Stocks hold close to record levels

NEW YORK (AP) — A stock market surge took a pause Monday after investors pushed indexes to record levels last week.

Investors will be watching the Federal Reserve this week for clues about what it plans to do next with its economic stimulus program. On Wednesday Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke will appear before Congress and the central bank will release minutes of its most recent policy meeting. Continue reading

Granite REIT Declares Monthly Distribution

TORONTO, May 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ – Granite Real Estate Investment Trust (“Granite”) (TSX: GRT.UN / NYSE: GRP.U) announced today that its board of trustees has declared a distribution on Granite’s stapled units of CDN$0.175 per stapled unit.  The distribution will be paid by Granite on June 14, 2013 to stapled unitholders of record at the close of trading on May 31, 2013.  The stapled units will begin trading on an ex-dividend basis at the opening of trading on May 29, 2013. Continue reading

China Ceramics Announces First Quarter 2013 Financial Results

JINJIANG, Fujian Province, China, May 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — China Ceramics Co., Ltd. (NASDAQ Global Market: CCCL) (“China Ceramics” or the “Company”), a leading Chinese manufacturer of ceramic tiles used for exterior siding and for interior flooring and design in residential and commercial buildings, today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2013. Continue reading

Stocks recover after Japan drop rattles traders

PARIS (AP) — U.S. markets rose Thursday as positive economic data helped steady investor nerves after Japan‘s main stock index plunged into “bear market” territory. European markets were mixed.

Japan’s Nikkei fell 6.4 percent to close at 12,445.38, a drop of 21 percent from its high in May. When an index falls by more than 20 percent from a high, it is commonly defined as a bear market. Continue reading

Stocks mixed as retail sales unexpectedly rise

NEW YORK (AP) — A record-breaking rally in stocks stalled Monday as investors assessed whether stock valuations were overstating the improvement in the economy.

Stocks started the day lower even after the government reported that Americans increased spending at retailers last month. The spending rebounded from March, suggesting that consumers may boost economic growth in the current quarter ending June 30. Continue reading

Shares, dollar dip as BOJ disappoints

By Richard Hubbard

LONDON (Reuters) – The yen jumped against the dollar, shares sagged and German Bund prices followed Japanese bonds lower on Tuesday after the Bank of Japan disappointed investors by deciding not to implement further stimulus measures.

Worries over slowing growth in China, the world’s second-biggest economy, and the start of a hearing in Germany’s top court about the legality of the European Central Bank‘s bond-buying scheme also kept investors in cautious mood. Continue reading

15 Days Remain Until the Start of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum

ST PETERSBURG, June 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — The key theme of SPIEF 2013 will be ‘Finding Resolve to Build the New Global Economy’. The Forum’s participants will include leading political, business, and financial representatives from around the world. They will gather to engage in thoughtful dialogue regarding the most effective means of creating a viable and sustainable system for a constantly changing world. Continue reading