Washington -- The Dow Jones industrial average index, a measure of 30 stocks meant to gauge the performance of the U.S. equity market, rose more than 72 points January 11 to finish the day at 12,514.98:  the highest level since its debut in 1896. ...[ Read More ]

Leaders of the Group of Eight nations, meeting for three days in Germany, pledged to assist Africa and other countries, and endorsed President Bush's initiative for a major global climate agreement by the end of 2008. ...[ Read More ]

Hong Kong and Macau pursue a free market philosophy, and there is minimum government interference in the economy. The Hong Kong Government welcomes foreign investment.... ...[ Read More ]

China maintained its position as one of the world's top two destination for foreign direct investment (FDI), adding $64.0 billion for a cumulative total of $563.8 billion through the end of 2004... ...[ Read More ]

If you open the financial pages of many newspapers, you will find a number of major market indices listed. Each of the indices tracks the performance of a specific "basket" of stocks considered to represent a particular market or sector of the U.S. stock market or the economy. ...[ Read More ]

After-Hours Trading: Understanding the Risks- The New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq Stock Market—the highest volume market centers in the U.S. today—have traditionally been open for business from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Although trading outside that window—or "after-hours" trading—has occurred for some time, it used to be limited mostly limited to high net worth investors and institutional investors. But that changed by the end of the last century. Some smaller exchanges now offer extended their hours. And, with the rise of Electronic Communications Networks, or ECNs, everyday individual investors can gain access to the after-hours markets. ...[ Read More ]

Glossary of Fundamental Investment and Economic Terms. ...[ Read More ]

The role of the US government in the American economy extends far beyond its activities as a regulator of specific industries. The government also manages the overall pace of economic activity, seeking to maintain high levels of employment and stable prices. ...[ Read More ]

An ETF is similar to an index fund in that it will primarily invest in the securities of companies that are included in a selected market index...... ...[ Read More ]