NYSE Dow Jones finished today at:

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 20.55 points or ▲ 0.12% on Monday, 19 May 2014
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,511.86 ▲ 20.55 ▲ 0.12%
Nasdaq____ 4,125.81 ▲ 35.23 ▲ 0.86%
S&P_500___ 1,885.08 ▲ 7.22 ▲ 0.38%
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.38 ▲ 0.04 ▲ 1.08%

NYSE Volume 2,636,020,500
Nasdaq Volume 1,580,758,380

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,844.55 ▼ -11.26 ▼ -0.16%
DAX_____ 9,659.39 ▲ 30.29 ▲ 0.31%
CAC_40__ 4,469.76 ▲ 13.48 ▲ 0.30%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,390.30 ▼ -68.60 ▼ -1.26%
Shanghai_Comp 2,005.18 ▼ -21.32 ▼ -1.05%
Taiwan_Weight 8,899.90 ▲ 11.45 ▲ 0.13%
Nikkei_225___ 14,006.44 ▼ -90.15 ▼ -0.64%
Hang_Seng.__ 22,704.50 ▼ -8.41 ▼ -0.04%
Strait_Times.__ 3,262.43 ▼ -0.16 ▲ 0.00%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,167.78 ▼ -18.41 ▼ -0.35%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stocks-edge-higher-drifting-early-162649422.html

Stocks edge higher after drifting in early trade

US stocks notch small gains; AT&T and DirecTV fall after announcing deal
Associated Press
By Alex Veiga, AP Business Writer

Stocks finished slightly higher on Monday, adding to the small gains the market carved out at the end of last week.

A dearth of fresh economic data had many investors focusing on headline-grabbing corporate deals, including a $48.5 billion bid by AT&T to acquire satellite TV provider DirecTV and a joint venture between Johnson Controls and a Chinese company that will form the world's largest maker of automotive interiors.

The latest batch of deals is a good sign for the market and further illustrates that many companies have the financial ammunition and appetite to grow through acquisitions.

Even so, much of the market remained in drift mode Monday, but still near the latest all-time high set by the Standard & Poor's 500 index a week ago.

"We're seeing big deals ”” this AT&T deal is big," said Marc Doss, regional chief investment officer for Wells Fargo Private Bank. "But it's not enough to drive us dramatically higher in the short run."

The three major indexes were down in premarket trading as investors reacted to the AT&T-DirecTV deal, which was announced late Sunday. The proposed deal would create the second-largest pay TV operator behind a combined Comcast-Time Warner Cable. But such a combination could face close scrutiny from the Federal Communications Commission and Department of Justice.

When regular trading began, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq composite drifted into positive territory, while the Dow Jones industrial average lagged.

AT&T and DirecTV opened lower and never recovered. AT&T ended down 36 cents, or 1 percent, at $36.38. DirecTV fell $1.53, or 1.8 percent, to $84.65.

Word that AstraZeneca rejected rival drugmaker Pfizer's latest takeover offer helped boost Pfizer's shares 16 cents, or 0.5 percent, to $29.28.

Pfizer has been courting AstraZeneca since January. It announced Sunday that it was ready to raise its stock-and-cash offer by 15 percent to $118.8 billion.

By midmorning, major U.S. indexes had each captured small gains that would hold the rest of the day.

The S&P 500 index gained 7.22 points, or 0.4 percent, to close at 1,885.08.

The Dow Jones industrial average added 20.55 points, or 0.1 percent, to end at 16,511.86.

The Nasdaq composite index rose 35.23 points, or 0.9 percent, to finish at 4,125.82.

The S&P, which hit an all-time high two days in a row early last week, is up 2 percent for the year. The Dow and Nasdaq remain down for 2014.

The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note rose to 2.54 percent from 2.52 percent late Friday.

Investors are in a wait-and-see mode, having digested a mostly positive but unspectacular batch of first-quarter corporate earnings in recent weeks, in addition to mixed economic news.

A light schedule of economic reports for much of this week means investors may not get much fresh insight about the economy until later this week, when they'll see new figures on sales of previously occupied homes and newly built homes. On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve releases the minutes of last month's meeting of the central bank's policy committee.

"To this point, we've seen a rotation within and not out of equities, and we expect that trend to continue into the mid-year," said Terry Sandven, chief equity strategist for U.S. Bank.

Among other stocks making merger-related gains on Monday was Abbott Laboratories. Financial analysts cheered the medical device maker's proposed acquisition of CFR Pharmaceuticals for nearly $3 billion. Abbott's stock rose 57 cents, or 1.5 percent, to $39.63.

Meanwhile, Johnson Controls jumped $1.91, or 4.3 percent, to $46.69 on news of its planned venture with China-based Yanfeng Automotive Trim Systems.

Seven of the 10 industry sectors in the S&P 500 ended trading higher, led by technology stocks. Utilities were the biggest laggard.

TripAdvisor topped all stocks in the S&P 500, gaining $4.25, or 5.2 percent, to $86.41. American Electric Power posted the biggest decline, falling $1.68, or 3.2 percent, to $51.02.

Campbell Soup also ended lower after the food company reported earnings that fell short of Wall Street estimates. The company also lowered its full-year revenue outlook, noting that it was disappointed that soup sales failed to meet expectations. Its shares fell $1.06, or 2.3 percent, to $44.06.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -137.55 points or ▼ -0.83% on Tuesday, 20 May 2014
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,374.31 ▼ -137.55 ▼ -0.83%
Nasdaq____ 4,096.89 ▼ -28.92 ▼ -0.70%
S&P_500___ 1,872.83 ▼ -12.25 ▼ -0.65%
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.38 ▼ -0.01 ▼ -0.24%

NYSE Volume 2,978,734,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,768,374,250

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,802.00 ▼ -42.55 ▼ -0.62%
DAX_____ 9,639.08 ▼ -20.31 ▼ -0.21%
CAC_40__ 4,452.35 ▼ -17.41 ▼ -0.39%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,401.70 ▲ 11.40 ▲ 0.21%
Shanghai_Comp 2,008.12 ▲ 2.94 ▲ 0.15%
Taiwan_Weight 8,887.79 ▼ -12.11 ▼ -0.14%
Nikkei_225___ 14,075.25 ▲ 68.81 ▲ 0.49%
Hang_Seng.__ 22,834.68 ▲ 130.18 ▲ 0.57%
Strait_Times.__ 3,266.34 ▲ 3.91 ▲ 0.12%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,134.89 ▼ -32.89 ▼ -0.64%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/weak-results-retailers-drag-us-205421363.html

Weak results at retailers drag US stocks lower

Stocks slide after US retailers report weak results; Staples, Dick's Sporting Goods plunge

Associated Press
By Alex Veiga, AP Business Writer

Retailers are used to throwing big sales. On Tuesday, it was investors who unloaded shares in several big retail chains, dragging down U.S. stocks and wiping out small gains from a day earlier.

Disappointing earnings from Staples, Dick's Sporting Goods, Urban Outfitters and others triggered the selling spree.

The downturn in retail stocks came in a slow week for economic news and ahead of the Memorial Day weekend, which contributed to lighter-than-usual trading volumes. The weakness stirred fresh concerns about the retail sector and the outlook for consumer spending in the U.S.

"The fact that we're seeing such widespread weak growth among retailers means many (investors) are extrapolating that to the rest of the year," said Kate Warne, an investment strategist at Edward Jones.

Dick's Sporting Goods plunged 18 percent after its earnings and revenue fell short of what investors were expecting. The stock fell $9.56 to $43.60. Staples dropped 13 percent after the office supply chain said its earnings fell sharply in the latest quarter. Staples slid $1.68 to $11.71.

Also reporting weak sales: Urban Outfitters and TJX, the parent company of T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and other stores. Urban Outfitters dropped $3.19, or 8.8 percent, to $32.98. TJX shed $4.45, or 7.6 percent, to $53.95.

Home Depot bucked the trend, even though its latest quarterly results fell short of Wall Street's expectations. The home improvement retailer said a key sales metric improved despite a slow start to the spring home-selling season. The company also raised its full-year earnings forecast. Its stock climbed $1.46, or 2 percent, to $77.96.

U.S. index futures fell early Tuesday, before the opening of regular stock trading, as investors reacted to the dismal earnings results. The market opened lower and remained in the red the rest of the day. The selling accelerated around midday.

"It seems like this is more about taking some profits on stocks that have enjoyed some nice profits and kind of reassessing as to what they want to do with their investments," said JJ Kinahan, chief strategist at TD Ameritrade.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 12.25 points, or 0.7 percent, to close at 1,872.83. The index is up 1.3 percent for the year.

The Dow Jones industrial average slid 137.55 points, or 0.8 percent, to end at 16,374.31. The Nasdaq composite index dropped 28.92 points, or 0.7 percent, to finish at 4,096.89.

The Dow and Nasdaq remain down for 2014.

Small-company stocks fell more than the rest of the market as investors ditched higher-risk investments. The Russell 2000 index sank 16.53 points, or 1.5 percent, to 1,097.90, near a six-month low.

Bond prices rose, driving the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note down to 2.51 percent from 2.54 percent late Monday. Investors tend to buy bonds when they see a time of weakness in stocks overall.

Nine of the 10 sectors in the S&P 500 index fell, led by telecommunications stocks. The only one that rose was utilities. Investors tend to favor that sector when they want to play it safe with low-risk stocks that pay steady dividends.

A week after the S&P touched an all-time high, the market has mostly alternated between small gains and losses. The three major indexes finished higher for the second trading day in a row Monday. A light schedule of economic reports for much of this week heading into Memorial Day weekend is likely to thin trading as the weekend nears.

"Light volume doesn't mean low volatility," noted Erik Davidson, deputy chief investment officer at Wells Fargo Private Bank. "Sometimes it means high volatility because it doesn't take much to move the market."

Among other the stocks making news Tuesday:

— General Motors recalled 2.4 million vehicles in the U.S. as part of a broader effort to resolve outstanding safety issues more quickly. Shares in GM lost $1.07, or 3.1 percent, to $33.18.

— Medtronic agreed to pay more than $1 billion to settle long-standing patent litigation with fellow medical device maker Edwards Lifesciences over replacement heart valves. Medtronic's stock fell 93 cents, or 1.5 percent, to $59.41.

— Target fell $1.68, or 2.9 percent, to $56.61. The retailer fired the president of its troubled Canadian operations, replacing him with a company insider.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 158.75 points or ▲ 0.97% on Wednesday, 21 May 2014
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,533.06 ▲ 158.75 ▲ 0.97%
Nasdaq____ 4,131.54 ▲ 34.65 ▲ 0.85%
S&P_500___ 1,888.03 ▲ 15.20 ▲ 0.81%
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.42 ▲ 0.04 ▲ 1.27%

NYSE Volume 2,762,936,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,689,085,750

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,821.04 ▲ 19.04 ▲ 0.28%
DAX_____ 9,697.87 ▲ 58.79 ▲ 0.61%
CAC_40__ 4,469.03 ▲ 16.68 ▲ 0.37%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,403.90 ▲ 2.20 ▲ 0.04%
Shanghai_Comp 2,024.95 ▲ 16.83 ▲ 0.84%
Taiwan_Weight 8,862.42 ▼ -25.37 ▼ -0.29%
Nikkei_225___ 14,042.17 ▼ -33.08 ▼ -0.24%
Hang_Seng.__ 22,836.52 ▲ 1.84 ▲ 0.01%
Strait_Times.__ 3,261.78 ▼ -3.69 ▼ -0.11%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,108.57 ▼ -26.32 ▼ -0.51%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-recover-tiffany-shines-210926171.html

US stocks recover; Tiffany shines on earnings gain

US stocks rebound from prior day losses; Tiffany, Netflix among big risers
Associated Press
By Alex Veiga, AP Business Writer

Major U.S. stock indexes mounted a solid comeback Wednesday, recovering their losses from the prior day and finishing on track for a weekly gain.

