Oil Rises as Investors Weigh U.S. Supplies Against OPEC Strategy

Oil rose for the second time in three days as investors weighed a projected decline in U.S. crude stockpiles against signs that Iraq is joining other OPEC members in defending market share.West Texas Intermediate futures advanced as much as 0.8 percent in New York. Inventories in the U.S., the worlds largest consumer, probably dropped for a second week through Dec. 19, a Bloomberg...

Yen Falls to Two-Week Low on Reduced Haven Demand; Aussie Drops

The yen fell to a two-week low against the dollar as gains in global stocks cut demand for haven assets.The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index reached a five-year high before data forecast to show the U.S. economy grew more than initially estimated in the third quarter. The euro was 0.1 percent from the lowest in more than two years amid speculation the European Central Bank will add stimulus next year. The Australian dollar slid as commodity prices...

Asian Stocks Fall First Day in Four as Commodity Shares Retreat

Asian stocks fell, with a gauge that excludes Japan heading for its first decline in four days, as commodity shares retreated after oil and metal futures declined. The MSCI Asia Pacific Excluding Japan Index lost 0.2 percent to 465.86 percent as of 9:08 a.m. in Seoul. Japanese markets are closed for a holiday. The Standard & Poors 500 Index and Dow Jones Industrial Average closed yesterday at all-time highs as U.S. shares rallied...

S&P 500 Climbs to Record After 3-Day Rally as Tech Shares Jump

The Standard & Poors 500 Index rose to a record as a surge in technology shares helped the benchmark index fully recover from a seven-day selloff in early December. Facebook Inc. and Intel Corp. rose more than 2 percent to pace gains among technology shares. The S&P 500 added 0.4 percent to 2,078.68 at 4 p.m. in New York, above its previous record close of 2,075.37 reached...

U.S. Stocks Little Changed After Rally; Energy Falls

U.S. stocks fluctuated, after the biggest three-day jump since 2011, as gains in technology shares offset a slump in biotechnology and the first drop in five days for energy companies. The Nasdaq Biotechnology Index slumped 2.6 percent as Gilead Sciences Inc. sank 14 percent after a drug-benefit manager blocked the companys $1,000 hepatitis treatment. Chevron Corp. lost 1.3 percent as energy companies were the worst performers in the...