NYSE Dow Jones finished today at:

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 208.64 points or ▲ 1.24% on Friday, 3 October 2014
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,009.69 ▲ 208.64 ▲ 1.24%
Nasdaq____ 4,475.62 ▲ 45.43 ▲ 1.03%
S&P_500___ 1,967.90 ▲ 21.73 ▲ 1.12%
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.13 ▼ -0.02 ▼ -0.60%

NYSE Volume 3,575,607,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,736,413,880

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,527.91 ▲ 81.52 ▲ 1.26%
DAX_____ 9,195.68 ▼ -186.35 ▼ -1.99%
CAC_40__ 4,281.74 ▲ 39.07 ▲ 0.92%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,315.40 ▲ 16.90 ▲ 0.32%
Shanghai_Comp 2,363.87 ▲ 6.16 ▲ 0.26%
Taiwan_Weight 9,106.28 ▲ 131.09 ▲ 1.46%
Nikkei_225___ 15,708.65 ▲ 46.66 ▲ 0.30%
Hang_Seng.__ 23,064.56 ▲ 131.58 ▲ 0.57%
Strait_Times.__ 3,253.24 ▲ 24.53 ▲ 0.76%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,236.99 ▼ -8.24 ▼ -0.16%

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

Dow jumps 208 on job gains; Gold, bonds fall
Associated Press
By BERNARD CONDON

NEW YORK (AP) ”” Investors think the U.S. economy is at a perfect temperature for stocks: not too hot, not too cold.

The latest evidence came Friday in a jobs report that showed a pickup in hiring last month that could mean more people with paychecks, more spending and higher corporate profits. But the report also showed that wages were stagnant, which cheered investors worried anything pushing up inflation could prompt the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates soon and kill the rally.

All major stock indexes rose sharply. The Dow Jones industrial average closed 208 points higher. The rally started from the open and swept up nearly every kind of stock, small and large, and in almost every industry. All 10 sectors in the Standard and Poor's 500 index rose.

"The solid payroll report is great for economic growth and stock prices," said Anastasia Amoroso, global market strategist at J.P. Morgan Funds.

The good news pushed up the value of the dollar against other major currencies to the highest level in more than four years. U.S. bonds and gold fell as investors fled traditional "safe haven" assets.

U.S. employers added 248,000 jobs in September, beating market expectations of a 215,000, the Labor Department reported. The hiring helped drive down the unemployment rate to 5.9 percent, the lowest since July 2008. Hiring in July and August was also stronger than initially estimated.

Still, average hourly wages fell a penny last month, the Labor Department reported. Wages are now up just 2 percent in the past year.

"Wage inflation essentially came in zero, and that tells you that the Fed won't be in any rush to raise interest rates," said James Abate, managing director of Centre Asset Management.

The Dow rose 208.64, or 1.2 percent, to 17,009.69. It was the third 200-point move in a little over a week as markets turn more volatile.

The S&P 500 index climbed 21.73 points, or 1.1 percent, to 1,967.90. The Nasdaq composite rose 45.43 points, or 1 percent, to 4,475.62.

Earlier in the week, investors were rattled by a sharp drop in small-company stocks, pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, and falling oil prices that hurt energy companies, big components in stock indexes.

Even with the gains on Friday, all three indexes ended more than half a percent lower for the week, adding to losses last week.

Many economists predict the Fed will wait until mid-2015 to start raising rates, then proceed with further hikes slowly. The central bank's low-rate polices have helped keep borrowing rates low for consumers and businesses.

The good news in the U.S. contrasts with troubling signs in other countries. The Chinese economy is slowing, and the 18-country eurozone is teetering on another recession. On Thursday, the European Central Bank disappointed investors by not announcing details of more stimulus measures. All major European indexes ended the week sharply lower.

The prospect of a two-speed global economy drove up the value of the U.S. dollar on Friday. The U.S. Dollar Index, which measures the dollar against six other major currencies, surged 1.3 percent. The euro fell 1.2 percent to $1.2515 while the dollar gained 1.2 percent to 109.76 yen.

Investors will get a better sense of how much the improving economy is helping company profits next week when aluminum maker Alcoa kicks off the unofficial start to corporate earnings season. Financial analysts expect earnings per share for the S&P 500 to rise 6.8 percent from a year earlier, then surge 12 percent the next quarter and for all of next year, according to S&P Capital IQ, a research firm.

The S&P 500 seems reasonably valued, if you believe the earnings forecasts. The index is trading at 15.6 times its expected earnings per share over the next 12 months, according to S&P Capital IQ. That is less than point, that is, slightly cheaper, than the long-term average.

