Funds that invest in banks and brokerages are luring the most money this year even as the shares they buy post their biggest declines in almost five decades because of mounting credit-market losses.

General Electric Co shares tumbled nearly 10 percent on Wednesday as investors became panicky about how its massive financial arm was faring in the wake of the troubles at top financial institutions.

Aug. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Bank of East Asia Ltd. , Hong Kong's third-biggest lender by assets, fell to the lowest in almost two years after reporting a 52 percent decline in first-half profit on $167.8 million of credit market-investment losses.

Shares in Asian exporters, such as Honda Motor Co Ltd may get a lift from a stronger US dollar, although concerns about mounting credit losses may pressure the financial sector.

July 17 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. stocks rallied, sending the Dow Jones Industrial Average to its best two-day gain in almost six years, after JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s profit topped estimates and falling oil prices sparked an advance in consumer shares.