Stock Markets News

NEW YORK - Investors grew more confident about the economy but also worried that a brighter employment picture will mean rising interest rates. Full Story »

NEW YORK - The following stocks were among those that moved substantially or traded heavily Friday on the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq Stock Market: Full Story »

Investors grew more confident about the economy but also worried that a brighter employment picture will mean rising interest rates. Stocks closed higher Friday but only after giving up much of their early gains. Indexes touched new highs for year in the morning following news that job cuts fell sharply in November, but that report also brought expectations that the Federal Reserve could hike rates or remove other supports from the economy. Full Story »

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks advanced on Friday as data showed the economy shed far fewer jobs than expected last month, brightening the outlook for the economy and profits. Full Story »

A look at economic developments and activity in major stock markets around the world Friday: Full Story »

WASHINGTON - The Securities and Exchange Commission culture that allowed the Madoff fraud scandal to go undetected for nearly two decades may not change and the agency isn't doing enough to support investor protection proposals in Congress, according to a top state regulator. Full Story »

LONDON (AFP) - The leading stock exchange advanced on Friday, powered by better than expected employment data from the United States. Full Story »

LONDON - European and U.S. stock markets pared much of their gains Friday as investors reassessed an upbeat U.S. jobs report and a surging dollar hit commodity stocks hard, particularly in London. Full Story »

LONDON (AFP) - Europe's main stock markets fell on Friday following overnight losses on Wall Street and ahead of key US jobs data. Full Story »

TOKYO - A court ordered the Tokyo Stock Exchange Friday to pay 10.7 billion yen ($121 million) in damages to Mizuho Securities Co. Ltd. over massive losses in a botched transaction. Full Story »

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top U.S. securities regulator pushed on Thursday to reform mutual fund fees that traditionally used to stimulate fund growth and help cut shareholder expenses. Full Story »

RALEIGH, N.C. - The fired former chief executive of Law Enforcement Associates, a maker of security gear for police and military customers worldwide, has claimed the Raleigh-based company violated U.S. export and insider trading laws, the company disclosed in an SEC filing. Full Story »

The precious metals sector led stock funds in November as they snapped back from declines in October. Bond funds invested in Treasuries generally edged those in corporates as investors ducked for cover when the Dubai default crisis exploded. Full Story »

NEW YORK - The Nasdaq Stock Market on Wednesday said it will delist the stocks of four small companies. Full Story »

WASHINGTON - Shares of companies developing stem cell therapies surged Wednesday on news that the federal government has cleared 13 new stem cell lines for testing, bringing to a close nearly a decade of restrictions. Full Story »

When mutual funds step off the beaten path, there's no telling what will happen. In the past, for example, oddball funds have fought the war on terror (the Ancora Homeland Security Fund), tried to prop up the sky (the Chicken Little Growth Fund), and fantasized about swinging a presidential election (the Blue Fund). And although those three particular funds--all of which have been liquidated--failed, others have stepped in to carry the torch and preserve a long and proud tradition of eccentric investing styles. Here are the 10 quirkiest funds we could find: Full Story »

TORONTO (Reuters) - Toronto's main stock index rose to its highest level in more than 14 months on Wednesday, adding to a big gain in the previous session, as record high gold prices sparked a rally in shares of gold miners. Full Story »

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. securities regulators have stepped up their probes of hedge funds and are asking some firms to hand over information about their performance and trades, a source familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. Full Story »