It was the Dow Jones industrial average's biggest gain in five weeks.

In the absence of any major new economic data, investors focused on companies reporting quarterly earnings or otherwise garnering headlines.

Tiffany & Co. was a favorite early on, vaulting more than 9 percent on a sharp increase in earnings and revenue. Traders also cheered news of Netflix's plans to make a deeper foray into Europe, sending the Internet video service's shares up 5 percent.

Investors got a closer look at discussions held by the Federal Reserve's policymakers in their most recent meeting last month. Wall Street's reaction was muted, however, and the market kept on the upward trajectory it set upon early on.

U.S. index futures rose before the opening of regular stock trading. The market opened higher and stayed in positive territory throughout the day.

Major indexes have finished higher three of the last four trading days.

"Since there was no real solid news to continue into a two-day sell-off, we're getting a little bit of a bounce today," said Joe Peta, a managing director of Novus.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index gained 15.20 points, or 0.8 percent, to close at 1,888.03. The index is up 2.2 percent for the year.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 158.75 points, or nearly 1 percent, to end at 16,533.06. The Nasdaq composite index added 34.65 points, or 0.9 percent, to finish at 4,131.54.

The Dow and Nasdaq remain down for 2014.

Small-company stocks also rebounded. The Russell 2000 index rose 5.73 points, or 0.5 percent, to 1,103.63.

Bond prices fell, driving the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note up to 2.54 percent from 2.51 percent late Tuesday.

All 10 industry sectors in the S&P 500 rose, led by consumer discretionary and energy stocks.

The stock market has fluctuated between gains and losses on an almost daily basis as investors try to get a better handle on the trajectory of the economy following a weak start to the year.

That pattern continued even after the S&P 500 hit a high early last week.

In all, the market has changed course from one day to another nearly 60 percent of the time so far this year, something not seen since 2008 during the financial crisis, Peta said.

"It is a schizophrenic market that doesn't seem to have much of a memory from one day to the next," he said.

The Fed meeting minutes released Wednesday shed little new light on a key question for many investors: When will the Fed start raising interest rates?

Fed officials discussed how to unwind the support the central bank has given the economy once they decide to begin raising the Fed's key short-term rate. Because the economy is still recovering, most analysts don't think the Fed will start raising rates before the second half of 2015.

The market got a more detailed look at corporate America with a new batch of company earnings.

Tiffany said its earnings spiked 50 percent in the first quarter as worldwide sales jumped by double digits and the company raised its prices. The results beat analysts' expectations and the jeweler raised its earnings forecast for the year. Tiffany's stock jumped $8.07, or 9.1 percent, to $96.30.

"Retail is very fickle right now, but some sectors are doing well, like luxury," said Dan Veru, chief investment officer at Palisade Capital Management.

Netflix shares rose $18.93, or 5.1 percent, to $390.60 after the company said it will expand into Germany, France and four other European countries later this year.

Online payments system provider Qiwi vaulted 20.7 percent after the company raised both its profit and revenue outlook for 2014 after a strong first quarter. The stock rose $7.21 to $42.12.

Not all stocks had such a good day.

PetSmart dropped $5.17, or 8.3 percent, to $57.02 after the pet store chain reported disappointing revenue for the first quarter and slashed its earnings outlook for the current quarter and year.

Trading volume was lighter than usual Wednesday, something that's likely to continue this week as the Memorial Day weekend nears.

Investors will get a fresh batch of data on housing and the economy on Thursday, as well as earnings from Hewlett-Packard, Best Buy and Sears, among others.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 10.02 points or ▲ 0.06% on Thursday, 22 May 2014
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,543.08 ▲ 10.02 ▲ 0.06%
Nasdaq____ 4,154.34 ▲ 22.80 ▲ 0.55%
S&P_500___ 1,892.49 ▲ 4.46 ▲ 0.24%
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.43 ▲ 0.01 ▲ 0.32%

NYSE Volume 2,736,552,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,823,028,250

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,820.56 ▼ -0.48 ▼ -0.01%
DAX_____ 9,720.91 ▲ 23.04 ▲ 0.24%
CAC_40__ 4,478.21 ▲ 9.18 ▲ 0.21%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,458.10 ▲ 54.20 ▲ 1.00%
Shanghai_Comp 2,021.29 ▼ -3.67 ▼ -0.18%
Taiwan_Weight 8,969.63 ▲ 107.21 ▲ 1.21%
Nikkei_225___ 14,337.79 ▲ 295.62 ▲ 2.11%
Hang_Seng.__ 22,953.76 ▲ 117.24 ▲ 0.51%
Strait_Times.__ 3,261.33 ▼ -0.45 ▼ -0.01%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,128.84 ▲ 20.27 ▲ 0.40%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/economic-data-us-china-boost-210605110.html

Economic data on US, China boost stocks

Stocks close higher amid encouraging US and China economic data, retailer earnings
Associated Press
By Alex Veiga, AP Business Writer

Stocks got off to a good start Thursday and held onto their gains, carving out a modest increase for the second day in a row.

Amid a relatively slow week of trading, thin on major economic news and leading into the Memorial Day weekend, investors drew encouragement from a mixed bag of economic and housing data. Improving earnings from Dollar Tree, Best Buy and other retailers also helped lift the market.

Major indexes were already pointing to a slight uptick ahead of the start of regular trading after a survey from HSBC suggested the slowdown in China's economy is flattening. May's reading on China's manufacturing sector was the best in five months.

After the market opened, investors received more encouraging news. The Conference Board said its index of leading economic indicators posted a solid gain for the month. That provided more evidence that U.S. growth strengthened in April after a severe winter slowed businesses down.

"A revival in China is good for emerging markets, good for global growth and therefore good for stocks, and not so hot for bonds," noted Krishna Memani, chief investment officer at Oppenheimer Funds.

A U.S. government report showing a rise in the number of people seeking unemployment benefits last week didn't dampen the market's upward trend. Nor did the latest sales data for previously occupied U.S. homes, which were up modestly on a monthly basis in April, but down from a year ago, according to the National Association of Realtors.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index gained 4.46 points, or 0.2 percent, to close at 1,892.49. The index is up 2.4 percent for the year.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 10.02 points, or 0.1 percent, to end at 16,543.08. The Nasdaq composite index added 22.80 points, or 0.6 percent, to finish at 4,154.34.

The Dow and Nasdaq remain down slightly for 2014.

Small-company stocks also extended their prior-day rally, pushing the Russell 2000 index up 10.24 points, or 0.9 percent, to 1,113.87.

Bond prices fell slightly. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note edged up to 2.55 percent from 2.54 percent late Wednesday.

Major indexes have finished slightly higher in four of the last five trading days. The gains have nudged the S&P 500 index, which hit a high early last week, up 0.8 percent for this week.

Among the biggest variables influencing the markets this year have been uncertainty over when U.S. growth will accelerate and concern that growth in China is slowing.

The latest batch of economic and earnings data suggest the global economy is recovering, albeit slowly.

"I do expect us to see a continued recovery, but it's not going to be dramatic and therefore I don't look for any big dramatic moves in the market either," said Chris Gaffney, a senior market strategist at EverBank Wealth Management.

Eight of the 10 industry sectors in the S&P 500 rose Thursday, led by utilities. Consumer staples and energy stocks lagged.

Several retailers had a good day.

Best Buy added 87 cents, or 3.4 percent, to $26.22 after its earnings came in well ahead of what investors were looking for, while L Brands, which owns store brands such as Bath and Body Works and Victoria's Secret, rose 83 cents, or 1.5 percent, to $56.69.

A pickup in spending by shoppers at Dollar Tree helped boost the discount store operator's income in its latest quarter. Its stock gained $3.31, or 6.6 percent, to $53.31, the biggest gain in the S&P 500 index.

Sears Holdings reported a wider quarterly loss as sales slumped. Its shares were down for much of the day, but recovered by late afternoon. Sears rose $1.54, or 4.2 percent, to $38.10.

The latest home sales figures helped lift most of the major U.S. homebuilders. Beazer Homes USA led the pack, rising 90 cents, or nearly 5 percent, to $19.08. The government reports how new U.S. home sales fared in April on Friday.

Among other stocks in the news:

”” China's No. 2 online retailer, JD.com, made its debut on the Nasdaq, beating Chinese rival Alibaba to American stock market. Its stock jumped $1.90, or 10 percent, to $20.90. The two other Chinese Internet firms didn't do as well. Online marketplace 58.com fell $3.44, or 8.2 percent, to $38.29, while Weibo sank $2.20, or 10.9 percent, to $18.05.

”” Lorillard fell the most in the S&P 500 index following reports that the tobacco seller could tie up with Reynolds American, creating the country's second-largest producer. The stock sank $3.12, or 5 percent, to $59.51.

 

[bigdog]

NYSE will be closed for Memorial Day on Monday May 26

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 63.19 points or ▲ 0.38% on Friday, 23 May 2014
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,606.27 ▲ 63.19 ▲ 0.38%
Nasdaq____ 4,185.81 ▲ 31.47 ▲ 0.76%
S&P_500___ 1,900.53 ▲ 8.04 ▲ 0.42%
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.40 ▼ -0.03 ▼ -0.90%

NYSE Volume 2,404,881,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,530,725,620

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,815.75 ▼ -4.81 ▼ -0.07%
DAX_____ 9,768.01 ▲ 47.10 ▲ 0.48%
CAC_40__ 4,493.15 ▲ 14.94 ▲ 0.33%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,470.30 ▲ 12.20 ▲ 0.22%
Shanghai_Comp 2,034.57 ▲ 13.28 ▲ 0.66%
Taiwan_Weight 9,008.22 ▲ 38.59 ▲ 0.43%
Nikkei_225___ 14,462.17 ▲ 124.38 ▲ 0.87%
Hang_Seng.__ 22,965.86 ▲ 12.10 ▲ 0.05%
Strait_Times.__ 3,278.02 ▲ 12.36 ▲ 0.38%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,151.37 ▲ 22.53 ▲ 0.44%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/p-500-closes-above-1-204528373.html

S&P 500 closes above 1,900 for first time

S&P 500 closes above 1,900 for the first time, another milestone in 5-year bull run for stocks
Associated Press
By Alex Veiga and Steve Rothwell, AP Business Writers

Call it the Great Slog.

Stocks are bumbling along this year after a gangbuster 2013.

The upward grind is underscored by the Standard & Poor's 500 index, which closed above 1,900 for the first time on Friday and is up 2.8 percent for the year.

That gain compares with a 16 percent increase over the same period last year.

Other major indexes haven't fared any better. The Dow Jones industrial average and the Nasdaq composite are barely in positive territory for 2014.

