London / AFP European stock markets retreated on Wednesday on speculation that the ECB is mulling plans to taper its vast economic stimulus that aims to prop up the eurozone economy. The European Central Bank has rebutted a Bloomberg report on Tuesday of an “informal consensus” among ECB policymakers that the guardian of the euro should gradually scale back its …

  Dubai / Reuters Saudi Arabia’s top three telecommunication operators suffered mixed fortunes on Wednesday after all three had risen in heavy trade the previous day while other markets in the region sagged. Mobile Telecommunication Company (Zain KSA) jumped 6.8 percent, taking its gains since Sunday to 17 percent. Its chief competitor Saudi Telecom (STC) retreated 2.8 percent on Wednesday …

  Bloomberg U.S. stocks rose as a rally in crude oil boosted energy producers, overshadowing concerns that central banks could begin to tighten monetary policy. The S&P 500 Index rose 0.3 percent to 2,157.02 at 9:33 a.m. in New York, after two days of losses following hawkish comments from Federal Reserve officials. Equity markets have seen a revival of volatility …