Stocks, Asia | featured news

Trading in the stock market turned more treacherous in late-day trading as investors reacted to slowing economic growth in China and a massive commodity sell-off -- and as initial word spread as well of the explosions at the end of the Boston Marathon. The Dow Jones industrial average lost 266 points on the day, down 1.8%. It was the Dow's biggest point drop since Nov. 7, in the wake of President Obama's reelection, when the index lost 295 points.

Gold headed for its biggest two-day drop in 30 years on Monday as funds accelerated their exits from the market, and investors also cut exposure to oil, copper and grain after underwhelming Chinese growth data.

Stocks closed Friday higher even as a raft of weak data from China signaled a slowing global economy.

Stocks are opening lower on Wall Street, deflated by signs that the global economic meltdown is being felt across Asia... China reported sharply lower growth in its exports. The so-called fiscal cliff, when U.S. government spending cuts and higher taxes kick in on Jan. 1, looms larger now that the distraction of earnings season is over.

In an unlikely coincidence certainly unwelcome to China's communist rulers, the stock benchmark fell 64.89 points Monday, matching the numbers of the June 4, 1989 crackdown in the heart of Beijing. In China's lively microblog world, "Shanghai Composite Index" soon joined the many words blocked by censors. In another odd twist, the index opened Monday at 2,346.98. That is being interpreted as 23rd anniversary of the June 4, 1989 crackdown when read from right to left.

Asian stocks slumped Friday after a spike in Spanish government borrowing costs added to the uncertainty over Europe's debt crisis and investors braced themselves for China.

Investors in Asia continued to sell off risky assets like stocks on Monday, as Europe's prolonged debt crisis and the possibility of a global recession caused investors to flee riskier assets like stocks.

FedEx scared markets in its first quarter earnings report, noting the global economy would slow and demand, particularly from Asia, would cool, putting downward pressure on the stock.

A decision by European central banks to support the region's financial system helped calm Asian markets, setting off a rally across the region in Friday trading....

European stock futures declined Wednesday as Moody’s Investors Service downgraded Societe Generale SA and Credit Agricole SA and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said developed nations should not rely on China to bail them out. U.S. futures and Asian shares dropped.