U.S. stocks rallied on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve suggested a less aggressive timeline for raising interest rates even as it opened the door for the first hike in almost a decade.

As Alibaba (BABA.N) was preparing to sell shares to U.S. investors for the first time, Jerry Verseput tried to persuade his clients not to throw money at the giant China-based e-commerce company because he thinks IPOs are a gamble, especially those with a lot of hype.

The euro and world shares gained on Tuesday as the dollar steadied before a two-day meeting of the U.S. Federal Reserve, where the Fed may edge closer to its first interest rate rise in almost a decade.

U.S. stocks rallied on Monday as the U.S. dollar eased back from its recent peak and worries eased about the timing of a Federal Reserve interest rate hike.

German stocks surged to a record high on Monday as investors shrugged off a bounce by the euro and focussed on the expected boost to corporate earnings from the currency's recent slump, which saw it touch a 12-year low earlier in the day.

Asian shares drifted higher on Monday after a downbeat session on Wall Street kept sentiment in check, while the euro recovered from a fresh 12-year low touched on the divergent monetary policy paths between the United States and the euro zone.

Selling fruit from a cart in a working-class neighborhood of Istanbul hasn't made Mehmet rich, but he's adamant his modest savings won't ever see the inside of a bank.

Subdued growth prospects at home are pushing mid-sized Spanish banks into foreign acquisitions that would have been impossible a few years ago as they struggled under the weight of bad loans.

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc (VRX.TO) plans to raise its bid for Salix Pharmaceuticals Ltd (SLXP.O) close to $170 per share, a person familiar with matter told Reuters.

U.S. stocks fell on Friday and the Dow and S&P 500 registered a third week of losses as the dollar resumed its climb, adding to worries about its impact on U.S. multinationals' earnings.