The stock market's five-year bull run is pausing. Economic growth has fallen short of expectations, barely expanding in the first quarter after a strong finish to 2013. Investors are being more cautious while they wait for compelling evidence that growth will continue.

Karyn Cavanaugh, senior market strategist at Voya Investment Management, believes that there will be a "spring snapback," in the economy. Company earnings, already at record levels, will keep climbing and support stock prices. "There are a lot of good things going on in the market," she said.

The S&P 500 rose 8.04 points, or 0.4 percent, to close at 1,900.53. The index first rose above 1,900 during trading on May 13, but fell back to close below that level.

The Dow climbed 63.19 points, or 0.4 percent, to end at 1,606.27. The Nasdaq rose 31.47 points, or 0.8 percent, to 4,185.81.

Investors bid up homebuilder stocks following news that sales of new U.S. homes increased last month. Lennar rose $1.55, or 4 percent, to $40.54. D.R. Horton rose 92 cents, or 4.1 percent, to $23.57.

The Commerce Department reported that sales of U.S. new homes rose 6.4 percent in April after slumping in the previous two months.

"While it wasn't a stellar number, it was not weak and it helps assuage fears," that the housing recovery is weakening, said Quincy Krosby, a market strategist with Prudential Financial. "It really did help set the tone of the market."

3908

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

NYSE was closed for Memorial Day on Monday May 26 & Britain closed also

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 63.19 points or ▲ 0.38% on Friday, 23 May 2014
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,606.27 ▲ 63.19 ▲ 0.38% CLOSED FOR HOLIDAY
Nasdaq____ 4,185.81 ▲ 31.47 ▲ 0.76% CLOSED FOR HOLIDAY
S&P_500___ 1,900.53 ▲ 8.04 ▲ 0.42% CLOSED FOR HOLIDAY
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.40 ▼ -0.03 ▼ -0.90% CLOSED FOR HOLIDAY

NYSE Volume 2,404,881,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,530,725,620

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,815.75 ▼ -4.81 ▼ -0.07% CLOSED FOR HOLIDAY
DAX_____ 9,892.82 ▲ 171.91 ▲ 1.77%
CAC_40__ 4,526.93 ▲ 33.78 ▲ 0.75%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,490.40 ▲ 20.10 ▲ 0.37%
Shanghai_Comp 2,041.48 ▲ 6.91 ▲ 0.34%
Taiwan_Weight 9,036.12 ▲ 27.90 ▲ 0.31%
Nikkei_225___ 14,602.52 ▲ 140.35 ▲ 0.97%
Hang_Seng.__ 22,963.18 ▼ -2.68 ▼ -0.01%
Strait_Times.__ 3,284.27 ▲ 6.25 ▲ 0.19%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,153.68 ▲ 2.31 ▲ 0.04%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/world-stocks-mostly-higher-us-090837923.html

World stocks mostly higher on US optimism

World stocks mostly higher on US economic optimism, hopes for Ukraine
Associated Press
By Kelvin Chan, AP Business Writer


HONG KONG (AP) -- World stocks mostly rose Monday on optimism about the U.S. economy, hints from China about further stimulus and hopes for greater stability in Ukraine after its elections.

Trading volumes were low, however, as U.S. and British markets were closed for holidays.

Investor sentiment was boosted after the Standard & Poor's 500 on Friday finished above the 1,900 level for the first time. The gains came after the Commerce Department on Friday reported that new home sales rose 6.4 percent in April after falling in the previous two months. Demand for new homes has been one of the last missing pieces as the U.S. economy, the world's largest, recovers from the global financial crisis.

Meanwhile, remarks by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang that suggested Beijing is preparing further mini-stimulus measures to support the economy gave a lift to Chinese shares.

Li said appropriate policy tools and timely fine tuning are being prepared as the world's second biggest economy continues to face "relatively big" downward pressure, the state-run China Daily newspaper said Saturday, citing a speech Li gave on Thursday.

"There seems to be a growing view among Western strategists that while Chinese authorities will keep monetary policy steady, they are starting to look at fairly targeted support for the economy," said Chris Weston, chief strategist at IG Markets in Melbourne.

In Europe, Germany's DAX rose 1.3 percent to close at 9,892.82 and France's CAC 40 gained 0.8 percent to 4,526.93.

Investors were cheered by the fact that the result of the national election in Ukraine was accepted by both western powers and Russia. The president-elect said he would engage in talks with Moscow and seek to ease the crisis, though new attacks were made on pro-Russian militants in the eastern part of the country.

Meanwhile, results from the European Parliament elections showed parties that are against the European Union and favor stronger national borders ”” on issues from immigration to business ”” made huge gains. Experts say that while their advance will not affect the European Parliament significantly, as the disparate parties will have trouble creating alliances, their strong showing could push some governments to reassess their policies.

Among the notable exceptions was Italy, where a strong vote for the ruling party was seen to strengthen its mandate to reform the economy. Italy's stock market jumped 3.6 percent.

Earlier, in Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 benchmark rose 1 percent to close at 14,602.52 as the dollar strengthened against the yen, rising briefly above 102 yen in early trading before easing to 101.93. A weaker yen means the electronics, cars and other goods made by Japan's exporting giants such as Nikon, Sony and Honda are cheaper for overseas buyers.

The Shanghai Composite Index added 0.3 percent to close at 2,041.48 while Hong Kong's Hang Seng ended flat 22,963.18. South Korea's Kospi dipped 0.3 percent to 2,010.35 while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.4 percent to 5,512.80.

The euro rose to $1.3653 from $1.3630.

In energy markets, oil prices rose. Benchmark crude for July delivery was up 44 cents to $104.18 in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 69.23 points or ▲ 0.42% on Tuesday, 27 May 2014
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,675.50 ▲ 69.23 ▲ 0.42%
Nasdaq____ 4,237.07 ▲ 51.26 ▲ 1.22%
S&P_500___ 1,911.91 ▲ 11.38 ▲ 0.60%
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.37 ▼ -0.03 ▼ -0.91%

NYSE Volume 2,884,555,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,796,384,250

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,844.94 ▲ 29.19 ▲ 0.43%
DAX_____ 9,940.82 ▲ 48.00 ▲ 0.49%
CAC_40__ 4,529.75 ▲ 2.82 ▲ 0.06%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,490.80 ▲ 0.40 ▲ 0.01%
Shanghai_Comp 2,034.57 ▼ -6.91 ▼ -0.34%
Taiwan_Weight 9,055.29 ▲ 19.17 ▲ 0.21%
Nikkei_225___ 14,636.52 ▲ 34.00 ▲ 0.23%
Hang_Seng.__ 22,944.30 ▼ -18.88 ▼ -0.08%
Strait_Times.__ 3,274.06 ▼ -8.82 ▼ -0.27%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,145.85 ▼ -7.83 ▼ -0.15%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stocks-climb-fourth-straight-gain-200516634.html

Stocks climb; Fourth straight gain for S&P 500

US stocks close higher, giving S&P 500 index a fourth straight gain; Hillshire soars on offer
Associated Press
By Steve Rothwell, AP Markets Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- More promising signs that the economy is strengthening after its winter slowdown pushed stocks higher on Tuesday.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose for the fourth straight day and ended at another all-time high. It closed above 1,900 for the first time on Friday. Small-company stocks and other riskier parts of the market, like Internet and biotechnology companies, also gained after being beaten down over the past few months.

The government reported that orders to U.S. factories for long-lasting manufactured goods rose unexpectedly in April, powered by a surge in demand for military aircraft. Also, the Conference Board's consumer confidence index rose in May to the second-highest level since January 2008, just after the start of the Great Recession.

"Everyone's been continuing to look for signs about whether the economy is picking up some speed," said Kate Warne, an investment strategist at Edward Jones. The report on manufactured goods "is one more piece of evidence suggesting that it really was weather and not something else slowing growth in the winter time."

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 11.38 points, or 0.6 percent, to 1,911.91. The stock market was closed Monday for Memorial Day.

The Dow Jones industrial average gained 69.23 points, or 0.4 percent, to 16,675.50. The Nasdaq composite climbed 51.26 points, or 1.2 percent, to 4,237.07.

Stocks rose from the opening bell following the durable goods report. Nine of the ten sectors that make up the S&P 500 rose, led by financial and industrial companies.

Small-company stocks also made big gains, suggesting that investors were more comfortable making riskier investments. The Russell 2000 rose 1.3 percent, its biggest gain in two weeks.

Hillshire Brands, the maker of Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage and other products, was among the biggest gainers Tuesday. The stock jumped $8.17, or 22.1 percent, to $45.19 after poultry producer Pilgrim's Pride offered to acquire the company in a deal worth about $5.6 billion. Pilgrim's Pride said the deal is better than Hillshire's plan, announced earlier this month, to buy Pinnacle Foods for $4.23 billion. Pinnacle's stock fell $1.79, or 5.4 percent, to $31.48.

Despite the positive economic news, bond prices rose. Typically, bond prices fall and their yields rise when economic data improves as traders anticipate that interest rates will rise in the future.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.51 percent from 2.53 percent on Friday. The yield on the note is trading close to its lowest in ten months. It started the year at 3 percent.

The recent surge in bonds is one of the reasons behind the uptick in stocks, said Jeff Knight, head of global asset allocation at Columbia Management, an asset management company. Although stocks are no longer cheap on an absolute level after the S&P 500 surged almost 30 percent last year, they still look good value compared to bonds.

"Stocks are still very attractive relative to bonds, and I think that's the key trade-off," said Knight.

While the stock market has made modest gains this year, bonds have surged, contrary to the expectations of many analysts, who had forecast that bond prices would drop as the economy strengthened.

Among other stocks making big moves:

”” Bank of America rose 50 cents, or 3.4 percent, to $15.22 after the lender said it's resubmitting a review of its operations to the Federal Reserve a month after discovering errors in its initial report. That forced the bank to suspend a dividend increase and a plan to buy back more of its own shares.

”” Staples fell 23 cents, or 2 percent, to $11.42 after Goldman Sachs cut its earnings outlook for the office supplies retailer. Analysts at the bank expect profit margins at Staples to fall due to its ongoing program of investment and diversification.

 

[LinRegSlope]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 69.23 points or ▲ 0.42% on Tuesday, 27 May 2014
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,675.50 ▲ 69.23 ▲ 0.42%
Nasdaq____ 4,237.07 ▲ 51.26 ▲ 1.22%
S&P_500___ 1,911.91 ▲ 11.38 ▲ 0.60%
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.37 ▼ -0.03 ▼ -0.91%

NYSE Volume 2,884,555,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,796,384,250

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,844.94 ▲ 29.19 ▲ 0.43%
DAX_____ 9,940.82 ▲ 48.00 ▲ 0.49%
CAC_40__ 4,529.75 ▲ 2.82 ▲ 0.06%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,490.80 ▲ 0.40 ▲ 0.01%
Shanghai_Comp 2,034.57 ▼ -6.91 ▼ -0.34%
Taiwan_Weight 9,055.29 ▲ 19.17 ▲ 0.21%
Nikkei_225___ 14,636.52 ▲ 34.00 ▲ 0.23%
Hang_Seng.__ 22,944.30 ▼ -18.88 ▼ -0.08%
Strait_Times.__ 3,274.06 ▼ -8.82 ▼ -0.27%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,145.85 ▼ -7.83 ▼ -0.15%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stocks-climb-fourth-straight-gain-200516634.html

Stocks climb; Fourth straight gain for S&P 500

US stocks close higher, giving S&P 500 index a fourth straight gain; Hillshire soars on offer
Associated Press
By Steve Rothwell, AP Markets Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- More promising signs that the economy is strengthening after its winter slowdown pushed stocks higher on Tuesday.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose for the fourth straight day and ended at another all-time high. It closed above 1,900 for the first time on Friday. Small-company stocks and other riskier parts of the market, like Internet and biotechnology companies, also gained after being beaten down over the past few months.

