New York, Dec 8 - Major stock indices ended Tuesday little changed, erasing a rally earlier in the day prompted by President Barack Obama's remarks on a deal to extend tax cuts.

Obama defended a compromise with Republicans that would extend tax cuts for two years, saying the deal was essential to avoid placing a greater burden on the middle class.

New York, Dec 7 - US stocks fell Monday after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said he would not rule out more monetary interventions to prop up the struggling economy.

Bernanke made the remarks in an interview aired Sunday by broadcaster CBS.

The US central bank in November announced a controversial plan to buy up $600 billion in government bonds over the coming eight months. The new round of "quantitative easing" was criticised by some conservatives and foreign governments for pushing down the value of the dollar.

New York, Dec 4 - US stocks produced gains Friday, ending the week in the black, despite an increase in the jobless rate that had pushed shares down earlier in the day.

The US unemployment rate climbed to 9.8 percent in November, the Labour Department reported, sharply denting hopes that the labour market was beginning to recover after months of stagnation.

The jobless rate was the highest since April with just 39,000 jobs added during November, compared to a revised 172,000 jobs added in October. The jobless rate had remained at 9.6 percent over the last three months.

New York, Dec 3 : US stocks surged Thursday for the second straight session because of positive economic data, this time from the housing and retail sectors.

Sales of existing homes climbed a better-than-expected 10 percent in October, while a number of major retailers posted positive sales entering the holiday shopping season.

The figures offered hope that the US economy, which has been mired in a weak recovery, could be slowly gathering steam. On Wednesday, the rate-setting Federal Reserve reported growth in 10 of 12 US regions.

Toronto, Dec 2 - Canadian markets hit a new high Wednesday after the global meltdown, with the composite index on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) closing at 13,148.35 points.

The last time the Toronto Stock Exchange - the world's biggest energy and mining market - had closed at these levels was in September 2008.

Keeping the momentum in line with Wall Street which rose after positive economic data, the TSX composite index jumped 195.47 points Wednesday, with mining stocks gaining four per cent.

New York, Dec 1 - Continuing fears about fiscal instability among European Union governments overshadowed a favourable report on US consumer confidence as major Wall Street stock indices lost ground.

The New York-based Conference Board's index of consumer confidence reached a five-month high. But continuing worries about budget deficits in several EU countries weighed on the market.

New York, Nov 30 - US stocks fell Monday over concerns that the Irish bailout wouldn't stem the European debt crisis, tensions simmering on the Korean Peninsula and the release of thousands of secret US diplomatic cables by WikiLeaks.

"There seems to be plenty to bother the market," E. William Stone, chief investment strategist at PNC Wealth Management in Philadelphia, told Bloomberg news. "There's concern about the European financial crisis affecting healthier economies and the viability of the euro. This issue seems to be far from over."

Washington, Nov 30 - The US government has disabled dozens of websites based in China for allegedly selling counterfeit merchandise and other goods in violation of copyright laws, authorities said Monday.

US Justice Department and Homeland Security Department seized the domain names of 82 websites, mostly based in China, where the shipments of the purchased goods also originated, authorities said.

"Most of the products being produced were produced in China and being shipped to the United States," said John Morton, the Homeland Security Department's assistant secretary for immigration and customs enforcement.

New York, Nov 27 - US stocks fell Friday as credit ratings for Irish banks were cut and tensions simmered on the Korean Peninsula.

Ratings agency Standard & Poor's drastically downgraded the creditworthiness of Anglo Irish Bank and lowered its rating for three other Irish banks. The European Union and International Monetary Fund reportedly hope to reach agreement on a bail-out for Ireland by Sunday.

North Korea, meanwhile, warned that the peninsula was "inching closer to the brink of war" as the US and South Korea planned joint military exercises over the weekend.

New York, Nov 25 - US stocks jumped Wednesday on some hopeful signs that the country's struggling labour market may be improving.

Weekly claims for unemployment benefits fell to their lowest level since 2008. Indicators that showed a rise in household spending and consumer confidence also helped rally investors.

The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 150.91 points, or 1.37 percent, to 11,187.28. The broader Standard and Poor's 500 index jumped 17.62 points, or 1.49 percent, to 1,198.35. The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index leapt 48.17 points, or 1.93 percent, to 2,543.12.

New York, Nov 24 - US stocks fell sharply amid an exchange of fire on the Korean Peninsula and fresh concerns that the eurozone's debt crisis could spread.

North Korea fired artillery shells at a South Korean island near their disputed western sea border. South Korea returned fire for about one hour, and both sides warned of massive retaliation if there were further attacks.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel meanwhile warned that the euro was increasingly under after the Irish government was forced to accept a bailout. Investors fear Portugal and Spain could be next.

New York, Nov 23 - US stocks fell and the dollar strengthened as Ireland sought outside help with its debt crisis, sparking fears that other eurozone countries might not be far behind.

Ireland formally asked for help Sunday and was in the process of negotiating terms this week with the European Union and International Monetary Fund. Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen said he would dissolve Parliament in the New Year.

Ireland became the second country after Greece to seek a bail-out. Markets are also looking warily at Portugal, Spain and Italy.

New York, Nov 10 - US stocks fell Tuesday as some investors expressed unease over the US central bank's plan to revive the economy by purchasing $600 billion in government debt over the coming months.

The Federal Reserve's new round of "quantitative easing" had rallied markets after it was revealed last week, pushing the Dow Jones Industrial Average to levels not seen since before the 2008 financial crisis.

New York, Nov 9 US stocks fell slightly and gold rallied to a record high Monday amid more concerns over Europe's debt situation.

Investors looked nervously towards a pending European Union review of Ireland's fiscal situation. Some have speculated that Ireland and Portugal could soon request a government debt bail-out from the EU.

The price of gold rose above $1,400 per ounce for the first time in New York trading, as a weak economy and government deficits have driven investors back into metals.

New York, Nov 5 - US stocks surged Thursday, following the lead of global markets as investors digested a series of central bank moves to boost sagging economies.

The US and European monetary authorities took opposite approaches to their economies in the last two days, with the Federal Reserve opting for a $600-billion buy-up of long-term government debt, while the European Central Bank ruling out any monetary intervention.

Yet stocks in the US, Europe and Asia rose sharply Thursday, with Wall Street investors also reacting to Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke's defence of the US approach in a Washington Post editorial.