In stocks making big moves:

”” Shares of Mylan jumped 8 percent after the generic drugmaker raised its outlook for the third quarter and year. The stock rose $3.73 to $50.23.

”” Diamond Offshore Drilling lost 5 percent, the most in the S&P 500, as the slumping price of oil this week pushed down several oilfield service companies. Diamond Offshore fell $1.83 to $33.00.

”” Salix Pharmaceuticals rose 1.2 percent. The company gained on news it is scrapping its merger with the subsidiary of an Italian drugmaker after the U.S. created new limits on the tax benefits of incorporating overseas. The stock rose $1.78 to $152.87.

Benchmark U.S. crude fell $1.27 to close at $89.74 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, its lowest level since April of 2013. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, fell $1.11 to close at $92.31 on the ICE Futures exchange in London.

In other energy futures trading on the NYMEX, wholesale gasoline fell 3 cents to close at $2.379 a gallon, heating oil fell 2.2 cents to close at $2.616 a gallon and natural gas rose 10.7 cents to close at $4.039 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Gold fell $22.20, or 1.8 percent, to $1,192.90 an ounce. Silver fell 22 cents to $16.83 an ounce and copper was flat at $3 a pound.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.44 percent from 2.43 percent on Thursday.

4966

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -17.78 points or ▼ -0.10% on Monday, 6 October 2014
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,991.91 ▼ -17.78 ▼ -0.10%
Nasdaq____ 4,454.80 ▼ -20.82 ▼ -0.47%
S&P_500___ 1,964.82 ▼ -3.08 ▼ -0.16%
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.13 ▼ -0.01 ▼ -0.19%

NYSE Volume 3,332,318,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,754,901,500

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,563.65 ▲ 35.74 ▲ 0.55%
DAX_____ 9,209.51 ▲ 13.83 ▲ 0.15%
CAC_40__ 4,286.52 ▲ 4.78 ▲ 0.11%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,292.60 ▼ -22.80 ▼ -0.43%
Shanghai_Comp 2,363.87 ▲ 6.16 ▲ 0.26%
Taiwan_Weight 9,106.28 ▲ 131.09 ▲ 1.46%
Nikkei_225___ 15,890.95 ▲ 182.30 ▲ 1.16%
Hang_Seng.__ 23,315.04 ▲ 250.48 ▲ 1.09%
Strait_Times.__ 3,253.24 ▲ 24.53 ▲ 0.76%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,241.31 ▲ 4.32 ▲ 0.08%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/asian-stocks-mixed-us-jobs-045437712.html

US stocks edge lower; H&R Block slides
Associated Press
By STEVE ROTHWELL

NEW YORK (AP) ”” Some encouraging corporate news failed to give the broader stock market a boost on Monday, and stocks edged lower as investors waited for news on the outlook for the Federal Reserve's interest rate policy.

Hewlett-Packard jumped after announcing that it is splitting itself in two. One company will focus on personal computers and printing and the other on technology services. Medical-equipment maker Carefusion surged on word that it was being acquired by its rival Becton Dickinson and Co.

But after opening higher, stocks gave up their early gains and alternated between small gains and small losses.

The market's bull run has faltered in recent weeks and the Standard & Poor's 500 index logged its biggest monthly drop since January last month. Stocks rebounded from that slump on Friday after a report showed a pickup in hiring last month, but many investors remain uncertain about the outlook for stocks as the Fed nears the end of its bond-buying stimulus program and considers raising rates.

"The tug of war between the bulls and the bears is ongoing now," said Quincy Krosby, a market strategist at Prudential Financial.

The S&P 500 fell 3.08 points, or 0.2 percent, to 1,964.82. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 17.78 points, or 0.1 percent, to 16,991.91. The Nasdaq composite fell 20.82 points, or 0.5 percent, to 4,454.80.

Hewlett-Packard gained after announcing that it is splitting itself in two. One company will focus on personal computers and printing and the other on technology services such as data storage, servers and software. The stock climbed $1.67, or 4.7 percent, to $36.87.

Carefusion jumped $10.58, or 22.9 percent, to $56.75 on news that it was being acquired by a rival. New Jersey medical equipment maker Becton Dickinson and Co. said it will pay $12.2 billion for the company, in a combination focused on medication systems for hospitals and pharmacies. Becton climbed $9.14, or 7.9 percent, to $124.98.

The Fed is due to release minutes on Wednesday of its policy meeting last month and the central bank will end its bond purchases this month. Now investors are watching for clues about the likely timing of any interest rate hike.

