VENTURE CAPITAL POST

Healthcare companies on a seven-year tear have been top performers so far in 2015, helping to push broad stock indexes to record levels, but traders are now looking to protect themselves from a selloff as they await major earnings reports in the sector.

Global equity markets rode to new all-time highs on Friday, with positive corporate updates in Europe and a post-dotcom-boom peak for the U.S. Nasdaq stoking investor optimism.

Major U.S. stock indexes lost ground on lackluster earnings reports on Tuesday, while oil fell on concerns about U.S. crude stockpiles and Saudi Arabia's announcement that it ended its military campaign in Yemen.

U.S. stock index futures rose on Monday, following a sharp decline in the previous session, as Chinese steps to stimulate its slowing economy and earnings including those from Morgan Stanley lured money back into equities.

Solar panel maker SunPower Corp said it would partner with Apple Inc to build two solar power projects in China's Sichuan province with total capacity of 40 megawatts.

U.S. stocks dipped on Monday as fears increased that the strong dollar and lower oil prices will hurt U.S. first-quarter earnings.

U.S. stock index futures were little changed on Wednesday, with investors reluctant to keep pushing shares higher after both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq closed out their ninth straight quarter of advances.

U.S. stocks ended down on Tuesday in a retreat from the previous session's sharp rally as energy shares declined and the dollar edged up, but the S&P 500 and Nasdaq registered their ninth straight quarterly rise.

U.S. stock fell on Tuesday in a modest retreat from the previous session's sharp rally, though major indexes remained on track for a positive first quarter and the S&P 500 was set for its ninth straight quarterly rise.

U.S. stocks climbed more than 1 percent on Monday, rebounding from a sharp decline last week, helped by deal activity in healthcare and a bounce in energy shares.

Japan's Fujifilm Holdings Corp (4901.T) said on Monday it has agreed to acquire U.S. biotechnology firm Cellular Dynamics International Inc (CDI) (ICEL.O) for $307 million.

Intel Corp (INTC.O) is in talks to buy fellow chipmaker Altera Corp (ALTR.O) in a deal likely to top $10 billion, according to a source familiar with the matter, making it Intel's biggest purchase ever and the latest merger in the quickly consolidating semiconductor sector.

Borse Dubai [BRSDB.UL], the biggest investor in the London Stock Exchange is selling its stake in the British exchange, which will raise around 1.5 billion pounds ($2.23 billion).

U.S. stocks dropped on Wednesday as a slump in technology and biotechs sent the Nasdaq to its biggest decline in nearly a year while the S&P 500 fell through key support levels.

U.S. stock index futures were little changed in light volume on Wednesday ahead of industrial orders data, with deals indicating investors still see value in the market despite indexes trading near all time highs.