EQUITIES

Concerns about S&P's downgrading of the U.S. credit rating and the resulting global stock sell-off are sparking urgent calls for investigations and reinvigorating ongoing efforts to reform the ratings agencies, which have been under fire since the Enron scandal of 2001.

Fear returned to Wall Street on Wednesday, sending the S&P 500 to another 4 percent decline, triggered by worries that Europe's debt crisis could engulf French banks and spill onto the U.S. financial sector.

Shares of Societe Generale plunged as much as 23 percent amid a whirlwind of rumors questioning its financial solidity, before closing 15 percent lower after the French bank denied all speculation about its health.

Stocks fell on Wednesday on fears about the French banking sector's exposure to shaky European debt and its possible spillover onto U.S. banks.

Stocks fell sharply on Wednesday, wiping out most of the previous session's gains, on fears of tumult in the French banking sector, which has significant exposure to shaky European debt.

Wall Street stocks fell sharply on Wednesday, erasing most of the previous day's gains,

Wall Street stocks fell sharply on Wednesday on fears over possible trouble in the French banking sector that has large exposure to shaky peripheral European debt.

Stock index futures pointed to a lower open on Wall Street on Wednesday following the previous session's rally, with futures for the S&P 500 down 1.0 percent, Dow Jones futures down 0.9 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures down 0.9 percent at 4:33 a.m. EDT.

Standard & Poor's, whose unprecedented downgrade of U.S. debt triggered a worldwide stocks sell-off, is pushing back against a U.S. government proposal that would require credit raters to disclose significant errors in how they calculate their ratings.

Stock index futures fell on Wednesday after a sharp snap-back rally in the last session and as investor fears about the economy and high levels of public debt looked set to generate more volatile trading.

Stock index futures fell on Wednesday after a sharp snap-back rally in the last session as investor fears about the economy and high levels of public debt looked set to generate more volatile trading.

Stock index futures pointed to a lower open on Wall Street on Wednesday following the previous session's rally, with futures for the S&P 500 down 1.0 percent, Dow Jones futures down 0.9 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures down 0.9 percent at 4:33 a.m. EDT.

Asian stocks clawed back some lost ground on Wednesday, following a rebound in U.S. shares, after the Federal Reserve made an unprecedented pledge to keep interest rates near zero for at least two years, stemming a global equity rout for the time being.

The Federal Reserve on Tuesday took the unprecedented step of promising to keep interest rates near zero for at least two more years and said it would consider further steps to help growth, sparking a rebound in stocks.

The Federal Reserve on Tuesday took the unprecedented step of promising to keep interest rates near zero for at least two more years, adding it was considering further action, sparking a rebound in stocks.

Stocks rallied on Tuesday in a volatile session as investors struggled to decipher the Fed's signals on the economy after a dizzying two-week slide.

Stocks seesawed in volatile trading on Tuesday after the Federal Reserve said the economic recovery will remain slow, while pledging to keep interest rates near zero for two more years.

World stocks rebounded from a 10-day rout on Tuesday as investors looked to the Federal Reserve to calm markets, though rallies in gold and the Swiss franc showed some were clinging to safe assets.

Stocks rebounded sharply on Tuesday after a major sell-off, but markets remained vulnerable to selling if the Federal Reserve fails to ease fears of a double-dip recession.

Standard & Poor's is more concerned that a slower economy, sovereign debt issues and mortgage risks will depress U.S. bank industry profits and credit quality, the ratings agency said on Tuesday.

Stocks rebounded sharply on Tuesday after a major sell-off, but markets remained vulnerable to selling if the Federal Reserve fails to ease fears of a double-dip recession.

Stocks climbed on Tuesday, putting the S&P 500 on track for only its second advance in the past 12 sessions, but markets remained susceptible to selling if the Federal Reserve fails to ease fears of a double-dip recession.

World stocks recovered after their 10th straight day of declines on Tuesday as Wall Street managed to put a brake on losses for the time being, with investors turning their attention to a meeting of the Federal Reserve.

Stocks rose more than 1 percent on Tuesday after the previous session's nosedive, but markets could reverse if investors are not convinced the Federal Reserve has a plan to combat the meltdown linked to fears of a new recession.

Stock index futures pointed to a gain of about 1 percent at the open on Tuesday in a rebound from the previous session's nosedive, but an upcoming Fed statement could spark a reversal if investors are not convinced it has a plan to combat a market meltdown.

Japanese policymakers voiced growing alarm on Tuesday as the yen scaled highs seen before last week's intervention and global stock markets crumbled under mounting fears of a new financial crisis.

Stock index futures surged on Tuesday, indicating a rebound from the previous session's nosedive as investors looked to a Federal Reserve statement for clues on how it may combat a market meltdown linked to fears of a new recession.

World stocks fell for a 10th session running on Tuesday, racking up a bear market 20 percent loss since early May, but potential gains on Wall Street looked set to break the chain.

Stock index futures pointed to further steep losses for equities on Tuesday, after the previous session's plunge, as investors worry the world's largest economy could fall back into recession.