PEKING (dpa-AFX) - The China stock market has moved higher now in fourconsecutive trading days, collecting more than 45 points or 2 percent in thatspan. The Shanghai Composite Index finished just above the 2,400-point plateau,and now analysts are predicting a soft start for the market at the opening oftrade on Thursday.The global forecast for the Asian markets suggests mild consolidation thanks torenewed concerns over the lingering debt situation in Europe. Uninspiredeconomic and corporate earnings news from the United States adds to the cautioussentiment. Financials and technology stocks figure to weigh on investors, whilegold and oil shares should provide support. The European and U.S. marketsfinished lower on Wednesday, and the Asian bourses are expected to open insimilar fashion.The SCI finished modestly higher on Wednesday fueled by gains from thebrokerages and the property stocks.For the day, the index climbed 22.16 points or 0.93 percent to finish at2,403.59 after trading between 2,374.03 and 2,404.44. The Shenzhen CompositeIndex spiked 20.26 points or 2.2 percent to end at 954.23.Among the gainers, Soochow Securities surged by the 10 percent daily limit,while Founder Securities soared 6.9 percent, Everbright Securities spiked 5.6percent, Poly Real Estate Group jumped 2.7 percent, Gemdale Corp. climbed 3.9percent and China Vanke added 3.4 percent.The lead from Wall Street is modestly negative as stocks moved mostly lower onWednesday, although selling pressure was relatively subdued. Lingering concernsabout the outlook for the European economy weighed on the markets once again.The weakness followed a report showing a contraction in private sector activityin the Eurozone, which added to recent concerns about a recession. MarkitEconomics revealed that its index of Eurozone private sector activityunexpectedly dipped below the '50' cut-off mark to 49.7 in February.Traders also reacted to news that Fitch Ratings downgraded Greece's creditrating to 'C' from 'CCC' following the Eurozone's agreement on a second bailoutfor the country. Fitch said a default is highly likely in the near term.On the corporate front, luxury homebuilder Toll Brothers (TOL) came underpressure after reporting a first quarter loss of $0.02 per share compared toanalyst estimates for a profit of $0.02 per share. Meanwhile, Brocade (BRCD)rose by 2.7 percent after reporting better than expected first quarter earningsand issuing in-line guidance for its second quarter.In U.S. economic news, the National Association of Realtors reported a notableincrease in existing home sales in January, although the report also showed asignificant downward revision to the data for December.The major averages posted modest losses on the day after ending the previoussession mixed. The Dow edged down 27.02 points or 0.2 percent to finish at12,938.67, while the NASDAQ fell 15.40 points or 0.5 percent to 2,933.17 and theS&P 500 slipped 4.55 points or 0.3 percent to 1,357.66.In economic news, the HSBC flash manufacturing purchasing managers' index roseto a four-month high of 49.7 in February from 48.8 in January, Markit Economicssaid on Wednesday. However, a reading below 50 indicates contraction of thesector. The manufacturing output index was also at a four-month high of 50.1,bouncing back from 47.6 in January.Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The Asian stock markets are tipped to open modestlylower on Thursday, thanks to renewed concerns over the lingering debt situationin Europe. In addition, a contraction in private sector activity was reported inthe Eurozone, fueling recent concerns about a recession.Uninspired economic and corporate earnings news from the United States adds tothe cautious sentiment.The major U.S. averages were down as the Dow shed 27.02 points or 0.2 percent tofinish at 12,938.67, while the NASDAQ fell 15.40 points or 0.5 percent to2,933.17 and the S&P 500 slipped 4.55 points or 0.3 percent to 1,357.66.The major European markets also moved lower as the U.K.'s FTSE 100 Index edgeddown 0.2 percent, the French CAC 40 Index fell 0.5 percent, and the German DAXIndex dropped 0.9 percent.The Asian markets wound up as a mixed bag on Wednesday, Taiwan led the winnerswith a 1.01 percent gain, while Japan's Nikkei added 0.96 percent, China'sShanghai Composite climbed 0.93 percent, Hong Kong's Hang Seng collected 0.33percent and South Korea's KOSPI gained 0.22 percent. Moving lower, Singapore'sStraits Times gave up 0.97 percent, while Thailand lost 0.23 percent, Malaysiashed 0.21 percent and Indonesia fell 0.20 percent.Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Stocks moved mostly lower over the course of thetrading day on Wednesday, although selling pressure was relatively subdued.Lingering concerns about the outlook for the European economy weighed on themarkets once again.Banking stocks showed a notable move to the downside on the day, contributing tothe pullback by the broader markets. Reflecting the weakness in the bankingsector, the KBW Bank Index fell by 2 percent, pulling back further off Monday'ssix-month closing high.Within the banking sector, Comerica (CMA), SunTrust Banks (STI) and ZionsBancorp (ZION) turned in some of the worst performances. Significant weakness also emerged among networking stocks, as reflected by the1.9 percent loss posted by the NYSE Arca Networking Index. Alcatel-Lucent (ALU)helped to lead the sector lower, tumbling by 5.1 percent. Computer hardware stocks also came under pressure on the news from Dell, movingnotably lower along with airline, steel, and housing stocks.Meanwhile, oil service stocks saw considerable strength even as the price ofcrude oil ended the day nearly flat. Gold and healthcare provider stocks alsoposted strong gains.The major averages posted modest losses on the day after ending the previoussession mixed. The Dow edged down 27.02 points or 0.2 percent to 12,938.67, theNasdaq fell 15.40 points or 0.5 percent to 2,933.17 and the S&P 500 slipped 4.55points or 0.3 percent to 1,357.66.Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - While selling pressure has waned from earlier in thesession, stocks continue to see modest weakness in mid-afternoon trading onWednesday. The major averages have climbed well off their worst levels of theday but remain stuck in negative territory.The weakness on Wall Street is partly due to lingering concerns about theEuropean economy after a report showed an unexpected contraction in privatesector activity in the eurozone. Disappointing earnings news from companies likeDell (DELL) has also generated some negative sentiment.Banking stocks continue to see considerable weakness on the day, resulting in a1.8 percent loss by the KBW Bank Index. With the loss, the index is pulling backfurther off the six-month intraday high it set during trading on Tuesday.Networking, health insurance and housing stocks are also posting notable losses,with Toll Brothers (TOL) turning in one of the housing sector's worstperformances after the luxury homebuilder reported an unexpected first quarterloss.On the other hand, gold stocks have shown a strong move to the upside over thecourse of the trading day, moving higher along with the price of the preciousmetal. Oil service and healthcare provider stocks are also seeing significantstrength.The major averages have moved to the upside in recent trading, with the Dowclimbing back near the unchanged line. The Dow is down 1.10 points or less than0.1 percent at 12,964.59, the Nasdaq is down 6.65 points or 0.2 percent at2,941.92 and the S&P 500 is down 1.43 points or 0.1 percent at 1,360.78.Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - The Swiss stock market declined during Wednesday'strading session. The market has been rallying to the upside for nearly 3 monthsand the successful approval of Greek rescue package left investors in a mood totake profits.The market continues to feel the impact of the steadily rising price of oil. Thepurchasing managers' index for the euro zone came in at 49.7 Wednesday, whichfell short of expectations. The January new home sale result from the U.S. alsofailed to meet expectations. The Swiss Market Index dropped by 42 points Wednesday and closed at 6,192, aloss of 0.73%. The Swiss Leader Index fell by 0.97% and the Swiss PerformanceIndex declined by 0.70%.Financial stocks turned in a weak performance Wednesday. UBS dropped by 3.3% andCredit Suisse lost 1.5%. Julius Baer finished lower by 1.1%. Swiss Re declinedby 2.7% due to its financial statement, which was impacted by the high cost ofnatural disasters. Cyclicals also finished largely to the downside Wednesday. Nobel Biocare sank by3.9%, while Clariant lost 2.9%. Logitech fell by 2.9% and Kuehne + Nagelfinished lower by 2.4%.Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

VIENNA (dpa-AFX) - European stocks declined on Wednesday, as fears aboutGreece resurfaced after Fitch Ratings downgraded the nation's credit rating andsaid a default is highly likely in the near term.Disappointing economic data also kept investors in a jittery mood.Eurozone private sector activity unexpectedly slipped back to contraction inFebruary, fueling concerns that the economy may be sliding into a recession amidthe region's prolonged debt crisis.The composite output index fell to 49.7 in February from 50.4 in January.Economists expected the index to remain almost steady at 50.5.The Euro Stoxx 50 index of eurozone bluechip stocks slipped 0.83 percent, whilethe Stoxx Europe 50 index, which includes some major U.K. companies, was down0.81 percent.The German DAX lost 0.93 percent and the French CAC 40 fell 0.52 percent. TheUK's FTSE 100 dropped 0.20 percent and Switzerland's SMI lost 0.73 percent.Lufthansa slipped 2.5 percent in Frankfurt, thus leading the decliners, as astrike in Frankfurt continued.Peugeot jumped 12 percent after the carmaker said it is in talks about possiblea tie-up with GM.Travel firm