Zimbabwe tried to combat the world's highest inflation by widening the use of foreign currency Wednesday, the first act of a coalition government that gave the longtime opposition control of much economic policy.
European and Asian markets rose modestly Thursday following the previous session's gains on Wall Street but optimism remained very thin on the ground despite policy measures by governments around the world.
The economy skidded to a near halt in the final quarter of last year and consumer spending was essentially flat for the second straight month in January, raising new concerns about a possible recession.
Hewlett-Packard and AT&T were among the stocks moving substantially or trading heavily Feb. 20 on the New York Stock Exchange, while Crocs and 3Com were doing the same on the Nasdaq Stock Market.
