NEW YORK — Lowered expectations for the global economy are giving investors more to be wary about. Stocks are retreating in the first minutes of trading Monday after the World Bank predicted the global economy will shrink 2.9 percent in 2009. That estimate was worse than its previous forecast for a 1.7 percent decline. The [...]

NEW YORK — Investors regained some optimism about the U.S. economy Monday after upbeat quarterly profits from home improvement chain Lowe’s Cos. Some buying was to be expected after a pullback last week interrupted a rally that has lifted the Standard & Poor’s 500 index more than 30 percent since early March. Investors are again [...]

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — U.S. stock futures sank Monday as investors worried about the economic impact of a global swine flu outbreak. At 7:35 a.m. ET, Dow Jones industrial average, Standard & Poor’s 500 and Nasdaq-100 futures were sharply lower. Futures measure current index values against perceived future performance and offer an indication of how [...]

HONG KONG — Asian stock markets dropped early Wednesday as US markets plummeted toward last year’s lows and investors began losing hope that governments can rescue the world’s economies from slipping deeper into recession. It marked the region’s third day of declines, and followed a sell-off overnight on Wall Street that sent the major benchmarks [...]

SINGAPORE — Oil prices fell below $41 a barrel Friday in Asia as soaring US unemployment and bleak corporate results kept investors pessimistic about demand for crude. Light, sweet crude for March delivery fell 49 cents to $40.68 a barrel by midday in Singapore in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract [...]

BANGKOK, Thailand — Most Asian markets retreated Tuesday, led by a steep fall in Japan, as commodities stocks followed oil prices lower and a bleak outlook for earnings hit iconic exporters such as Sony Corp. Japan’s Nikkei 225 stock average tumbled 392.26 points, or 4.4 percent, to 8,444.54, catching up with Asia’s losses on Monday [...]

LONDON (CNNMoney.com) — U.S. stocks appeared poised for a weak open Monday as investors worried about the economy and grim outlook for corporate profits. At 5 a.m. ET, Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor’s 500 futures were slightly lower. Nasdaq 100 futures were a shade higher. Futures measure current index values against perceived future [...]

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — A busy first full week of 2009 for Wall Street was set to start on a lower note Monday, as investors prepared for December auto sales and reacted to the Obama stimulus plan. At 7:40 a.m. ET, Nasdaq, the Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor’s 500 futures were lower. [...]

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — As stocks put their worst year ever behind them, 2009 will be the start of a very slow and very painful recovery. Investors should brace for wild market swings as companies and the economy struggle to rebound. This past year was marred by horrid corporate results, record high oil and gas [...]

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Stocks closed higher Friday, for the second session in a row, in a sparsely traded, post-holiday session. The Dow Jones industrial average (INDU) was up 0.5% according to early tallies. The broader Standard & Poor’s 500 (SPX) index advanced 0.8%. The Nasdaq composite (COMP) was down 0.3%. U.S. markets were closed [...]

NEW YORK — Gold prices declined Friday, as the dollar gained further strength against other major currencies, including the euro and the British pound. Energy prices recovered some, while agriculture futures fell. “The dollar’s surge diverted would-be buyers and emboldened profit-takers,” Jon Nadler, a senior analyst at Kitco Bullion Dealers Montreal, wrote in a research [...]

NEW YORK — Wall Street turned cautious Tuesday after a two-day rally as downbeat corporate news reminded investors that the economy’s troubles won’t soon ease. The Dow Jones industrials fell 225 points, while broader indexes showed more moderate declines. Investors worry that companies’ difficulties could make an economic turnaround difficult. FedEx Corp. cut its forecast [...]