DOW JONES

Stock index futures rose sharply on Thursday after European leaders agreed to boost the region's bailout fund and struck a deal with private banks and insurers to accept 50 percent losses on Greek bonds.

Stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Wall Street on Thursday, with futures for the S&P 500, Dow Jones futures and Nasdaq 100 futures rising 1.5 to 1.8 percent at 5:05 a.m. EDT.

There has been a preliminary agreement to recapitalize European banks.

Stocks rose on Wednesday as details from the European summit to resolve the debt crisis began to emerge.

Gold prices surged to their highest level in more than a month Wednesday as the precious metal's fourth consecutive daily gain took it to the brink of a decisive upswing.

Stocks were little changed on Wednesday on caution about the outcome of a European summit to resolve the debt crisis and mixed corporate results.

Eli Lilly pulled their billion dollar drug, Xigris on Tuesday after studies found it had no major effects on septic patients

Stocks erased early gains on Wednesday, with the Dow and S&P well off their highs and the Nasdaq negative, on caution over a European summit to resolve the debt crisis and the economic outlook.

The approval bolsters Merkel as she prepares to journey to Brussels, Belgium to meet with other European leaders.

Stock index futures rose on Wednesday after the S&P fell 2 percent in the previous session as optimism about corporate earnings offset concerns about an upcoming meeting of European leaders to tackle the region's debt crisis.

Gold prices headed for a fourth consecutive daily gain Wednesday as investors returned to the yellow metal for protection from the ongoing risks to the European economy and weakness in the U.S. economy.

Stock index futures rose on Wednesday after the S&P fell 2 percent in the previous session as optimism about corporate earnings offset concerns about the results of a meeting of European leaders to tackle the region's debt crisis.

Stock index futures pointed to a higher open for equities on Wall Street on Wednesday, with futures for the S&P 500, for the Dow Jones and for the Nasdaq 100 up 0.6 to 0.8 percent.

Gold and silver mining stocks posted big gains Tuesday despite plunging share prices among broad market indexes on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

Gold prices soared nearly three percent Tuesday as global investors fled stocks and the euro for safe-haven investments ahead of a critical European economic summit that many think will fail to fix the continent's debt and finance crisis.

Stocks fell on Tuesday after discouraging corporate outlooks cast a pall over the economy's outlook, while fresh doubts arose about European efforts to find a solution to the debt crisis.

Gold prices blasted through the $1,700 per ounce ceiling Tuesday that they have operated under for the last month on growing fears that Europe is already in an acute financial crisis.

Peabody Energy Corp's (BTU.N) quarterly profit beat Wall Street estimates as the largest U.S. coal producer realized higher pricing in all regions and domestic volumes increased.

United Parcel Service reported a higher quarterly profit as increased pricing, cost cutting and technology improvements helped compensate for domestic shipping volume dulled by a sluggish economy, and it affirmed its outlook for record 2011 results.

Gold and silver prices rose more than two percent Tuesday on rising fear that European leaders will be unable to produce a viable rescue plan for the continent's banks, or its staggering southern periphery.

Stocks fell on Tuesday on news that a meeting by euro zone finance ministers was canceled, adding to doubts about the region's efforts to tackle its debt crisis.