CRUDE OIL

U.S. stocks declined in early trade on Tuesday as weaker-than-expected housing data and disappointing results from Hewlett-Packard weighed on the sentiment.

Gold Bullion prices were little changed below $1500 per ounce on Tuesday morning, but fell for non-US investors as the Dollar eased back on the currency market and European equity markets cut their earlier losses.

Following are the Oppenheimer's top equity ideas for May. The stocks are based on their view of the company's fundamentals in the context of current market conditions.

Stocks, led by defensive shares, rebounded from prior session losses, as commodities also clawed back higher.

U.S. stocks declined in early trade on Thursday as disappointing outlook from Cisco Systems and lower commodity prices weighed.

Gold rallied to one-week highs at $1526 per ounce in Wednesday morning trade - a gain of 4.3% from last Friday's low - before falling back as world stock markets also cut their rally. Silver has now regained a third of its losses since falling over 30% from a 31-year peak of $48.70 at the end of April.

The Silver Price rallied to $38.00 at Monday's London Fix – rising over 11% from Friday lunchtime's Fix – before also slipping back to trade 26% below late April's 3-decade record.

The price of crude oil plummeted almost 9 percent to finish below $100 per barrel – the largest one-day percentage drop in more than two years – on growing worries about the U.S. economy.

U.S. stocks declined in early trade on Thursday after Department of Labor reported that weekly jobless claims unexpectedly rose last week.

Gold sat tight as Silver Prices sank once more in London trade on Wednesday morning, holding above last night's 2-session low of $1528 per ounce while silver dropped to new 3-week lows, flirting with the technical definition of bear market.

U.S. stocks declined in early trade on Wednesday as weaker-than-expected ADP private sector employment report and mixed corporate earnings weighed.

Futures on major U.S. indices point to a lower opening on Wednesday, ahead of economic data including ADP national employment report and ISM non-manufacturing index.

Gold prices hit new all-time Dollar highs at the AM London Fix on Tuesday, but silver traded near a two-week low as world stock markets slipped and commodity prices fell hard.

U.S. stocks advanced in early trade on Friday, following stronger-than-expected earnings from major companies including Caterpillar and Merck.

Gold Investing prices extended last night's strong gains on Thursday, hitting fresh all-time highs at $1534 per ounce as new US data showed inflation accelerating sharply.

U.S. stocks declined in early trade on Thursday after government reports showed that US economic activity slowed significantly in the first quarter and applications for jobless benefits unexpectedly increased.

Futures on major U.S. stock indices remained range-bound on Thursday ahead of economic data including key US GDP figures from the government.

FOMC statement from April 27, 2011

U.S. stocks slightly higher in early trade on Wednesday after a government report showed that new orders for manufactured durable goods rose better-than-expected in March.

Prices to Buy Gold rose but silver held flat in Asian and London trade on Wednesday, while the Dollar fell, European equities rose, but peripheral Eurozone debt sank to new record lows.

Futures on major U.S. stock indices point to a higher opening on Wednesday ahead of US Federal Reserve’s meeting and Census Bureau's durable goods orders report.