Countdown to the close: 59 min 59 sec

INVESTOR ALERT
Financials fuel U.S. surge

March 13 2009 5:04 A.M. ET

Rally reaches fourth day
Stocks in Europe move higher for a fourth day in a row on Friday as oil producers advance in a broad-based market rise. 
• Stocks to Watch | Financial stocks boost Asia | Nikkei 225 jumps
 • China's Wen voices concern over U.S. Treasuries (WSJ.com)
• Fitch downgrades Berkshire Hathaway | Swiss Re details Buffett
  
ethics monitor
Cap-and-trade-charade
MarketWatch columnist Thomas Kostigen says we should stop talking about putting a cap on carbon pollution and trading clean energy credits.
currencies
Yen is still a contender

Japan's deteriorating economic fundamentals have dulled the yen's safe-haven shine, but some strategists say it's too early to give up on the currency.
 
Latest News more » Top Stories more » Market Pulse more » Headlines more » Press Releases more »

  • 4:07 a.m.

    [JDW] JD Wetherspoon up 7.3% after comparable sales rise

  • 4:06 a.m.

    [INM] Independent News & Media up 33% after naming new CEO

  • 4:01 a.m.

    German DAX 30 index up 0.8% at 3,988.02

  • 4:01 a.m.

    French CAC 40 index up 1.8% at 2,742.25

  • 3:17 a.m.

    [RUKN] Swiss Re: Berkshire can convert investment at SFR25 a share

  • 3:16 a.m.

    [RUKN] Swiss Re: Berkshire capital instrument has no maturity date

  • 3:16 a.m.

    European passenger car registrations down 18.3% in Feb: ACEA

  • 3:11 a.m.

    [JDW] JD Wetherspoon: says confident for the future

  • 3:10 a.m.

    [JDW] JD Wetherspoon H1 revenue up 6.5% at GBP468.7M

  • 3:09 a.m.

    [JDW] JD Wetherspoon H1 net profit GBP17.3M vs GBP18.3M

  • 3:04 a.m.

    [INM] Independent News & Media: Gavin O'Reilly to suceed as CEO

  • 3:03 a.m.

    Independent News & Media: CEO Anthony O'Reilly to retire

  • 2:05 a.m.

    Japan's Topix climbs 3.3% to 724.30

  • 2:05 a.m.

    Japan's Nikkei ends up 5.2% at 7,569.28

  • 11:52 p.m.

    Japan's Nikkei soars 5% to 7,560.52 in afternoon trading

  • 10:04 p.m.

    Japan's Topix Index adds 2.7% by end of morning session

  • 10:04 p.m.

    Japan's Nikkei ends morning session up 4.4%

  • 10:03 p.m.

    Hong Kong's H-share index gains 3.1% in early trading

  • 10:03 p.m.

    Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rises 2.8% in early minutes

  • 8:27 p.m.

    Japan's Nikkei jumps 3.7% to 7,461.33

 
Today inside MarketWatch
   IN MULTIMEDIA
Hippo needs
a home

The zoo in Basel, Switzerland, needs to find a home for baby hippo Farasi. If they can't, he may be euthanized. John Miller reports.

Also in Multimedia :
 • Lessons in share, save, spend
• Banks will survive, Keith Springer says Audio
• Monster.com's monster job fair

  IN PERSONAL FINANCE
REALTY Q & A
 Neighbors
sawed off

If a neighbor's tree removal damages your wall, who's responsible?

Also in Personal Finance:
 • Powell: Costly job-exit mistakes
• Paying the insurance price for pregnancy
• Gold ETF's holdings set another record
• Tiptoeing in with dividend ETFs (blog)
• Be flexible on travel and save

  IN NEWSLETTERS
MARK HULBERT
 Good things,
small packages

Bigger isn't always better, according to editors favoring small- and microcap stocks.

Also in Newsletters :
 • Brimelow: The tortoise tactic
• Hulbert: Bell won't ring at the bottom

   IN COMMENTARY
MEDIA WEB
Conservatives'
online ally

Jon Friedman says Newsmax editor is prominent online voice for conservatives.

