European shares hit a 14-year high on Wednesday before a meeting at which the European Central Bank is expected to affirm its loose policy stance, as weak data from China raised prospects of monetary easing there too.
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AmEx profit beats estimates as U.S. card holders spend more
American Express Co, the world's largest credit card issuer, reported a better-than-expected rise in quarterly profit, helped by higher spending by U.S. card holders and an increase in net interest income.
Wall Street ends slightly lower as earnings worries linger
U.S. stocks ended marginally lower on Thursday as lingering worries about upcoming corporate earnings reports offset enthusiasm about a trio of soaring Wall Street debuts.
Emerging shares seen lagging developed countries for fifth straight year
The roaring stock market rallies of the United States, Japan and Europe show no sign of reaching most emerging markets, where lackluster economic growth and company profits point to a fifth straight year of lagging performance.
Euro zone bond yields sink to historic lows
Euro zone government borrowing costs slid to new lows on Thursday, a day after the European Central Bank pledged to fulfill its 1 trillion euro bond-buying program, although regional stocks took a step back from this week's multi-year peaks.
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Wells Fargo & Co (WFC.N), the largest U.S. mortgage lender, reported a drop in quarterly profit for the first time in five years as employee costs rose at a time margins are under pressure from low interest rates.
The Dow and S&P 500 ended higher on Tuesday, helped by energy stocks and quarterly earnings reports that topped modest expectations following worries about a strong dollar.
The yen rose across the board on Tuesday, hitting a two-year high against the euro, after an economic adviser to Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe indicated that the currency might have fallen too far and needed to retrace some of its losses.
Net foreign purchases of Philippine shares jumped to $1.1 billion in January-to-March, the highest for any quarter in almost three years and more than twice the net volume of funds flowing into Southeast Asia's biggest economy Indonesia.
JPMorgan Chase & Co, the biggest U.S. bank by assets, reported a 12.2 percent rise in quarterly profit as revenue from fixed-income trading rebounded.
European share markets touched a 14-year high on Tuesday, supported by takeover talks between telecoms equipment firms Nokia and Alcatel Lucent, while a shifting global monetary policy outlook weighed on the euro.
Equities in major markets slipped on Monday, weighed down by Wall Street on trepidation over first-quarter earnings, while crude prices added to last week's gains on concern about Middle East tensions.
U.S. stocks dipped on Monday as fears increased that the strong dollar and lower oil prices will hurt U.S. first-quarter earnings.
The World Bank cut its 2015 growth forecasts for developing East Asia and China, and warned of "significant" risks from global uncertainties including the potential impact from a strengthening dollar and higher U.S. interest rates.
