EQUITIES

Family Dollar Stores Inc forecast a quarterly profit below analysts' estimates, sending its shares down 8 percent, as it faces an uncertain economy and increased discounting by rival Wal-Mart Stores Inc .

The S&P 500 index briefly rose 2 percent on Wednesday, rebounding from recent losses as a bullish earnings forecast from State Street Corp encouraged investors ahead of the earnings season.

Sirius XM Radio Inc added about 583,000 net subscribers in the second quarter, bringing its total base to 19.5 million as healthier car sales lifted demand for satellite radio.

Wall Street rose on Wednesday as a higher profit outlook from bank State Street Corp reinforced hopes of a better-than-expected earnings season and trumped fears of slower global economic growth.

Stock index futures edged down on Wednesday and followed international equity markets lower as fears persisted of a slowdown in the global economy.

Stock index futures fell on Wednesday, following global equity markets lower, as fears of a slowdown in the world economy persisted.

Stock index futures pointed to a lower open on Wall Street on Wednesday after the previous session's tepid gains, with futures for the S&P 500 down 0.2 percent, Dow Jones futures down 0.3 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures down 0.4 percent at 4 a.m. EDT.

New evidence that the U.S. economic recovery is slowing pushed investors to sell shares on Wednesday following a burst of bargain hunting the previous day.

Asian stocks slipped on Wednesday as investors worried global growth was faltering, while the euro hovered near a 7-week high as investors shunned long positions in the dollar.

Asian stocks fell on Wednesday as investors worried global growth was faltering, while the euro held near a 7-week high as investors pared long positions in the dollar on doubts about the resiliency of the U.S. recovery.

Wall Street rebounded on Tuesday, but strong buying interest evaporated in the afternoon as bearish sentiment reasserted itself.

Stocks rose slightly on Tuesday, rebounding from weeks of selling, but initial gains were mostly erased by afternoon as retail shares weighed.

Agricultural Bank of China priced its Hong Kong and Shanghai dual listing on Tuesday, a deal that would break all IPO records by raising more than $22 billion when adding in over-allotment shares.

Stocks rebounded on Tuesday from a 10-month low on the S&P 500 on data that showed the services sector, the economy's largest, grew for a sixth straight month in June.

World stocks posted their biggest gains in a month on Tuesday after recent drubbings pushed shares to attractive levels, while the euro rose as investors waded back into risky assets.

BP Plc said on Tuesday that it could cover the costs of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill without selling new shares, despite reports it was talking to government-owned funds in the Middle East about buying a stake to ward off takeover attempts.

Agricultural Bank of China priced its Shanghai initial public offering at 2.68 yuan (40 cents) per share, the top of an indicated range, sources said on Tuesday, which combined with its Hong Kong offering and its greenshoe option is set to be the largest IPO ever.

Agricultural Bank of China Ltd, the country's third-largest lender, raised $10.5 billion when it priced its Hong Kong initial public offering at the middle of its original range, a source with direct said on Tuesday.

Top drugstore chain Walgreen Co reported a better-than-expected rise in June same-store sales after it filled more prescriptions and saw improving demand for non-prescription items.

Stocks rose broadly on Tuesday, following five days of losses, as data showed the economy's services sector grew for a sixth straight month in June and on signs of strength in Europe's banking system.

U.S. stock index futures rose sharply on Tuesday, tracking gains in global equity markets, as investors looked for bargains after Wall Street closed its worst week in two months.

BP ruled out a share issue and talk persisted of sovereign wealth fund interest in the British oil major, boosting its shares on Tuesday even as its Gulf of Mexico oil slick spread to the Texas coast.

Agricultural Bank of China, the country's No.3 bank by assets, has closed the books on its dual Hong Kong and Shanghai share sale and could break all IPO records by raising more than $22 billion.

Agricultural Bank of China, the country's No.3 bank by assets, has closed the books on its dual Hong Kong and Shanghai share sale and is on track to raise around $20 billion in what could be the world's largest ever IPO.

World stocks bounced higher on Tuesday from a recent five-week low in a broad risk rally that boosted oil prices, while investors sold off the dollar and government bonds.

U.S. stock index futures rose sharply on Tuesday, tracking gains in global equity markets, as investors looked to rebound from its worst week in two months.

Stock futures rose on Tuesday, pointing to a higher open for Wall Street as the market resumes trading after a holiday on Monday.

Asian stocks reversed course and inched up on Tuesday taking heart from gains in the Chinese market led by property and bank stocks, while the Australian dollar dribbled higher after the central bank sounded cautiously optimistic on the economic outlook.

Agricultural Bank of China, the country's No.3 bank by assets, is set to price its dual Hong Kong and Shanghai IPO late on Tuesday, determining whether it will become world's largest ever share offer.