller Water Products, Watson Pharmaceuticals and HollyFrontier Corp.
The top aftermarket NYSE gainers on Wednesday were: Torch Energy Royalty, Walter Energy, Citigroup, Jaguar Mining, Freeport-McMoran Copper, Bank of America Corp, Hovnanian Enterprises, HHGregg, Liz Claiborne and Liz Claiborne.
Canadian stocks ended slightly lower on Wednesday, weighed down by sharply weaker energy issues, as oil prices slid and investors remained cautious about Europe's debt crisis.
A day after re-affirming its top sovereign credit rating on Austrian government bonds, a research arm of respected French credit rating agency Fitch has issued a report noting the rapidly deteriorating level of confidence investors in the derivatives market are displaying towards that country's debt.
At least two serious potential bidders have emerged so far for the London Metal Exchange (LME) from 15 suitors who expressed interest in the world's biggest metals marketplace, a source with knowledge of the matter said on Wednesday.
The top aftermarket NYSE gainers Tuesday were: China New Borun Corp, Synnex Corp, Hospitality Properites Trust, Choice Hotels International, Bank of Ireland, Yingli Green Energy Holding Co, Boise Inc, FelCor Lodging Trust and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide.
The top aftermarket NYSE losers on Tuesday were: HCA Holdings, Hill-Rom Holdings, PVH Corp, Medifast, Two Harbors Investments, Emergent Biosolutions, Jones Group, Marathon Petroleum Corp, Pioneer Natural Resources and Cal Dive International.
Canadian stocks touched their highest level in two months on Tuesday as mining and energy issues rose on healthy import data out of China, which boosted investor optimism for the global economy.
The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers are: Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Lululemon Athletica, Cirrus Logic, Focus Media Holding, Achillion Pharmaceuticals, Research In Motion and Apple. The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: WebMD Health, Illumina, Affymax, Brocade Communications Systems and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries.
The top aftermarket NYSE gainers Monday were: Emulex Corp, MagnaChip Semiconductor Corp, Charles River Laboratories, Five Star Quality Care, Key Energy Services, Lions Gate Entertainment, Meritor, RealD, FXCM and First American Corp.
The top aftermarket NYSE losers Monday were: Liz Claiborne, Royal Bank Scotland Group, Terreno Realty Corp, Crestwood Midstream Partners, General Cable Corp, Cambrex Corp and Freescale Semiconductor Holdings.
Stocks ended slightly higher on Monday in a light-volume session as investors stayed cautious ahead of corporate earnings and key auctions for European debt this week.
The Khartoum stock exchange on Sunday launched a long-awaited computer trading system that will bring to an end an era of scribbling stock prices on white boards and also marks Sudan's efforts to attract more investment.
The top pre-market NASDAQ stock market gainers are: Idenix Pharmaceuticals, Achillion Pharmaceuticals, VIVUS, MAKO Surgical, Questcor Pharmaceuticals, Research In Motion and Apple. The top pre-market NASDAQ stock market losers are: IPC The Hospitalist Company, Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Akamai Technologies, Logitech International and Costco Wholesale.
The top aftermarket NYSE losers Friday were: Mistras Group, Federated Investors, Neustar, ITT Educational Services, Vishay Intertechnology, RPC and RealD Inc.
The top aftermarket NYSE gainers Friday were: SunCoke Energy, Schawk, Mobile TeleSystems, Greenhill & Co, National Fuel Gas, HollyFrontier Corp, USG Corp, Computer Sciences, Talbots and iSoftStone Holdings.
The Khartoum stock exchange on Sunday launched a long-awaited computer trading system that will bring to an end an era of scribbling stock prices on white boards and also marks Sudan's efforts to attract more investment.
Toronto's main stock index finished lower for the first time this year on Friday, as resource and financial issues fell after Canadian and U.S. jobs data failed to impress investors.
Stocks rose in the first week of this year, even though news that the U.S. jobless rate neared a three-year low did not whet interest in equities on Friday.
Stocks were on track to post gains for the first week of 2012 on Friday as signs of a sustainable economic recovery overshadowed lingering concerns about the euro zone's debt crisis.
