Reuters – European stock markets and the euro extended two months of gains on Thursday as Greece edged closer to a bailout deal and investors bet a brace of central bank meetings would offer further support for the move into riskier assets.

AP – World stock markets rose Thursday after the U.S. Federal Reserve pledged to keep interest rates low until late 2014 to nurture the country’s stubbornly slow economic recovery

Reuters – NYSE Euronext , which wants regulatory support for its planned $9 billion merger with Deutsche Boerse (DB1Gn.DE), cited strong trading and technology sales for a 54 percent hike in quarterly profit to $186 million.

Reuters – Everyone’s obsessed with the euro zone these days, and every little rumor sends global stock markets into wild gyrations. But here’s a little secret: If you really want to know what could blow up your portfolio for years to come, forget Europe

Reuters – Factory activity worldwide stalled last month as new orders tumbled, heightening fears that the global economy may be heading for another recession and driving stock markets lower.

Reuters – Factory activity worldwide stalled last month as new orders tumbled, heightening fears that the global economy may be heading for another recession and driving stock markets lower.

AP – Asian stock markets rose Monday, after Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke’s prediction of long-term U.S. economic growth fueled a Wall Street rebound.

AP – Asian stock markets were mixed Wednesday as investors weighed weaker-than-expected economic growth in the 17 countries that use the euro against data showing that U.S. manufacturing is on the upswing again.

Reuters – European stock markets rose on Friday as a ban on short-selling financial shares prompted investors to creep back into battered banking shares, although concerns over the health of French banks kept the mood edgy.

Reuters – Japanese policymakers voiced growing alarm on Tuesday as the yen scaled highs seen before last week’s intervention and global stock markets crumbled under mounting fears of a new financial crisis.