Canadian Press - TORONTO (CP) - Investors may want to keep the party hats in storage for a while yet, even though the Toronto stock market roared back to life last week as the U.S. Federal Reserve hinted it may pause interest rate hikes and metals and oil prices surged.

Reuters - The Nikkei rose 0.43 percent on Monday as the Bank of Japan's tankan survey confirmed Japan's economy is recovering steadily, spurring buying in Mizuho Financial Group Inc. (8411.T) and other stocks dependent on domestic demand.

Reuters - European shares were flat on Tuesday, supported by gains in U.S. stocks, but weakness in oil issues weighed on the market, and volumes were expected to be hit due to a U.S. holiday.

Reuters - The Nikkei average fell around one percent on Wednesday after North Korea fired several missiles, including a long-range weapon, raising concern about security in Asia.

AP - U.S. stock market futures were higher Thursday as traders tried to put concerns about North Korean missile tests and interest rate hikes to the background, with a number of retail sales and economic data releases ahead.

AP - U.S. stock market futures were steady Friday before the usually momentous monthly payrolls data, though markets may already be conditioned for figures that would prompt the U.S. Federal Reserve to keep hiking interest rates.

Canadian Press - TORONTO (CP) - Canadians could be in for some interest rate relief this week as analysts believe the chances are growing increasingly remote that the Bank of Canada will feel it has to hike rates again on Tuesday in order to keep a lid on inflation.

Reuters - The Nikkei rose 1.60 percent on Monday as investors bought machinery stocks such as Fanuc Ltd. (6954.T) after better-than-expected machinery data and KDDI Corp. (9433.T) and others seen as having good profit potential.

Reuters - The Nikkei average fell 1.30 percent on Tuesday as Canon Inc. (7751.T) and other technology shares declined after their U.S. peers were hit by a profit warning, raising concerns about slowing earnings momentum.

Reuters - The Nikkei share average fell 1.45 percent on Wednesday as Advantest Corp. (6857.T) and other technology stocks declined on dimming earnings prospects, while Tuesday's bomb blasts in India hurt market sentiment.

Reuters - The Nikkei average fell 0.97 percent on Thursday as technology firms such as Tokyo Electron Ltd. (8035.T) followed their U.S. fellows lower and discount retailers such as Yamada Denki Co. Ltd. (9831.T) lost ground on news of a listing of a rival company.

Reuters - Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (005930.KS) reported an 11 percent drop in its quarterly profit on Friday, hurt by shrinking margins in mobile phones and flat screens, but it forecast a recovery across its businesses in the second half.

AP - Surging oil prices pulled stocks sharply lower for a third straight session Friday, with bland earnings at General Electric Co. and weak consumer data further dampening the economic outlook. The Dow Jones industrial average shed 396 points in the past three days.

Reuters - Middle Eastern stock markets tumbled on Sunday as escalating violence in Israel and Lebanon hit investor sentiment in the region.

AP - U.S. stock markets futures were lower Monday after Citigroup posted tepid earnings growth.

AP - U.S. stock market futures on Tuesday sagged as discount retailer Target lowered its sales guidance, reinforcing doubts about the health of the U.S. consumer as oil price strength takes its toll. Traders also were positioning ahead of the release of key technology sector earnings following some profit warnings in the sector.

Reuters - The dollar homed in on three-month highs against the euro and the yen on Wednesday ahead of comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke that could yield clues on the outlook for U.S. interest rates.

Reuters - The Nikkei climbed 3.15 percent on Thursday as investors bought Honda Motor Co. Ltd. (7267.T) and other exporters after comments from the chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve eased concerns about higher interest rates in the world's largest economy.

AP - Google Inc.'s second-quarter profit more than doubled, maintaining the Internet search leader's penchant for topping analysts' high expectations and further underscoring the advantage the company has built over its chief rivals.

Canadian Press - TORONTO (CP) - Investors should brace themselves for another week of volatility on stock markets caused by a variety of cross currents, including higher oil prices, mixed earnings and worries about whether fighting in the Middle East will spread.

AP - Nintendo, maker of the Super Mario games, said Monday its net profit rose 10.2 percent in the most recent quarter on healthy sales of its hit Nintendo DS Lite handheld game machine, prompting it to raise its full-year forecast.

Reuters - The Nikkei average rose 1.56 percent to top 15,000 for the first time in over a week on Tuesday as Tokyo Electron Ltd. (8035.T) and Toshiba Corp. (6502.T) climbed after strong quarterly results from U.S. chip firms boosted expectations of higher earnings at home.

Reuters - The Nikkei average rose by midday on Wednesday for a second straight session, adding 0.27 percent as shares of Kyocera Corp. (6971.T) and other technology firms advanced after a gain in similar U.S. stocks, while Honda Motor Co. Ltd. (7267.T) climbed ahead of its earnings report.

Reuters - The Nikkei average rose 1.99 percent to mark its highest close in two weeks on Thursday as investors bought Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. (6752.T) and other stocks with strong earnings results.

Reuters - Friedman, Billings, Ramsey Group Inc. , the investment bank and brokerage, on Thursday reported a second-quarter loss, hurt by a noncash write-down of certain equity investments in the firm's merchant banking portfolio.

AP - A sharp slowdown in economic growth propelled stocks higher Friday as the government's latest gross domestic product reading fed hopes for an end to interest rates hikes. The major indexes finished the week with a solid advance.

AP - Wall Street managed a solid advance last week as investors grew cautiously optimistic that the Federal Reserve might finally be done hiking interest rates. But with so much lingering doubt about the economy and geopolitical tension, only one thing is certain: It's not over until it's over.

Reuters - The Nikkei was on track to book its highest close in three weeks on Monday, rising 0.78 percent as Canon Inc. (7751.T) continued to gain after posting strong quarterly results.