Reuters - Stocks rose for a second day on Wednesday as investors flocked to shares of Coke and other companies that hold up well in recessions following another round of disappointing economic data and corporate outlooks.

Reuters - Senate Majority leader Harry Reid wants to try to find a way to avert threatened bankruptcies in the U.S. auto industry with Detroit Three chief executives readying for a make-or-break hearing on Thursday on a $34 billion bailout request.

Reuters - Private employers cut 250,000 jobs in November, an unexpectedly large number and the biggest in seven years, while the service sector, which powers most of the economy, posted its worst slump on record.

Reuters - Oil fell below $46 a barrel to near four-year lows on Thursday, extending four consecutive days of falls as continued demand worries minimized bullish draws in U.S. oil stocks.

Reuters - Japan may be in a deeper recession than first thought as businesses cut spending because of the worsening global recession, which will likely force central banks in Britain and Europe to slash interest rates later on Thursday.