TUI AG lost 7.6 as a stakeholder sold a significant number ofshares.Barclays raised energy company RWE to 'Equalweight' from 'Underweight.' Thestock slipped 2.3 percent.Aareal Bank lost 6.6 percent. Deutsche Bank cut the stock to 'Hold' from 'Buy.'Rhoen-Klinikum lost 1.1 percent after Credit Suisse initiated the hospitaloperator with an 'Outperform' rating.Dental implant maker Straumann Holding AG fell 8.3 percent after missinganalysts' earnings estimates.GDF Suez lost 1 percent. HSBC cut the stock to 'Underweight' from 'Overweight.'Real etate developer Nexity lost 6.6 percent. The company forecast a tough yearfor the new homes market and a slowdown of the commercial estate market in 2012.Schneider Electric rose 6 percent after reporting higher profit for 2011.Hotel group Accor lost 2.4 percent. The company reported higher profit for 2011and said it is confident on 2012.France Telecom intends to adjust its shareholder remuneration policy, afterreporting lower earnings and revenues for both the fourth quarter and full-year2011. The stock was up 1.9 percent.Royal Dutch Shell was up fractionally. The company has offered to acquire CoveEnergy for 992.4 million pounds. Cove shares are surging close to 25 percent.Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - With many traders staying on the sidelines, stockscontinue to show a lack of direction in late morning trading on Wednesday. Themajor averages have been bouncing back and forth across the unchanged line afterending the previous session mixed.The lackluster performance comes as traders seem reluctant to make anysignificant moves after recent strength in the markets lifted the Dow above13,000 on Tuesday. Traders may be waiting for news that either supports further upside for themarkets or inspires profit taking following the recent rally.While most of the major sectors are showing only modest moves, notable weaknesshas emerged among banking stocks. The KBW Bank Index is down by 1 percent,pulling back further off the six-month intraday high it set during trading onTuesday.Housing stocks are also under pressure, with Toll Brothers (TOL) showing anotable drop after the luxury homebuilder reported an unexpected first quarterloss.Networking, steel, and airline stocks are also seeing moderate weakness on theday, while considerable strength is visible among oil service and healthcareprovider stocks. The strength among oil service stocks comes amid a modestincrease by the price of crude oil.The major averages are currently posting modest losses but are off their worstlevels of the day. The Dow is down 2.01 points or less than a tenth of a percentat 12,963.61, the Nasdaq is down 2.82 points or 0.1 percent at 2,945.75 and theS&P 500 is down 0.63 points or 0.1 percent at 1,361.58.Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Stocks are turning in a lackluster performance inearly trading on Wednesday amid uncertainty about the near-term outlook for themarkets. The major averages are lingering near the unchanged line after endingthe previous session mixed. The choppy trading on Wall Street comes as traders seem reluctant to make anysignificant moves following the recent strength in the markets, which brieflylifted the Dow above 13,000 on Tuesday. Traders are also digesting somedisappointing economic data from overseas.Most of the major sectors are showing only modest move, contributing to the lackof direction being shown by the broader markets. Nonetheless, weakness is visible among computer hardware stocks, with Dell(DELL) leading the sector lower after reporting weaker than expected fourthquarter earnings. Shares of Dell are down by 6 percent.On the other hand, healthcare provider and oil service stocks are seeing someearly strength. Community Health Systems (CYH) is leading the healthcareprovider sector higher after reporting fourth quarter earnings above analystestimates. The major averages are currently posting modest losses, off their lows for theyoung session. The Dow is down 7.11 points or 0.1 percent at 12,958.58, theNasdaq is down 4.43 points or 0.2 percent at 2,944.14 and the S&P 500 is down1.45 points or 0.1 percent at 1,360.76.Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - After turning in a mixed performance in the previoussession, stocks may move to the downside in early trading on Wednesday. Themajor index futures are currently pointing to a modestly lower open for themarkets, with the Dow futures down by 9 points.The downward momentum for the markets is partly due to the release of somedisappointing European economic data, which has led to renewed concerns about arecession in the eurozone.The report from Markit Economics revealed that private sector activity in theeurozone contracted in February, with the corresponding composite output indexdipping below the '50' cut-off mark to 49.7.A separate report showing the fourth consecutive monthly contraction in Chinesemanufacturing activity has also generated some negative sentiment.On the U.S. economic front, the National Association of Realtors is scheduled torelease its report on existing home sales in the month of January at 10 am ET.Existing home sales are expected to edge up to an annual rate of 4.69 million inJanuary from 4.61 million in December.Shares of Dell (DELL) are likely to come under pressure in early trading, withthe computer maker down by 6.6 points in pre-market trading after reportingweaker than expected fourth quarter earnings.Dell reported fourth quarter adjusted earnings of $0.51 per share, a penny belowanalyst estimates. The company also issued disappointing revenue growth guidancefor the first quarter.Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

