U.S. stocks sharply lower on Greek default fears, Fed minutes; Dow down 0.76% ..

\\Forexpros - U.S. stocks traded sharply lower Wednesday on renewed Greek default fears and


mixed message from the Federal Reserve meeting minutes. Near the close of U.S. trade, the Dow gave back 0.76%, the S&P 500 dropped 0.49% and the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.55%.   Risk appetite weakened after a report surfaced that EU officials are trying to delay Greece’s second bailout amid concerns that Greek leaders are not fully committed to implementing the required austerity measures. Without a bailout, Greece faces a default when a EUR14.5 billion bond comes due on March 20.

Forex - USD/CHF slides as market sentiment firms

Forexpros - The U.S. dollar slipped lower against the Swiss franc on Wednesday, as a pledge by the head of China’s central bank to support the euro zone boosted market sentiment but concerns over Greece continued to linger. USD/CHF hit 0.9156 during European morning trade, the session low; the pair subsequently consolidated at 0.9170, shedding 0.25%.

Forex - Euro softens after euro zone GDP contracts ..

Forexpros - The euro trimmed early gains against the U.S. dollar and fell to a fresh record low against the New Zealand dollar earlier after official data showed that the euro zone’s economy contracted in the last three months of 2011.During European late morning trade, the euro was slightly higher against the U.S. dollar, with EUR/USD adding 0.13% to hit 1.3150.