Market and Exchange

* Chinese factory activity declines in May -PMI * Data and comments from Bernanke send shares plummeting * Euro zone downturn eases slightly * Recovery still looks a way off By Andy Bruce LONDON, May 23 (Reuters) - Chinese factory activity shrank...

* FTSEurofirst 300 down 2.1 percent at 1,229.58 * Bernanke spooks markets saying stimulus may end * Weak China, euro zone data adds to investor anxiety * Banks, miners top the fallers * Dividend concerns hit Halford By David Brett LONDON, May 23...

* Praet says ECB could expand its instruments * Noyer: ECB mulls measures to ease financial fragmentation * Nowotny says ECB support still needed * Bernanke says Fed could start tapering off bond buys By Leigh Thomas and Jason Lange PARIS/WASHINGTON,...

PARIS/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The European Central Bank is looking into expanding its range of policy tools, while the U.S. central bank is mulling scaling back its support measures, highlighting the contrasting fortunes between the world's two biggest...

* Weak Chinese factory, euro zone sentiment data hit global stock markets * Bernanke's comments on reducing bond-buying weigh on markets * Nikkei drops 7 pct, Wall Street down for second day * Yen gains more than 2 pct vs dollar and euro By Ryan...

LONDON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Chinese factory activity declined in May for the first time in seven months and U.S. manufacturing grew at its slowest pace since October, suggesting it may take a while before the global economy starts to pick up steam....

BERLIN (Reuters) - German alarm that their country is blamed for austerity measures compounding the problems in the euro zone helps explain Berlin's bilateral efforts to tackle youth unemployment in some of the countries worst affected. That image...

* U.S. shares recover, but growth outlook still uncertain * Japan, Europe tumble after weak data from China, euro zone * Dollar index lower, yen gains against dollar By Ryan Vlastelica NEW YORK, May 23 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks and bonds were little...

* FTSEurofirst 300 and Euro STOXX 50 both fall 2.1 pct * FTSEurofirst has worst one-day fall since late July 2012 * Some traders bet that market pullback could last 2 months * Majority remain bullish over longer-term By Sudip Kar-Gupta LONDON, May 23...

* U.S. shares recover, but growth outlook still uncertain * Japan, Europe tumble after weak data from China, euro zone * Dollar index lower, yen gains against dollar By Ryan Vlastelica NEW YORK, May 23 (Reuters) - Stock markets around the world fell...

TOKYO (AP) — A steady fall in the value of the yen is proving a godsend for exporters such as Toyota. The cheaper yen is making their products more affordable overseas. Japan's trading partners are generally pleased, too, even though the lower...

* Disclosure levels at oil majors lags those of secretive traders * Risk appetite bigger at top Wall Street banks * Pressure for stricter oversight rises both in US, EU By Dmitry Zhdannikov and Claire Milhench LONDON, May 22 (Reuters) - Europe's...