Currencies

Global stocks appeared set for quiet and lower trading Friday after most markets in Asia were closed for the Lunar New Year holidays, except for Tokyo, where shares continued to rise on optimism about the Japanese economy.

U.S. stocks were slightly lower in midday trading Tuesday as investors continued to watch Greece's debt talks and hoped a deal would eventually be reached to keep the country from falling out of the eurozone.

A top European Central Bank official says the bank's new 1.1 trillion euro ($1.2 trillion) monetary stimulus could "fall on barren ground" if governments do not cut red tape and excessive regulation.

U.S. stocks were slightly lower in early trading Wednesday.

With all the noise and uncertainty surrounding Greece over the past couple of weeks, it's been easy to overlook the growing signs of economic recovery in Europe.

Global stock markets faltered Thursday as the European standoff over Greece's international bailout intensified, tempering optimism from China's latest move to boost its economy.

The Commerce Department reports on the U.S. trade deficit for December.

U.S. stocks rose broadly Thursday, helped by a rebound in the price of oil and a rise in health care stocks following Pfizer's $16 billion deal to buy drugmaker Hospira.

Health care stocks were leading early gains in U.S. trading, while the energy sector also rose as the price of oil recovered from a stumble.

Australian stocks jumped to a near-seven-year high after an interest rate cut Tuesday and Chinese stocks rebounded from a losing streak, leading most other global markets higher as jitters about Greece's new government subsided.

Asian stock markets rose Wednesday after a jump in oil prices helped push U.S. shares sharply higher and Japanese economic data showed improvement.

Asian stock markets were mostly lower Monday after Chinese manufacturing weakened and oil went on roller-coaster ride.

World stock markets were uneven Friday and Wall Street futures slid ahead of quarterly growth figures that will show whether weakness in China, Japan and Europe has hit the U.S. economy.

Asian stocks zoomed higher Friday, boosted by the European Central Bank's stimulus announcement, a long awaited move that also set off gains in Europe and on Wall Street.

U.S. stocks are rising Thursday morning after Europe's central bank announced a plan aimed at reviving that region's struggling economy.

What now? The European Central Bank's plan to rescue Europe's economy won't work on its own.

Most Asian stock markets rose Wednesday as investors anticipated European policymakers would soon unleash more stimulus while Chinese shares extended their rebound following a steep plunge at the start of the week.

Asian stock markets meandered Thursday ahead of a well telegraphed announcement later in the day of additional European Central Bank stimulus.

Chinese shares plunged 6.3 percent Monday after the country's securities regulator imposed margin trading curbs on several major brokerages, a possible sign that authorities are trying to rein in the market's big gains.

Global stock markets drifted Tuesday as oil extended its slide, falling below $45 a barrel, while better-than-expected Chinese trade figures countered recent gloom over the slowdown in the world's No.