Financial Market News Archives

The Toronto Stock Exchange was down modestly at midday Friday as commodity stocks stumbled in an environment of uninspiring pricing for oil and gold.

However, the RPI still remained below 100 for the 24th consecutive month, which signifies contraction in the index of key industry indicators.

Forget the traditional economic indicators that track holiday shopping. The true cost of Christmas has already been measured for 2009 via the classic carol "The 12 Days of Christmas." If you ever tried to figure what it would cost to purchase all the items mentioned in the song, wonder no more because the PNC Christmas Price Index did if for you.

The Australian sharemarket closed higher on Monday, clawing back most of its losses from Fridaya s three per cent plunge, as investors piled into banking stocks after fears over Dubaia s debt woes eased.

China should allow its currency to strengthen against the euro and other major currencies, for its own sake as well as that of the global economy, top finance officials of the single-currency euro zone said Sunday.

Asian stock markets rebounded Monday from their steep fall last week after the United Arab Emirates moved to contain the fallout from Dubai's debt crisis.

Q: What do venture capitalists do? - A.N., West Hills, Calif. A: Partners in venture capitalist firms pool their money and invest in fledgling companies, sometimes specializing in certain industries or areas, such as computer-related technology or biotechnology.

Investors may have to do some emotional juggling as the trading week begins. While markets around the world assess the fallout from Dubai's worrisome debt problems, investors trying to get a handle on the global economy will also have to factor in some encouraging U.S. retail sales over the Thanksgiving weekend.

Abu Dhabi-based regulator tries to reassure foreign investors ahead of markets reopening by offering extra liquidity The furious pace of construction in Dubai has created a property bubble.

The road from recession to recovery is rarely smooth, straight or short. It comes with detours, forks and even dead ends.

An employee checking US dollars at a bank in Hanoi. China is taking a series of initiatives aimed at reducing dependence on the dollar both at home and abroad by encouraging importers, exporters and investors to make more use of its currency China is making a big push to encourage greater international use of its currency, the renminbi.

Comment about "Dubai defends debt payment suspension as markets fall" Phone Name Comment 0 Saturday, 28th November 2009 Dubai defends debt payment suspension as markets fall Ali Khalil, AFP Pedestrians stand by a display showing the Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong yesterday.

By now you've probably heard about the situation in Dubai, where Dubai has sought a six-month extension on the debts of Dubai World, which reportedly has debts of at least $60 billion.

The dollar fell briefly to its lowest level in 14 years against the Japanese yen Friday but rallied against the euro and other currencies as Dubai's debt problems roiled currency markets.

Stocks in Asia dived on Friday as fall-out from concerns over Dubai's debt lingered.

World leaders expressed confidence in the global economic recovery on Friday despite fears about a debt default by Gulf emirate Dubai, while major banks played down their exposure to the debt.

U.S. and emerging-market stocks slumped and commodities dropped as Dubaia s attempt to delay debt repayments unnerved investors.

The following stocks were among those that moved substantially or traded heavily Friday on the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq Stock Market: NYSE: MGM Mirage, down 45 cents to $10.56 The casino operator's joint venture partner Dubai requested a debt payment delay.

U.S. shoppers turned out in strong numbers at the start of the holiday season Friday to hunt for bargains, though many said they were spending more selectively.

Dubai's debt crisis rattled world financial markets Friday, raising concerns that some banks could further tighten lending and hamper the global economic recovery.

World stock markets dropped Thursday as mostly positive economic news in the U.S. failed to inspire investors and the dollar tumbled to its lowest point against the Japanese yen in more than 14 years.

Japan's finance minister raised the prospect of a Group of Seven joint statement on currencies to cool the yen's rally as the dollar tumbled to a 14-year low against the yen on Friday.

Mumbai The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex on Thursday sharply declined by 344 points on heavy selling by funds on expiry of current month contracts in the derivatives segment amid weak global cues.

Dubai struggles to ease default fears Rising high among the towers in Business Bay, Burj Dubai, the world tallest tower, which is still under construction, is scheduled to be open in Jan., 2010 in Dubai.

London Stock Exchange said technical problems mean all FTSE 100 and "order-driven" shares have been placed in an auction period, meaning trades won't be executed.

Debt problems in Dubai hit global stocks, helped lift bonds and took the dollar away from a 14-year low against the yen on Thursday.

