The Traderszone Network

Far away from the glare of China’s stock market chaos, stampede of sell orders and freeze on new listings, the spirit of free markets is alive and kicking right in the nation’s capital.

Spain reported on Thursday that its economy grew 1 percent between the first and second quarters of the year and is running at an annual clip of 3.1 percent. Ireland, meanwhile, issued a delayed report on its first quarter. Spain and Ireland have suffered badly over the past few years as their banks have creaked under the weight of lending into now-burst housing bubbles.

Starwood, which owns the St. Regis and Sheraton hotel brands, has also reached out to sovereign wealth funds, the sources said this week. Starwood had said in April it would explore strategic alternatives. Intercontinental and Wyndham declined to comment.

Yahoo Finance’s Midday Movers is live each weekday at 12pm ET, covering all the latest news on the markets, the economy and the biggest stories of the day.

Puerto Rico’s growing debt crisis has raised fears about the safety of the municipal bond market, but those fears may be overblown.

Increased corporate spending is helping this carpet tile company’s stock today.

As sales of its human papillomavirus testing continue to shrink, the test maker grows in other areas.