The government reported that orders to U.S. factories for long-lasting manufactured goods rose unexpectedly in April, powered by a surge in demand for military aircraft. Also, the Conference Board's consumer confidence index rose in May to the second-highest level since January 2008, just after the start of the Great Recession.

"Everyone's been continuing to look for signs about whether the economy is picking up some speed," said Kate Warne, an investment strategist at Edward Jones. The report on manufactured goods "is one more piece of evidence suggesting that it really was weather and not something else slowing growth in the winter time."

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 11.38 points, or 0.6 percent, to 1,911.91. The stock market was closed Monday for Memorial Day.

The Dow Jones industrial average gained 69.23 points, or 0.4 percent, to 16,675.50. The Nasdaq composite climbed 51.26 points, or 1.2 percent, to 4,237.07.

Stocks rose from the opening bell following the durable goods report. Nine of the ten sectors that make up the S&P 500 rose, led by financial and industrial companies.

Small-company stocks also made big gains, suggesting that investors were more comfortable making riskier investments. The Russell 2000 rose 1.3 percent, its biggest gain in two weeks.

Hillshire Brands, the maker of Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage and other products, was among the biggest gainers Tuesday. The stock jumped $8.17, or 22.1 percent, to $45.19 after poultry producer Pilgrim's Pride offered to acquire the company in a deal worth about $5.6 billion. Pilgrim's Pride said the deal is better than Hillshire's plan, announced earlier this month, to buy Pinnacle Foods for $4.23 billion. Pinnacle's stock fell $1.79, or 5.4 percent, to $31.48.

Despite the positive economic news, bond prices rose. Typically, bond prices fall and their yields rise when economic data improves as traders anticipate that interest rates will rise in the future.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.51 percent from 2.53 percent on Friday. The yield on the note is trading close to its lowest in ten months. It started the year at 3 percent.

The recent surge in bonds is one of the reasons behind the uptick in stocks, said Jeff Knight, head of global asset allocation at Columbia Management, an asset management company. Although stocks are no longer cheap on an absolute level after the S&P 500 surged almost 30 percent last year, they still look good value compared to bonds.

"Stocks are still very attractive relative to bonds, and I think that's the key trade-off," said Knight.

While the stock market has made modest gains this year, bonds have surged, contrary to the expectations of many analysts, who had forecast that bond prices would drop as the economy strengthened.

Among other stocks making big moves:

”” Bank of America rose 50 cents, or 3.4 percent, to $15.22 after the lender said it's resubmitting a review of its operations to the Federal Reserve a month after discovering errors in its initial report. That forced the bank to suspend a dividend increase and a plan to buy back more of its own shares.

”” Staples fell 23 cents, or 2 percent, to $11.42 after Goldman Sachs cut its earnings outlook for the office supplies retailer. Analysts at the bank expect profit margins at Staples to fall due to its ongoing program of investment and diversification.

Keep it up Bigdog, appreciate the postings.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -42.32 points or ▼ -0.25% on Wednesday, 28 May 2014
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,633.18 ▼ -42.32 ▼ -0.25%
Nasdaq____ 4,225.07 ▼ -11.99 ▼ -0.28%
S&P_500___ 1,909.78 ▼ -2.13 ▼ -0.11%
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.29 ▼ -0.08 ▼ -2.35%

NYSE Volume 2,945,260,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,771,242,880

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,851.22 ▲ 6.28 ▲ 0.09%
DAX_____ 9,939.17 ▼ -1.65 ▼ -0.02%
CAC_40__ 4,531.63 ▲ 1.88 ▲ 0.04%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,506.70 ▲ 15.90 ▲ 0.29%
Shanghai_Comp 2,050.23 ▲ 15.66 ▲ 0.77%
Taiwan_Weight 9,121.71 ▲ 66.42 ▲ 0.73%
Nikkei_225___ 14,670.95 ▲ 34.43 ▲ 0.24%
Hang_Seng.__ 23,080.03 ▲ 135.73 ▲ 0.59%
Strait_Times.__ 3,274.21 ▲ 0.15 ▲ 0.00%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,181.46 ▲ 35.61 ▲ 0.69%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/p-500-index-holds-close-210901696.html

S&P 500 index holds close to record level

Standard & Poor's 500 holds close to record; Bond market rally continues, sending yields lower

Associated Press
By Steve Rothwell, AP Markets Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks edged lower for the first time in five days Wednesday, but the real action was in the bond market.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to its lowest in 11 months as investors continued to put money into the bond market, extending a rally that has taken many investors and analysts by surprise. Most market participants had expected yields to climb this year, and bond prices to fall, as the Federal Reserve reduced its purchases of bonds and the economy improved.

Instead, the opposite has happened. While stocks have ground out modest gains this year, pushing major indexes to record levels, bond prices have surged. Even evidence that the economy is strengthening after a winter lull has failed to slow the rally.

"The bond market has been incredibly resilient," said Russ Koesterich. "Even as stocks have pushed to new highs, and you've had generally positive economic data, bonds have remained well bid."

The S&P 500 fell 2.13 points, or 0.1 percent, to 1,909.78. The index closed at a record 1,911.11 the day before.

The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 42.32 points, or 0.3 percent, to 16,633.18. The Nasdaq composite fell 11.99 points, or 0.3 percent, to 4,225.07.

As bonds rallied, investors bid up the prices of safe and steady stocks like utilities and phone companies that pay rich dividends, giving a lift to major stock indexes. Utility and phone company stocks were the best performers in the S&P 500. The utility sector is the year's best performer of the 10 sectors that make up the S&P 500, gaining 10.7 percent since the start of 2014.

In other stock trading, Dollar General led consumer discretionary stocks lower after analysts at Deutsche Bank cut their forecast for the company's earnings, saying that it faces tough pricing competition from rival retailers, including Walmart and Target. The retailer's stock dropped $1.70, or 3 percent, to $54.60.

The stock market has edged up to record levels against a backdrop of reports that have shown the U.S. economy is gradually strengthening after a winter slump. The S&P 500 closed above 1,900 for the first time on Friday.

But despite the encouraging economic backdrop, bonds have continued to rally.

On Wednesday, the yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.44 percent from 2.52 percent late Tuesday. The yield, which started the year at 3 percent, is the lowest it's been in 11 months.

Speculation that the European Central Bank will take further steps to stimulate the region's economy have boosted the appeal of U.S. Treasury notes compared to bonds issued by the European governments. The yield on the 10-year German government bond is 1.34 percent, and French bonds with a similar maturity yield 1.72 percent.

"In terms of safety and yield, the U.S. still is the prettiest girl at the dance," said JJ Kinahan, chief strategist at TD Ameritrade.

Some analysts also say that the Chinese government is buying the U.S. government debt as a way of weakening its currency to help make its own exports cheaper.

Among other stocks making big moves on Wednesday;

”” Toll Brothers rose after the homebuilder reported that its second-quarter income more than doubled as the company raised its prices and delivered more houses. The results beat Wall Street's expectations and sent the stock up 74 cents, or 2.1 percent, to $36.38.

”” Botox maker Allergan fell after Valeant Pharmaceuticals added more cash to its offer to buy the company in a deal that could now be worth more than $50 billion. The Canadian drugmaker is now offering $58.30, $10 more than its previous offer, and a portion of its own stock for each Allergan share. Allergan fell $8.90, or 5.4 percent, to $156.12. Analysts and investors had been expecting a bigger bid.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 65.56 points or ▲ 0.39% on Thursday, 29 May 2014
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,698.74 ▲ 65.56 ▲ 0.39%
Nasdaq____ 4,247.95 ▲ 22.87 ▲ 0.54%
S&P_500___ 1,920.03 ▲ 10.25 ▲ 0.54%
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.30 ▲ 0.02 ▲ 0.49%

NYSE Volume 2,692,975,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,701,644,500

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,871.29 ▲ 20.07 ▲ 0.29%
DAX_____ 9,938.90 ▼ -0.27 ▲ 0.00%
CAC_40__ 4,530.51 ▼ -1.12 ▼ -0.02%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,499.20 ▼ -7.50 ▼ -0.14%
Shanghai_Comp 2,040.60 ▼ -9.63 ▼ -0.47%
Taiwan_Weight 9,109.00 ▼ -12.71 ▼ -0.14%
Nikkei_225___ 14,681.72 ▲ 10.77 ▲ 0.07%
Hang_Seng.__ 23,010.14 ▼ -69.89 ▼ -0.30%
Strait_Times.__ 3,300.71 ▲ 28.87 ▲ 0.88%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,183.16 ▲ 1.70 ▲ 0.03%

http://gazette.com/stocks-back-in-r...aims-news/article/1520709#76AbJDcdB2E3O7Ed.99

Stocks back in record territory on jobless claims news

by Ken Sweet AP Markets Writer

NEW YORK - Another quiet day, another quiet record.

Stocks rose modestly Thursday, sending the Standard & Poor's 500 index to another record high. Investors rallied behind a bidding war in the food industry as well as a somewhat positive report on the U.S. labor market.

The S&P 500 rose 10.25 points, or 0.5 percent, to 1,920.03, closing above Tuesday's record of 1,911.11. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 65.56 points, or 0.4 percent, to 16,698.74 and the Nasdaq composite rose 22.87 points, or 0.5 percent, to 4,247.95.

Among the biggest gainers was deli meat and hotdog maker Hillshire Brands, which jumped $7.95, or 18 percent, to $52.76. Only two days after Pilgrim's Pride made a $5.56 billion offer to buy the company, chicken company Tyson Foods stepped in to offer $6.2 billion.

Investors expect that Tyson's offer will start a bidding war. Hillshire's closing price of $52.76 was already above Tyson's offer of $50 per share. The stock is up 43 percent this week alone.

Tyson also rose on the news. The stock gained $2.50, or 6 percent, to $43.25, making the company the biggest gainer in the S&P 500.

The overall stock market has moved little this year, but one theme that continues to play out is the large amount of corporate deals being announced. Just during this holiday-shortened week, Apple said late Wednesday it would buy Beats Electronics for $3 billion, and now there's the battle over Hillshire Brands.

"It's an encouraging sign because companies see the economy improving," said Joe Tanious, a global markets strategist with J.P. Morgan Asset Management. "Last thing you want to do as a large company is use your cash to buy a company when you have an uncertain outlook on the economy."

Other food companies also rose following the Hillshire Brands news as traders anticipated more deals and possibly more bidding wars. Jam and jelly maker J.M. Smucker rose $2.38, or 2.4 percent, to $103. Hormel Foods, which makes Spam, rose $1, or 2 percent, to $48.71.

