Stock Markets News

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Dow and S&P 500 rose on Thursday as surging oil prices drove up energy shares, though fresh fears of more credit losses on Wall Street kept gains modest and pushed the Nasdaq into negative territory.

NEW YORK - A private business group's measure of the economy's health showed the largest drop in one year as stocks fell, new building permits declined and unemployment rose.

LONDON (AFP) - Europe's main stock markets dropped on Thursday, bringing a swift end to a brief rally, amid investor unease about a global economic slowdown.

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Daimler AG (DAIGn.DE) denied a magazine report on Thursday that it was considering more job cuts and may spin off its market-leading trucks business as a way to help boost its weak share price.

LONDON (AFP) - London shares closed nearly 1% higher Wednesday, breaking a three-day losing streak as commodities made gains.

SHANGHAI, China - Chinese stocks surged Wednesday in their biggest gain in nearly four months on speculation Beijing plans new economic stimulus measures and other policies aimed at reviving the country's languishing markets.

SHANGHAI (AFP) - Chinese share prices surged to close 7.63 percent higher on Wednesday amid renewed hopes that Beijing will soon act to support the ailing stock market, dealers said.

LONDON (Reuters) - World stocks edged higher on Wednesday after the previous day's tumble to their lowest level in almost two years attracted some buyers, while rebounding commodity prices helped resource shares.

SHANGHAI (AFP) - Chinese share prices surged 5.89 percent by midday Wednesday amid speculation that the authorities will soon launch new measures to boost the ailing stock market, dealers said.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has launched a new idea called Idea -- short for interactive data electronic applications -- to help investors.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top U.S. securities regulator plans to propose a new short selling rule in the next few weeks which would be broader than an emergency order covering just 19 financial stocks which ended last week.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Shares of casino operators fell sharply on Tuesday amid concerns that the Chinese government may act to curtail visits by mainlanders to Macau, the only place in China where gambling is legal.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - EDGAR, the computer database for filing documents with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, is giving way to a new system that aims to let investors more easily analyze corporate reports and other financial information.

NEW YORK - The past four weeks on Wall Street have been quite a welcome contrast. Stocks have risen, the dollar has strengthened and oil prices have plummeted.

NEW YORK (AFP) - Wall Street investors ply the dog days of summer next week with few economic indicators on the calendar but stiff headwinds from volatile oil prices, rising inflation and slowing global growth.

BEIJING (AFP) - Usain Bolt was crowned the world's fastest man when he raced to victory in the blue riband Olympic men's 100 metres final in a world record time of 9.69 sec Saturday.

NEW YORK (AFP) - US stocks closed narrowly mixed Friday as falling oil prices tamped down inflation worries and the dollar continued to rally on mounting signs of a slowing global economy.

TORONTO (Reuters) - The Toronto Stock Exchange's main index bounced into positive territory on Thursday morning, recovering from an earlier fall as resource shares trimmed losses and tech shares gained.

London (Reuters) - Stock futures point to a higher opening on Wall Street on Thursday, reversing some of the previous session's losses while investors await for key inflation data, as well as earnings from Wal-Mart Stores , the world's biggest retailer.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. regulators' emergency rule to restrict "naked" short selling in 19 major financial stocks had little impact and may have even backfired, two studies of the rule's effects showed on Wednesday.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. and state regulators are close to reaching a settlement with multiple banks accused of selling auction-rate securities under false pretenses that would force them to repurchase billions of dollars of the now-illiquid securities at face value, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US regulators and ten stock exchanges, including the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), have forged a new alliance to clamp down on illegal insider trading, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced Wednesday.

TORONTO (Reuters) - Home and auto insurer ING Canada Inc said profit fell 42 percent in the second quarter as weak equity markets hurt investment gains and severe weather knocked underwriting income.

LONDON (AFP) - London shares dipped on Wednesday, amid renewed jitters about the health of the world's top banks and slowing economic growth.

WASHINGTON - A government order expires Tuesday that temporarily banned a certain kind of short-selling of the stocks of mortgage finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and 17 large investment banks.

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - The plunge of China's stock market has created long-term buying opportunities in infrastructure and consumer shares, the head of HSBC's (0005.HK) asset management unit said on Tuesday.

(Reuters) - The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is working to unveil a proposal next month that would permanently tighten existing rules for short selling, the New York Post said citing people in talks with the agency.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks rose on Monday as oil prices closed lower for a sixth day, improving prospects for consumer and business spending.

LONDON - Russian stock markets rose Monday as investors focused on the long-term opportunities offered by Russia's booming economy instead of the clash between Russia and Georgia over the separatist province of South Ossetia.