Also in Commentary:
 • Weidner: Goodbye to all that
• Poletti: Apple, get a netbook
• Harrison: Thirsting for the truth
 • Consumers opening their wallets?
• Marsh: The dilemma in Deutschland

   TAX GUIDE
TAXWATCH
 Homing in
on audits
Some tax pros are reporting that the IRS is auditing mortgage interest deductions.

Also in Taxes:
• Reconsidering the Roth IRA
• Your March tax to-do list
• New deduction for buying a car
• Early filers scramble for refunds
 • Best tax-prep software

MEDIA REPORT
Getting smart?
Demand for network television shows from the past is giving an unexpected lift to what are otherwise overall lackluster DVD sales.
• Movie buffs continue to buy DVDs
• Barclays forecast: U.S. advertising revenue to plunge 13% in 2009
 • Gavin O'Reilly to be new CEO of Ireland's Independent News & Media

automotive
 More hybrid plans at Toyota
 Development of a new, more affordable hybrid car will sell for around 20% to 30% less than the automaker's current hybrid offering, the Prius.
• New passenger-car registrations fall 18.3% in Europe

PONZI SCHEME
Madoff turns Baby Boomers against market
 Magnitude of fraud may turn many in their 50s and 60s away from stocks — for good. | How did this happen?

U.S. market
 Is the Dow doing its job?
Relevance and composition of the DJIA is being questioned, with five components trading below $10.
• Thursday: U.S. stocks hit their highest levels in two weeks

technology
Is chip industry poised for a rebound?
Some analysts see signs industry's downward spiral is coming to an end while others are predicting more pain for the struggling sector.
 • Oracle forecast to post gains despite dreary winter

INTERNET
You've got new CEO at AOL
AOL hires Google executive Tim Armstrong as its new CEO, as the Time Warner Inc. unit seeks to revamp its Internet presence.

PERSONAL ADVISER
Back to square one
Lack of attention to fundamentals got us into a major mess. Now we need to rebalance money habits. 
• Fed assets total $1.88 trillion | Household net worth down 18%

REGULATION
Why it's important to rethink the rules
Financial structure needs air bags of some sort, says David Wessel.
• Mark-to-market's junk could be treasure if rules change (First Take)
 • Lawmakers and regulators on same page on mark-to-market rules
 • Japanese government reportedly mulls ETF purchases

EMERGING MARKETS
Hungary under pressure
Fall in forint, sizable trade deficit and plunge
in exports reinforce fears about fragile state
of this Eastern European economy.
• Asian investors won't mellow on gold

retail
Wal-Mart, me worry?
Retail giant says it'll keep on keeping on with low-price mantra.
• Sales this year: Hey, not so bad | Hurrah! Falling sales! (First Take)

REAL ESTATE | Expanded coverage
 It'll always be Sears Tower
 One of the world's tallest buildings is set to
be renamed for new tenant Willis Group, but
it will always be considered Sears Tower to those in and around the Windy City. (First Take)
• Willis Group moves into iconic building
• London office market crumbles
• Irish developer can't give up on East (WSJ.com)
 • Home foreclosures at flood stage Audio
• Benchmark 30-year mortgage rate retreats

NEWSROOM ROSTER | CORRECTIONS | CODE OF CONDUCT | FEEDBACK

U.S. Europe Asia Currency/Rates More Markets»
Dow
7,170 239.66
Nasdaq
1,426 54.46
S&P 500
751 29.38
Global Dow
1,263 24.01
Oil
$46.42 -0.61
Gold
$923.80 13.10
London
3,768 55.95
Paris
2,742 48.12
Frankfurt
4,013 57.19
Global DowEU
919 7.93
Tokyo
7,569 371.03
Hong Kong
12,526 524.27
Sydney
3,295 104.30
Global Dow
1,263 24.01
10yr Treas
2.86% -0.05
Euro / $1US
1.29 0.0034
$1US / Yen
98.48 0.9600
Pound / $1US
1.40 0.0107
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