Markets are usually relatively quiet when Wall Street is closed for a holiday, as it is Thursday for Thanksgiving Day a ' not so today.

Asian stock markets dropped Thursday as mostly positive economic news in the U.S. failed to inspire investors and the dollar tumbled to a 14-year low against the Japanese yen.

Nov. 25 -- Randy Bateman, chief investment officer for Huntington Bancshares Inc., talks with Bloomberg's Matt Miller about the performance of U.S. stocks and Federal Reserve monetary policy.

Treasury prices mainly rose Wednesday after a strong auction for seven-year notes.

The dollar slid to a 15-month low against the euro Wednesday as investors fled the safe haven currency on upbeat U.S. economic reports, while markets absorbed the U.S. Federal Reserve's indication that interest rates will remain at super-low levels for a while yet and that it was not overly concerned by the U.S. currency's decline.

The New Zealand sharemarket edged up in early trading today, even as Mainfreight shares tumbled nearly 2 per cent.

U.S. stocks were directionless Tuesday after third quarter GDP was confirmed at an annualised 2.80% for the third quarter.

Lower profits from U.S. fuel sales caused convenience store operator Alimentation Couche-Tard's profits to fall nearly 10 per cent during its fiscal second quarter.

Nov. 24 -- Bloomberg's Sheila Dharmarajan reports on the stock market and stocks with poor analyst ratings that outperformed those with higher decile rank.

Daniel Wagner Washington - Published on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009 1:41PM EST Last updated on Tuesday, Nov.

European and U.S. stock markets fell Tuesday after the U.S. government said the U.S. economy did not grow as fast in the third quarter as previously estimated, stoking fears that the recovery in the world's largest economy will be slow.

Asian stock markets retreated Tuesday as China's warning to banks to control their lavish lending underlined the risks to an economic recovery driven by easy credit.

Gold hit a record high at $1,167.45 an ounce on Monday as dollar weakness pushed the metal through key technical resistance levels, fueling momentum buying after the metal's sharp run higher earlier this month.

World markets rose sharply Monday amid further hopeful signs about the economic recovery.

Nov. 23 -- Craig Peckham, an equity trading specialist with Jefferies & Co., Inc., talks with Bloomberg's Betty Liu, Adam Johnson and Jon Erlichman about the effects of the housing market and the U.S. dollar on the stock market, and investment strategy.

Investors halted a three-day losing streak on the stock market Monday, sending prices broadly higher on a weaker dollar and better-than-expected home sales numbers.

Hong Kong shares snapped a four-session loss to end 1.41 percent higher, spurred by gains in mainland financial issues on optimism that Beijing will extend its loose monetary policy until next year.

SEOUL, South Korea - SEOUL, South Korea a ' Asian stock markets were mixed Monday after a decline on Wall Street and as investors hunkered down ahead of a stream of figures that could confirm the U.S. economy is recovering at a slower pace.

Helped by the safe haven bid and purchases by a number of central banks, gold has surged since the start of November.

The New Zealand sharemarket rose in early trading, even as leading stock Telecom slipped nearly 3 percent.

The stock market ended a down week with light selling as investors grew uneasy about a rising dollar and spiking demand for the safest government debt.

Investors are heading toward the final month of the year with more questions about the economy than they had just a few weeks ago.

Sun Nov 22, 2009 5:43am EST - A Wall St. sign is seen outside the New York Stock Exchange, September 30, 2008.

Admit it: You're a coward. When you look danger in the eye, it's from the lens of a telescope.

Key housing sector data may provide direction for Wall Street in the coming week as the market looks for confirmation of economic recovery and girds for the year-end holiday period.

Sat Nov 21, 2009 9:59am EST - An oil rig beside the sea is lit up on the outskirts of Havana after sunset June 23, 2009.

Nov. 20 -- Bloomberg's Michele Steele reports on the performance of the U.S. equity market today.

Gold recovered earlier losses and rose to a fresh record high Friday with the momentum which has lifted prices more than 9% this month after reports of central bank gold buying.

TOKYO: The Bank of Japan upgraded its economic assessment yesterday, setting itself up for a confrontation with a government pressing for a policy response to deflation and a possible return to recession.

Treasury prices mostly fell Friday, pushing their yields higher. Yields on short-term bills hovered near their lows of the year.