Investors also had a round of mixed economic data to interpret Thursday.

The Commerce Department estimated that the U.S. economy shrank at an annual rate of 1 percent in the first three months of the year, worse than the government's initial estimate a month ago of growth of 0.1 percent. The contraction was partly due to the severe weather in January and February, economists said.

While disappointing, investors set aside the GDP report, dismissing it as outdated information on the U.S. economy. The report relayed information from, at best, two months ago and, at worst, from the beginning of the year. Investors have been talking about how the weather impacted U.S. businesses earlier this year for months now.

"It didn't tell us anything new," said Ryan Larson, head of equity trading at RBC Global Asset Management.

In a more "real-time" reading on the U.S. economy, the government also said the number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits dropped last week to 300,000, according to the Labor Department. The less-volatile four-week average fell to 311,500, the lowest since August 2007, right before the last recession.

Bond prices pulled back slightly, pushing the 10-year U.S. Treasury note to a yield of 2.46 percent from 2.44 percent the day before.

Yields have been trading at lows not seen in a year, as foreign buyers have jumped into U.S. Treasurys. Most investors believe this recent downward movement in bond yields is temporary. The Federal Reserve, the biggest buyer of Treasurys for the last few years, is slowly exiting the market and the economy is improving.

"The 10-year Treasury has everyone scratching their heads," Tanious said.

The stock market continues to hit highs, but volume remains light after the Memorial Day holiday. Roughly 2.69 billion shares changed hands on the New York Stock Exchange, well below its 50-day average of 3.29 billion shares.

Traders expect business to be slow until next week, when investors get the May jobs report and the European Central Bank will announce is latest interest rate decision.

"We may be moving higher, but the market is really in wait-and-see mode," Larson said.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 18.43 points or ▲ 0.11% on Friday, 30 May 2014
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,717.17 ▲ 18.43 ▲ 0.11%
Nasdaq____ 4,242.62 ▼ -5.33 ▼ -0.13%
S&P_500___ 1,923.57 ▲ 3.54 ▲ 0.18%
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.31 ▲ 0.01 ▲ 0.30%

NYSE Volume 3,192,302,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,896,215,120

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,844.51 ▼ -26.78 ▼ -0.39%
DAX_____ 9,943.27 ▲ 4.37 ▲ 0.04%
CAC_40__ 4,519.57 ▼ -10.94 ▼ -0.24%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,473.80 ▼ -25.40 ▼ -0.46%
Shanghai_Comp 2,039.21 ▼ -1.38 ▼ -0.07%
Taiwan_Weight 9,075.91 ▼ -33.09 ▼ -0.36%
Nikkei_225___ 14,632.38 ▼ -49.34 ▼ -0.34%
Hang_Seng.__ 23,081.65 ▲ 71.51 ▲ 0.31%
Strait_Times.__ 3,295.85 ▼ -4.86 ▼ -0.15%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,178.44 ▼ -4.73 ▼ -0.09%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/dow-p-close-may-record-204910526.html

Dow, S&P close out May at record highs

Stocks rise despite negative consumer sentiment, confidence data; S&P, Dow at record highs

Associated Press
By Ken Sweet, AP Markets Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- The stock market closed out May mostly higher Friday, sending two out of the three major U.S. indexes to record highs.

Trading was uneven, and indexes moved between small gains and losses for most of the day. A late push higher left the Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor's 500 at all-time highs, but just barely.

May was the best month for investors since February. The S&P rose 2.1 percent for the month, while the Dow rose 0.8 percent and the Nasdaq rose 3.1 percent.

"This market may have been choppy earlier in the year, but the trend is higher," said Karyn Cavanaugh, a market strategist with Voya Investment Management, formerly known as ING Investment Management.

The Dow rose 18.43 points, or 0.1 percent, to close at 16,717.17, less than two points above its previous record high set on May 13.

The S&P 500 index rose 3.54 points, or 0.2 percent, to 1,923.57, also closing at a record. The only index to fall was the Nasdaq composite, which ended down 5.33 points, or 0.1 percent, to 4,242.62.

On Friday, investors had two somewhat disappointing reports on the U.S. consumer.

The Commerce Department said consumer spending unexpectedly fell 0.1 percent in April, the first drop in that indicator in a year. Economists expect the drop to be temporary, however. Consumer spending jumped 1 percent in March.

"It is obvious that after an unseasonably colder January and February, consumers came out with a vengeance in March," Chris Christopher, an economist at IHS Global Insight, wrote in a note to clients. "So, April's poor showing on the spending front is payback for a strong March."

In a separate report, the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index fell more than analysts were expecting. The index slipped to 81.9 in May from 84.9 in April. Economists had expected 82.8.

Key economic data comes out next week, including the May jobs report on Friday. Economists expect the U.S. economy created 220,000 jobs in May, and the unemployment rate fell to 6.3 percent, according to FactSet, a financial information provider. The European Central Bank will also have its interest rate policy meeting that day.

Among stocks, Lions Gate Entertainment was one of the biggest decliners Friday. The movie studio slid $3.40, or 12 percent, to $26.13 after reporting a profit of 35 cents per share, a 70 percent drop from the year before and well below what analysts had expected. Lions Gate's movies include the "The Hunger Games" series.

Sunglasses retailer Pacific Sunwear dropped 52 cents, or 18 percent, to $2.42. The company warned investors that it would report a two-cent loss this quarter, not the two-cent profit that analysts had expected.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note was little changed at 2.47 percent. Bond yields are the near their lows for the year thanks to strong demand from foreign and U.S. buyers.

"If we were in a normal bond market, these yields would signal weakness in the U.S. economy," said Randy Frederick, managing director of trading and derivatives at Charles Schwab. "But I think what's going on is more of a temporary phenomenon."

Roughly 3.2 billion shares traded hands on Friday on the New York Stock Exchange, slightly below the 50-day average. Volume has been relatively light this week, which was shortened by the Memorial Day holiday in the U.S. on Monday.

4508

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 26.46 points or ▲ 0.16% on Monday, 2 June 2014
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,743.63 ▲ 26.46 ▲ 0.16%
Nasdaq____ 4,237.20 ▼ -5.42 ▼ -0.13%
S&P_500___ 1,924.97 ▲ 1.40 ▲ 0.07%
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.38 ▲ 0.06 ▲ 1.90%

NYSE Volume 2,493,619,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,623,006,120

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,864.10 ▲ 19.59 ▲ 0.29%
DAX_____ 9,950.12 ▲ 6.85 ▲ 0.07%
CAC_40__ 4,515.89 ▼ -3.68 ▼ -0.08%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,499.20 ▲ 25.40 ▲ 0.46%
Shanghai_Comp 2,039.21 ▼ -1.38 ▼ -0.07%
Taiwan_Weight 9,075.91 ▼ -33.09 ▼ -0.36%
Nikkei_225___ 14,935.92 ▲ 303.54 ▲ 2.07%
Hang_Seng.__ 23,081.65 ▲ 71.51 ▲ 0.31%
Strait_Times.__ 3,302.24 ▲ 6.39 ▲ 0.19%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,178.44 ▼ -4.73 ▼ -0.09%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stocks-rise-following-revised-manufacturing-203743464.html

Stocks rise following revised manufacturing report

Stocks advance slightly after US manufacturing report is revised higher; Broadcom jumps
Associated Press
By Ken Sweet, AP Markets Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks closed mostly higher on a quiet Monday following two reports that showed the manufacturing industries of the world's two largest economies expanded last month.

Both the Dow Jones industrial average and the Standard & Poor's 500 index were able to set record highs for a second trading day in a row.

The Dow rose 26.46 points, or 0.2 percent, to 16,743.63. The S&P 500 rose 1.40 points, or 0.1 percent, to 1,924.97 and the Nasdaq composite fell 5.42 points, or 0.1 percent, to 4,237.20.

The Institute for Supply management said U.S. manufacturing grew at a brisk pace last month, correcting its earlier statement that growth had slowed. The ISM said the correct number for its manufacturing index was 55.4 in May, in line with what economists were expecting. That's a better result than the 53.2 figure that ISM initially reported.

The ISM manufacturing report is one of two closely watched reports each month, second only to the government's monthly survey of the job market. To see major revisions to such a report the day it's released was highly unusual, traders said, especially for a report that is so relied on each month.

"It's a debacle, as far as ISM is concerned," said Tom di Galoma, head of fixed income rates at ED&F Man Capital. "It's hurt their credibility and it's going to take a while for that to recover."

Investors also got some positive manufacturing news out of Asia. A Chinese manufacturing index edged up to 50.8 in May from 50.4 in April.

Asian stocks rose on the report. Japan's Nikkei rose 2.1 percent Monday.

Trading is expected to be quiet until later this week. Investors will get the May jobs report Friday, and the European Central Bank will announce its latest interest rate policy decision Thursday.

Economists expect that companies hired 220,000 workers last month, and that the unemployment rate remained steady at 6.3 percent, according to FactSet.

Other than the manufacturing reports, traders had little news to work with on Monday.

The real-estate investment trust Ventas said it would buy American Realty Capital Healthcare Trust in a $2.6 billion cash-and-stock deal. The companies each own medical care offices along with other properties. A.R.C.'s stock rose 96 cents, or 10 percent, to $10.91 while Ventas fell $1.87, or 3 percent, to $64.93.

Semiconductor maker Broadcom was the biggest advancer in the S&P 500, jumping $2.97, or 9 percent, to $34.84. The company said it is exploring options for its cellular chip business, which could include selling the division or shutting it down.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.53 percent from 2.48 percent on Friday. Even with the modest increase, bond yields are still trading near their lows for the year. Bond investors expect yields to remain at these levels for the foreseeable future.

"You're still looking at a global economic picture that needs a lot more growth," said Robert Tipp, chief investment strategist for Prudential Fixed Income.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -21.29 points or ▼ -0.13% on Tuesday, 3 June 2014
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,722.34 ▼ -21.29 ▼ -0.13%
Nasdaq____ 4,234.08 ▼ -3.12 ▼ -0.07%
S&P_500___ 1,924.24 ▼ -0.73 ▼ -0.04%
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.43 ▲ 0.06 ▲ 1.72%

NYSE Volume 2,838,457,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,704,054,880

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,836.30 ▼ -27.80 ▼ -0.41%
DAX_____ 9,919.74 ▼ -30.38 ▼ -0.31%
CAC_40__ 4,503.69 ▼ -12.20 ▼ -0.27%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,460.50 ▼ -38.70 ▼ -0.70%
Shanghai_Comp 2,038.31 ▼ -0.91 ▼ -0.04%
Taiwan_Weight 9,123.46 ▲ 47.55 ▲ 0.52%
Nikkei_225___ 15,034.25 ▲ 98.33 ▲ 0.66%
Hang_Seng.__ 23,291.04 ▲ 209.39 ▲ 0.91%
Strait_Times.__ 3,296.67 ▼ -5.57 ▼ -0.17%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,164.12 ▼ -14.32 ▼ -0.28%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stocks-edge-lower-hillshire-bidding-204829460.html

Stocks edge lower; Hillshire bidding war heats up

Stocks slip a day after S&P 500 closes at record high; Hillshire soars on takeover fight

Associated Press
By Ken Sweet, AP Markets Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- The stock market fell slightly Tuesday, pulling back from record highs the day before.

