U.S. consumer confidence posted sharp gains in December, with survey respondents saying they had high expectations for business, income and employment in the coming six months,

The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index jumped 4.3 points to 113.7, up from 109.4 in the month before. 

Amazon said Tuesday its connected Echo speakers infused with artificial intelligence were the top-selling products over the holiday season for the online giant.

The devices -- which include the Echo and Echo Dot speakers, introduced in 2014 with "Alexa" responding to voice commands -- are part of a trend toward artificial intelligence in the home, often connecting smart appliances and other functions.

A plunge in the share price of Toshiba over a possible write-down and the bailout of one of Italy's top banks were the biggest ripples in otherwise placid trading Tuesday.

Italy's troubled third-largest bank, Monte dei Paschi di Siena (BMPS), said Tuesday that the European Central Bank has called for it to receive a bailout of 8.8 billion euros ($9.2 billion).

Egypt targets a five percent economic growth rate in the year to June 2018, the finance ministry said Sunday as the government seeks to revive an economy battered by political turmoil.

A Saudi financial newspaper Sunday retracted an article it published the previous day saying that Riyadh planned to sell a 49 percent stake in state-owned oil giant Saudi Aramco within a decade.

Eurogroup head Jeroen Dijsselbloem has said Greece had cleared up doubts and could expect a positive decision on debt relief, defusing a row over surprise handouts announced by Athens.

Saudi Arabia plans to sell up to 49 percent of its oil giant Saudi Aramco within 10 years as the world's largest crude exporter tries to lower its deficit, local media said Saturday.

The Al-Eqtisadiah daily quoted an unnamed official as saying the sale would raise funds to be spent "at home and abroad" in what is expected to form the world's largest state investment fund. 

IMF chief Christine Lagarde on Friday joined a  Cameroon summit of central African leaders aimed at tackling economic woes brought on by weak oil prices.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that the economy was set to shrink slightly this year, but by far less than in 2015, as the country struggles out of a two-year recession.