NEW YORK/LONDON, Dec 4 (Reuters) – The euro hit a six-week
high on Tuesday as Greece’s plan to buy back debt cheered
investors, though worries about Washington’s ability to avoid a
year-end budget crisis kept U.S. stocks in check.

Markets fear the U.S. economy will slip into recession if
$600 billion of tax hikes and spending cuts are allowed to take
effect in January. The White House and Congress have yet to
agree on a long-term deficit reduction plan.

NEW YORK/LONDON (Reuters) – Chinese manufacturing output grew last month for the first time in more than a year but a surprise contraction in U.S. factory activity tempered optimism about the health of the world economy on Monday.

Business surveys also showed the euro zone’s manufacturing sector shrank for a 16th straight month, though a little bit less rapidly than in October.

NEW YORK, Nov 26 (Reuters) – The euro retreated against the
dollar and yen on Monday but remained within reach of recent
highs as investors hoped for deals to restart emergency aid to
Greece and to head off a U.S. fiscal crisis.

Germany’s finance minister said he expected a deal later on
Monday that would unfreeze aid for Greece, the 17-country euro
zone’s most heavily indebted member.

NEW YORK, Nov 26 (Reuters) – The euro retreated against the
dollar and yen on Monday but remained within reach of recent
highs as investors hoped for deals to restart emergency aid to
Greece and to head off a U.S. fiscal crisis.

Germany’s finance minister said he expected a deal later on
Monday that would unfreeze aid for Greece, the 17-country euro
zone’s most heavily indebted member.

NEW YORK, Nov 16 (Reuters) – Foreigners sold U.S. government
bonds in September for the first time in nine months and bought
stocks and mortgage debt as the Federal Reserve began a new
round of monetary easing, U.S. Treasury data showed on Friday.

Overseas investors reduced Treasury holdings by $17.3
billion in September, the first outflow from the government bond
market since December of 2011.

NEW YORK, Nov 9 (Reuters) – Investors are looking for a
compromise to keep the U.S. economy from sailing over the fiscal
cliff. It’s just not clear that the politicians in Washington
are ready to deliver one.

With $600 billion in tax increases and automatic spending
cuts due to take effect in January, investors say they would
welcome an agreement that delays most changes until Congress can
hammer out a long-term deficit reduction deal in early 2013.

NEW YORK, Nov 7 (Reuters) – U.S. investors will hit trading
floors this morning with the same president and the same
problems in gridlocked Washington. First up: a looming budget
crisis that could send the U.S. economy reeling.

President Barack Obama beat back Republican challenger Mitt
Romney to win a second term, but he will still have to contend
with a Republican-controlled House of Representatives that could
make forging a compromise on pressing issues like the coming
“fiscal cliff” difficult.

NEW YORK, Nov 7 (Reuters) – Traders and investors on
Wednesday said the best way for U.S. President Barack Obama to
celebrate his re-election would be to avoid a budget crisis that
could send the U.S. economy reeling.

Stock futures fell about half a percent after Obama edged
out Republican Mitt Romney while bond futures rose. While the
result ended uncertainty about regulation and monetary policy,
some remained on edge about taxes and overall economic health.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Traders and investors were cautiously preparing themselves for a second term for U.S. President Barack Obama, with many hoping his first order of business would be to avoid a looming budget crisis.

While three critical battleground states were still too close to call, projected victories for Obama in Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and Wisconsin had some betting he would likely edge out Republican Mitt Romney.

NEW YORK, Nov 6 (Reuters) – Traders and investors were
cautiously preparing themselves for a second term for U.S.
President Barack Obama, with many hoping his first order of
business would be to avoid a looming budget crisis.

While three critical battleground states were still too
close to call, projected victories for Obama in Pennsylvania,
New Hampshire and Wisconsin had some betting he would likely
edge out Republican Mitt Romney.