NEW YORK (AP) Stocks gained ground in the latest session. The Dow rose 94 points to settle at 12,992. The S&P 500 was up nearly 15 points. The Nasdaq gained 37.

Washington (AP) Analysts look for April housing starts to show more pain for builders. Analysts expect a decline of 1.4 percent from March's level, which had been the lowest since early 1991. A reading is also due on consumer sentiment. Analysts see it dropping further after slipping last month to its lowest levels since the early 1980s.

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) oil prices rose Friday in Asia following a whipsaw overnight session in which the expiration of options played havoc with prices. Light, sweet crude for June delivery rose 72 cents to $124.84 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange by midmorning in Singapore.

MCLEAN, Va. (AP) Mortgage giant Freddie Mac reports that most mortgage interest rates have dropped over the past week. It finds the average for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages stands at 6.01 percent. That is down from 6.05 percent last week.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) The U.N. says the world economy is "teetering on the brink" of a severe downturn and is expected to grow only 1.8 percent in 2008. In its mid-year economic projections, the U.N. blamed the downturn on further deterioration in the U.S. housing and financial sectors.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 05-16-08 0531CDT | save this article / add to your favorites list