PARIS (dpa-AFX) - The European markets are in negative territory inafternoon trading Wednesday, as unimpressive economic data and lingeringconcerns about Greece killed risk appetite in the region. The Euro Stoxx 50 index of eurozone bluechip stocks is retreating 0.79 percent,while the Stoxx Europe 50 index, which includes some major U.K. companies, islosing 0.93 percent. The German DAX is losing 1.01 percent and the French CAC 40 is falling 0.53percent. The UK's FTSE 100 is dropping 0.47 percent and Switzerland's SMI isdeclining 1.02 percent.Lufthansa is falling about 2 percent in Frankfurt, thus leading the decliners,as a strike in Frankfurt continued. Barclays raised RWE to 'Equalweight' from 'Underweight.' The stock is down 1percent.Berenberg Bank lowered its rating on Bayer to 'Hold' from 'Buy.' The stock isfalling 1.1 percent.Commerzbank is dropping 1.7 percent and Deutsche Bank is receding 0.2 percent.Merck, Fresenius and Siemens are in positive territory.Aareal Bank is declining 6.2 percent. Deutsche Bank cut the stock to 'Hold' from'Buy.'Rhoen-Klinikum is gaining 1.9 percent after Credit Suisse initiated the hospitaloperator with an 'Outperform' rating.Draegerwerk is gaining 4.2 percent. HSBC raised the stock to 'Overweight' from'Neutral.'In Paris, Credit Agricole is declining 2.1 percent. Societe Generale and BNPParibas are also notably lower.GDF Suez is falling 1.5 percent. HSBC cut the stock to 'Underweight' from'Overweight.'Real etate developer Nexity is declining 4.7 percent. The company forecast atough year for the new homes market and a slowdown of the commercial estatemarket in 2012.Straumann Holding is retreating 8.1 percent.Peugeot is surging over 18 percent after the carmaker said it is in talks aboutpossible cooperations and alliances.Schneider Electric is gaining 5.8 percent after reporting higher profit for2011.Hotel group Accor is climbing 4.6 percent. The company reported higher profitfor 2011 and said it is confident on 2012.France Telecom intends to adjust its shareholder remuneration policy, afterreporting lower earnings and revenues for both the fourth quarter and full-year2011. The stock is climbing over 2 percent.Shopping center owner Klepierre is advancing 3.2 percent.Miners are seeing weakness in London. Anglo American and Antofagasta are notablylower. Vedanta is declining 4.4 percent.Royal Dutch Shell is slightly down. The company has offered to acquire CoveEnergy for 992.4 million pounds. Cove shares are surging close to 25 percent.Among lenders, Barclays is losing 1.2 percent. TUI Travel is down 2.5 percent after reporting a wider loss.Defense firm BAE Systems is gaining over 1 percent and Capita is advancing 1.2percent. Meggitt is gaining 2.3 percent. Rexam is climbing 3.2 percent.In economic news, Germany's private sector activity logged growth in February,but the rate of expansion slowed from January, data from Markit Economicsrevealed. The flash composite output index came in at 52.9, down from 53.9 inJanuary. The Purchasing Managers' Index for the manufacturing sector fellunexpectedly to 50.1 from 51 a month ago.Separate data revealed that Eurozone private sector contracted in February,following the marginal expansion seen in January. The composite output indexfell to 49.7 in February from 50.4 in January. Economists expected the score toremain almost steady at 50.5.Data from a survey by Conference Board showed that France's leading economicindex increased from the previous month in December. Across Asia/Pacific, major markets ended in the green. China's ShanghaiComposite Index advanced 0.93 percent after data showed that the nation'smanufacturing activity improved in February despite remaining in negativeterritory.Australia's All Ordinaries gained 0.09 percent, Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 0.33percent and Japan's Nikkei 225 climbed about 1 percent.In the U.S., futures point to a lower open on Wall Street. In the previoussession, the Dow rose 0.12 percent and the S&P 500 ticked up 0.07 points, whilethe Nasdaq was flat.In the commodity space, crude for April delivery is sliding $0.60 to $105.65 perbarrel and April gold is falling $2.9 to $1755.6 a troy ounce.Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX