Reuters - Stocks fell sharply on Friday on worry about the financial stability of the top two home financing providers Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, while oil prices hit an all-time high, clouding the outlook for the economy.

AP - Wall Street sank further into a bear market Friday, as investors dumped stocks on troubles at mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and oil's continuing climb into record territory. The Dow Jones industrials slid below the 11,000 mark for the first time in two years before paring their losses.

Reuters - Stocks rose on Thursday, helped by optimism about a major deal in the chemicals sector and after the Federal Reserve chairman said the central bank and the government are focused on stabilizing the financial system.

AP - Wall Street stumbled through another volatile session but ended with a respectable gain Thursday after a multibillion dollar deal between Dow Chemical Co. and rival Rohm and Haas Co. helped offset concerns about the financial sector and energy costs.

AFP - Europe's main stock markets slumped on Thursday after US stocks had tumbled overnight on worries about the weak US housing market and its affects on the wider economy, analysts said.

Reuters - World stocks fell towards this week's 21-month low on Thursday as fresh concerns resurfaced over the financial sector -- the epicenter of the nearly one-year-old credit crisis.

AFP - UK blue chips closed lower, as a loss of confidence in the retail sector after a number of downbeat broker notes and weakness among banking stocks outweighed strength from the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

AP - Stocks moved higher in choppy trading Thursday as a deal for Dow Chemical Co. to acquire rival Rohm and Haas Co. boosted investor confidence but could not fully offset continued worries about the health of financial companies.

Reuters - The Dow and the S&P 500 turned negative on Thursday as the price of oil jumped more than $5 and financial stocks fell on worries about more credit losses.

Reuters - Stocks tumbled on Wednesday, dragging the S&P 500 into a bear market, as worries about more credit losses hurt financial companies and Cisco Systems led technology shares lower after its CEO raised fears of an extended economic downturn.

AP - Wall Street tumbled Wednesday as investors grappled with renewed worries about the soundness of the financial sector. The major indexes fell more than 2 percent, including the Dow Jones industrial average, which lost more than 230 points.

AP - Wall Street declined Wednesday as a mild recovery in oil prices sapped the momentum from the previous day's big stock rally.

Reuters - Stocks fell on Wednesday as rising oil prices renewed concerns about the impact of higher energy costs on consumer spending, while a sharp drop in Cisco Systems Inc shares sent the Nasdaq nearly 1 percent lower.