As financial markets in the United States took the day off to celebrate the birthday of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., equities markets in the Asia-Pacific region plunged on growing worries that the US economy is either already in or will soon enter a recession. Markets in Hong Kong and in India dropped more [...]

Equities markets in the Asia-Pacific region were mixed on Thursday. Among losers on the session, Australian markets were down for the 9th consecutive session, their longest losing streak in more than a decade. The S&P/ASX200 was down 0.23 percent to 5,796.1 while the Sydney Ordinaries fell 0.24 percent to 5,857. During the [...]

Equities markets in the Asia-Pacific region were lower on Thursday on further concerns about US credit markets. The main exception to losses was the Shanghai Composite, which added 0.38 percent to 5,456.54. Australian indices saw the least of the losses as the S&P/ASX200 fell 0.15 percent to 6,078.7 and the Sydney Ordinaries dropped [...]

Most equities markets in the Asia-Pacific region were higher on Monday, helped by healthy sales on “Black Friday” in the United States, the traditional beginning of the Christmas shopping season and the traditional day when retailers turn to profit for the year. The exception to gains in the region came on the Shanghai Composite, [...]

European markets were mixed again Tuesday, with the Dax again being the major decliner with a drop of 0.38percent to 7,777.56. Otherwise, indices saw gains. The FTSE Eurofirst 300 added 0.27 percent to 1,516.42, while the Paris CAC-40 gained 0.06 percent to 5,538.91 and Madrid’s IBEX was up 0.25 percent to 15,814.8. [...]

Wall Street was lower in afternoon trade on Tuesday ahead of Wednesday’s decision on interest rates by the Federal Reserve and after the Conference Board reported that consumer confidence was down in October, to its lowest level in two years. More disappointing corporate results did not help matters. The Dow Jones Industrial Average [...]

Most equities markets in Europe were lower Tuesday, but Madrid’s IBEX was up as it added 0.61 percent to 15,279.70. The FTSE Eurofirst 300 was 0.77 percent lower to 1,574.68. The Dax dropped 0.09 percent to 7,962.64 in Frankfurt while the Paris CAC-40 fell 0.57 percent to 5,774.36. Utilities were higher again. [...]

Equities markets in London were lower in Friday trade. The FTSE 100 fell 0.3 percent to 6,466.8 while the FTSE 250 was 0.02 percent lower to 11,037.4. Miners were mixed. Lonmin (LSE: LMI) added 7.39 percent to £36.49 on a rise in platinum prices and on the possibility that Xstrata (LSE: XTA) [...]

Asia-Pacific region equities markets saw gains on Thursday on continuing indications that the US Federal Reserve will see the need to cut interest rates again soon after the Commerce Department there reported that durable goods orders were lower in August. In Australia, the Sydney Ordinaries and the S&P/ASX200 each rose by an identical 0.87 [...]

In Europe, equities markets declined on Tuesday as commodities-related shares fell with oil and metals prices. The Eurofirst 300 fell 1.04 percent to 1,529.91. The Dax dropped 0.24 percent to 7,769.44, while the CAC-40 was 0.89 percent lower to 5,641.59 and the IBEX was down 1.3 percent to 14,304.8. The oil sector [...]