GLOBAL MARKETS

What is Operation Twist, the Federal Reserve's latest move to boost the economy?

The U.S. dollar trumps virtually all other currencies in the current environment of fear because of its safe-haven status, Jan Loeys, chief market strategist at JPMorgan Chase, told Bloomberg TV.

The U.S. Federal Reserve Wednesday announced it will sell $400 billion worth of short-maturity bonds and reinvest in bonds with maturities of 6 to 30 years by the end of June 2012, in a program commonly referred to as Operation Twist.

Not too long ago, if you mentioned the word annuity to investors, their eyes glazed over. But now individual investors, panicked by stock market selloffs that threaten their retirement dreams, have been doing something they have never done before: asking for them.

The world's giant emerging economies have no magic wand to resolve the euro zone's debt problems, but a contribution to its stabilization could still prove powerful, help avert market panic and reap significant non-financial rewards.

Stock index futures pointed to a slightly higher open on Wall Street Wednesday, with futures for the S&P 500 up 0.23 percent, Dow Jones futures up 0.26 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.07 percent at 3:06 a.m. ET.

Asian stocks drifted slightly lower Wednesday and the euro clawed back lost ground as investors waited for the end of a Federal Reserve policy meeting that may act to stimulate the U.S. economy.

UBS chief executive Oswald Gruebel said on Wednesday he still has support from the Swiss bank's board of directors, after unauthorized trading caused a $2.3 billion loss.

Greece should default on its debt and leave the euro currency if it wants to have a chance at prospering in the coming decade. (This goes for other Eurozone countries in a similar situation).

South African stocks rose to their highest level in more than six weeks on Tuesday, bouncing back from the previous session's decline, with gold miners among the top gainers as the domestic currency falters and bullion prices cruise higher.

South Africa's rand briefly ploughed a fresh 14-month low against the dollar on Tuesday before wiping out most of those losses as comments that Italy is not likely to default on its debt helped ease some of the risk aversion that has beset emerging markets.

Toronto's main stock index rebounded on Tuesday, after touching a one-week low in the previous session, as bargain-hunters returned to the market and gold miners rose along with bullion prices.

The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers are: Universal Display, ARM Holdings, Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Micron Technology, Sina, and Apple. The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: Mellanox Technologies, Logitech International, Netflix, ASML Holding, and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries.

FBR Capital Markets believes Prudential Financial Inc. (NYSE: PRU) will execute the $1.5- billion stock repurchase and will maintain an additional capital margin of $3.2 billion through the year-end 2013.

RBC Capital Markets hosted an Aerospace & Defense bus trip for investors in Philadelphia and New Jersey, visiting Precision Castparts Corp. (NYSE:PCP), Triumph Group Inc. (NYSE:TGI), The Boeing Co. (NYSE:BA) and TransDigm Group Inc. (NYSE:TDG).

Securities regulators have sent subpoenas to hedge funds and other trading firms in a probe of possible insider trading before the U.S. government's long-term credit rating was cut last month, the Wall Street Journal said, citing people familiar with the matter.

With the U.S. stock market tanking in late 2011 due to a myriad of issues, mainly the stagnant U.S. economy and Europe's sovereign debt, many investors have sold out and ducked for cover.

Shareholders are likely snapping up Apple stock in anticipation of the next generation of iPhone products – the iPhone 5, which many analysts say will receive unprecedented demand.

The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers are: Sangamo Biosciences, Identive Group, Advanced Analogic Technologies, and DryShips. The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: Logitech International, Applied Materials, Brocade Communications Systems, ARM Holdings, and ASML Holding.

Wall Street hopes for more Fed action and clear signs European leaders will follow through on their new urgency to tackle the euro zone debt crisis if U.S. stocks are to build on their best week since early July.

President Barack Obama is expected to make a raft of recommendations for changing tax law on Monday, in addition to his new proposed tax on the rich -- known as the Buffett tax after billionaire Warren Buffett -- which was disclosed on Saturday.

Stock index futures pointed to a sharply lower open on Wall Street on Monday, as renewed fears of a Greek debt default prompt investors to book some of last week's gains and turn to safer assets such as gold.

IT services is typically late cycle, so Jefferies doesn't believe the recent macro volatility will be evident in Accenture Plc (NYSE: ACN) fiscal fourth quarter results on Sept. 27.

Even though the recession officially ended more than two years ago, the still-weak U.S. economy and a pullback in federal support means the outlook for states and local governments remains negative, Moody's Investors Service said on Monday.

Even though Canada's big oil producers are raking in profits on high crude prices and stellar refining margins, their share prices are languishing as investors fret about the economic risks that could slow global petroleum demand.

Regulators are still trying to figure out how 31-year-old trader Kweku Adoboli caused $2 billion in bad bets over three tears. But as the probe continues analysts and politicians say UBS trading losses has strengthened the case for separating retail banks from their investment arm, according to The Associated Press.

In his book ‘Overconnected,’ former Intel CEO William H. Davidow argues that the Internet supercharged many of the recent economic crises

Checking in to Lastel hotel means checking out at this corpse hotel.

Cuba has shut down one of the most important western trading companies in the country as an investigation into alleged corrupt import-export practices broadened to a second Canadian firm, foreign business sources said on Friday.