AP - Oil prices fell below $40 a barrel Monday in Asia as investors looked to key U.S. corporate results this week for indications of the health of the world's largest economy and demand for crude.

AFP - Europe's leading stock markets weakened at the start of trade on Monday, with London's FTSE 100 index of leading shares down 0.13 percent at 4,442.89 points.

Reuters - Equities kicked off the week on a down note and the euro fell on Monday with recurrent worries about the global economy pushing investors away from riskier assets and also driving oil below $40 a barrel.

AP - Dutch printer maker Oce NV said Monday its earnings plunged 98 percent in the fourth quarter, as business slowed sharply amid the global economic downturn, and said it would seek to cut costs.

AP - Stock futures pointed to a relatively flat opening Monday, as investors tread cautiously ahead of the unofficial start to earnings season with a report from Alcoa Inc.

AP - Hong Kong's main stock index fell nearly 3 percent Monday after U.S. unemployment hit its highest in 16 years.

AP - World markets fell modestly Monday, with investors fretting over the outlook for the world economy as the latest U.S. corporate earnings season kicks off.

AP - Oil prices fell Monday on concerns over global economic growth, with key U.S. corporate earnings results expected to give a new reading on crude demand in the world's largest consuming nation.

AP - U.S. stocks are opening slightly lower as investors cautiously await a slew of quarterly earnings reports due this week.

AP - Share prices on the London Stock Exchange were lower at midday Monday.

AP - World stock markets fell Monday as investors fretted over the outlook for the world economy ahead of key U.S. economic and corporate news.

AP - Latin American stocks fell Monday in line with a cautious Wall Street, where investors braced for what are expected to be especially negative earnings reports for 2008.

AP - World stock markets fell Monday amid fears that the upcoming earnings season in the U.S. will be worse than forecast as the economic crisis ravages corporate profits.

AP - Falling crude demand in the world's largest consuming nation drove oil prices below $38 a barrel Monday as the U.S. enters a corporate earnings season expected to be fraught with bad news.

AP - Wall Street extended last week's slide Monday as falling commodity prices dragged energy stocks lower and reinforced fears that a slowing economy will further erode corporate profits.

AFP - The FTSE 100 index of leading shares was down Monday as worries over prospects for the world economy sent shares of oil sector and mining companies lower.

AP - Share prices on the London Stock Exchange closed down Monday.

AP - World stock markets fell Monday as investors braced for the latest U.S. earnings season amid fears the financial crisis and the recession are hurting corporate profits more than previously expected.

AP - Falling crude demand in the world's largest consuming nation drove oil prices Monday to a new low for the year as the U.S. enters a corporate earnings season expected to be fraught with bad news.

AP - Falling crude demand in the world's largest consuming nation drove oil prices Monday to a new low for the year as the U.S. enters a corporate earnings season expected to be fraught with bad news.

AP - Wall Street extended last week's slide Monday as investors worried that the quarterly results companies begin releasing this week will signal the economy is in worse shape than feared.

AP - Treasury prices rose Monday as stocks fell and anxiety returned to the markets about the financial health of U.S. companies.

AFP - Aluminum giant Alcoa reported a quarterly loss Monday steeper than expected in the face of 'historic decline' in prices and big restructuring charges, in a bleak opening for the US earnings season.

AP - Alcoa Inc., the world's third-largest aluminum company, said Monday it lost $1.19 billion during its fourth quarter as prices and demand for the metal plunged in a troubled global market.

Reuters - Sony Corp is expected to post an operating loss of about 100 billion yen ($1.1 billion) for 2008/09, the Nikkei business daily reported, far short of the company forecast for a profit of 200 billion yen.