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Anti-austerity clashes erupted on the streets of Athens as the Greek Parliament prepared to vote late Wednesday on a bailout agreement struck early Monday with the country’s international creditors. The conflict comes as Parliament is expected to approve a deal, which goes far beyond conditions rejected by Greek voters in a July 5 referendum. The U.S. stock markets reacted negatively to scenes of the clashes shown on CNBC, turning sharply lower as investors worried the protests might suggest an agreement will not be passed. In late Wednesday trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 35 points, or 0.2%, at 18,015, while the S&P 500 index slipped more than 5 points, or 0.3%, to 2,103.26, and the Nasdaq Composite was 14 points, or 0.3%, lower at 5,089.80.

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WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — In a statement, real-estate tycoon and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said he’s worth $10 billion. Trump’s statement cited appreciation of real estate in New York City, San Francisco and Miami, among other locales. “This report was not designed for a man of Mr. Trump’s massive wealth,” the statement said of a filing to the Federal Election Commission. A poll this week said Trump was in the lead in the Republican race.

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U.S. stocks swung to a loss near session lows Wednesday after holding to a narrow range of gains for most of the day during Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen’s testimony before Congress. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 26 points, or 0.2%, to 18,026. The S&P 500 Index declined 5 points, or 0.2%, to 2,104. The Nasdaq Composite Index declined 14 points, or 0.3%, to 5,091.

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Oil futures dropped more than 3% on Wednesday to settle at their lowest level in roughly three months. U.S. government data showed that crude supplies fell more than expected last week, but the increase in distillate inventories higher than forecast. August crude fell $1.63, or 3.1%, to settle at $51.41 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.

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Gold futures settled lower on Wednesday, following some better-than-expected U.S. economic data and comments from Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen that signaled the likelihood of an interest-rate hike this year. August gold shed $6.10, or 0.5%, to settle at $1,147.40 an ounce on Comex. That was the lowest close for a most-active contract in more than 8 months.

Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.

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WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — The Federal Reserve’s Beige Book indicated growing optimism about the U.S. economy, with each of the central bank’s 12 districts reporting activity expanded from mid-May through June, and particular optimism coming from five districts. The Beige Book, which is a collection of anecdotes about the economy, reported improving consumer spending, mixed activity for transportation, positive reports on real estate, increasing lending activity, and “modest” wage pressures. The report will be used by the central bank in deliberations for the July interest-rate-setting meeting.

Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.

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WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — In a speech on Wednesday, Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester called for an interest-rate hike but said the timing of it wasn’t important. “My own assessment is that the economy can handle an increase in the fed funds rate. A small increase in interest rates from zero is not tight monetary policy, and with the economic progress we’ve made and that I expect to continue, monetary policy can take a step back from the emergency measure of zero interest rates,” she said. She also said the timing isn’t significant. “The FOMC meets eight times a year, and the difference in lifting off from a zero interest rate a meeting or two earlier or later is not significant.”

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Corvex Management Chief Investment Officer Keith Meister on Wednesday said American Realty Capital Properties is the hedge fund’s best idea for 2015. Speaking in a panel discussion at the CNBC-Institutional Investor Delivering Alpha conference, Meister said he sees 25% to 50% upside for the firm, which he said has done an excellent job of “repairing itself” and needs to restore its dividend.

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Investor Tom Sandell declared Ethan Allen his best investment idea at a hedge-fund conference in New York on Wednesday. The investor, who runs Sandell Asset Management, referred to the furniture chain as an ideal target to be acquired by private-equity firms. Shares of Ethan Allen soared more than 5% in midday trade after the hedge fund investor’s comments, which were made at Delivering Alpha, a hedge fund conference sponsored by CNBC and Institutional Investor. The Swedish-born investor Sandell noted that about half of Ethan Allen’s assets are real estate related, which make it a prime target for private-equity investors, who tend to use debt to help generate returns on their investments.

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Economic conditions have not improved enough for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates for the first time in nearly a decade sometime in 2015, agreed DoubleLine’s Jeff Gundlach and LMM’s Bill Miller during a panel on stock and bond investing at the Delivering Alpha conference by CNBC and Institutional investors. Market participants are misinterpreting Fed Chairwoman Jannet Yellen’s words, Gundlach argued. “When Yellen says she will raise rates if economic growth improves, people hear ‘she will raise rates’. But that’s not what she said,” Gundlach sa¬id. Gundlach took the argument a step further, pointing out that investors are largely disregarding that interest rates have in fact been rising for the past three years since interest rates bottomed in July 2012. “That was the end of the bull market and a bear market started – but it’s a benign bear market,” Miller agreed, where there are still opportunities for profit. One of them are high yield bonds, according to Gundlach, which will be a “debacle in four years” but for now can offer attractive yields. “Right now I am willing to dance the risk dance near the door,” Gundlach said. As for Miller, his picks included equity in the housing market and airlines, as both builders and airlines are trading below market multiples and have a long-term uptrend in valuations.

Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.

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