About $382 million of bonds remain outstanding, it said. The company, aiming to cut funding costs, got 56% acceptance for a bond exchange on debt raised to fund its purchase of Corus, which it bought in January 2007 for $12.9 billion.

U.S. is finally becoming a nation of savers. Now if only we could get something for our money.

Nov. 19 -- James Swanson, chief investment strategist at MFS Investment Management, talks with Bloomberg's Matt Miller and Carol Massar about the outlook for U.S. stocks.

London's blue chip share index recovered some of its poise today as miners returned to favour following yesterday's sell-off. The FTSE 100 Index lost 1% yesterday as mining stocks fell and economic jitters hit market sentiment.

Stocks are set to continue their slide when the market opens Friday as the dollar strengthens further, and after a week of mixed economic reports.

A gauge of future economic activity and a report on unemployment benefits signaled Thursday that the recovery likely will remain weak in the coming months.

Canada is paying a heavy price for China's intransigence in moving to a flexible currency that better reflects its growing importance on the global economic stage, Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney says.

Manufacturing activity in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region hit a two-year high in November, indicating the economic recovery was gaining momentum, while the trend in claims for jobless aid continued downward.

Foreign investors also continued to rebalance their holdings of Canadian debt in favour of longer-term securities, mainly in the federal government sector.

The Conference Board said Thursday that its index of leading economic indicators rose 0.3 percent last month.

NEW YORK - Stock futures are pointing toward a lower opening Thursday following the lead of overseas markets and ahead of a weekly report on unemployment.

Nov. 18 -- Bloomberg's Michele Steele reports on the performance of the U.S. equity market today.

Wed Nov 18, 2009 8:50am EST -President Obama tours the Great Wall of China in Badaling, November 18, 2009 .

Oil prices extended gains to near $80 a barrel Wednesday, supported by a weaker dollar and as a report showed an unexpected drop in U.S. crude supplies, suggesting demand could be improving.

The budding economic recovery is getting little help from the home building industry, which normally creates jobs and boosts growth as a recession ends.

The U.S. dollar headed lower versus major counterparts Wednesday, as commodities hang on to gains, indicating more investor willingness to step away from the dollar.

US stocks rose to fresh 13-month highs overnight as upbeat broker views on improving prospects for two Dow components offset disappointing holiday spending outlooks from Target and Home Depot.

By SARA LEPRO A stronger dollar is keeping a lid on metals prices.Gold, silver and copper were little changed Tuesday, a day after hitting new highs, while energy and agriculture futures rose slightly.Commodities paused from their recent surge as the dollar gained ground and made them more expensive to foreign buyers.

U.S. industrial output barely rose last month and wholesale inflation was tame, suggesting the economy's recovery from a severe recession was losing some steam as government stimulus faded.

Eaton Vance Management and Invesco PowerShares on Tuesday announced new investment products offering exposure to the government's Build America Bonds stimulus program, which seeks to spur construction and repair projects by state and local governments.

But the metal remains well supported above $1,130 an ounce, analysts said, with expectations for further dollar weakness and firm investment interest in bullion as a hedge against inflation expected to underpin this year's 29 per cent gains.

HONG Kong stocks rose for a second day yesterday due to Friday's gains on Wall Street, and went up 1.73 percent to end at a more than 15-month high of 22,943.98. The benchmark Hang Seng Index opened 1.05 percent higher at 22,789.99 yesterday and moved between 22,998.85 and 22,770.69 during the session.

Nov. 16 -- David Joy, chief markets strategist at RiverSource Investments LLC, talks with Bloomberg Television about the impact of central bank monetary policy on the stock market and the outlook for the U.S. economy.

The Toronto stock market was off to a positive start to the trading week Monday as data showed that a resurgent auto sector pushed up Canadian manufacturing sales and U.S. retail sales.

Investors kept the stock market's upward momentum going Monday, sending shares sharply higher as the dollar extended its slide and after retail sales rebounded more than expected in October.

Stocks rose in morning trading after a report showed retail sales rebounded more than expected in October because of a boost in auto sales.

The 30-share BSE Sensex shot up by 194.48 points, or 1.15 per cent to trade well above 17,000 points level at 17,043.31 in early trade with all the sectoral indices trading in positive zone with gains up to 2.25 per cent.

Somebody on a bus asks a friend, "How about that stock market?" The response: "Unbelievable." Caribbean vacationers lounging poolside check their Blackberries for stock prices.

Gold hit a fresh record high on Monday as investors hedged against a weak dollar, while Asian shares gained ground after upbeat reports from U.S. retailers underpinned confidence the global economy is recovering.

Hitachi Ltd, Japan's biggest electronics firm by revenues, plans to raise up to 400 billion yen by issuing new shares and convertible bonds to shore up its battered capital base, two sources familiar with the matter said.

FILE - In this Aug. 18, 2009 file photo, Bob Kunkel of Niagara Falls, N.Y., loads driveway sealer... FILE - In this Aug.

Stocks in Europe made little headway in either direction Friday. All the major indices finished with moves capped at 0.40%. The FTSEurofirst 300 .FTEU3 index of top European shares was up 0.40%, its best closing level since Oct 21.

China's top bank regulator said Sunday the weakening U.S. dollar and low interest rates are spurring speculation in stocks and property, distorting global asset prices and threatening the global economic recovery.

The Toronto stock market closed higher Friday as rising metal prices lifted mining stocks amid another record high close for bullion.

The Associated Press file photo In this Nov. 2, 2009 photo, hundreds of imported vehicles are parked in a storage lot after being unloaded from freight ships in Elizabeth, N.J. The U.S. trade deficit widened more than expected in September as foreign oil prices rose to the highest level in nearly a year, swamping a fifth consecutive gain in ...

U.S. stocks could face difficulty gaining traction next week as the S&P 500 bumps against the 1,100 mark and investors become content to cool their heels rather than risk losing gains made for the year.

Nov. 13 -- Keith McCullough, chief executive officer of Research Edge LLC, talks with Bloomberg's Erik Schatzker and Jon Erlichman about the correlation between stocks and the dollar.

City officials plan to hold high-stakes talks with three rating agencies that could determine whether New Orleans can sell up to $40 million in bonds for street work.

In this photo made Oct. 28, 2009 photo, a sign on a building is shown at Google Inc.'s new campus in Kirkland, Wash.

U.S. consumer sentiment soured in early November on grim job prospects while a larger-than-expected trade deficit had analysts scaling back estimates for third-quarter U.S. economic growth.

U.S. stocks rose, extending a second straight weekly advance, as higher-than-estimated earnings at Walt Disney Co.

Asian markets were mostly lower Friday amid investor uncertainty about the global outlook after Wall Street fell on weak energy demand.

Nov 13 - Asian stocks ease as rare dollar rally hits Asia on Friday, first day of Obama's Asia tour.

A surprise profit from The Walt Disney Co. late Thursday also helped to boost futures.

President of the World Bank Robert Zoellick addresses a dialogue on the state of the global economy at the APEC CEO Summit in Singapore, Friday, Nov.13, 2009.

A rare rally in the U.S. dollar was the focus in Asia Friday as investors wondered if President Barack Obama's week-long visit to the region would generate pressure for some countries to let their currencies rise.

The Canada Pension Plan's investment fund saw its assets grow to $123.8 billion between the first and second quarters of the fiscal year, spurred by revived equity markets but offset somewhat by a strong loonie.

By early afternoon in Europe , benchmark crude for December delivery was down 74 cents to $78.54 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange .

The Canada Pension Plan Fund said Thursday its assets reached $123.8 billion at the end of its second quarter, a more than six per cent increase in the three months to September.

European stock markets rose modestly Thursday as investor optimism was dented by a subdued performance in Asia.

The Associated Press 6 comments Dollar drops to 15-month low even as Geithner reiterates administration's strong dollar stance The dollar pulled off a new 15-month low in late trading Wednesday after the euro rose above $1.50, while Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner reiterated the administration's stance that a strong dollar is good for the U.S.

ONE of the many television commercials exhorting viewers to buy gold says solemnly that it is an asset whose value "has never dropped to zero," a boast that surely sets a record for minimalism.

Nov. 11 -- Michael Vogelzang, chief investment officer of Boston Advisors LLC, talks with Bloomberg's Mark Crumpton about the outlook for the U.S. stock market.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said a strong dollar is in the nationa s interest and the government recognizes the importance it plays in the global financial system.

The price of gold surged to a fresh high Wednesday as the dollar fell to a 15-month low.

The Australian share market closed higher for the fourth successive session as property trusts strengthened on positive reports and the miners gained on expectations that commodity prices will stay high.

