U.S. stocks fell, halting a three- day rally, as United Parcel Service Inc. slumped, economic reports missed estimates and uncertainty grew over how much progress European leaders are making in debt-crisis talks. UPS, whose deliveries make it a proxy for the economy, lost 2.1 percent as international shipping growth began to cool while U.S. expansion stagnated. 3M Co., the maker Scotch-Brite sponges, sank 6.3 percent after cutting its profit forecast. Netflix Inc. plunged 35 percent as the company projected losses in 2012. Amazon.com Inc. tumbled 14 percent after the close of regular trading as earnings missed analysts’ projections. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index fell ...

European stocks fluctuated as the region’s leaders prepared to gather in Brussels for the second summit in four days to address the debt crisis. U.S. index futures rose and Asian shares were little changed. PSA Peugeot Citroen fell 1.7 percent after lowering its full-year profit forecast. Svenska Handelsbanken AB gained 1.6 percent after reporting earnings that beat estimates. Heineken NV, the world’s third-largest brewer by volume, advanced 1.2 percent as western European sales held up better than expected. The benchmark Stoxx Europe 600 Index increased 0.2 percent to 240.83 at 8:59 a.m. in London after ...

European stocks advanced for a third day as energy companies rallied after better-than-estimated earnings from BP Plc (BP/) and BG Group Plc. (BG/) Asian shares and U.S. index futures were little changed. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index rose 0.2 percent to 242.61 at 8:55 a.m. inLondon. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and fellow leaders will return to Brussels tomorrow for a second summit in four days to discuss Europe’s bailout fund. Policy makers are jousting with banks over the size of losses they take on Greek bonds while deliberating over leveraging the fund after ruling out tapping the European Central...

U.S. stocks rallied, almost wiping out this year’s decline in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, amid takeover deals, higher-than-estimated earnings at Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) and progress in talks to tame Europe’s debt crisis. Gauges of commodity, financial and technology shares had the biggest gains in the S&P 500 among 10 groups, rising at least 1.9 percent. Caterpillar, the largest construction and mining-equipment maker, climbed 5 percent. RightNow Technologies Inc. (RNOW) surged 19 percent, while Healthspring Inc. (HS) soared 34 percent, on acquisitions. Alcoa Inc. (AA) added ...

Gold could “easily” rise to $2,200 an ounce in the next two years as costs increase and global financial concerns persist, said the chief executive officer of AngloGold Ashanti Ltd. (AU), the third-largest producer of the metal. “It costs almost $1,200 to produce an ounce of gold,” Mark Cutifani said at a conference in Perth today. “The gold price probably reflects the fundamentals of the industry.” AngloGold is boosting capacity to benefit from record prices for the precious metal, which has risen for 10 straight years. Gold has climbed about 16 percent in a year amid concern economic growth in ...

U.S. stock futures climbed, erasing an earlier loss, as Asian equities rallied on signs of stronger growth in China and Japan, the region’s two biggest economies. Standard & Poor’s 500 futures expiring in December rose 0.3 percent to 1,239.30 at 1:22 p.m. in Tokyo. The contract earlier lost as much as 0.7 percent. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index jumped 2.5 percent after Japan’s exports increased faster than estimated and an indicator of Chinese manufacturing activity rose to its highest level in five months. “Companies are making money,” Alan Gayle, a senior strategist at Ridge Worth Capital Management in Richmond, Virginia, which ...

European stocks climbed amid signs of stronger growth in China andJapan and as euro-area leaders edged toward agreeing on a strategy to help contain the debt crisis. Asian shares and U.S. futures also rallied. BHP Billiton Ltd. (BHP) and Rio Tinto Group both jumped more than 3 percent as base metals surged. TomTom NV (TOM2) soared 22 percent after reporting better-than-estimated net income. Nobel Biocare Holding AG (NOBN) surged 7.1 percent following a report that buyout firms are looking at the company. The benchmark Stoxx Europe 600 Index advanced ...

U.S. stock futures fell after Apple Inc. (AAPL), the world’s biggest company by market value, missed analysts’ profit estimates for the first time since at least 2004. The euro weakened after Moody’s Investors Service cut Spain’s credit rating. Standard & Poor’s 500 Index futures expiring in December declined 0.6 percent to 1,216.10 at 9:10 a.m. Tokyo time, after the measure added 2 percent yesterday. Apple sank 6.7 percent to $393.97. Futures on the Nasdaq-100 Index, which gets 15 percent of its value from Apple, lost 1 percent. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index added 0.5 percent as ...

European stocks pared gains as technology shares and mining companies declined. Asian shares climbed, while U.S. index futures fell. Software AG (SOW), Accor SA (AC) and British Sky Broadcasting Group Plc (BSY) advanced after the reporting results. The benchmark Stoxx Europe 600 Index gained 0.1 percent to 235.54 at 9:17 a.m. in London after falling 1.3 percent over the previous two days. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index advanced 0.7 percent, while Standard & Poor’s 500 Index futures fell 0.7 percent after ...

U.S. stock futures pared losses, indicating the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index will halt its biggest drop in two weeks. Contracts on the S&P 500 expiring in December dropped less than 0.1 percent to 1,193.6 at 9:23 a.m. in London. China reported the slowest economic growth since 2009 and Germany yesterday doused expectations of a quick fix to Europe’s sovereign-debt crisis at the ...