DOW JONES

Stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Wall Street on Tuesday, with futures for the S&P 500 up 0.25 percent, Dow Jones futures up 0.29 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.36 percent at 0920 GMT.

Stocks surged Monday after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke suggested the U.S. central bank would continue its present monetary policies and keep interest rates low, offsetting soft readings on the domestic economy.

After calling the recent recovery a puzzle, markets reacted enthusiastically to Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke's pronouncements

The Fed chairman said U.S. job market conditions remain weak despite three months of strong hiring and that the improved employment data seem to be out of sync with the overall pace of economic growth.

Futures on major U.S. stock indices point to a higher opening Monday ahead of pending home sales data and a speech by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke.

Wall Street's gains came after positive remarks on the U.S. labor market by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and upbeat economic data from Germany that offset a soft reading on the U.S. housing market.

Stocks mostly inched higher on Friday as rising energy shares offset early weakness, though the S&P 500 remained on track to break a five-week streak of gains.

Stocks took a big step back Thursday after more signs pointing to weakening economic conditions in China and Europe spooked investors to make a run for safety.

The reserve requirement for 379 branches of state-run Agricultural Bank of China Ltd., the country's third-biggest lender, will decline by two percentage points below that of other Chinese banks.

The Dow and the S&P 500 fell for a third straight day on Thursday on concerns about the global economy's growth outlook after manufacturing data showed a drop in new orders in both the euro zone and China.

Wall Street fell for a third straight day on Thursday after continued contraction in manufacturing in both the euro zone and China fueled worries about the global economy.

China's factory activities slumped for the fifth consecutive month as weakening domestic demand continued to weigh on growth. Spooked investors moved quickly out of riskier assets while hoping for further easing from Beijing.

Claims for jobless benefits fell to a four-year low of 348,000, a sign that the labor market recovery is picking up steam.

Stock index futures fell on Thursday after manufacturing data in the eurozone and China increased worry about a slowing global economy.

Stock index futures pointed to a lower opening on Wall Street on Thursday, with futures for the S&P 500 down 0.6 percent, Dow Jones futures down 0.57 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures down 0.58 percent at 1000 GMT.

Markets bobbed up and down Wednesday on conflicting data as to what the U.S. economic picture will look like in the near term. Investors spent the day dealing with conflicting sentiments: a less-than-enthusiastic housing report on the one hand, a view that the U.S. economy is generally getting better on the other.

Asia shares continued to fall amid lingering worries about China growth. In Japan, shares declined for the first time in six sessions.

U.S. asset markets sold off Tuesday as investors interpreted new data from China to mean that country's economy might be slowing down faster than previously thought. Of paramount concern was a government report showing new home prices had recently declined in 45 of 70 major cities, with prices static in 21 other metropolitan areas.

The National Development and Reform Commission is raising retail gas prices by 600 yuan ($95) a metric ton, leading to an average pump price hike of 6.8 percent.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index continued to rise to touch the highest since May 2008 following the announcement from Apple that it has decided to pay a dividend as well as launch a stock buy backs program.

Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) downloaded $45 billion, to borrow a phrase from the Financial Times, to its shareholders Monday, lifting both its own stock and the already buoyant broader market.