Investors should remember that if the Fed is raising rates, it will be because the economy is strengthening, said Karyn Cavanaugh, a senior market strategist at Voya.

"If the potential rise in interest rates is predicated on stronger growth....and if the market recognizes that earnings are good, and the economy is good then (higher rates) it shouldn't be much of an event," said Cavanaugh.

H&R Block logged the biggest drop in the S&P 500 after saying that its latest attempt to sell its banking business is getting delayed in the regulatory approval process. The tax preparer said it would not be able to complete the deal before the next tax season. Its stock dropped $1.75, or 5.5 percent, to $29.91.

Nasdaq-listed GT Advanced Technologies, a supplier to Apple, was also among the day's biggest losers. The company, which is developing sapphire materials to replace glass on some Apple's products, lost almost all of its market value after saying that it was filing for bankruptcy. The stock plunged $10.25, or 93 percent, to 80 cents.

In emerging markets, Brazil's stock market surged after the left-leaning President Dilma Rousseff was forced into a runoff race against Aecio Neves, a center-right challenger, who only surged in the final week of the campaign. Rousseff is promising to expand Brazil's social programs and continue strong state involvement in the economy, while Neves says he will pursue more centrist economic approaches, such as central bank independence, more privatizations and the pursuit of trade deals with Europe and the United States.

Brazil's benchmark Ibovespa index rose 4.7 percent to 57,115.

The dollar fell to 108.96 yen and the euro inched up to $1.2624. U.S. government bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note, which moves in the opposite direction to its price, fell to 2.42 percent.

In energy trading, oil rose as the value of the dollar dropped. Meanwhile, natural gas fell sharply on forecasts for warmer weather.

U.S. benchmark oil rose 60 cents to $90.34 a barrel. Brent crude, a benchmark for many international oils imported by U.S. refiners, gained 48 cents to $92.79 a barrel in London. Oil is priced in dollars, so a decline in the dollar makes oil cheaper for buyers holding other currencies.

Natural gas dropped 14 cents to $3.90 per 1,000 cubic feet amid forecasts of mild temperatures along parts of the East Coast. Wholesale gasoline rose 3.47 cents to $2.413 a gallon and heating oil rose 0.5 cent to $2.621 a gallon

In metals trading, the price of gold rose $14.40, or 1.2 percent, to $1,207.30 an ounce. Silver also gained, climbing 40 cents, or 2.4 percent, to 17.23 an ounce. Copper gained 3.7 cents, or 1.2 percent, to $3.04 per pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -272.52 points or ▼ -1.60% on Tuesday, 7 October 2014
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,719.39 ▼ -272.52 ▼ -1.60%
Nasdaq____ 4,385.20 ▼ -69.60 ▼ -1.56%
S&P_500___ 1,935.10 ▼ -29.72 ▼ -1.51%
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.06 ▼ -0.07 ▼ -2.30%

NYSE Volume 3,653,415,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,995,498,750

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,495.58 ▼ -68.07 ▼ -1.04%
DAX_____ 9,086.21 ▼ -123.30 ▼ -1.34%
CAC_40__ 4,209.14 ▼ -77.38 ▼ -1.81%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,284.80 ▼ -7.80 ▼ -0.15%
Shanghai_Comp 2,363.87 ▲ 6.16 ▲ 0.26%
Taiwan_Weight 9,040.81 ▼ -54.33 ▼ -0.60%
Nikkei_225___ 15,783.83 ▼ -107.12 ▼ -0.67%
Hang_Seng.__ 23,422.52 ▲ 107.48 ▲ 0.46%
Strait_Times.__ 3,243.99 ▼ -9.25 ▼ -0.28%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,235.71 ▼ -5.61 ▼ -0.11%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/global-stocks-lower-wall-street-decline-081443304--finance.html

US stocks slide on global growth concerns

US stocks slide on evidence of a global slowdown; General Motors drops on earnings worries
Associated Press
By Steve Rothwell, AP Markets Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- The prospects of weakening global growth weighed on the stock market Tuesday.

U.S. growth may be strengthening, but the outlook elsewhere is far less encouraging. On Tuesday the International Monetary Fund trimmed its forecast for global economic growth. A surprisingly weak report on industrial production in Germany, Europe's biggest economy, added to the concerns.

Industrial companies, whose fortunes are closely tied those of the global economy, led the sell-off. Government bonds rallied as investors snapped up safe assets, pushing the yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note close to its lowest level of the year.

