AP - Investors are searching for direction Wednesday, after two days of relatively flat trading. Stocks edged higher in early morning trading.

Reuters - Wall Street rose at the open on Wednesday as a slew of new corporate deals and a surge in bailed out U.S. financial stocks boosted investor sentiment.

AFP - Leading shares nudged lower at the start of trade on Wednesday amid continuing uncertainty over Europe’s economic outlook.

Reuters - Asian stocks hovered near six-week highs on Wednesday as Chinese data showed exports and imports in February were better than expected, while the euro and the pound suffered on renewed concerns about Europe’s fiscal problems.

AP - World stock markets traded in a narrow range Wednesday as investors looked for renewed direction, while the British pound continued to founder following unimpressive industrial output figures.

A $10,000 stake in Berkshire Hathaway in 1964 would have grown to $80 million during the Oracle of Omaha’s tenure. Indexes and mutual funds are far behind.

AP - The chief economist of the Securities and Exchange Commission, who is an expert on the financial instruments that figured largely in the 2008 crisis, is leaving his position for the private sector.

AP - A YEAR LATER: The Dow Jones industrial average is up 61.4 percent since it closed at a 12-year low of 6,547 on March 9, 2009. On paper, U.S. stocks have gained about $5.7 trillion but are still down about $5.5 trillion from the peak in October 2007.

AP - Financial companies led stocks higher Tuesday on the one-year anniversary of the market’s hitting a 12-year low. The gain in bank stocks came as traders reacted to rumors that the government might prohibit the trades known as short sales in the stocks of companies it owns. Such a move would be aimed at preventing sharp drops in stocks including Citigroup Inc. and American International Group Inc.

AP - Stocks that moved substantially or traded heavily Tuesday on the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq Stock Market: