VENTURE CAPITAL POST

Equities in major markets slipped on Monday, weighed down by Wall Street on trepidation over first-quarter earnings, while crude prices added to last week's gains on concern about Middle East tensions.

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. stocks closed higher on Thursday, with energy shares leading the advance as crude oil rebounded off a sharp decline, while investors bet that companies would top lowered expectations this earnings season.

U.S. stocks rose on Monday as expectations the Federal Reserve could hold off longer on raising interest rates offset concerns over Friday's surprisingly weak jobs report.

U.S. stocks opened lower on Monday after Friday's surprisingly weak jobs data. At 9:31 a.m. (1331 GMT), the Dow Jones industrial average .DJI fell 109.63 points, or 0.62 percent, to 17,653.61, the S&P 500 .SPX lost 9.95 points, or 0.48 percent, to 2,057.01 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC dropped 33.32 points, or 0.68 percent, to 4,853.62.

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. 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.

Oil prices fell on Monday as officials from Iran and six world powers discussed a possible deal over Tehran's nuclear program that could bring an end to sanctions and allow an increase in Iranian oil exports.

U.S. business investment spending plans fell for a sixth straight month in February, likely weighed down by a strong dollar and weak global demand, leading economists to further lower their first-quarter growth estimates.

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. stocks fell for a second straight session on Tuesday, with equities maintaining a tight range that corresponded with currency fluctuations as traders focused on the dollar's strength and its possible effect on corporate earnings.

U.S. stocks edged lower on Monday on the heels of strong gains in the prior week, as investors weighed fluctuations in the dollar and its impact on other markets, including crude prices.

U.S. stocks rose on Friday, pushing the Nasdaq to a 15-year high and helping the S&P 500 snap a three-week string of losses, following a pullback in the dollar, upbeat results from Nike and further biotech gains.

U.S. stocks rallied on Monday as the U.S. dollar eased back from its recent peak and worries eased about the timing of a Federal Reserve interest rate hike.

U.S. stocks fell on Friday and the Dow and S&P 500 registered a third week of losses as the dollar resumed its climb, adding to worries about its impact on U.S. multinationals' earnings.