After a weak September, the slump in stocks is showing no signs of abating in October. The Standard & Poor's index has now dropped almost 4 percent since closing at a record Sept. 18.

"Investors have become a bit more cautious about earnings and about the pace of global growth," said Kate Warne, a principal at Edward Jones, an investment firm. "That reassessment is leading to a bit more caution on stocks."

The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 29.72 points, or 1.5 percent, to 1,935.10. The index closed at a record 2,011.36 on Sept. 18.

The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 272.52 points, or 1.6 percent, to 16,719.39. The Nasdaq composite fell 69.60 points, or 1.6 percent, to 4,385.20.

General Motors was among the biggest decliners in the S&P 500 after analysts at Morgan Stanley cut their price target for the stock. The analysts predict that the automaker's earnings will suffer as it invests heavily in production. GM's stock dropped $1.98, or 5.9 percent, to $31.77.

SodaStream was another big loser. The company said it isn't winning over enough new customers in the U.S. and reported preliminary sales results that fell short of Wall Street's expectations. The stock tumbled $6.05, or 21.9 percent, to $21.52.

Stocks started the day lower after a report showed that German industrial output fell 4 percent in August, far more than expected. The slump follows other disappointing economic reports and suggests Europe's economy will not recover as strongly as hoped in the third quarter.

The prospect of slowing growth in other parts of the world weighing on corporate profits was behind the sell-off Tuesday, said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at BMO Private Bank. Companies will soon start reporting earnings for the third quarter and investors will be watching out for their forecasts for the rest of the year.

"Investors are starting to get worried that Europe is going to dent growth," Ablin said. "It's an open invitation for managements to lower their guidance."

The IMF trimmed its outlook for global economic growth this year and next, mostly because of weaker expansions in Japan, Latin America and Europe. The IMF said Tuesday that the global economy will grow 3.3 percent this year, slightly below what it forecast in July.

Many analysts say, though, that the investors have no need to panic and should focus on the signs that the U.S. economy is strengthening.

"Investors should remain comfortable at these levels and not be panicked by the recent volatility," said Sean Lynch, a managing director of global equity research and strategy for Wells Fargo Private Bank.

The indications of slower growth in Europe and elsewhere outside of the U.S. also weighed on oil prices.

Benchmark U.S. crude fell $1.49 to close at $88.85 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, its lowest level since April of 2013. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, fell 68 cents to close at $92.11 on the ICE Futures exchange in London.

Sliding oil prices are also hitting energy stocks, and the sector extended its losses on Tuesday. Energy companies in the S&P 500 have dropped 9.4 percent in the past month.

U.S. government bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.34 percent from 2.42 percent on Monday. That's close to its lowest level of the year.

In metals trading, gold rose $5.10, or 0.4 percent, to $1,212.40 an ounce. Silver edged up 2 cents, or 0.1 percent, to $17.24 an ounce. Copper was little changed at $3.04 per pound.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Federal Reserve is due to release notes on its latest meeting on Wednesday. Investors will be looking for signs of when the Fed might raise interest rates. The first rate increase is not expected until mid-2015.

Among other stocks making big moves on Tuesday:

”” Keurig Green Mountain jumped after analysts at Goldman Sachs initiated their coverage of the stock with a "buy" rating, predicting that the company's sales and earnings growth are poised to accelerate. Keurig's stock jumped $6.50, or 4.9 percent, to $139.75.

”” AGCO, an agricultural equipment maker, cut its third-quarter and full-year earnings forecasts, sayings its results are expected to be hurt by weaker sales in all regions, lower production and the impact of shifting exchange rates. The company will report its earnings on Oct. 28. AGCO's stock dropped $4.97, or 10.6 percent, $42.13.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 274.83 points or ▲ 1.64% on Wednesday, 8 October 2014
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,994.22 ▲ 274.83 ▲ 1.64%
Nasdaq____ 4,468.59 ▲ 83.39 ▲ 1.90%
S&P_500___ 1,968.89 ▲ 33.79 ▲ 1.75%
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.06 ▲ 0.01 ▲ 0.20%

NYSE Volume 4,416,694,000
Nasdaq Volume 2,308,511,750

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,482.24 ▼ -13.34 ▼ -0.21%
DAX_____ 8,995.33 ▼ -90.88 ▼ -1.00%
CAC_40__ 4,168.12 ▼ -41.02 ▼ -0.97%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,241.60 ▼ -43.20 ▼ -0.82%
Shanghai_Comp 2,382.79 ▲ 18.92 ▲ 0.80%
Taiwan_Weight 8,955.18 ▼ -85.63 ▼ -0.95%
Nikkei_225___ 15,595.98 ▼ -187.85 ▼ -1.19%
Hang_Seng.__ 23,263.33 ▼ -159.19 ▼ -0.68%
Strait_Times.__ 3,228.61 ▼ -15.38 ▼ -0.47%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,245.90 ▲ 10.19 ▲ 0.19%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/global-growth-worries-send-asian-081612000.html

US stocks have their best day of 2014

US stocks surge to biggest gain of the year as Fed signals no rush to raise interest rates
Associated Press
By Ken Sweet, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Wall Street had its best day of the year.

