Just as fast as gas prices rose, they're now in retreat. Monday's AAA Fuel Report Gage puts the national average of regular at $3.703, down from $3.970 a month ago. Several factors could push gas below $3.50 over the next several weeks, and almost none of them were part of the economic landscape a quarter ago.
Bargain hunters poured money into Chinese shares Friday, sending the Shanghai Composite Index surging 1.4%. In Hong Kong, however, the Hang Seng Index lost 0.5%, and in Japan, the Nikkei 225 tumbled 1.6%.
Asian markets headed north Monday. China's Shanghai Composite Index climbed 2.9% to 2,923 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose 0.7% to 23,317. In Japan the Nikkei 225 Index advanced 0.8% to end the day at 10,294.