AP - Japanese stocks fell sharply in early afternoon trading Monday, extending a slide for a fifth day that was sparked by last week's plunge in Chinese and U.S. stock markets.

AP - Japanese stocks plunged 3.34 percent Monday, extending a slide for a fifth day that was sparked by last week's plunge in Chinese and U.S. stock markets. Exporters were hit hardest on the yen's recent rally.

AFP - Asian stock markets came under fresh selling pressure in early trade on Monday, tracking Wall Street lower amid continued anxiety about the health of global markets, dealers said.

AP - U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson was expected to kick off a three-nation Asian tour in Tokyo on Monday amid turmoil in regional stock markets and the dollar's sudden drop against the yen.

FT.com - Rising panic over the potential unwinding of the yen 'carry trade' and the dollar's sharp plunge against the Japanese currency provoked heavy sell-offs on Monday on Tokyo dealing floors.

AFP - Asian stocks posted heavy losses Monday while Europe's bourses sank into the red in early deals as players scaled down their exposure to risky investments after the recent global turmoil.

FT.com - London equities tumbled in opening trade on Monday, as steep losses on major Asian exchanges overnight were enough to scotch hopes of a recovery after last week's steep falls.

Reuters - U.S. stocks were set to start the week sharply lower on Monday as a reduced appetite for riskier assets persisted, hitting overseas markets overnight.

FT.com - European equity markets slumped on Monday as Asian markets were battered by the strengthening yen, which rose to three-month highs against the euro and the dollar as investors dumped risky assets and strategies.

AFP - European stock markets slumped lower on Monday following losses in Asia, as volatile trading gripped global markets for a second week.

FT.com - London equities tumbled in morning trade on Monday, as steep losses on leading Asian exchanges overnight scotched hopes of a recovery after last week's steep falls.

Reuters - HSBC Holdings on Monday said its 2006 profits rose 5 percent, short of analysts' expectations, as Europe's biggest bank took a $10.6 billion hit for bad debts after problems in its U.S. mortgage lending.

AFP - World oil prices fell by more than a dollar on Monday as global traders sought to limit their exposure to high-risk investments amid a fresh tumble on stock markets.

AP - European and Asian Markets fell again Monday, extending their slide into a second week as investors worried about a possible global slowdown and dumped stocks that had surged in recent weeks.

AFP - European and Asian shares plunged again on Monday as turbulent trading conditions stretched into a second week, with an expected lower opening on Wall Street likely to add momentum to the global downturn.

AP - HSBC Holdings PLC, Europe's largest bank by market value, reported Monday that profit rose 5 percent in 2006 despite losses in its mortgage operation in the United States that led to the removal of two senior executives.

Reuters - HSBC Holdings on Monday said its 2006 profits rose 5 percent, just short of analysts' expectations, as Europe's biggest bank took a $10.6 billion hit for bad debts after problems in its U.S. mortgage lending.

AP - Wall Street managed to stabilize itself Monday, although investors remained nervous about nagging mortgage default concerns and tumbling stock markets abroad.

Reuters - U.S. blue-chip stocks edged higher in a seesaw session on Monday as some investors took the opportunity to buy beaten-down shares after last week's sell-off, but a diminishing appetite for risk limited a broader advance.

FT.com - Wall Street stocks opened lower before stabilising on Monday, with the shares in troubled subprime mortgage lenders plunging after the initiation of a criminal investigation.

AFP - Stock markets in Asia, Europe and the United States spiralled lower on Monday, compounding last week's sharp losses, driven by weak investor confidence and warnings of a strong correction.

AP - European and Asian markets fell again Monday, extending their slide into a second week as investors worried about a possible global slowdown and dumped stocks that had surged in recent weeks. U.S. stocks were steady in early trading.

FT.com - Wall Street stocks were set for a sharply lower start on Monday as the global sell-off in equities moved apace and the shares in troubled subprime mortgage lenders plunged after the initiation of a criminal investigation.

AP - Wall Street managed to stabilize itself Monday, although investors clearly were still nervous about mortgage defaults, a strengthening yen and tumbling stock markets abroad.

FT.com - Businesswomen make up a growing percentage of the global workforce but are still under-represented in the boardroom. With just 117 women among the 1,130 directors of the FTSE 100 companies, according to a recent survey (January 2007) by Cranfield University, it would need almost a fourfold increase in female representation to achieve gender equality.

FT.com - London equities fell on Monday, but closed above session lows as steadier US trade helped settle nerves during another turbulent session around the world. The FTSE 100 closed down 0.9 per cent at 6,058.7 a fall of 57 points.

AP - The dollar fell to a three-month low against the Japanese yen but rose against the euro Monday as global stock markets extended their losses into a second week.

AP - BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd. said Monday that co-CEO Jim Balsillie will surrender the chairman's post as the mobile device maker disclosed it needs to cut roughly $250 million from past earnings reports due to improper accounting for backdated stock options.

FT.com - Wall Street stocks opened sharply lower on Monday but stabilised by mid-afternoon as investors' concerns about the global carry trade eased.

FT.com - As markets tried to find a level on Monday after more heavy selling in Asia, one question was easy to answer. How, people wanted to know, could last Tuesday's 9 per cent fall in Chinese stocks possibly have caused such mayhem across the world? The answer: it didn't.

AP - Wall Street managed to stabilize itself Monday, although investors clearly were still nervous about mortgage defaults, a strengthening yen and tumbling stock markets abroad.

FT.com - Wall Street stocks opened sharply lower on Monday but stabilised by mid-afternoon as investors' concerns about the global carry trade eased.

BusinessWeek Online - Investors bought shares in American International Group on Mar. 2, after the New York insurance giant said its quarterly profit surged, announced a share buyback for 2007, and increased its dividend.

AFP - Global stock markets saw more havoc Monday as Wall Street share prices failed to sustain a rebound and as investor jitters drove down values in Europe and Asia.

FT.com - Wall Street stocks extended losses on Monday after a choppy day's trading in which fragile investor sentiment was once again undermined by the troubles of subprime mortgage lenders.

AP - Japanese stocks rebounded in early trade Tuesday on bargain hunting after a weeklong slide in world markets. The dollar was lower against the yen.

Investor's Business Daily - The bigger they are, the harder they fall. That certainly was true for U.S. diversified stock funds in February.