Business news for Mon, 31 Dec 2007 & with words stock+world. 3 news.

As 2007 draws to a close, we bid adieu to a volatile year in the stock market, although one that is going to end with an overall gain. The average diversified stock fund this year will post about a 7% return, nothing to write home about given the market's historical rise of more than 10% per year, but nothing to sneeze at either given we had a virtual meltdown in some sectors of the financial world in the middle of the year.

This year, the world discovered the Chinese stock market.

Ireland's Celtic Tiger economy not only ran out of steam in 2007, it bled copiously. The stock market's woeful performance made it one of the worst performing in the world, tumbling 26.1%.