By MarketWatch MARKETWATCH FRONT PAGE Crude-oil futures pushed toward $92 a barrel Thursday, looking to a seventh day of gains, as traders felt optimistic about lower supplies and reacted to Middle East strife. See full story. U.S. stocks lose steam after data disappoint U.S. stocks edge between modest gains and losses Thursday after economic data released mid-morning showed the recovery stuck in a soft patch. Tech remained a source of strength. See full story. Upbeat earnings inspire gains for Europe stocks Well-received earnings reports from companies such Akzo Nobel NV and Nokia Corp. help push European stock markets into positive territory on Thursday, while investor focus returns to Spain as borrowing costs rose and demand fell at an auction of government debt. See full story. Dollar turns up after Philly Fed The dollar turns higher after the Philadelphia Federal Reserve’s business outlook index showed weakness, weighing on the outlook for U.S. growth and undercutting earlier stock gains. See full story. Tech shares, banking sector climb in Asia Technology issues get a boost from U.S. corporate results while Chinese financials are deemed attractive on valuation. See full story. MARKETWATCH COMMENTARY Matthew Lynn gives four reasons why the markets aren’t overjoyed that corporations are paying record dividends to shareholders. See full story. MARKETWATCH PERSONAL FINANCE It’s a situation that seems to defy supply-and-demand logic: If there’s more demand in the housing market, wouldn’t the cost of borrowing funds to buy a home be significantly on the rise? See full story.

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