A Quick Glance at News

v Japanese stocks posted modest gains on Tuesday as investors picked up shares that were oversold during a disappointing earnings season, with hopes for fresh global stimulus continuing to underpin the market.

v German economic growth slowed less than economists forecast in the second quarter as exports and household spending helped to fend off the sovereign debt crisis

v Asian shares rose on Tuesday as investors hunted for bargains while waiting for more economic figures from Europe and the United States later in the day, after recent data showed the euro zone's debt woes were eroding business activity globally.

v Oil climbed, snapping two days of losses in New York on speculation that inventories declined for a third week in the U.S., the world’s biggest crude consumer.

v Retail sales in the U.S. probably rose in July for the first time in four months, alleviating concern that the expansion was foundering, economists said before a report today.

v European stock futures and the euro gained as German growth slowed less than forecast and France’s economy unexpectedly avoided a contraction. The Japanese yen weakened and oil climbed.

v At a time when hedge funds are the least bullish on silver in almost four years, investors’ holdings are near a record, siding with the analysts predicting a rally as central banks move to bolster growth.

v India will have to accept slower growth as it struggles to contain price pressures that have left Asia’s third-largest economy with no space for economic stimulus, central bank Governor Duvvuri Subbarao said.

v French gross domestic product was unchanged in the second quarter of 2012, compared to the first quarter, statistics agency Issue reported Tuesday. Household consumption expenditure dipped 0.2%, while gross fixed-capital formation rose 0.6%.

v Gold inched up on Tuesday, after dropping in the previous session, as investors waited to see if data from Europe and the United States would indicate more weakness in the global economy and prompt central banks to take stimulus measures.

v U.S. 10-year Treasury notes inched higher in Asia on Tuesday, with the focus shifting to a batch of U.S. data coming this week amid heightened concerns about the global economy's outlook.

v Groupon Inc. disclosed Monday afternoon as part of its second-quarter report that revenue from goods that it sells directly to consumers totaled $65.4 million, which is more than triple its level in the March period.