EQUITIES

Stock index futures were little changed Tuesday as upbeat data from Germany offset Moody's ratings downgrade of six euro-zone countries and investors remained concerned about the financial health of the region.

When it comes to hiring top commodity traders, what goes around comes around. Wall Street, after years of poaching the best and brightest from specialized commodity firms, is losing the war to keep the essential traders who know how to arbitrage copper or store crude .

Stock index futures pointed to a slightly lower open for equities on Wall Street on Tuesday, with futures for the S&P 500, the Dow Jones and the Nasdaq 100 down 0.1 to 0.2 percent.

Ratings agencies Fitch lowered its ratings on four big Spanish banks while Standard & Poor's cut its rating for the industry as a whole on Monday following recent sovereign downgrades and on concerns of funding difficulties and a weak economy.

Stocks rose on Monday, led by bank shares after Greece's parliament approved reforms needed to qualify for a cash disbursement and avoid an unruly default.

Stocks extended gains on Monday, with the Nasdaq rising one percent on strength in large-cap tech shares.

A long, standing ovation greeted Italy's Mario Monti when he entered the packed Card Room on the seventh floor of the New York Stock Exchange last week.

A U.S. government report on Monday showed farmers in the United States will plant the largest area with corn this spring since World War Two, which could double the razor-thin stocks of this year and help defray costs to consumers and food companies.

Stocks rose Monday, led by banks after Greece's parliament approved strict financial reforms needed to obtain an international bailout package.

Stocks rose Monday as Greece's parliament approved strict financial reforms needed to obtain its latest international bailout package.

Stocks rose at the open Monday, with the S&P 500 recouping nearly all of its declines from the previous session, as Greece's parliament approved strict financial reforms needed to obtain its latest international bailout package.

Stocks were poised for a higher open on Monday, putting the S&P 500 on track to bounce back from its biggest one-day loss of the year, as Greece's parliament approved strict financial reforms needed to obtain its latest international bailout package.

Stock index futures rose on Monday, indicating the S&P 500 would rebound from its biggest loss of the year, as Greece's parliament approved strict financial reforms needed to obtain its latest international bailout package.

Stock index futures rose on Monday, indicating the S&P 500 would rebound from its biggest loss of the year as Greece's parliament approved strict financial reforms needed to obtain its latest bailout package.

On January 13, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services cut the credit ratings of nine euro zone countries, stripping France and Austria of their triple-A status and triggering new concerns about the region's financial health.

Asian shares and the euro gained on Monday after Greece came a step closer to securing a much-needed bailout fund and avoiding a messy default, though most of the recent optimism appeared to have been already priced in.

The S&P 500 posted its biggest daily percentage decline thus far in 2012 on Friday after an about-face on Greece's long-awaited debt deal ended a five-week streak of gains for equities.

First Solar said the U.S. Department of Energy has not released loan funds for a big California solar project because of construction permit issues, sending its shares down as much as 11 percent.

The S&P posted its biggest percentage decline so far in 2012 on Friday after an about-face on Greece's long-awaited debt deal ended a five-week streak of gains for equities.

Rating agency Standard & Poor's downgraded 34 Italian banks on Friday, including heavyweights UniCredit and Intesa Sanpaolo , citing a reduced ability to roll over their wholesale debt and expected weak profitability.

Stocks fell on Friday, putting the S&P 500 on pace for its first weekly decline in the past six, after another snag in negotiations for a financial bailout package for Greece.

U.S. stocks dropped on Friday, putting the S&P 500 on pace for its first weekly decline in the past six, after another snag in negotiations for a financial bailout package for Greece.

Stocks dropped on Friday as the most recent flare-up in Greek negotiations for a financial bailout package put the S&P 500 on track to snap a three-day winning streak.

Stocks were poised to drop at the open on Friday as the most recent flare-up in Greek negotiations for a financial bailout package put the S&P 500 on track to snap a three-day winning streak.

Stock index futures fell on Friday as the latest setback in Greek negotiations for a financial bailout package put the S&P 500 on track to snap a three-day winning streak.

Stock index futures fell on Friday as the latest setback in Greek negotiations for a bailout package put the S&P 500 on track to snap a three-day winning streak.

NYSE Euronext posted quarterly operating profit at the top end of expectations with a 13 percent rise helped by strong information and technology services, an area the U.S. group is now looking to as a growth driver.

Stock index futures pointed to a weaker open for equities on Wall Street on Friday, with futures for the S&P 500, the Dow Jones and the Nasdaq 100 down 0.4 to 0.5 percent.

Stocks and the euro fell while safe-haven government bonds rose on Friday as final approval of a long-awaited Greek debt deal remained elusive, keeping alive the threat of a messy default.