TORONTO - Toronto and U.S. stock markets racked up some losses Thursday amid a contraction in Chinese manufacturing that drove the Japanese market down to levels not seen in more than two years. The S On Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrials average fell 12.67 points to 15,294.50, the S HSBC reported that its preliminary Purchasing Managers Index for China fell to a seven-month low of 49.6 in May from April's 50.4. Analysts had expected a more modest decline to 50.3.

TORONTO - North American markets were mixed Wednesday after U.S. Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke said the central bank has considered ending its extraordinary stimulus program, but added that it is too soon to do it now. Indexes in Toronto and the U.S. initially surged on news that the Fed had no immediate plans to turn the tap off on its $85-billion-a-month bond buyback program. But by the end of the day, the S On Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrials index was down 80.41 points at 15,307.17. The S

By Ann Saphir CHICAGO (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve could continue full-speed ahead on its bond-buying program through the summer, but end it abruptly in the autumn if by then it is confident that the improvement in the jobs outlook is here to stay, a top Fed official said on Monday. "We've seen good progress in the labor market outlook," Charles Evans, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, told the CFA Society Chicago.

TORONTO - The Canadian dollar was ahead Tuesday as traders awaited a key statement from U.S. Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke later this week. The loonie was up 0.11 of a cent to 97.28 cents US. Bernanke will speak about the central bank's aggressive monetary policy program Wednesday before the U.S. Congress. The Fed will also be releasing its minutes from its most recent meeting the same day.