The U.S. stock market surged on Wednesday, erasing a steep loss from the day before. Investors were reacting to minutes from the Federal Reserve's latest policy meeting, which showed that the central bank wants to keep interest rates extremely low for the time being.

"There's a lot of pressure on the Fed right now, so this was a big vote of confidence from investors," said J.J. Kinahan, chief strategist at TD Ameritrade.

The Dow Jones jumped 274.83 points, or 1.6 percent, to 16,994.22. The Standard & Poor's 500 index added 33.79 points, or 1.8 percent, to 1,968.89 and the Nasdaq composite rose 83.39 points, or 1.9 percent, to 4,468.59. All three indexes had their biggest point and percentage gains of 2014.

The jump was the latest whipsaw day for the stock market. Only the day before, the Dow plunged 273 points on fears that the global economy was slowing. Wednesday's gains only made up for what investors lost on Tuesday.

Volatility has picked up sharply in U.S. stocks in recent days. Dow has had moves of 200 points or more five times in the last 10 days. There have only been 10 other days this year when the index has made moves of that magnitude.

Market watchers have been warning for some time now that the market was due to have more volatility, particularly with economic weakness developing in Europe and Asia and with the Federal Reserve on track to end a bond-buying stimulus program later this month. Analysts say investors should expect more big moves in coming weeks.

"I don't think this is going to end until the Fed's meeting in October," said James Liu, a global market strategist at JPMorgan Funds. "The market is in a tug-of-war between the slowdown in international economies and the strong economic numbers here in the U.S."

The stock market moved between gains and losses for most of the day, then surge in the last two hours of trading after the Fed released its minutes at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time.

Investors were encouraged by the language in the minutes of the Fed's latest meeting, which signaled the central bank would only raise interest rates when measures of the economy's health and inflation signaled the time was right, instead of using a specific date or period.

Investors like low interest rates since they keep the cost of borrowing inexpensive for businesses and individuals, encouraging spending and investment. The Fed also sees inflation remaining low for the next few years, another positive for most investors.

The U.S. economy has been a bright spot in an otherwise darkening picture for the global economy. The IMF cut its outlook for this year and next for global growth, citing weakness in Japan, Latin America and Europe. The IMF expects the global economy will grow 3.3 percent this year, slightly below what it forecast in July. Europe, in particular, has been weak. Germany said Tuesday that its industrial output fell 4 percent in August, far more than expected.

In contrast, reports like September jobs survey show the U.S. economy continuing to expand. Investors have become concerned that Europe's weakness will eventually drag on the U.S. too.

"I think the U.S. economy could be protected from Europe for a quarter or two, but will start hurting us here eventually," Kinahan said.

Investors now turn their attention to U.S. companies, who will start reporting their quarterly results en masse in the coming weeks.

Alcoa, the aluminum giant, reported its results after Wednesday's closing bell, which came in much better than expectations. The Pittsburgh, Pa.-based company reported an adjusted third quarter profit of 31 cents a share, much more than the 21 cents analysts were looking for. Alcoa rose 32 cents, or 2 percent, to $16.39 in after-market trading.

In other company news, Sears Holdings, the parent company of Sears and K-mart, dropped $1.45, or 5 percent, to $28.85 following news reports that the company's vendors have started to halt shipments to the retailer. Sears has struggled for several months and has been selling off assets to raise cash to pay for its expenses.

Gap plunged $3.57, or 8.5 percent, to $38.40 in after-market trading after the company announce its CEO Glenn Murphy was stepping down early next year.

In other markets, the price of oil fell to its lowest level in 18 months on lower global demand and high supplies. Benchmark U.S. crude fell $1.54 to close at $87.31 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, fell 73 cents to close at $91.38 on the ICE Futures exchange in London.

In other energy futures trading on the NYMEX, wholesale gasoline fell 5 cents to close at $2.318 a gallon, heating oil fell 3.1 cents to close at $2.576 a gallon and natural gas fell 10.2 cents to close at $3.855 per 1,000 cubic feet.