Hillshire Brands jumped as a bidding war for the company heated up, while Krispy Kreme Doughnuts plunged after issuing a disappointing forecast.

The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 21.29 points, or 0.1 percent, to 16,722.34. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 0.73 points, or 0.04 percent, to 1,924.24 and the Nasdaq composite fell 3.12 points, or 0.1 percent, to 4,234.08.

Even with Tuesday's decline, the direction for the stock market the last two weeks has been up. The S&P 500 and Dow have fallen just three times in the last 12 sessions.

Deli meat and hotdog maker Hillshire Brands rose $5.08, or 9.5 percent, to $58.65.

Two companies ”” Pilgrim's Pride and Tyson Foods ”” are in a bidding war to buy Hillshire. The company said it will hold separate talks with the companies after Pilgrim's Pride raised its bid for Hillshire to $55 a share, $5 more than what Tyson Foods offered last week.

Hillshire's closing stock price of more than $58 is a sign that investors believe Pilgrim's Pride and Tyson are willing to offer much more for Hillshire.

Meanwhile, the stock of the suitors fell. Tyson slipped $1.32, or 3 percent, to $42.08 and Pilgrim's Pride declined 58 cents, or 2.2 percent, 25.34.

It's been a quiet week so far, with summer setting in and trading slowing down. Investors had one piece of economic data to interpret Tuesday.

Orders to U.S. factories rose for a third consecutive month in April, the latest evidence that manufacturing was regaining momentum after a harsh winter. Factory orders rose 0.7 percent in April, better than the 0.5 percent rise that economists expected.

The factory orders data was the third manufacturing report in two days. On Monday, reports on U.S. and Chinese manufacturing activity came in above expectations. That helped send both the Dow and S&P 500 to record highs for the second straight trading day. The S&P 500 closed at an all-time high of 1,924.97 that day, while the Dow ended at 16,743.63.

"The economic data here continues to get incrementally better," said Quincy Krosby, a market strategist for Prudential Financial. "But Friday's jobs report is the big number this week.

On that day, investors will get the May U.S. jobs report. Economists expect that companies hired 220,000 workers last month, and that the unemployment rate remained steady at 6.3 percent, according to FactSet.

On Thursday, European Central Bank will announce its latest interest rate policy decision.

In the market for U.S. government bonds, the yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 2.60 percent from 2.53 percent late Monday.

In company news:

”” Krispy Kreme slumped after the doughnut chain cut its earnings forecast for this year, citing higher costs and fewer sales than previously estimated. The company's stock fell $2.81, or 15 percent, to $16.19.

”” General Motors and Ford rose modestly Tuesday, after each reported a rise in sales of cars and trucks last month. GM had a 13-percent sales increase from a year earlier, despite the bad publicity over the company's ignition switch recall.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 15.19 points or ▲ 0.09% on Wednesday, 4 June 2014
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,737.53 ▲ 15.19 ▲ 0.09%
Nasdaq____ 4,251.64 ▲ 17.56 ▲ 0.41%
S&P_500___ 1,927.88 ▲ 3.64 ▲ 0.19%
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.44 ▲ 0.01 ▲ 0.26%

NYSE Volume 2,778,419,500
Nasdaq Volume 1,597,718,880

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,818.63 ▼ -17.67 ▼ -0.26%
DAX_____ 9,926.67 ▲ 6.93 ▲ 0.07%
CAC_40__ 4,501.00 ▼ -2.69 ▼ -0.06%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,426.80 ▼ -33.70 ▼ -0.62%
Shanghai_Comp 2,024.83 ▼ -13.47 ▼ -0.66%
Taiwan_Weight 9,119.96 ▼ -3.50 ▼ -0.04%
Nikkei_225___ 15,067.96 ▲ 33.71 ▲ 0.22%
Hang_Seng.__ 23,151.71 ▼ -139.33 ▼ -0.60%
Strait_Times.__ 3,280.17 ▼ -16.50 ▼ -0.50%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,159.35 ▼ -4.77 ▼ -0.09%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-edge-higher-protective-172117445.html

US stocks edge higher; Protective Life soars

US stocks edge higher, erasing an early loss; Standard & Poor's 500 index back at record high
Associated Press
By Ken Sweet, AP Markets Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks rose modestly Wednesday, erasing an early decline, as investors waited to hear from the European Central Bank on Thursday.

Insurer Protective Life soared on news that it was being acquired by a Japanese company.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 15.19 points, or 0.1 percent, to 16,737.53. The Standard & Poor's 500 index added 3.64, or 0.2 percent, to 1,927.88 and the Nasdaq composite rose 17.56 points, or 0.4 percent, to 4,251.64.

The S&P 500 closed at another record high, while the Dow closed less than 10 points from its previous high. Both indexes closed at record highs on Monday.

The Nasdaq got a boost from Apple, its biggest component, which gained $7.28, or 1.1 percent, to $644.82. Apple's seven-for-one stock split will happen after the close of business Friday. At the current price, Apple's new shares would be worth $92.12 after the split takes effect on Monday.

Once again trading was quiet, with roughly 2.8 billion shares changing hands on the New York Stock Exchange, compared with the recent average of 3.3 billion shares. Volume has been under 3 billion shares every day this week.

This week's main events come Thursday and Friday.

Policymakers from Europe's central bank will meet Thursday to decide whether or not to lower the eurozone's key interest rate to below zero in an effort to further stimulate Europe's economy.

The unusual move would mean banks would have to pay to park money with the European Central Bank. The goal is to push banks to lend the money to companies and individual borrowers.

While the eurozone pulled out of an 18-month recession last year, growth remains sluggish and inflation is low. Eurozone inflation was 0.7 percent in May, well below ECB's target of 2 percent.

"Europe is barely growing, inflation is low, and it cries out for more stimulus," said Bob Doll, chief equity strategist at Nuveen Investments. "The question is: Will the ECB do enough to satisfy investors?"

Speculation over the ECB's interest rate decision has sent foreign buyers into the U.S. bond market in recent weeks. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note was little changed at 2.60 percent. It went as low as 2.44 percent last week, the lowest level in almost a year.

Investors also waiting for the monthly jobs report from the U.S. Labor Department, out Friday.

Economists believe U.S. employers added 220,000 jobs in May and the unemployment rate remained steady at 6.3 percent.

Payroll processor ADP said Wednesday that U.S. businesses slowed their hiring last month, adding just 179,000 workers to their payrolls. It was the weakest hiring in four months and well below what economists had expected.

"Just when investors were getting comfortable with the positive data trend, the U.S. economy hands them a monkey wrench," said Doug Cote, chief market strategist for Voya Investment Management, in a note to investors.

In company news:

”” Protective Life jumped $10.64, or 18 percent, to $69.36 after Japanese insurance company Dai-ichi Life said it would buy the company for $70 a share, or $5.7 billion.

”” First Solar rose $2.46 or 4 percent, to $65.39 after the company announced it was buying German electric power operator Skytron Energy for an undisclosed amount.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 98.58 points or ▲ 0.59% on Thursday, 5 June 2014
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,836.11 ▲ 98.58 ▲ 0.59%
Nasdaq____ 4,296.23 ▲ 44.58 ▲ 1.05%
S&P_500___ 1,940.46 ▲ 12.58 ▲ 0.65%
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.43 ▼ -0.01 ▼ -0.35%

NYSE Volume 3,082,639,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,905,878,750

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,813.49 ▼ -5.14 ▼ -0.08%
DAX_____ 9,947.83 ▲ 21.16 ▲ 0.21%
CAC_40__ 4,548.73 ▲ 47.73 ▲ 1.06%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,419.70 ▼ -7.10 ▼ -0.13%
Shanghai_Comp 2,040.88 ▲ 16.04 ▲ 0.79%
Taiwan_Weight 9,140.72 ▲ 20.76 ▲ 0.23%
Nikkei_225___ 15,079.37 ▲ 11.41 ▲ 0.08%
Hang_Seng.__ 23,109.66 ▼ -42.05 ▼ -0.18%
Strait_Times.__ 3,279.89 ▼ -0.28 ▼ -0.01%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,159.49 ▲ 0.14 ▲ 0.00%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stock...;_ylg=X3oDMTBhYWM1a2sxBGxhbmcDZW4tVVM-;_ylv=3

Stocks head higher after ECB takes new steps

Stocks head higher after European Central Bank moves to support Europe's flagging economy
Associated Press
By Matthew Craft, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- New steps from the European Central Bank to revive the region's flagging economy gave markets a lift Thursday, pushing the Standard & Poor's 500 index to another record high.

In the U.S. market, the gains were broad but modest. All 10 industries in the S&P 500 crept higher, led by industrial companies and banks.

The ECB cut two key interest rates, pushing one of them below zero. The unusual move means that the ECB will charge banks to hold their money, instead of paying them interest. The goal is to arm-twist banks into lending money rather than stockpiling it.

Mario Draghi, the ECB's president, said the bank was willing to take more steps to support the region's economy if needed, including buying bonds.

"It's a big step by Draghi," said Jason Pride, director of investment strategy at Glenmede Trust. "I would say it's a big thing even though the markets may have expected it."

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 12.58 points, or 0.7 percent, to close at 1,940.46.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 98.58 points, or 0.6 percent, to 16,836.11. The Nasdaq composite gained 44.58 points, or 1.1 percent, to 4,296.23. Both the S&P 500 and the Dow average are at record-high levels.

Germany's main stock index, the DAX, touched a record high before pulling back and ending the day with a gain of 0.2 percent. France's CAC 40 surged 1.1 percent.

"The world looks to be a safer place today," said Chris Rupkey, chief financial economist at the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi in New York, in a note to clients. "If you lend money out, the ECB has money for you."

The U.S. and Europe are tightly connected through financial markets, the banking system and trade. Added together, the countries in the European Union make up the world's second-largest economy and buy roughly a fifth of all U.S. exports. Coca-Cola and other large corporations have blamed Europe's weak economy for hurting sales.

The ECB's move to support the region's economy came as welcome news, said Hank Smith, chief investment officer at Haverford Trust. But it wasn't a big surprise. In recent weeks, research teams at big banks and strategists on Wall Street have issued scores of reports predicting just such a move.

"It was on everyone's radar screen," Smith said.

Before the market opened, the Labor Department said the number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits crept up last week to 312,000. The news heightened speculation that the government's monthly jobs report, due out Friday, could reveal a modest slowdown in hiring in May. It also followed a report from payroll processer ADP on Wednesday that showed private employers pulling back on hiring last month.

Economists estimate that U.S. employers added 220,000 jobs in May and that the unemployment rate inched up to 6.4 percent from 6.3 percent as more people hunt for work.

Among other companies making moves, PVH, the company behind the Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger brands, cut its profit forecast late Wednesday, blaming the global economy and a rough winter in the U.S. for weaker sales. The retailer put more clothes on sale, which pinched profit margins. PVH's stock sank $10.59, or 8 percent, to $120.09.

Joy Global, a maker of mining equipment, reported a big drop in quarterly profits and sales as coal miners scaled back operations. Joy Global's results were still better than analysts had expected. The company's stock gained $3.85, or 7 percent, to $61.70.

