Currencies

Japanese stocks rose after poor quarterly economic data raised hopes of fresh economic stimulus while other Asian indexes were steadier as the yuan stabilized after last week's shock devaluation.

A free-falling Chinese currency could make China's goods cheaper for foreigners, squeeze Western companies, discourage Chinese tourism, increase China's exports and complicate the Federal Reserve's decision on whether to raise American interest rates.

The Russian ruble is falling under the pressure of cheaper oil and despite a recent boost from the central bank.

Frankfurt stock exchange operator Deutsche Boerse AG says it is buying foreign exchange trading platform 360T for 725 million euros ($796 million).

The latest from the referendum in Greece (all times local): ___ 7 a.m.

Egypt's central bank says the Egyptian pound has fallen to a new low against the dollar, its second such drop since Thursday.

Switzerland's central bank says it took a first-quarter loss of 30 billion Swiss francs ($32 billion) as the rapid appreciation of the national currency led to high foreign exchange losses.

Wall Street and Main Street gave banks a boost last quarter.

The U.S. dollar hasn't been on a roll like this since Ronald Reagan sat in the White House and "Raiders of the Lost Ark" ruled the box office.

Wild swings in the stock, bond and currency markets in the first three months of the year are likely to translate into bigger profits for big U.S. banks, analysts say.

Official figures show that the fall in consumer prices across the 19-country eurozone eased in February, a development that may assuage market concerns that the region is set to suffer a pronounced period of deflation.

Global stocks were mixed in Wednesday trading, as optimism over expectations that U.S. interest rates won't be raised soon was countered by profit-taking.

So what would it cost if Greece left the euro? As European policymakers struggle to reach a deal to keep the country from a bankruptcy, experts are making rough estimates of the potential costs of failure.

The Egyptian pound has fallen to its lowest level ever against the dollar, after a central bank auction again allowed buyers to bid higher prices for the U.S. currency.

The future of FXCM — a major U.S. foreign-exchange broker — is on the line after Switzerland stunned global markets by abandoning a policy that pegged its currency to the euro.

Russia's ruble currency is hitting an all-time low as the country's economy struggles with the combined blows of Western sanctions and a worldwide fall in oil prices.

Headed overseas for summer vacation? It's easy to get hit with extra fees and expensive exchange rates when switching currencies.

The European Central Bank is coming under increasing pressure to do more to stem the strength of the euro currency, which is hurting exporters and keeping a lid on the region's recovery from recession.

Asian stock markets were mostly lower Monday as investors looked ahead to U.S. corporate earnings following last week's strong job numbers.

The Commerce Department reports on the U.S. trade deficit in May.