U.S. stock futures rise as Spain’s yields fall

MARKETWATCH FRONT PAGE

U.S. stock futures rose on Wednesday, pointing to an opening bounce back from five days of losses, after Alcoa Inc. started the earnings season with a surprising profit and Spain�s borrowing costs fell. See full story.

Stocks to watch Wednesday: Chevron, Mattress Firm

Two blue chips figure in Wednesday�s early corporate headlines, while an acquisition raises the profile of a retail player in the specialty sleep market. See full story.

Europe stocks rally as banks rise, yields ease

European stock markets rally on Wednesday as banks rise after a sector upgrade, while bond yields in Italy and Spain come off recent highs. See full story.

Huge quake triggers Indian Ocean tsunami alert

Coastal territories surrounding the Indian Ocean basin were on tsunami alert Wednesday after a powerful earthquake struck off the west coast of Indonesia at mid-afternoon. See full story.

Huge quake triggers Indian Ocean tsunami alert

Coastal territories surrounding the Indian Ocean basin were on tsunami alert Wednesday after a powerful earthquake struck off the west coast of Indonesia at mid-afternoon. See full story.

MARKETWATCH COMMENTARY

Instead of acknowledging that banks have become a part of government, we keep pretending they are private institutions, writes David Weidner. See full story.

MARKETWATCH PERSONAL FINANCE

Is the state that you have designs on retiring to tax friendly or not? And the basic questions to answer are these: How does the state tax your income? How does it tax your property and your consumption? And what�s the overall tax burden? See full story.