China's central bank said on Thursday it would start accepting applications from financial institutions to join a newly created funding scheme, initially worth 500 billion yuan ($70.62 billion), to ...
It also announced a plan to plow cash to its shareholders by buying back up to $1 billion of its stock. But drops for Exxon Mobil and other oil-and-gas companies kept the market’s gains in check.
Overnight saw a big move in Asia. In China, the rally continued in response to the stimulus package that so far has exceeded expectations. [The Hang Seng's 13% gain this week was the best since 1998.] ...