Commodities

Business Highlights

___ Bitcoin futures soar amid frenzy over virtual currency NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street got its first taste of bitcoin on Monday, with the price of the first-ever futures contract for the digital currency jumping 20 percent.

Global stocks mostly rise on economic growth hopes

Share prices were higher in Asia on Monday, lifted by encouraging employment data from the U.S. that took the Standard & Poor's 500 index to its third straight weekly gain on Friday despite weakness earlier in the week.

Asian shares advance following encouraging US jobs report

Share prices were higher in Asia on Monday, lifted by encouraging employment data from the U.S. that took the Standard & Poor's 500 index to its third straight weekly gain on Friday despite weakness earlier in the week.

Business Highlights

___ A stronger global economy is helping boost the US job market WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. employers added a robust 228,000 jobs in November, a sign of the job market's enduring strength in its ninth year of economic recovery.

Oil prices dip on stronger dollar

Oil prices dipped on Friday as the U.S. dollar strengthened, although OPEC-led supply cuts are seen supporting markets going into next year.

Business Highlights

___ Bitcoin soars then falls back; banks raise risk concerns NEW YORK (AP) — The price of bitcoin is swinging wildly Thursday, rising to more than $19,000 only to fall sharply minutes afterward.

Business Highlights

___ Senate Republicans barrel toward sweeping tax overhaul WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is barreling toward the most sweeping rewrite of the tax code in more than three decades.

Oil settles at two-week low on surprise U.S. fuel stock rise

U.S. crude on Wednesday slid nearly 3 percent on Wednesday, its biggest daily decline in more than two months, after a sharp rise in U.S. inventories of refined fuel suggested demand may be flagging, while U.S. crude production hit another weekly record.

Global shares down as US economy takes center stage

Asian share benchmarks skidded Wednesday, tracking Wall Street's overnight decline after another afternoon fizzle for stocks that left the Standard & Poor's 500 index with its third straight loss.