S&P 500 Index Heads Toward Worst Month in More Than Three Years

U.S. stocks declined, with the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index on the verge of its worst month in more than three years, as investors harbored concerns about slowing global growth and the impact of a potential interest-rate increase by the Federal Reserve as soon as September. Equities earlier trimmed their losses after energy shares reversed a 2.5 percent selloff to rally as much as 1.4 percent. The move followed a jump in oil prices...

Aussie Above Six-Year Low as Traders Look to RBA for Direction

Australia’s dollar held above a six-year low as traders waited for comments from Reserve Bank Governor Glenn Stevens on the exchange rate in Tuesday’s policy-meeting statement. The Aussie traded within a cent of the 70.50 U.S. cents it reached last week for the first time since April 2009. In the statement following last month’s meeting, Stevens refrained from indicating the currency...

Japan Stocks Fall Second Day as Investors Watch China Markets

Japanese stocks fell for a second day, led by iron and steel producers, after the Topix index posted its worst monthly loss in three years, as confidence waned that China will be able to prop up its markets amid slowing economic growth. The Topix slipped 0.6 percent to 1,527.88 as of 9:01 a.m. in Tokyo, after Monday capping its biggest monthly plunge since May 2012. The Nikkei 225 Stock Average fell 0.7 percent to 18,756.04. The yen...

U.S. Stocks Decline as S&P 500 Posts Worst Month Since May 2012

U.S. stocks declined, with the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index posting its worst month in more than three years, as investors harbored concerns about slowing global growth and the impact of a potential interest-rate increase by the Federal Reserve as soon as September. The S&P 500 lost 0.8 percent to 1,972.15 at 4 p.m. in New York, capping its biggest monthly slide since May 2012. The gauge in earlier trading fell as much as 1.2...

Gold Decline Fifth Time in Six Sessions on Revived Rate Concerns

Gold futures declined for the fifth time in six sessions as comments by a Federal Reserve official reignited concern that U.S. interest rates will climb this year. Fed Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer said over the weekend there is "good reason" to believe inflation will accelerate, boosting speculation that the central bank won’t delay its first rate increase since 2006. Stubbornly low inflation along with the prospect of tighter U.S....