In the market for U.S. government bonds, the yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 2.58 percent from 2.60 percent late Wednesday. The price of oil slipped 16 cents to $102.48 a barrel.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 88.17 points or ▲ 0.52% on Friday, 6 June 2014
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,924.28 ▲ 88.17 ▲ 0.52%
Nasdaq____ 4,321.40 ▲ 25.17 ▲ 0.59%
S&P_500___ 1,949.44 ▲ 8.98 ▲ 0.46%
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.44 ▲ 0.00 ▲ 0.15%

NYSE Volume 2,857,702,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,593,400,750

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,858.21 ▲ 44.72 ▲ 0.66%
DAX_____ 9,987.19 ▲ 39.36 ▲ 0.40%
CAC_40__ 4,581.12 ▲ 32.39 ▲ 0.71%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,443.50 ▲ 23.80 ▲ 0.44%
Shanghai_Comp 2,029.96 ▼ -10.92 ▼ -0.54%
Taiwan_Weight 9,134.46 ▼ -6.26 ▼ -0.07%
Nikkei_225___ 15,077.24 ▼ -2.13 ▼ -0.01%
Hang_Seng.__ 22,951.00 ▼ -158.66 ▼ -0.69%
Strait_Times.__ 3,299.43 ▲ 19.79 ▲ 0.60%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,182.44 ▲ 22.95 ▲ 0.44%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stock-market-heads-higher-jobs-141703150.html

Stock market heads higher after jobs report

Stock market heads higher after government says employers added 217K workers last month
Associated Press
By Matthew Craft, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- News that U.S. employers added workers at a good clip for the fourth straight month helped send the stock market higher Friday.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index notched another record high, its eighth in the past 10 days. For the week, the index climbed 1.3 percent, the third straight in which it has posted solid gains.

Before the market opened, the Labor Department said employers added 217,000 jobs to their payrolls in May, in the range of what economists had expected. The unemployment rate stayed put at 6.3 percent. Wall Street forecasters had expected it to inch up.

"It's another positive sign, along with retail sales, housing and everything else we've been seeing," said JJ Kinahan, chief strategist at TD Ameritrade. "There's nothing in this report to slow this market down, but all everyone has wanted to talk about is why the market is going to fall."

The S&P 500 index gained 8.98 points, or 0.5 percent, to close at 1,949.44.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 88.17 points, also 0.5 percent, to 16,924.28, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 25.17 points, 0.6 percent, to 4,321.40.

Major indexes began a steady climb at the start of the day then spent the afternoon sitting tight. Industrial and energy companies, whose success often hinges on economic growth, led seven of the 10 sectors in the index higher.

Investor began to feel more optimistic earlier in the week on signs that the U.S. economy had shaken off a rough winter and on big steps by the European Central Bank to revive the region's economy.

Other reports revealed a rise in manufacturing growth in the world's two largest economies, U.S. and China. A survey of the U.S. service industry, which employs roughly nine out of every ten workers, showed an increase in new orders, production and hiring.

Even so, many investors question the stock market's slow and steady rise. There hasn't been a "correction," Wall Street-speak for a drop of 10 percent or more, since August 2011. The market is starting to get expensive compared with the historical average. Investors are currently paying $17 for every $1 in earnings for companies in the S&P 500 index, up from the historical average around $15.

Robert Pavlik, chief market strategist at Banyan Partners, a wealth-management firm, said he wouldn't be surprised to see the market drop in the summer months, especially if companies turn in dismal second-quarter results.

"The stock market isn't all that expensive right now," Pavlik said, "but I just don't see the earnings growth. That's why I think second-quarter earnings will be important."

Arista Networks soared in its first day of trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Arista raised $225 million from investors in its initial public offering late Thursday, selling more than five million shares at a price of $43 each. The company makes networking equipment for cloud computing, and had reportedly delayed its IPO after tech stocks took a beating in April.

Arista's stock jumped an even $12, or 28 percent, to $55.

Gap rose 87 cents, or 2 percent, to $42.06. After the market closed Thursday, Gap reported higher sales in May thanks to gains in its Banana Republic and Old Navy brands. Sales at stores open at least a year rose 1 percent, much better than analysts' forecasts.

One loser was Hertz, which slumped after the car-rental company said in a regulatory filing that it needs to correct its financial results for the past three years because of accounting errors. Hertz Global Holdings dropped $2.76, or 9 percent, to $27.73.

In overseas markets, Germany's main stock index, the DAX, rose 0.4 percent to a record high. Both France's CAC 40 and Britain's FTSE 100 closed with gains of 0.7 percent

In the market for U.S. government bonds, the yield on the 10-year Treasury was unchanged from late Thursday at 2.59 percent. The price of oil rose 18 cents to $102.66 a barrel.

5081

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 18.82 points or ▲ 0.11% on Monday, 9 June 2014
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,943.10 ▲ 18.82 ▲ 0.11%
Nasdaq____ 4,336.24 ▲ 14.84 ▲ 0.34%
S&P_500___ 1,951.27 ▲ 1.83 ▲ 0.09%
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.45 ▲ 0.01 ▲ 0.41%

NYSE Volume 2,810,840,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,769,951,000

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,875.00 ▲ 16.79 ▲ 0.24%
DAX_____ 10,008.63 ▲ 21.44 ▲ 0.21%
CAC_40__ 4,589.12 ▲ 8.00 ▲ 0.17%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,443.50 ▲ 23.80 ▲ 0.44% Holiday June 9
Shanghai_Comp 2,030.50 ▲ 0.55 ▲ 0.03%
Taiwan_Weight 9,162.74 ▲ 28.28 ▲ 0.31%
Nikkei_225___ 15,124.00 ▲ 46.76 ▲ 0.31%
Hang_Seng.__ 23,098.82 ▲ 147.82 ▲ 0.64%
Strait_Times.__ 3,305.20 ▲ 5.77 ▲ 0.17%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,187.35 ▲ 4.91 ▲ 0.09%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stock-market-ekes-another-record-211113387.html

Stock market ekes out another record high

US stock market inches up to another record high after a flurry of corporate deals
Associated Press
By Matthew Craft, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Call it the ho-hum market. Another day, another record high.

News of a handful of corporate deals sent some stocks jumping Monday. And Family Dollar climbed following news that investor Carl Icahn has taken a stake in the company.

With no major economic reports to drive the market, U.S. indexes made slight gains in the morning then slouched back toward the breakeven mark in the afternoon. The Standard & Poor's 500 index still managed to close at another all-time high, rising 1.83 points, or less than 0.1 percent, to 1,951.27.

The Dow Jones industrial average edged up 18.82 points, or 0.1 percent, to 16,943.10, while the Nasdaq composite index gained 14.84 points, or 0.3 percent, to 4,336.24.

The S&P 500 has been on a steady climb for three weeks, lifting the benchmark for most investment funds by 4 percent the last month.

Judging by some measures, that sudden success makes it look like the S&P 500 has moved "too far, too fast," said Joe Bell, senior equity analyst at Schaeffer's Investment Research.

But there are still plenty of traders making bets against the market. People have also taken billions out of mutual funds that invest in U.S. stocks week after week, according to the Investment Company Institute.

"We don't think there's an overwhelming amount of optimism right now," Bell said.

In corporate deal news, Hillshire Brands rose $3.14, or 5 percent, to $62.06 after Tyson Foods emerged as the winner in a bidding war for meat processor.

Merck announced a deal to buy Idenix Pharmaceuticals for $3.85 billion, an acquisition that would give the pharmaceutical giant Idenix's array of treatments for hepatitis C. Idenix soared $16.56, or 229 percent, to $23.79.

Apple's stock rose $1.48 cents, or nearly 2 percent, to $93.77. That's after closing at $645.57 on Friday. The difference reflects Apple's 7-for-1 stock split, which gave every Apple stockholder six additional shares for every share they owned

In a disclosure filed to regulators late Friday, Carl Icahn said he and his affiliates have picked up a 9 percent stake in Family Dollar, a discount store, and plan to look for changes to boost the company's value. Family Dollar's stock jumped $8.09, or 13 percent, to $68.62.

Some investment analysts have been warning that the market is past due for a 10 percent drop, known as a "correction," because there hasn't been one since August 2011 ”” nearly three years. Since World War II, corrections typically hit every 18 months on average, according to S&P Capital IQ.

Jim Paulsen, the chief investment strategist at Wells Capital Management, said he wouldn't rule one out this year. But such a downturn requires the right environment, one in which investors get too greedy for their own good. Right now, he said, there's too much caution.

"It's going to take some time before people get so greedy that they're going to do stupid stuff and blow us up," Paulsen said.

In the market for U.S. government bonds, the yield on the 10-year Treasury edged up to 2.60 percent from 2.59 percent late Friday. Yields rise when bond prices fall. The price of oil rose $1.75 to $104.41 a barrel.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 2.82 points or ▲ 0.02% on Tuesday, 10 June 2014
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,945.92 ▲ 2.82 ▲ 0.02%
Nasdaq____ 4,338.00 ▲ 1.75 ▲ 0.04%
S&P_500___ 1,950.79 ▼ -0.48 ▼ -0.02%
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.47 ▲ 0.02 ▲ 0.43%

NYSE Volume 2,684,963,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,771,682,000

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,873.55 ▼ -1.45 ▼ -0.02%
DAX_____ 10,028.80 ▲ 20.17 ▲ 0.20%
CAC_40__ 4,595.00 ▲ 5.88 ▲ 0.13%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,448.50 ▲ 5.00 ▲ 0.09%
Shanghai_Comp 2,052.53 ▲ 22.03 ▲ 1.08%
Taiwan_Weight 9,222.37 ▲ 59.63 ▲ 0.65%
Nikkei_225___ 14,994.80 ▼ -129.20 ▼ -0.85%
Hang_Seng.__ 23,315.74 ▲ 198.27 ▲ 0.86%
Strait_Times.__ 3,293.82 ▼ -11.38 ▼ -0.34%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,179.40 ▼ -7.95 ▼ -0.15%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/p-500...;_ylg=X3oDMTBhYWM1a2sxBGxhbmcDZW4tVVM-;_ylv=3

S&P 500 slips, ending 4-day run of record highs

Standard & Poor's 500 index ends run of record highs; RadioShack slumps
Associated Press
By Matthew Craft, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- A run of record highs in the stock market came to an end Tuesday as the Standard & Poor's 500 index lost ground for just the second time this month.

The slight loss for the index broke a four-day string of all-time highs.

Shares of RadioShack sank after the retailer's losses deepened, and MetLife rose after the insurer announced a plan to buy back its own stock.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index slipped 0.48 of point, or 0.02 percent, to close at 1,950.79 on a quiet day for trading. The most widely used benchmark for mutual funds closed at an all-time high on Monday, its fourth record high in a row.

Six industry groups in the S&P 500 fell and four rose Tuesday, though none moved by more than 0.3 percent.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 2.82 points, or 0.02 percent, to 16,945.92, while the Nasdaq picked up 1.75 points, or 0.04 percent, to 4,338.

After slumping earlier this year, the stock market has been on a slow and steady climb since April. In recent weeks, a number of encouraging economic reports have helped push the S&P 500 to a series of record highs and left the index up 5.5 percent for the year. Some analysts argue that this success rests on shaky ground.