Shares of Ambac Financial Group Inc. plunged 33 percent Tuesday after the embattled bond insurer said it may be forced to file for bankruptcy protection if it cannot improve its cash position.

The dollar regained an earlier advance versus major currencies on Tuesday, bouncing off a 15-month low, as U.S. stocks turned lower in late morning trading.

Investors cooled their buying of stocks and commodities, pausing from a surge that carried major stock indexes to their highest levels in more than a ...

Nov. 10 -- The Standard & Poor's 500 Index will probably exceed 1,300 as early as February because the economy continues to rebound from the worst recession since the 1930s, billionaire Kenneth Fisher said.

Oil prices eased to below $79 a barrel on Tuesday, as tropical storm Ida that cut U.S. oil and gas supplies was downgraded from a powerful hurricane and U.S. crude oil stockpiles were forecast to rise slightly.

European and Asian stocks rose further Tuesday as expectations of low borrowing costs continued to boost the appeal of equity markets over other investments - on Monday the Dow Jones industrial average closed at its highest level this year.

Russia's Gazprom saw its earnings halved in the first six months of the year due to lower natural gas prices and sinking demand in Europe, while overall debt jumped nearly a third, the company reported Monday.

Gold climbed to a record in London and New York as a weaker dollar prompted investors to buy bullion as an alternative investment.

US giant Kraft Foods on Monday launched a hostile 9.8-billion-pound takeover bid for Cadbury which the British confectioner rejected as "derisory." The cash and stocks offer matches the terms of Kraft's original bid in September.

Oil prices climbed toward $79 a barrel Monday as Hurricane Ida threatened oil installations in the Gulf of Mexico and the dollar weakened against other currencies.

Stocks are rising on Wall Street Monday after a weekend meeting of world financial leaders raised hopes for the economy.

Asian stocks and currencies rose on Monday on bets a surge in the U.S. unemployment rate to a 26-1/2-year high would force policymakers to keep many stimulus measures in place until an economic recovery spread further.

Asian stock markets rose Monday as investors took a surprisingly weak U.S. jobs report as a sign that interest rates in the world's largest economy will stay low longer than expected.

"Words from the Wise" this week comes to you in a shortened format as I am about to leave Cape Town for a visit to the colder environs of Switzerland and Slovenia.

Gold futures jumped to a record, topping $1,100 an ounce, on mounting speculation that low U.S. borrowing costs will drive down the dollar, boosting the appeal of the precious metal as an alternative investment.

In this photo made Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009, specialists Scott Wetzel, Michael Bonnano and Peter Gaicchi, left to right, and Gennaro Saporito, foreground right, work at a post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

Devotees of dividend reinvestment plans, a favorite strategy of do-it-yourself investors, have had their faith tested over the past year.

Question: I'm 23 and have been making a point of saving money in a savings account.

Markets turned positive Friday, despite official employment reports on both sides of the border pointing to a sluggish recovery from the recession.

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. said third-quarter profit tripled on the gain in derivatives tied to stocks and bonds.

State Street Corp. on Friday said it added $250 million to a legal reserve, and revised its third-quarter earnings results downward to reflect the change.

WALL Street stocks wobbled before ending with slender gains today as investors shrugged off disappointing US data showing unemployment above 10 per cent, to end a strong week on an upbeat note.

As unemployment in the United States edges above 10 percent, anxious investors will look to earnings reports from major retailers for signs of life in the beaten-up consumer.

The jump in US unemployment above 10 percent for the first time since 1983 will pressure President Barack Obama to find additional stimulus to keep a fragile economic recovery on track, analysts say.

At a McDonalda s Corp . test kitchen in an unmarked Illinois warehouse, next yeara s menu plan for the U.K. has hit a snag.

The Toronto stock market advanced Friday as investors dealt with dismal employment data from Canada and the United States and as gold stocks continued to run ahead amid record high bullion prices.

A businessman takes an escalator as a stock quotation board is reflected on a window in Tokyo in this June 23, 2009 HONG KONG: Asian stocks rose ahead of the latest U.S. payrolls report on Friday, expected to show the fewest job losses since August 2008, while oil prices recovered to $80 a barrel after a sharp drop on high U.S. fuel inventories.

U.S. stocks were set to fall Friday after the government reported higher-than-expected payroll losses for October and an increase in unemployment.

Stock markets rose today ahead of the release of key U.S. jobs data, which markets use to gauge the health of consumer spending in the world's largest economy in the run-up to the year-end holiday season.

