AP - Stocks plunged Thursday as Wall Street contended with a barrage of bad news: another surge in oil prices and warnings of trouble in the key financial, automotive and high-tech industries. The major indexes showed losses of about 2 percent, including the Dow Jones industrial average, which shed more than 300 points and dropped to its lowest level in nearly two years.

Reuters - The Toronto Stock Exchange's main index finished slightly higher on Wednesday as optimism that the U.S. Federal Reserve would hold off on raising interest rates offset a drop in resource issues.

Reuters - Stocks rose on Wednesday, as the price of oil declined, while the Federal Reserve held its key interest rate steady and reduced expectations for a rate hike at its next meeting.

AP - Wall Street ended an erratic day with a modest gain after the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged and issued a mixed assessment of the economy.

Reuters - The London Stock Exchange plans to set up a pan-European, off-bourse trading platform with Lehman Brothers , the groups said, to fend off start-up rivals hurting LSE's business.

AFP - Europe's main stock markets rose on Wednesday with the focus on the banking sector after Barclays convinced Asian and Middle Eastern investors to snap up new shares being offered by the British lender.

Reuters - The state's highest court on Wednesday sided with former New York Stock Exchange chief Richard Grasso in his efforts to throw out key parts of a lawsuit seeking the return of more than $100 million of his pay.

Reuters - Stocks added to gains on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve held a key interest rate steady.

Reuters - The Toronto Stock Exchange's main index turned positive on Wednesday afternoon as strong financials overshadowed falling resource shares shortly after the U.S. Federal Reserve held interest rates steady, as expected.

AP - Stocks gained Wednesday after the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged and issued a mixed but unsurprising assessment of the economy.

Reuters - Stocks fell on Tuesday, on concerns about the economy after a report showed consumer confidence hit a 16-year low and as a profit warning from United Parcel Service stoked fears about corporate results.