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World stocks backed away from nine-month highs on Wednesday as worse-than-expected euro zone industrial figures and a warning about rising unemployment from U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke broke a seven-day winning

Morgan Stanley (MS.N) reported its third consecutive quarterly loss on Wednesday as earnings were saddled with a charge related to repaying a government bailout. The New York-based firm swung to a loss

Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) said on Wednesday its second-quarter earnings fell 19 percent, as the strong dollar crimped revenue across its product line. The world's largest drugmaker earned $2.26 billion, or 34 cents

Boeing Co (BA.N) said on Wednesday its quarterly profit increased more than expected, driven by growth in defense programs. The world's No. 2 planemaker said second-quarter net profit rose to $998 million,

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a lower open on Wednesday after disappointing quarterly banking results dented recent optimism about the financial sector's recovery. A third-consecutive quarterly loss at Morgan Stanley (MS.N)

HSBC Holdings, Europe's biggest bank, was fined 3.2 million pounds ($5.2 million) on Wednesday for information security breaches, the biggest fine Britain's financial regulator has ever imposed for data security lapses. The

Apple Inc's quarterly profit blew past Wall Street forecasts thanks to strong sales of Macs and iPhones and higher-than-expected gross margins, boosting its shares 4 percent on Tuesday. The company continued to

Warnings that the world economy still faces a rocky road tempered market enthusiasms on Wednesday, with Japan indicating it might need to do more to ease credit pressures and Britain biding its

Britain's top share index drifted lower in mid-session trade on Wednesday, as mining stocks and banks retreated following recent rallies as investors took a breather after a seven-day winning streak. By 1046