EQUITIES

The Dow notched a seventh straight day of gains on Tuesday, but light volume suggested that investors don't believe the more than five-month rally has the legs to keep going.

The Dow closed its seventh straight day of gains on Tuesday after McDonald's surprisingly strong sales drove confidence in the economic recovery.

Corrects to show McDonald's posted sales, not earnings in first paragraph

The Dow rose on Tuesday after blue-chip component McDonald's posted stronger-than-expected restaurant sales, but the S&P 500 and Nasdaq were little changed after China raised interest rates.

Wall Street rose modestly on Tuesday, led by gains in the consumer discretionary sector after McDonald's posted global sales that were above Wall Street's estimates.

Wall Street rose modestly on Tuesday, led by gains in the consumer discretionary sector after McDonald's posted earnings above Wall Street's estimates.

U.S. stocks were little changed on Tuesday after an interest rate hike by China raised worries about global demand and weighed on energy shares.

U.S. stocks were set to open little changed at 2-1/2 year highs on Tuesday, with investors focused on corporate earnings and the impact of an interest rate hike by China on economic demand.

U.S. stock index futures were little changed on Tuesday, with investors focused on corporate earnings and the impact an interest rate hike in China will have on global economic demand.

U.S. stock index futures were little changed on Tuesday, with investor focused on corporate earnings and the effects an interest rate hike in China may have on demand growth.

Stock index futures pointed to a higher open for Wall Street on Tuesday, adding to gains from the previous session, with futures for the S&P 500, for the Dow Jones and for the Nasdaq up 0.1-0.2 percent by 1007 GMT.

The rally in shares and other riskier assets took a breather on Tuesday, with world stocks trading a touch below the previous day's 29-month highs while the dollar fell broadly.

Asian shares struggled for traction on Tuesday, despite gains on Wall Street, but Japan's Nikkei touched a 9-month high as hopes of a sustained economic recovery for the rich world encouraged investors to switch funds from emerging to developed markets.

Merger activity drove the Dow and S&P to two-and-a-half-year highs on Monday in the latest in a series of mileposts that point to more gains ahead.

Stocks closed higher on Monday, with merger activity driving the Dow and S&P to fresh two-and-a-half-year highs, the latest in a series of mileposts that point to more gains ahead.

U.S. stocks rose on Monday, boosted by merger news and rising metals prices as investors bet on a stronger global economy.

The Dow and S&P 500 advanced to their highest levels since June 2008 on Monday as a flurry of merger news and solid earnings sparked broad gains.

Stock index futures rose on Monday on growing hopes Europe will sort out its tangled debt issues and as metals prices advanced on bets of a stronger global economy.

U.S. stocks rose on Monday as a flurry of merger news and solid earnings boosted investors' appetite for equities, pushing the Dow and the S&P 500 to their highest levels since June 2008.

Stock index futures rose on Monday, tracking gains in European stocks, as metals prices advanced on bets of a stronger global economy.

U.S. stocks were set to open slightly higher on Monday, boosted by merger news and rising metals prices as investors bet on a stronger global economy.

U.S. stocks rose on Monday, lifted by merger news and solid earnings that suggested Wall Street may have the strength to rally further.

Hotels, energy and financial services conglomerate Loews Corp reported a better-than-expected 16 percent increase in quarterly profit, helped by higher net investment income from its limited partnerships.

World stocks rose on Monday, hovering near a 29-month high on further signs of global economic recovery, and copper rallied to a record high while U.S. 10-year Treasury yields hit their highest since May.

World stocks rose on Monday, hovering near a 29-month high on further signs of global economic recovery, and copper rallied to a record high while U.S. 10-year Treasury yields hit their highest in 10 months.

Asian stocks pushed toward a near three-year peak on Monday as the U.S. job market showed further signs of recovery, highlighting a brighter economic outlook, while the dollar eased against a basket of currencies.

Asian stocks clung to early gains on Monday as the U.S. job market showed further signs of recovery, highlighting a brighter outlook for its economy, while the dollar firmed against a basket of other major currencies.

U.S. regulators will propose on Monday that executives at the largest financial institutions have half of their bonuses deferred for at least three years as part of efforts to curb excessive risk taking, according to two people familiar with proposal.

The S&P 500 posted its best week in nine on Friday as the market defied calls for a pullback, and investors rotated into defensive and lagging sectors in a move that could intensify in coming weeks.