Stocks

  Bloomberg European stocks rose on Thursday as traders reacted to the outlook for US interest rates and some healthy post-Brexit data in Britain. Tokyo’s main index however sank as the dollar fell against Japan’s haven yen currency, hurting share prices of the country’s exporters. Wall Street meanwhile opened up with a slight boost from Wal-Mart Stores’ better-than-expected second-quarter earnings. …

  AFP Oil prices rose on Thursday with Brent briefly topping $50 thanks to a weaker dollar and a drop in US crude stockpiles, traders said. Brent North Sea crude reached $50.05 a barrel — breaching $50 for the first time since early last month. Later around 1230 GMT, Brent North Sea crude for delivery in October was up two …

  Bloomberg World stock markets largely retreated on Wednesday, with all eyes on the Federal Reserve as it prepares to offer further clues as to the timing of the next US rate rise. European indices fell back after opening higher, although London’s losses were capped by brighter-than-expected unemployment figures that calmed fears surrounding Brexit’s economic fallout. Tokyo was the only …

  Bloomberg Oil halted gains near the highest closing price in five weeks as industry data showed U.S. gasoline stockpiles expanded, keeping supplies at the highest seasonal level in more than two decades. Futures were little changed in New York, having added 12 percent the previous four sessions after Saudi Arabia said it was prepared to act to stabilize markets. …

  Bloomberg European stocks retreated in thin trading, after briefly paring losses, as a stronger euro weighed on exporters. Carmakers were among the biggest losers in industry groups as subdued prospects for a Federal Reserve rate increase this year weakened the dollar, sending the euro higher. Volkswagen AG slipped 1.7 percent after a report the US Department of Justice was …

Bloomberg A rally in emerging-market assets ran out of steam after a Federal Reserve official said markets are underestimating the likelihood of a U.S. rate increase this year. The MSCI Emerging Markets Index surrendered a ninth day of gains after New York Fed President William Dudley said borrowing costs could go up as soon as next month. The currency gauge …

  Bloomberg European shares were little changed, with Germany’s DAX Index erasing its annual drop, as investors assessed recent gains in light of the outlook for earnings and economic growth. Rebounding automakers posted the best performance of the Stoxx Europe 600 Index’s 19 industry groups. Volkswagen AG’s 1.4 percent advance buoyed the DAX, which entered a bull market last week, …

  Bloomberg Emerging-market stocks posted the longest streak of weekly gains since Russia’s Crimean invasion ended a similar run in March 2014, on signs corporate earnings are recovering as central banks extend measures to support economic growth. Chinese shares rallied the most in a month as property companies advanced on speculation merger deals will accelerate. Hungary led gains in eastern …

  Bloomberg European equities traded at a seven-week high, coming close to erasing their post-Brexit losses, boosted by optimism in the recovery as companies from Zurich Insurance Group AG to KBC Group NV posted profit that beat estimates. Zurich Insurance added 4.5 percent after saying earnings fell less than projected. Belgian lender KBC advanced 5.5 percent after posting better-than-expected profit …

  Bloomberg Not only is the rising market punishing shorts, it’s lifting their favorite targets at a rate that is by some measures three times as great as everything else. As a result, the 50 most-shorted stocks—that is, the ones bears had bet would fall —have instead rallied 16 percent since the end of June, the biggest gain in more …