What Investors Should Know in Europe

In spite of Washington's endless budget crises, the ratings agency triumvirate have been strangely reluctant to pull the trigger on another ratings cut.

Equities have already surged in Japan as the yen falls, but with monetary easing looking increasingly likely, stocks are set to receive a further boost, according to one financial advisor.

As the price of gold declines, pro trader Rich Ilczyszyn looks at key levels for the precious metal.

The recent weakness in the resilient Australian dollar, which is down from its multi-month highs, is not due to talk of a rate cut or worries over China's patchy economic recovery. The drop is thanks to Japanese investors.

Investors who have done well buying U.S. stocks this year could be doing even better with Nigeria.

Despite Finance Minister P Chidambaram's promise to put India's fiscal house in order in his latest budget plan, ratings agency Fitch said the country's credit rating – which is teetering on the brink of 'junk' status – will more than likely be downgraded.

Junk is all the rage these days as Federal Reserve policy pushes investors away from safety and into the far reaches of the risk spectrum.

Apple is facing a lull in innovation that could last a few years, said its ex-CEO John Sculley.

An inconclusive election result in Italy that raises the specter of policy deadlock in the euro zone's third largest economy, appears to have stopped a stellar euro rally and could mark a turnaround in the currency's recent good fortunes, analysts said.

This week's sharp rebound in the yen suggests the currency's steep downtrend that began in November on the back of calls for aggressive monetary easing in Japan may well be over as uncertainty and fear return to the market

As the spotlight is thrown back on the euro zone crisis amid a political stalemate in Italy, investors are scrambling for beaten-down safe havens, scooping up gold and the yen.