EQUITIES

The U.S. Standard & Poor's 500 index will finish the year with double-digit gains, unfazed by Japan's nuclear crisis or unrest in the Middle East and North Africa, which is driving up oil prices, a Reuters poll found.

ConAgra Foods Inc reported a higher-than-expected quarterly profit as it raised prices, but said inflation would reduce earnings for the current period.

U.S. stocks rose on Thursday, helped by optimism about earnings and investors buying the quarter's high performers, while the S&P 500's push above a key level could signal further gains.

ConAgra Foods Inc reported quarterly earnings that beat Wall Street's expectations due to price increases, but said inflation would eat into the next quarter's profits.

U.S. stocks gained on Thursday as portfolio managers and hedge funds purchased high-performing shares near the end of the quarter, but options investors placed more defensive bets on the market.

Wall Street was poised for a higher open on Thursday with retail stocks in focus after Best Buy reported higher-than-expected profit, but light trading volume suggested the optimism was limited.

Stock index futures rose on Thursday as investors shifted focus to jobs data later in the morning, temporarily brushing off euro zone debt concerns.

Stock index futures rose on Thursday as investors shifted focus to jobs data later in the morning, temporarily brushing off euro zone debt concerns.

Stocks edged higher on Wednesday as a rise in mining and energy shares offset worries about unrest in the Middle East and North Africa, while analysts saw more gains in oil ahead.

Oil rose on Wednesday as unrest in the Middle East and North Africa continued to flare and as a report showed U.S. gasoline inventories fell more than expected.

Wall Street was poised for a lower open on Wednesday as concerns over debt issues in the euro zone, Japan's nuclear crisis and violence in the Middle East and North Africa persisted.

Corrects headline to show index futures were down

U.S. stock index futures were little changed on Wednesday, after modest losses in the previous session, as worry continued over debt issues in the euro zone, Japan's nuclear crisis and violence in the Middle East and North Africa.

Wall Street snapped a three-day winning streak on Tuesday, even as investors adjusted to the insecurity created by events in Japan, the Middle East and North Africa.

Wall Street snapped a three-day winning streak on Tuesday, even as investors adjusted to the insecurity created by events in Japan, the Middle East and North Africa.

U.S. stocks closed down, snapping a three-day winning streak on Tuesday, even as investors adjusted to the insecurity created by events in Japan, the Middle East and North Africa.

Walgreen Co said it could face pressure from government agencies pushing back on how much they reimburse for the prescriptions it fills in a slowly recovering economy, and shares of the largest U.S. drugstore chain fell more than 8 percent.

U.S. stocks edged lower on Tuesday following three days of gains, but the recent rally has investors feeling less edgy about crises in Japan and Libya, and should help keep losses in check.

Stocks edged lower on Tuesday following three days of gains, but the recent rally has investors feeling less edgy about crises in Japan and Libya, and should help keep losses in check.

Wall Street was little changed on Tuesday as fighting in Libya and chances of a interest hike in Europe kept investors from making new bets on stocks.

U.S. stock index futures were little changed on Tuesday as fighting in Libya, resolving Japan's crisis and the chances for a European interest rate hike next month kept investors jittery.

U.S. stocks were set to open little changed on Tuesday as geopolitical concerns in Japan and Libya kept investors nervous.

Japanese shares rose almost 4 percent on Tuesday while government bond futures slipped as reports of progress to contain radiation leaks at a quake-hit nuclear plant prompted investors to buy back risky assets.

Japanese stocks jumped more than 4 percent on Tuesday amid reports of progress in stabilizing an earthquake-damaged nuclear plant and the yen edged up, putting traders on heightened alert for more central bank intervention.

Japanese stocks jumped nearly 4 percent on Tuesday amid reports of progress in stabilizing an earthquake-damaged nuclear plant, and the yen was broadly weaker on the prospects for further intervention by major central banks.

Charles Schwab Corp will buy U.S. online brokerage optionsXpress Holdings Inc in a $1 billion deal that gives Schwab a stable of the most active retail traders, as options continue to boom.

Citigroup Inc will resume paying a nominal dividend after it uses a reverse stock split to shrink the number of shares outstanding, taking a small step in its recovery from the financial crisis.

Buyers emerged on Monday in U.S. stocks, enticed by the biggest proposed merger of the year, though crises in Japan, the Middle East and North Africa meant market volatility would continue.

Charles Schwab Corp will buy optionsXpress Holdings Inc , a smaller retail brokerage, in a $1 billion deal aimed at helping Schwab take advantage of investors' stronger embrace of options.