DOW JONES

Asian shares fell and the euro trimmed gains Wednesday as caution set in over the chance for more progress in resolving euro zone debt woes after officials agreed to strengthen a rescue fund and seek more aid from the International Monetary Fund.

So far, it has been a tough week for the troubled Bank of America Corp. (BAC). The firm's stock hit a new 52-week low Tuesday, dropping more than 3 percent to $5.03 a share, the lowest level since March 12, 2009. After the market closed, more bad news came as Standard & Poor's downgraded the bank's long-term credit rating by a notch to A- from A.

Gold prices barely moved Tuesday as investors waited to see if Eurozone finance ministers meeting in Brussels will agree to strengthen the continent's bailout fund to insure sovereign debt.

At mid-day Tuesday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 65.47 points to 11,588.48, up 0.57 percent from the previous session's close. The benchmark S&P 500 Index was at 1,198.66 points, up 6.11, or 0.51 percent. The NASDAQ index was down 0.28 percent, or 7.10 points, to 2,520.24.

U.S. consumers are loosening their purse strings over the Black Friday weekend as their confidence in the economy increased to a four-month high. After six months of steady declines, consumers' assessment of current conditions finally improved.

Gold prices barely moved Tuesday as investors awaited the outcome of a critical Eurozone meeting expected to approve a boost to the continent's bailout fund and OK the next tranche of aid to debt-choked Greece.

Stock index futures pointed to a mixed open on Wall Street on Tuesday, with futures for the S&P 500 up 0.15 percent, Dow Jones futures up 0.1 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures down 0.27 percent at 4:19 a.m. ET.

The complexity fills everybody with such appalling fear. ... The honest answer is that, like everybody else, you try and contingency plan for any breakup of the eurozone.

Stocks rebounded from seven days of losses on Monday as investors used the latest effort from European leaders to resolve the region's debt crisis as an opportunity to cover short positions.

Gold prices surged Monday along with equities on hope that drastic action by France and Germany can save the Eurozone from its two-year-old sovereign debt crisis.

Stocks surged about three percent on Monday on hopes that fresh proposals may emerge out of Europe to help solve the region's debt crisis.

Silver mining company shares rocketed higher Monday as the price of the gray metal surged and the broader stock market indexes rose more than three percent.

Amazon Inc. has announced that this Black Friday was the best ever for the Kindle family, as the Kindle Fire remained the bestselling product since its introduction 8 weeks ago.

Stock index futures jumped on Monday on optimism over the latest round of proposals out of Europe designed to corral the growing Eurozone debt crisis.

Gold prices surged Monday as German and French leaders worked on emergency plan to save the Eurozone within weeks rather than months and strong U.S. retail buying bolstered equities.

Stock index futures pointed to a sharply higher open for equities on Wall Street on Monday, with futures for the S&P 500, the Dow Jones and the Nasdaq 100 rising 2.2 to 2.6 percent.

Stock index futures pointed to a sharply higher open for equities on Wall Street on Monday, with futures for the S&P 500, the Dow Jones and the Nasdaq 100 rising 2.2 to 2.6 percent.

U.S. stock futures jumped in early electronic trading on Sunday on the latest round of proposals out of Europe designed to corral the growing euro zone debt crisis.

Stocks posted seven straight sessions of losses on Friday, ending the worst week in two months, as the lack of a credible solution to Europe's debt crisis kept investors away from risky assets.

Shares of the Chicago-based daily deals site fell once again Friday, closing down 0.88 percent to $16.81. Shares fell as low as $16.20 earlier in the day before the price went up near market close.

Gold prices slipped Friday to a two-week low as a surging dollar offset support from rising equities, higher crude oil prices and strong investor demand for gold.