S&P 500 Falls for 5th Day as Small-Caps Tumble Amid Oil Selloff

U.S. stocks fell, extending the longest losing streak in the Standard & Poor™s 500 Index in 13 months, as small-cap and energy shares slid after oil pushed losses further below $50 a barrel.The S&P 500 fell 0.9 percent to 2,002.50 at 4 p.m. in New York, declining for a fifth straight day. The Russell 2000 Index slid 1.7 percent, after plunging 2.4 percent earlier. The Dow dropped 131.36 points, or 0.8 percent, to 17,370.29. Trading...

Gold Rises to Three-Week High With Silver as Europe’s Woes Mount

Gold and silver futures rose to three-week high weeks after Europe™s economic concerns mounted, spurring demand for the precious metals as a haven. A gauge of euro-area services and manufacturing signaled growth slowed in the final quarter of 2014, and the euro extended losses versus the dollar amid Greek opposition to austerity measures that may prompt the country™s exit from the currency bloc. Money managers raised bullish wagers...

Japanese Stocks Swing as Textile Makers Rise, Oil Extends Losses

Japanese stocks swung between gains and losses as textile makers led gains on lower commodity prices and energy producers dropped as oil continued its plunge. The Topix added 0.1 percent to 1,362.22 as of 9:15 a.m. in Tokyo after falling as much as 0.6 percent. The Nikkei 225 Stock Average was little changed at 16,881.10. The yen fell 0.3 percent to 118.76 per dollar after yesterday...

Asian Stocks Extend Drop, Led by Energy Companies on Oil Plunge

Asian stocks fell, after yesterday sinking the most in nine months, as U.S. equities extended declines and the slump in crude oil deepened. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index declined 0.3 percent to 134.57 as of 9:03 a.m. in Tokyo, with energy companies dropping the most. The Asian gauge slumped 1.7 percent yesterday and the Standard & Poor™s 500 Index fell for a fifth day, extending...

Service Industries in U.S. Expand at Slowest Pace in Six Months

Service industries expanded in December at the slowest pace in six months, indicating the biggest part of the U.S. economy cooled as the year drew to a close. The Institute for Supply Management™s non-manufacturing index fell to 56.2 from a November reading of 59.3 that was the second-strongest since 2005, the Tempe, Arizona-based group™s report showed today. The average for all of 2014 was the highest in nine years. The median forecast...