Nov. 5 -- Bloomberg's Deborah Kostroun reports on the performance of the U.S. equity market today.

Mining stocks have had nice runs but even with a few bumps in the road, the trend is still clearly higher for miners and the metal.

The Toronto stock market was little changed early Thursday morning as commodity stocks retreated amid some positive U.S. employment data that came a day before the release of the government's unemployment report.

Big bonuses could be back in store for some top executives and traders on Wall Street as profitability returned to the investment banking industry in 2009, according to a new study released Thursday.

And again it is the U.S. currency that is getting most of the blame. The U.S. dollar gave up more ground against the euro early Wednesday.

The U.S. Federal Reserve said on Wednesday that the U.S. economic activity has continued to "pick up," and decided to keep a key interest rate unchanged at a record low of between zero to 0.25 percent to prop up the economy.

Nov. 4 -- Bloomberg's Deborah Kostroun reports on the performance of the U.S. equity market today.

The U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday expressed growing confidence that an economic recovery was building, even though it stuck to its commitment to keep borrowing costs near zero for "an extended period." As expected, the central bank closed out a two-day meeting with a decision to keep benchmark overnight interest rates in a range of zero to 0.25 ...

A worker walks past the building "Guangzhou International Finance Center IFC" in the Central Business District CBD in Guangzhou, southern city of China Wednesday, Nov.

An investor looks at an electronic board showing stock information at a brokerage house in Chengdu, Sichuan province December 8, 2008.

Stock futures are indicating a higher opening Wednesday on Wall Street as investors await the Federal Reserve's latest assessment of the economy.

Gold prices surged to a new high Tuesday on news that India's central bank bought $6.7 billion worth of gold from the International Monetary Fund.

Some semiconductor stocks finished lower Tuesday after a Morgan Stanley analyst downgraded the sector and individual stocks including Intel Corp.

World stocks dipped toward the previous session's four-week lows on Tuesday as investors continued to fret over the early removal of government stimulus, particularly in the financial sector.

Inside the thick Goldman Sachs investment circular were the details of a secret, $2 billion deal channeled through a Caribbean tax haven.

Mumbai The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex tumbled by close to 500 points to close at two- month low amid a steep fall in bourses across the world on fears that economic recovery will not be as swift as expected.

The FTSE 100 fell below the 5,000 level for the first time in a month as detalls of the break-up of Britain's part-nationalised banks hit financial stocks and falling metal prices dragged down miners.

The three major indexes had previously risen about 1 per cent earlier in the session as stronger-than-expected data on manufacturing and pending home sales spurred a broad-based advance and soothed worries over the recovery's strength.

U.S. stocks were higher early in the day, stumbled slightly, but then put in a solid finish.

Stock futures are little changed ahead of Tuesday's opening as investors prepare for new reports on home prices and consumer confidence.

European and U.S. stock markets shot higher Monday after a much better than anticipated U.S. manufacturing survey helped ease concerns that the recovery in the world's largest economy was faltering.

Buyers of Canadian banks, utilities, property firms and some retailers look set to become long-term winners if the country's currency -- as many predict -- resumes its recent rally to top the U.S. dollar in value.

When California wildfires ruined their jewelry business, Tony Becker and his wife fell months behind on their mortgage payments and experienced firsthand the perils of subprime mortgages.

Oil prices hovered near $77 a barrel Monday in Asia after a big fall the previous trading session as investors eyed upcoming figures on the U.S. economy and a volatile dollar.

Investors will be looking to see if last week's slide on the Toronto stock market will turn out to be another buying opportunity for those looking for an entry point or the start of a long-awaited correction.

Police in Thailand arrested two people on Sunday on suspicion of spreading rumours about the health of the country's 81-year-old king that triggered a slide in stock prices, police said.

After a forceful reminder that the third quarter is history, stock investors are now uneasy about the final months of the year.

CIT Group has met at least one of the hurdles necessary to file for a prepackaged bankruptcy, sources said, bringing the commercial lender one step closer to the fast bankruptcy process it is seeking to lower its liabilities and get back to health.

In the 1980s and '90s, Goldman Sachs Group ran a staid residential mortgage operation that simply bought and sold loans.

Goldman Sachs Group got into the residential mortgage business in 1984, and for 17 years, it ran a staid operation that simply bought and sold loans.