"I've never seen a rally that has been so hated and mistrusted before," said Dan Veru, chief investment officer at Palisade Capital Management. "People ask me, 'Why is the stock market up? When should I bail out before the next crash?'"

Veru said one reason for the mistrust is that most people don't feel like the economy is strong enough.

"It's slow but improving and if you're a stock investor, that implies higher corporate profits and, eventually, higher stock prices," he said.

Before the market opened Tuesday, RadioShack posted a deeper quarterly loss than analysts had expected. Sales fell as the retailer tries to remake its image. RadioShack dropped 16 cents, or 10 percent, to $1.38.

MetLife announced plans to buy its own shares, aiming to spend up to $1 billion. The news sent MetLife up 39 cents, or 0.7 percent, to $55.05.

More evidence of an improving economy came Tuesday when the government reported that wholesalers added to their stockpiles of goods in April, a move that suggests they anticipate stronger growth. A separate report showed that the number of job openings climbed to 4.5 million in April, the highest figure since September 2007. The increase could be a hint of stronger hiring in the months ahead.

"The labor market recovery looks for real," Chris Rupkey, chief financial economist at the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, wrote in a note to clients. "The economy is better than you think."

In the market for U.S. government bonds, the yield on the 10-year Treasury inched up to 2.64 percent from 2.61 percent late Monday. Yields rise when bond prices fall. The price of oil fell 6 cents to settle at $104.35 a barrel.

Among other companies in the news:

”” After rising to $165.48 in the morning, Allergan's stock went into reverse and lost $1.06 cents, or 0.6 percent, to $163.09. The company rejected a buyout offer from Valeant Pharmaceuticals and Bill Ackman's Pershing Square Capital Management, saying the $53 billion bid undervalues the maker of Botox.

”” Best Buy's stock rose 69 cents, or 2 percent, to $29.49 after the retailer said it was going to raise its quarterly dividend by two cents to 19 cents a share. The move comes a month after Best Buy reported its highest quarterly profit in more than three years.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -102.04 points or ▼ -0.60% on Wednesday, 11 June 2014
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,843.88 ▼ -102.04 ▼ -0.60%
Nasdaq____ 4,331.93 ▼ -6.06 ▼ -0.14%
S&P_500___ 1,943.89 ▼ -6.90 ▼ -0.35%
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.47 ▲ 0.00 ▲ 0.09%

NYSE Volume 2,678,050,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,756,841,000

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,838.87 ▼ -34.68 ▼ -0.50%
DAX_____ 9,949.81 ▼ -78.99 ▼ -0.79%
CAC_40__ 4,555.11 ▼ -39.89 ▼ -0.87%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,432.50 ▼ -16.00 ▼ -0.29%
Shanghai_Comp 2,054.95 ▲ 2.42 ▲ 0.12%
Taiwan_Weight 9,229.80 ▲ 7.43 ▲ 0.08%
Nikkei_225___ 15,069.48 ▲ 74.68 ▲ 0.50%
Hang_Seng.__ 23,257.29 ▼ -58.45 ▼ -0.25%
Strait_Times.__ 3,290.04 ▼ -3.78 ▼ -0.11%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,179.15 ▼ -0.25 ▲ 0.00%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stocks-fall-back-world-bank-202132101.html

Stocks fall back as World Bank cuts growth outlook

Stocks drop from record levels as World Bank cuts growth forecast; Delta falls on profit worry
Associated Press
By Steve Rothwell, AP Markets Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- The stock market fell back from record levels Wednesday because of a weaker forecast for global growth and concerns about airline profits.

Delta Air Lines and other carriers fell after Germany's Lufthansa warned of smaller profits. Boeing slid after analysts said that most of the good news about the plane maker was already priced into the stock.

Stocks opened lower after the World Bank predicted weaker global growth this year, citing a tough winter in America and the political crisis in Ukraine. The bank said late Tuesday that it expects the world economy to grow 2.8 percent this year instead of the 3.2 percent it predicted in January.

The report was a reality check for investors who had pushed major stock indexes to all-time highs this week amid optimism that the U.S. economy was strengthening. Stronger growth should translate into higher revenues and better results for U.S. companies.

Stocks "were going up so much in the last few days that they were due for a little breather," said Brad Sorensen, director of market and sector research at Charles Schwab.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 6.90 points, or 0.4 percent, to 1,943.89. The index had closed at a record of 1,951.27 on Monday. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 102.04 points, or 0.6 percent, to 16,843.88. The Nasdaq composite slipped 6.07 points, or 0.1 percent, to 4,331.93.

On Wednesday, airline stocks were among the big losers after Lufthansa warned of smaller profits caused by weaker passenger demand. Lufthansa AG cut its forecast for 2014 and 2015 operating income due to the weaker demand and strikes, among other reasons. Delta dropped $1.21, or 3 percent, to $40.71, making it the second-biggest loser among S&P 500 stocks.

Still, Delta's stock is up 48 percent this year, the most of any U.S. carrier.

United Continental fell $2.50, or 5 percent, to $45.26 and American Airlines slid $1.37, or 3 percent, to $42.29.

Boeing was another big decliner.

The plane maker's stock fell $3.15, or 2.3 percent, to $134.10 after analysts at RBC said that after three years of record orders and with no new planes in the pipeline, the good news for Boeing is "already out there."

Despite Wednesday's setback, the S&P 500 has been on a slow and steady climb since April and is now up 5.2 percent for the year. In recent weeks, encouraging economic reports on hiring have bolstered optimism that growth will accelerate.

The rally in stocks should continue this year as the economy strengthens, said James Liu, global market strategist at JPMorgan Funds. In the last month, stock gains have been led by the technology and consumer discretionary sectors, which should benefit more from stronger growth. This move "is going to be what drives the market further along," Liu said.

Still, others believe that stock investors need to have more modest expectations for stock returns after last year's big gains when the S&P 500 surged almost 30 percent. Stock valuations have already risen significantly and, after years of cost-cutting, companies may struggle to boost profit margins unless economic growth picks up significantly, said John Toohey, head of equities at USAA, a financial services company.

"Margins are high, so really how much margin expansion is left?," said Toohey.

In government bond trading, bonds gained as stocks fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note, which moves inversely to its price, dropped to 2.64 percent from 2.65 percent on Tuesday.

Among other stocks making big moves;

”” H&R Block jumped $1.42 cents, or 4.6 percent, to $32.15, making it the second-biggest gainer in the S&P 500. Driving the stock higher was news that the company's earnings beat Wall Street expectations. Fourth-quarter net income at the tax preparation company surged as more people used its services and its prepaid card.

”” Synaptics jumped $19.26, or 29 percent, to $85.78 after the maker of touch-screen technology said it would buy smartphone and tablet chipmaker Renesas SP Drivers for $475 million. Because of the deal, Synaptics also raised its fourth-quarter revenue outlook.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -109.69 points or ▼ -0.65% on Thursday, 12 June 2014
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,734.19 ▼ -109.69 ▼ -0.65%
Nasdaq____ 4,297.63 ▼ -34.30 ▼ -0.79%
S&P_500___ 1,930.11 ▼ -13.78 ▼ -0.71%
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.41 ▼ -0.06 ▼ -1.70%

NYSE Volume 3,033,783,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,866,007,620

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,843.11 ▲ 4.24 ▲ 0.06%
DAX_____ 9,938.70 ▼ -11.11 ▼ -0.11%
CAC_40__ 4,554.40 ▼ -0.71 ▼ -0.02%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,407.90 ▼ -24.60 ▼ -0.45%
Shanghai_Comp 2,051.71 ▼ -3.24 ▼ -0.16%
Taiwan_Weight 9,204.65 ▼ -25.15 ▼ -0.27%
Nikkei_225___ 14,973.53 ▼ -95.95 ▼ -0.64%
Hang_Seng.__ 23,175.02 ▼ -82.27 ▼ -0.35%
Strait_Times.__ 3,294.56 ▲ 4.52 ▲ 0.14%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,195.11 ▲ 15.96 ▲ 0.31%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stocks-fall-economic-news-iraq-210345990.html

Stocks fall on so-so economic news, Iraq turmoil

US stocks fall broadly on disappointing economic reports, Iraq violence; airlines fall sharply
Associated Press
By Bernard Condon, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- A combination of so-so economic news and violence in Iraq helped push the stock market sharply lower Thursday.

Stocks fell from the start of trading on a government report that retail sales for May came in slightly lower than expected. A separate report on jobs was weak, too. A surge in oil prices as violence flared in Iraq also weighed on the market, and hammered airline stocks.

For the Standard and Poor's 500, it was the third down day in a row, a reversal of sorts from steady, if unremarkable, rises for much of the year. The index is heading for its first weekly loss in four weeks.

Uri Landesman, president of hedge fund Platinum Partners, said investors had gotten too complacent after a strong run in stocks, and the pullback wasn't surprising.

"It's time for profit taking, taking risk off the table," he said. "It's very rare that markets move up in a straight line."

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 109.69 points, or 0.7 percent, to 16,734.19. The Nasdaq shed 34.30 points, or 0.8 percent, to 4,297.63. The S&P 500 was down 13.78 points, or 0.7 percent, to 1,930.11.

The S&P 500 is up 4.4 percent this year following an impressive 30 percent rise in 2013.

In the retail report, the Commerce Department said U.S. sales rose 0.3 percent last month, helped by a surge in auto demand. That was the fourth straight month of gains, but shy of the 0.4 percent increase that economists expected.

The Labor Department said that weekly applications for unemployment benefits rose 4,000 to a seasonally adjusted 317,000.

"The data today was a little unfulfilling," said Lawrence Creatura, a portfolio manager at Federated Investors. Still, he is optimistic in the face of the selling because he believes the economy is generally strengthening. "We're definitely not flinching. We're holding our positions."

Energy stocks rose broadly after insurgents captured two cities in Iraq, raising the specter of disrupted global oil supplies. The price of oil rose $2.13, or 2 percent, to $106.53. Diamond Offshore Drilling climbed $1.89, or 4 percent, to $48.77, making it the second-biggest gainer in the S&P 500.

Among the 10 sectors in the S&P 500, only energy and utility companies were up for day.

A combination of higher oil prices and a warning by Lufthansa of smaller profits due to weaker passenger demand helped drive down airline stocks. Delta Air Lines fell $2.21, or 5 percent, to $38.50, the most in the S&P 500 index. United Continental dropped $2.66, or 6 percent, to $42.60.

Among other stocks making big moves:

”” Lululemon Athletica fell $7.05, or 16 percent, to $37.25 after reporting that first-quarter profit tumbled 60 percent, stung by a one-time tax adjustment. The Canadian yoga-clothing company also lowered its full-year earnings forecast.

”” Restoration Hardware jumped $9.05, or 13 percent, to $80.40 after the furniture and housewares company reported stronger-than-expected results in its fiscal first quarter and raised its outlook for the year, topping Wall Street's prediction.

”” Twitter rose $1.25, or 3.5 percent, to $36.79 after news that its chief operating officer, Ali Rowghani, had resigned. Rowghani was in charge of expanding Twitter's user base, but this didn't happen as quickly as investors had hoped.

In government bond trading, the yield on the 10-year Treasury note, which moves in the opposite direction to its price, slipped to 2.60 percent from 2.64 percent on Wednesday.