In metals trading, the price of gold fell $6.40 to $1,206 an ounce. Silver fell 18 cents to $17.06 an ounce and copper fell four cents to $3 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -334.97 points or ▼ -1.97% on Thursday, 9 October 2014
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,659.25 ▼ -334.97 ▼ -1.97%
Nasdaq____ 4,378.34 ▼ -90.26 ▼ -2.02%
S&P_500___ 1,928.21 ▼ -40.68 ▼ -2.07%
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.06 ▲ 0.00 ▲ 0.00%

NYSE Volume 4,285,427,000
Nasdaq Volume 2,105,474,000

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,431.85 ▼ -50.39 ▼ -0.78%
DAX_____ 9,005.02 ▲ 9.69 ▲ 0.11%
CAC_40__ 4,141.45 ▼ -26.67 ▼ -0.64%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,293.30 ▲ 51.70 ▲ 0.99%
Shanghai_Comp 2,389.37 ▲ 6.58 ▲ 0.28%
Taiwan_Weight 8,966.44 ▲ 11.26 ▲ 0.13%
Nikkei_225___ 15,478.93 ▼ -117.05 ▼ -0.75%
Hang_Seng.__ 23,534.53 ▲ 271.20 ▲ 1.17%
Strait_Times.__ 3,259.25 ▲ 32.54 ▲ 1.01%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,266.04 ▲ 20.14 ▲ 0.38%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/global-stocks-rebound-us-gains-091637565.html

Dow plunges 334, its worst day of 2014

Stocks drop, with Dow having its worst day of 2014, as global economic fears rattle investors
Associated Press
By Ken Sweet, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Just one day after the market had its best day of 2014, it had its worst day of 2014.

The Dow Jones industrial average plunged 334 points on Thursday as a decline in energy stocks and worries about the global economy sent investors fleeing out of the market. It was the biggest point drop since June 2013.

It was also the third straight day investors have been taken on a wild roller coaster ride. On Tuesday the Dow fell 272 points, only to jump 275 points on Wednesday. While 100-plus moves in the Dow have become more common as stocks have risen to record highs, 200-plus point moves had been rare until this week. More than half of this year's 200-point moves have happened in the last two weeks.

The VIX, a measure of volatility that is sometimes called Wall Street's "fear index," jumped 26 percent to its highest level since February.

"The violent gyrations are causing havoc for fund managers and active investors (who were) hoping for a smooth fourth quarter," said Todd Schoenberger of J. Streicher Asset Management.

After more than three years of the stock market moving quietly, steadily higher, volatility is back and in a big way, market observers say. The stock market hasn't seen day-to-day movements like this since August 2011, when Standard & Poor's downgraded the United States' credit rating. The S&P downgrade subsequently pushed the U.S. stock market into its last "correction," a technical term for when stocks fall 10 percent or more from a recent peak.

Stocks fell at the opening of trading Thursday, and the selling accelerated once European markets closed at midday Eastern time.

By the end of the day, the Dow had lost 334.97 points, or 2 percent, to 16,659.25. The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 40.68 points, or 2.1 percent, to 1,928.21 and the Nasdaq composite fell 90.26 points, or 2 percent, to 4,378.34.

Few companies were spared from the selling Thursday. All 30 members of the blue chip Dow index fell and 482 of the 500 companies in the S&P 500 index ended the day lower.

Worries about the global economy, particularly in Europe and Asia, were once again center stage.

A large part of Thursday's selling happened in energy stocks, particularly oil and coal companies.

The price of oil fell sharply again Thursday, continuing its multi-week decline, on concerns that global oil production remains high despite signs that global demand is slowing. A report showed Germany exports sank 5.8 percent in August, the biggest monthly drop in five years. The figure raises concerns that Europe's largest economy may fall into recession. Earlier in the week, the IMF cut its outlook for this year and next for the global economy, citing weakness in Japan, Latin America and particularly Europe.

"Europe is struggling. Asia is struggling. Japan is struggling. The United States is the best house on the block at the moment," said Jurrien Timmer, director of global macro at Fidelity Investments.

Benchmark U.S. crude fell $1.54 to $85.77 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, a third straight decline of more than 1.5 percent. Oil is now 20 percent below its 2014 peak of $107.26 a barrel, reached in late June, technically pushing oil into a bear market.

Brent crude, an international benchmark used to price oil used by many U.S. refineries, fell $1.33 to $90.05 a barrel in London, at one point slipping below $90 for the first time since June 2012.

