DOW JONES

Gold mining company stocks jumped shortly after trading began Friday as the price of the yellow metal surged and the broader market resumed its downward spiral.

James Desborough, the Los Angeles-based U.S. editor of the News of the World, was arrested Thursday by police investigating the phone-hacking scandal at the paper -- becoming the first U.S.-based journalist arrested in the case.

The U.S. stock market had a mini-meltdown on Thursday as fears about a second recession in the United States and Europe rattled investors.

Shares of large gold mining companies took it in the neck Thursday, falling along with the broader stock market even as the price of gold notched a fresh record.

Gold rallied 2 percent to new high above $1,820 an ounce on Thursday, after U.S. economic data pointed to a stalled economy, while renewed concern about the health of European banks brought safe-haven buying.

Renewed worries about Europe's debt crisis and a raft of weak U.S. economic data hit global markets on Thursday, driving down stocks and oil prices and pushing U.S. bond yields to record lows while pushing gold to a record high.

Renewed worries about Europe's debt crisis and a raft of weak U.S. economic data hit global markets on Thursday, driving down stocks and oil prices and pushing U.S. bond yields to record lows while pushing gold to a record high.

Stocks tumbled more than 4 percent on Thursday after data pointed to a stalled economy and as bank shares sank on a report regulators were scrutinizing the U.S. units of big European lenders.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average took a nose dive during Thursday trading, dropping more than four percent at times during trading. As the stock markets dropped across the board it raises the question -- at what level do circuit breakers cut in to stop a stock market from crashing?

Stock index futures pointed to a sharply lower open on Wall Street on Thursday, with futures for the S&P 500 down 2 percent, Dow Jones futures down 1.5 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures down 2.2 percent at 5:17 a.m. EDT.

World equities rose on Wednesday, lifted by strong outlooks and results from U.S. retailers, while crude oil gained on a larger-than-expected decline in U.S. gasoline supplies.

Silver rose in early U.S. trading Wednesday and shares of several large silver mining companies also gained in premarket trading.

Gold rose Wednesday but shares of gold mining companies were mixed in premarket trading, indicating that optimism about the yellow metal is doesn't automatically transfer to companies that mine the precious commodity.

Stock futures pointed to a lower open for Wall Street Wednesday, with investors believing that Tuesday's meeting between French and German leaders failed to make significant progress on the euro zone sovereign debt crisis.

U.S. stocks fell on Tuesday after three days of gains when a meeting between the heads of France and Germany failed to quell fears about euro zone leaders' ability to contain the region's sovereign debt woes.

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Gold and silver prices rose Tuesday but companies that mine the precious metals fell as the broader market gave up recent in a clear signal that investors don't have much confidence in Europe's ability to solve its sovereign debt concerns.

Fitch Ratings announced on Tuesday it had reaffirmed the United States' long-term debt rating of AAA, despite Standard & Poor's downgrade. Here are the five things you need to know about its decision:

Debt concerns in Europe and a tepid U.S. economy have made for a bumpy stock market of late, to day the least. However, because one-day events can deceive, let's pull the lens back and do a condensed, cross-methodological analysis of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, to see if it reveals any long-term clues.

Premarket trading of gold and silver mining companies were mixed Tuesday in a tight range as stock index futures pointed to a lower open and commodities like crude oil and copper were down.