Themajor US equity indices closed lower Wednesday after gold fell nearly 5% as concerns over Europe still keep the market in the red. Gold fell below the $1600 level for the first time in nearly three months, settling in at $76.20 an ounce. The decline blew the yellow metal past some long-held technical levels, which then exacerbated the selloff. Sliver futures closed down 7% and copper lost nearly 5%. And, the regulatory arm of CME Group (NYSE:CME) turned over interviews to the Justice Department that allege that former MF Global head Jon Corzine knew that the now-bankrupt firm used customer money to lend to a European affiliate.

Mitt’s a Manager; Newt’s the Changemaker

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla Motors, says he will personally pay back the government loan if the company cannot. He also says Tesla will be profitable in 2013.

NOTE: CNN may not let you see this video based on your IP address.

Themajor US equity indices closed higher Monday following following a busy day of corporate earnings releases. After a meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel, German opposition leaders said that the euro-zone bailout fund’s firepower was set to be enhanced to more than 1 trillion euros through leverage. In corporate news, Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) reported Q3 EPS of $1.40, better than analyst estimates of $1.29. Revenues for the quarter were $3.94 billion, better than consensus estimates of $3.87 billion.

Themajor US equity indices closed higher Friday following optimism ahead of the weekend’s summit of European Union leaders. The Sunday summit will focus on a “comprehensive and ambitious” response to the debt crisis, with euro-zone leaders to adopt a plan at a second meeting, which is expected to take place no later than Wednesday. At a press conference, President Obama confirms withdrawal of troops in Iraq by year-end. Only about 150 troops, a minor force, will remain to assist in arms sales.