Wall Street was unable to shake its malaise over interest rates today, closing mixed despite a rally in technology stocks and a series of upbeat earnings reports from companies, including 3M and Eli Lilly. The Nasdaq composite index broke a four-day losing streak.

GLOBAL deflation seems an unlikely topic the morning after we have been dubbed the most expensive country in Europe by a massive 12% margin.

RECENT disappointing data on employment and production have not altered the likelihood that the US economy is poised to grow at a faster pace, Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan said.

US Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan warned Congress today that shocks from falling share prices and worries about war with Iraq are dimming business prospects, even though the economy has proven “remarkably resilient” over the past year.