Stocks

  London / AFP European stocks turned flat on Wednesday but London coasted higher on the back of a Santa Rally in subdued trade after a long Christmas holiday. The British capital’s benchmark FTSE 100 index of top blue-chip firms won 0.4 percent from last Friday’s close, as traders returned from a four-day holiday weekend. Frankfurt and Paris, which had …

  London / AFP A plunge in the share price of Toshiba over a possible write-down and the bailout of one of Italy’s top banks were the biggest ripples in otherwise placid trading on Tuesday. “Markets are calm, as thin holiday volumes are in play,” said market analyst Ipek Ozkardeskaya at London Capital Group. However a 12 percent meltdown in …

  Reuters Global stocks were mixed on a day when many markets were closed for a holiday. Japanese shares fell as the yen gained against the dollar, while Chinese equities recovered from earlier losses. The Topix index slipped in Tokyo on trading volumes around 40 percent below the 30-day average. The Shanghai Composite Index erased a drop of as much …

  London/ AFP European equities drifted mostly lower on Thursday in quiet pre-holiday trade, with investors awaiting news on the fate of crippled bank Monte dei Paschi di Siena (BMPS). Wall Street also eased at the opening, slipping further away from the elusive 20,000 target on the Dow index. “The long awaited 20,000 benchmark on the Dow isn’t breached yet …

  London / AFP Europe’s main stock markets dropped on Wednesday, with focus once more on Italian bank Monte dei Paschi, whose shares tumbled on fading hopes that it will avoid a state bailout. Around 1115 GMT, London’s benchmark FTSE 100 index was down 0.2 percent compared with the close on Tuesday. In the eurozone, Frankfurt’s DAX 30 slipped 0.1 …

  London / AFP Global markets struggled on Tuesday as traders mulled the impact of this week’s deadly attacks in Europe before the Christmas and New Year holiday. Frankfurt and London were flat around midday after Monday’s fatal attacks in Germany and Turkey, Paris eked out gains and most Asian indices faltered. At least 12 people were killed and dozens …

  HONG KONG / AP Most Asian stock benchmarks lost ground on Monday as investors fretted over the potential political and economic fallout from China’s capture of a US underwater glider. Worries over China’s effort to stem outflows of capital also overshadowed the Hong Kong market following an economic work conference in Beijing late last week. KEEPING SCORE: Japan’s benchmark …

  Bloomberg Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena SpA will begin taking orders for shares on Monday as it aims to complete raising 5 billion euros ($5.2 billion) by the end of the year to avoid a rescue by the Italian government. Monte Paschi will sell stock to institutional investors through Thursday, while the offer for retail investors will end …

  London / AFP Europe’s stock markets advanced on Thursday and the dollar soared after the US Federal Reserve hiked interest rates as expected — and signalled three more rises next year. The news sent the dollar spiking to a near 14-year high against the euro, as the hawkish prospect of more rate increases cemented support for the greenback. Shortly …

  Bloomberg Caution pervaded markets before the Federal Reserve’s expected interest-rate hike later on Wednesday, with European stocks slipping from an 11-month high and government bonds advancing. Crude retreated on industry data showing US stockpiles increased. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index retreated before the conclusion of the Fed’s two-day meeting, as investors awaited clues on the likely path of rates …