Asian stocks rose on Thursday, extending the previous session's gains, while the dollar drew support from minutes of the Federal Reserve's last meeting showing the U.S. central bank was still on course to hike interest rates this year.
Investors
GE to sell bulk of finance unit, return up to $90 billion to investors
General Electric Co will shed most of its finance unit and return as much as $90 billion to shareholders as it becomes a “simpler” industrial business instead of an unwieldy hybrid of banking and manufacturing.
Wall Street Week Ahead: Fed takes back seat as market shifts focus to earnings
With earnings season underway, Wall Street is temporarily putting the U.S. Federal Reserve and macroeconomic policy on the back burner in favor of a focus on individual company results and forecasts for a pulse on the economy's health.
GE sees Latin American growth despite turbulence
General Electric Co projects revenue growth in the high single digits for Latin American in 2015 despite difficulties in major markets such as Brazil and Venezuela, the company's chief executive for the region said on Thursday.
Nikkei tops 20,000, European shares hit 15-year high
World shares tested record highs on Friday as hopes of more easy money from top central banks pushed Japan's Nikkei past 20,000 points for the first time in 15 years and European stocks reached similar heights.
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Twitter Inc's (TWTR.N) shares jumped 5 percent and activity in its options surged on Tuesday on unsubstantiated market chatter about the company fending off a takeover bid.
The dollar took a step back on Wednesday but retained a bulk of its overnight gains after currency bulls scooped up the greenback following the tumble induced by weak U.S. non-farm payrolls late last week.
Wall Street is greeting what is expected to be the worst earnings season since 2009 with a gigantic shrug. Though there has been some selling in recent weeks, there's been no panic dumping of stocks, even though forecasts for S&P 500 first-quarter earnings have tumbled since Jan. 1, thanks to the surging dollar, falling oil prices and another severe winter. The earnings season unofficially kicks off Wednesday with results from aluminum company Alcoa (AA.N).
Global stocks remained upbeat on Wednesday as a $70 billion mega-deal in the European oil and gas sector stoked the merger and acquisition fever that has gripped investors this week.
The rising value of the dollar is hurting American businesses and could ultimately result in a slowdown in future U.S. growth, BlackRock (BLK.N) chief executive officer Larry Fink warned in a letter scheduled to go out to shareholders next week.
The Australian dollar gained more than 1 percent against the U.S. dollar, on track for its biggest daily rise in more than two weeks, after the Reserve Bank of Australia surprised many investors by refraining from cutting interest rates.
Global stocks rose on Tuesday, as many European bourses re-opening after the Easter break took on the positive tone set by U.S. markets overnight, with sentiment boosted by a potential trans-Atlantic acquisition.
U.S. stocks rose on Monday as expectations the Federal Reserve could hold off longer on raising interest rates offset concerns over Friday's surprisingly weak jobs report.
Asian shares rose and the dollar steadied but remained under pressure on Monday, after a dismal U.S. jobs report led investors to pare bets the U.S. Federal Reserve would hike interest rates anytime soon.
