DOW JONES

Japan reported Thursday a record trade deficit for fiscal year 2011 as exports tumbled on account of falling global demand and a nuclear energy crisis that resulted in the rise of oil and gas imports.

Stocks were lower on Wednesday after uninspiring earnings from IBM and Intel, while Chesapeake Energy slumped after a Reuters report highlighted large and unusual personal loans taken by its chief executive.

Stocks were lower on Wednesday after the S&P 500 notched its biggest gain in a month, weighed down by IBM and Intel after their quarterly results.

Stocks were poised for a lower open on Wednesday after the S&P 500 notched its biggest gain in a month as investors digested another round of corporate earnings.

Stock index futures dipped on Wednesday after the S&P 500 tallied its biggest gain in a month and ahead of another round of corporate earnings.

Stock index futures pointed to a slightly lower open on Wall Street on Wednesday, with futures for the S&P 500, Dow Jones and Nasdaq 100 down between 0.1 percent and 0.2 percent at 6:47 a.m. EDT (1047 GMT).

US stock index futures pointed to a lower opening Wednesday after posting strong gains in the previous session.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his key socialist contender Francois Hollande have narrowed the gap between them less than a week ahead of the first round of presidential election, polls indicate.

The CEO of the biggest oil company in one of the world's fastest-rising economies thinks high oil prices are here to stay.

U.S. stocks soared Tuesday on good corporate earnings, falling Spanish interest rates and an International Monetary Fund forecast for strong economic growth in the United States.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) into China continued to fall for the fifth consecutive month in March, as concerns over European sovereign debt crisis curbed investments by companies in the world’s second largest economy.

Futures on major US indices point to a higher opening Tuesday ahead of the quarterly earnings from top investment bank Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) and key housing data due to be released before market opens.

Yahoo! Inc. (Nasdaq: YHOO), the beleagured No. 2 search engine, is expected to have flat revenue and earnings in the first quarter as it seeks to turn around stagnant advertising and search divisions under its new CEO.

Apple Inc. stock took a hit Monday as it dropped more than 4 percent to $580.13 a share, its first time below $600 since March 30.

KKR & Co. L.P. (NYSE: KKR), a global private equity company, plans to list precision engineering components manufacturer MMI International on the Singapore Exchange, reported the Dow Jones Newswires, citing three people familiar with the matter, as financial market conditions stabilize on the island nation.

Futures on major US stock indices point to a higher opening on Monday ahead of economic data including retail sales.

After suffering their worst two weeks of the year, stocks will look to quarterly earnings to determine whether the recent pullback has been exhausted or more losses are justified.

Stock index futures fell on Friday as concerns over Spain's rising borrowing costs resurfaced and after disappointing Chinese growth data, and banks fell after quarterly results.

Stock index futures fell on Friday as concerns over Spain's rising borrowing costs resurfaced and after Chinese data that had fueled the previous day's rally disappointed.

Stocks rose on Thursday as lower yields on some euro-zone debt eased some concerns and rumors about China's strong GDP increased investors' appetite for risk.

Stocks edged higher in early trading on Thursday as concerns about rising yields in some euro zone countries eased and on bets corporate America will beat a lowered bar of earnings expectations.