Sinking crude price mean lower future profits for oil and gas companies, and investors responded accordingly. The energy sector of the S&P 500 fell nearly 4 percent, far more than the rest of the market. Exxon Mobil and Chevron, the nation's two largest oil and gas companies, each fell roughly 3 percent.

Coal stocks also took a beating after Morgan Stanley analysts downgraded the entire industry. Walter Energy slumped 11 percent and Peabody Energy fell 9 percent.

Traders say the market's volatility may ease once corporate earnings season gets fully underway. Aluminum company Alcoa reported its results Wednesday, which beat analysts' expectations, but the bulk of S&P 500 companies will not report for another week or so.

"Everyone seems to be waiting for earnings season at this point," said Neil Massa, senior equity trader at John Hancock Asset Management.

Average investors who might be worried about the market's recent volatility should remain calm, Fidelity's Timmer said. The stock market has gone up for three straight years and the S&P 500 index is still up 4.3 percent this year.

"Just stick to your long-term (retirement) plan," Timmer said. "You don't want to sell at the bottom and buy at the top."

In other company news, Gap dropped $5.23, or 13 percent, to $36.67. The clothing chain's CEO Glenn Murphy announced he would step down in February. The news came as a surprise to investors, since Murphy is only 52 and was expected to continue in his role for several more years. Murphy was credited for helping Gap navigate through the Great Recession and restoring the company's appeal to younger customers.

Advanced Micro Devices, better known as AMD, fell 33 cents, or 10 percent, to $2.95. The chipmaker also announced a change in leadership, saying CEO and president Rory Read was stepping down. AMD has long struggled to keep its market share of the PC chip market against its main competitor Intel.

The dollar fell to 107.92 yen and the euro fell to $1.2687. U.S. government bond prices were little changed. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note held at 2.33 percent.

Wholesale gasoline futures fell 4.35 cents to $2.275 a gallon. The average price at the pump across the U.S. is $3.25, down 18 cents from a month ago. In other trading of energy futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange, heating oil fell 3.9 cents to $2.537 a gallon and natural gas slipped 1 cent to $3.845 per 1,000 cubic feet.

With this week's volatility, investors moved into gold. The price of gold rose $19.30 to $1,225.30 an ounce. Silver rose 35 cents to $17.42 an ounce and copper rose three cents to $3.03 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -115.15 points or ▼ -0.69% on Friday, 10 October 2014
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,544.10 ▼ -115.15 ▼ -0.69%
Nasdaq____ 4,276.24 ▼ -102.10 ▼ -2.33%
S&P_500___ 1,906.13 ▼ -22.08 ▼ -1.15%
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.04 ▼ -0.03 ▼ -0.88%

NYSE Volume 4,537,913,500
Nasdaq Volume 2,660,850,750

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,339.97 ▼ -91.88 ▼ -1.43%
DAX_____ 8,788.81 ▼ -216.21 ▼ -2.40%
CAC_40__ 4,073.71 ▼ -67.74 ▼ -1.64%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,185.70 ▼ -107.60 ▼ -2.03%
Shanghai_Comp 2,374.54 ▼ -14.83 ▼ -0.62%
Taiwan_Weight 8,966.44 ▲ 11.26 ▲ 0.13%
Nikkei_225___ 15,300.55 ▼ -178.38 ▼ -1.15%
Hang_Seng.__ 23,088.54 ▼ -445.99 ▼ -1.90%
Strait_Times.__ 3,223.87 ▼ -35.38 ▼ -1.09%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,225.14 ▼ -40.90 ▼ -0.78%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/global-stocks-sink-wall-street-090146445.html

US stocks close out worst week since May 2012
Associated Press
By ALEX VEIGA

Investors avoided another roller coaster day on Wall Street Friday.

What they got instead was a steady, moderate decline that left the market with its worst weekly performance since May 2012.

Technology shares were especially hard hit. Semiconductor makers slumped after Microchip Technology cut its sales forecast for the quarter and warned investors to expect bad news from others in the sector.

That sent shares lower for Avago Technologies, Intel and Texas Instruments, among others. Microchip Technology declined the most, shedding $5.59, or 12.3 percent, to $39.96.

The decline capped a week of turbulence in the market brought on by renewed fears that economic growth in Europe could be slowing.

The Dow Jones industrial average recorded its biggest gain of the year on Wednesday. The next day, it plunged 334 points, its steepest decline this year.

"A lot of investors are trying to come to grips with the pickup in volatility we've suddenly seen during this week," said David Kelly, chief global strategist for JPMorgan Funds.

