Global shares, dollar down ahead of earnings, bonds rise

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Global shares fell and bond prices rose on Tuesday, with investors cautious ahead of a U.S. earnings season expected to show sluggish growth in quarterly corporate profits.The dollar and euro fell against the yen as investors booked profits in the aftermath of swift and significant gains, but looser Bank of Japan monetary policy should limit the yen's upside.The dollar was last...

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Alcoa sees brighter 2013, but remains cautious

(Reuters) - Alcoa Inc , the largest aluminum producer in the U.S., expressed cautious optimism that demand for the metal will continue to grow in 2013, helped in part by global growth in the aerospace and construction markets.The company posted a fourth-quarter profit on Tuesday, in line with Wall Street expectations, and handily beat expectations on revenue, helping calm investors' nerves after...

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Alcoa earnings as expected, revenue tops forecasts

NEW YORK (AP) -- Alcoa Inc. on Tuesday reported fourth-quarter earnings that met Wall Street's expectations, and the company said it expects slightly higher demand for aluminum this year.The sluggish global economy has weakened prices for aluminum used in everything from airplanes to soda cans.But Alcoa forecast demand growing 7 percent in 2013, up from a 6 percent gain in 2012. It sees the best...

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Veteran broker departures shift $133 billion client assets in 2012

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Brokerages saw top advisers depart in droves last year and shift $132.5 billion in client assets with them, a Reuters tally shows, creating headaches for some Wall Street banks at a time when wealth management is becoming an increasingly important part of business.Unprecedented signing bonuses, cultural changes linked to acquisitions, a push to cross-sell company products, and...

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Global shares, oil dip, but growth prospects limit falls

 World stocks and oil prices eased on Monday ending a new year rally as some investors chose to book profits, but signs of a brightening global economic growth outlook limited the falls.Wall Street looked to set to follow a similar path after the benchmark Standard & Poor's index surged to a five-year high on Friday when data showed employers kept up a steady pace of hiring in December and...

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Futures slip after S&P hits pre-recession levels

 Stock futures are cooling off after the Standard & Poor's index reached levels last week not seen since the start of the Great Recession.Dow Jones industrial futures are down 8 points to 13,338. The broader S&P futures have lost 0.80 points to 1,456.90. Nasdaq futures are down a point at 2,712.Investors appear to be taking some money off the table with the earnings season kicking off...

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Wall Street set for higher open after jobs report

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wall Street was set for a higher open on Friday after a key U.S. jobs report showed the pace of hiring by employers had eased sightly in December but gave signals of some momentum in the labor market's recovery since the 2007-09 recession.Though the data showed lackluster economic growth was unable to make a dent in the still-high U.S. unemployment rate, it calmed fears about...

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Stocks inch higher following jobs report

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are mostly edging higher on Wall Street in early trading after the U.S. government reported that hiring held up last month.The Dow Jones industrial average rose 11 points to 13,403 shortly after the opening bell Friday. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose two to 1,461 and the Nasdaq fell a point to 3,099.The Labor Department said U.S. employers added 155,000 jobs in December....

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Sensex edges up to two-year high on oil, earnings

MUMBAI (Reuters) - The BSE Sensex edged higher on Friday to touch two-year high, posting its strongest weekly performance since the end of November, as oil companies such as ONGC rose on hopes a proposed change in the government's pricing formula would boost gas prices.Software services exporters such as Tata Consultancy Services also rose on expectations upcoming October-December earnings results...

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Fiscal-cliff deal no recipe for a robust economy

Housing is rebounding. Families are shrinking debts. Europe has avoided a financial crackup. And the fiscal cliff deal has removed the most urgent threat to the U.S. economy.So why don't economists foresee stronger growth and hiring in 2013?Part of the answer is what Congress' agreement did (raise Social Security taxes for most of us). And part is what it didn't do (prevent the likelihood of more...

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Auto industry posts best U.S. sales year since 2007

U.S. auto sales rose 9 percent in December, led by foreign manufacturers, capping off the best year for the industry since before the recession.The year's sales were driven by a slowly recovering economy, more available credit and the need for consumers and businesses to replace aging cars and trucks.General Motors Co posted December U.S. sales growth of 5 percent compared with the year-earlier month,...

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Economy, year-end sales help auto industry in 2012

DETROIT (AP) — A steadily improving economy and strong December sales lifted the American auto industry to its best performance in five years in 2012, especially for Volkswagen and Japanese-brand vehicles, and experts say the next year should be even better.Carmakers on Thursday announced their final figures, which totaled 14.5 million — 13 percent better than 2011.More than three years after the...

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Fracking can be done safely in New York state: dept report

The natural gas drilling process known as fracking would not be a danger to public health in New York state so long as proper safeguards were put into place, according to a health department report that environmentalists fear could help lift a moratorium on the controversial technique.Governor Andrew Cuomo is weighing the economic benefits of hydraulic fracturing - commonly known as fracking - against...

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IMF's economist: budget cuts may hurt growth less now

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Belt-tightening in advanced economies may not be as harmful to growth now as it was during the height of the financial crisis, but governments should still be careful about drastic cuts, an International Monetary Fund research paper found on Thursday.The IMF came under heavy criticism in October when it conceded that austerity programs it recommended during the global economic...

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China commentaries demand U.S. responsibility on "fiscal cliff"

 China's official Xinhua news agency demanded on Tuesday that the United States live up to its global economic responsibilities, put political infighting aside and sort out the "fiscal cliff" mess."Being the world's only superpower and the issuer of the dominant global reserve currency, the United States has a unique role and an unshirkable duty to help cure the ailing global economy," one of...

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Analysis: Economy would dodge bullet for now under fiscal deal

 A deal worked out by Senate leaders to avoid the "fiscal cliff" was far from any "grand bargain" of deficit reduction measures.But if approved by the House of Representatives, it could help the country steer clear of recession, although enough austerity would remain in place to likely keep the economy growing at a lackluster pace.The Senate approved a last-minute deal early Tuesday morning to...

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Senate approves "fiscal cliff" deal, crisis eased

 The Senate moved the U.S. economy back from the edge of a "fiscal cliff" on Tuesday, voting to avoid imminent tax hikes and spending cuts in a bipartisan deal that could still face stiff challenges in the House of Representatives.In a rare New Year's session at around 2 a.m. EST (0700 GMT), senators voted 89-8 to raise some taxes on the wealthy while making permanent low tax rates on the middle...

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Political brinksmanship still threatens US economy

Even if U.S. lawmakers prevent the worst of the so-called fiscal cliff, the brinksmanship in Washington over taxes and spending is likely to continue damaging the fragile economy well into 2013.A months-long political standoff over fiscal policy has already taken its toll, adding uncertainty that has discouraged consumers from spending and businesses from hiring and investing.The squabbling seems...

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US may skirt 'fiscal cliff' but faces higher taxes

A last-ditch tax deal in the Senate might let the U.S. economy escape the worst of the so-called fiscal cliff and avoid going back into recession. But even if the House goes along, the tax increases likely coming in 2013 will dent economic growth anyway.In the early hours of the new year, the Senate voted to end a long stalemate and raise taxes on upper-income households, extend long-term unemployment...

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Home prices rose in ninth straight month: S&P

Single-family home prices rose in October for nine months in a row, reinforcing the view the domestic real estate market is improving and should bolster the economy in 2013, a closely watched survey showed on Wednesday.The S&P/Case Shiller composite index of 20 metropolitan areas gained 0.7 percent in October on a seasonally adjusted basis, stronger than the 0.5 percent rise forecast by economists...

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