Stocks tumbled amid growing fears of a global recession, as investors confronted a grim mix of U.S. economic data and fresh concerns about Europe’s banks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended down 419.63 points, or 3.7%, to 10990.58. The Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index dropped 53.24 points, or 4.5%, to 1140.65, while the Nasdaq Composite lost [...]

Stocks on Wall Street fell sharply at the start of trading Thursday, following the trend set in Asia and Europe as more disappointing economic data emerged and concerns again focused on the financial sector. The Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index was down 49 points, or more than 4 percent, at 1143. Major indexes in Europe were [...]

Yet another of the nation’s top banks is flirting with the idea of charging a monthly fee to customers who use debit cards. Wells Fargo said Tuesday it will start charging a $3 monthly fee for debit card usage to customers in Georgia, New Mexico, Nevada and Oregon beginning Oct. 14. “We regularly review our pricing and [...]

Fitch Ratings on Tuesday, citing the “exceptional creditworthiness” of the U.S., reaffirmed its highest AAA credit rating for U.S. debt. Fitch, one of the ‘big three’ ratings firms along with Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s Investor Service, said the U.S. would maintain its coveted AAA rating because of the ability of its broad and diverse economy [...]

Research In Motion Ltd. (RIMM), maker of the BlackBerry smartphone and PlayBook tablet computer, may have the most to lose from Google Inc. (GOOG)’s deal to acquire Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. Google’s proposed $12.5 billion acquisition would leave RIM a smaller player relative to rivals, which may force it to strike an alliance with another company [...]

Google Inc., maker of the Android mobile-phone software, agreed to buy smartphone maker Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. for $12.5 billion in its biggest deal, gaining mobile patents and expanding in the hardware business. Motorola shareholders will get $40 a share in cash, the companies said in a statement today. That’s 63 percent more than Motorola Mobility’s [...]

Stocks surged sharply across the board Thursday, with the S&P and Nasdaq wiping out the previous session’s losses, as investors snapped up beaten-down sectors. The Dow Jones Industrial Average pared back from its highs, but still closed well above the psychologically-significant 11,000 level. The blue-chip has alternated between sharp gains and losses over the past eight [...]

Stocks finished near session lows in choppy trading Wednesday, with the Dow and S&P wiping out all of the previous session’s gains led by financials, as investors continued to cautiously monitor developments in the European banks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished down over 500 points, wiping out the previous session’s 429-point rally. The blue-chip index [...]

POSTED AT 11:35AM EST: U.S. stocks slumped again as investors fretted over continued worries among European banks as well as the Federal Reserve’s gloomy outlook and hints at further actions. The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 456 points, or 4.1%, to 10784, while the Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index slid 41 points, or 3.5%, to 1132 and [...]

The Obama administration is seeking ideas from investors on how to convert thousands of foreclosed properties owned by government-backed entities into rental homes. The Federal Housing Finance Agency, the regulator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, U.S. Treasury Department and the Department of Housing and Urban Development announced the solicitation in a press release today. The goal [...]