U.S. and European equities rose to trade near record highs on Tuesday, and the euro tumbled on signals the European Central Bank may accelerate its 1 trillion euro bond-buying program over the next two months.
Investors
S&P ends at all-time highs but traders eye weak volume
The S&P 500 closed at a record high on Thursday after disappointing economic data bolstered expectations that an interest rate hike is likely to come only later in the year.
Shares subdued by mixed China, euro zone PMI data
World shares hovered near record highs on Thursday after downbeat Chinese manufacturing data kept pressure on Beijing for more stimulus and the Federal Reserve signalled higher U.S. interest rates are still some way off.
Dow, S&P 500 end slightly lower after Fed minutes
U.S. stocks ended marginally lower on Wednesday after Wall Street saw little in the minutes from last month's Federal Reserve meeting to alter expectations of when the central bank will raise interest rates.
Wall Street set to open little changed as investors await Fed minutes
Wall Street was set to open little changed on Wednesday with investors cautious ahead of the release of minutes from last month's Federal Reserve meeting, which is expected to shed light on when interest rates will be hiked.
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U.S. stocks ended mixed on Tuesday, with the Dow rising marginally to a second straight record high, as Wall Street digested housing data that some saw as hopeful for an economy struggling to grow.
The dollar's four-week decline and a slump in bond prices has upset some assumptions about where global financial markets are heading, but haven't deterred most investors from staying faithful to their bets.
The euro tumbled on Tuesday and the region's stocks and bonds jumped after the European Central Bank suggested it may speed up its 1 trillion euro bond-buying campaign slightly to account for lower market liquidity in high summer.
Billionaire investor Carl Icahn said on Monday Apple Inc's (AAPL.O) stock was "still dramatically undervalued" and that it should be trading at $240, nearly double its current price.
The Dow Jones industrial average and S&P 500 ended at record highs on Monday, helped by a rally in Apple as well as tepid economic data suggesting the Federal Reserve may wait to raise interest rates.
European shares fell on Monday, weighed down by worries over a looming cash crunch in Greece, while the dollar rebounded after concern over the U.S. economy drove the currency to four-month lows on Friday.
The dollar clawed its way higher on Monday, recovering from almost four-month lows reached late last week on another surprisingly bad round of U.S. economic data.
Asian shares slipped on Monday and the dollar stayed near a four-month low against a basket of major currencies after soft data raised doubts over whether the U.S. economy has been growing despite U.S. share prices standing at historic highs.
Prospects for a step-change in global economic growth are better than they have been in many years, but much depends on solid evidence that an awful first quarter for the United States is far in the rear-view mirror.
