Web-based bookie Sportingbet (LSE: SBT) tickled investors with a third-quarter profit boost driven by active European and Australian gambling markets.

Around this time last year, the nation’s investment experts all started to point out how cheap the big FTSE 100 stocks looked and to suggest that we all switched out of smaller companies and into blue chips.

A spritely performance from “Old Europe” – France and Germany – helped Eurozone growth exceed expectations in the first quarter.

Rental car or train? It’s a question I face every time I head back to England, trying to figure out the best way to travel. And after doing a few sums, there was no contest.

It’s not only the clouds outside that seem to be lifting. Optimism broke out in various quarters, reflected in global equities. The Dow closed above 13,000 on Thursday. The Nikkei closed above 14,000. The FTSE 100 was over 6,100 by mid-day Friday.

This is one Bank Holiday that retailers won’t be looking forward to. Rising mortgage bills, fuel costs, and food bills are really starting to bite out there on the High Street.

Another batch of earnings announcements sent shares lower, as weak results from non-financial firms fueled investor concerns that economic weakness is spreading to other industries.

A fresh round of earnings reports dragged on U.S. stocks today (Thursday).

Stocks surged today (Wednesday), on a round of earnings releases that met or exceeded Wall Street expectations.

Stocks dipped lower today (Tuesday), as investor confidence about first quarter earnings remains low.