Gold slides as dollar rises, Fed mentions inflation

Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2008 21:06:03 (GMT)

Gold slides as dollar rises, Fed mentions inflation

Gold futures down sharply, as investors booked profits off recent gains
in the precious metal after the Federal Reserve cut interest rates by
0.75 percentage point.

Visa shares leap 28% as record IPO debuts

NEW YORK
Shares of Visa Inc. surge more than 35% in their market debut, opening
at $59.50 as investor demand for the largest initial public offering in
U.S. history draws spirited bidding.

Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac get U.S. OK to buy more mortgages

The federal government loosens strict capital requirements on Fannie Mae
and Freddie Mac, allowing them to inject billions of dollars into the
sagging mortgage market by buying more loans.

Morgan Stanley's quarterly profit falls 42% but tops forecasts

Morgan Stanley's first-quarter net earnings drop 42% as revenue also
falls, but the results beat consensus forecasts that have been knocked
down by the credit crunch.

Market Snapshot: U.S. stocks end sharply down in tracking commodities

U.S. stocks fall heavily, giving up an early effort to extend the
market's best day in nearly five years, with commodity-related sectors
leading the decline following the Federal Reserve's calls against
inflation.