The slide in semiconductor stocks dragged down the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index, keeping it in the red all day.

The other indexes flirted with small gains throughout the day, but the course didn't hold. They ended lower for the fourth time in five days.

All told, the Dow Jones industrial average lost 115.15, or 0.7 percent, to 16,544.10. The Standard & Poor's 500 index shed 22.08, or 1.2 percent, to 1,906.13.

The Nasdaq slid 102.10 points, or 2.3 percent, to 4,276.24.

All three indexes ended lower for the week. For the S&P 500, this was the worst weekly decline since May 18, 2012, when it fell 4.3 percent.

Negative economic news and a slide in oil prices contributed to the uneasiness on Wall Street this week, market watchers said.

Germany, which has been the economic powerhouse for Europe, reported on Thursday its biggest monthly drop in exports in five years. Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund downgraded its outlook for global economic growth.

In addition, some traders are interpreting the decline in oil prices as further indication that growth is slowing.

"You put those three factors together and it has investors nervous at the health of the world economy," said Jeff Kravetz, regional investment director at U.S. Bank Wealth Management.

The volatility in the market this week also came at a time of relatively light corporate news in the U.S. That changes next week, when major companies begin to report their latest quarterly results.

"Third-quarter earnings season should be pretty reassuring, and I wouldn't be surprised to see money go back into various stocks as companies surprise to the upside, which is what I expect them to do," said Kelly.

Investors did not appear to be overly optimistic on Friday.

Eight of the 10 sectors in the S&P 500 fell, led by technology stocks. Utilities and consumer staples bucked the trend.

Shares in electric car maker Tesla slumped after investors looked over the company's late-Thursday announcement of a new all-wheel drive car. The stock lost $20.10, or 7.8 percent, to $236.91.

Despite the overall slide, some stocks posted strong gains.

L-3 Communications Holdings led the risers in the S&P 500, adding $7.04, or 6.5 percent, to $115.15.

Exact Sciences surged 35.8 percent after the company said its new colon cancer test will be covered by Medicare. Shares in the medical diagnostic test maker added $6.48 to $24.60.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note slipped to 2.29 percent from 2.31 percent late Thursday.

The price of oil steadied but remained down 4 percent for the week on plentiful global supplies and weak demand. U.S. crude rose 5 cents to close at $85.82 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, rose 16 cents to close at $90.21 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange in London.

In other energy futures trading on the NYMEX, wholesale gasoline fell 1.7 cents to close at $2.258 a gallon, heating oil rose 2.3 cents to close at $2.560 a gallon and natural gas rose 1.4 cents to close at $3.859 per 1,000 cubic feet

In metals trading, the price of gold fell $3.60 to $1,221.70 an ounce, silver fell 12 cents to $17.30 an ounce and copper was flat at $3.03 a pound.

5399

 

[Wysiwyg]

Another late session plummet. :bad:

 

[bigdog]

Another late session plummet. :bad:

"The late wave of selling was likely triggered by automated trading programs that started selling stocks when it became clear that the S&P 500 would close below an important technical level, said Randy Frederick, managing director of trading and derivatives at Schwab Center for Financial Research".

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -223.03 points or ▼ -1.35% on Monday, 13 October 2014
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,321.07 ▼ -223.03 ▼ -1.35%
Nasdaq____ 4,213.66 ▼ -62.58 ▼ -1.46%
S&P_500___ 1,874.74 ▼ -31.39 ▼ -1.65%
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.01 ▼ -0.02 ▼ -0.69%

NYSE Volume 4,347,526,500
Nasdaq Volume 2,363,489,500

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,366.24 ▲ 26.27 ▲ 0.41%
DAX_____ 8,812.43 ▲ 23.62 ▲ 0.27%
CAC_40__ 4,078.70 ▲ 4.99 ▲ 0.12%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,153.10 ▼ -32.60 ▼ -0.63%
Shanghai_Comp 2,366.01 ▼ -8.53 ▼ -0.36%
Taiwan_Weight 8,711.39 ▼ -255.05 ▼ -2.84%
Nikkei_225___ 15,300.55 ▼ -178.38 ▼ -1.15%
Hang_Seng.__ 23,143.38 ▲ 54.84 ▲ 0.24%
Strait_Times.__ 3,202.15 ▼ -21.72 ▼ -0.67%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,170.05 ▼ -55.09 ▼ -1.05%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/world-stocks-lower-slowdown-concerns-linger-083839385--finance.html

US indexes slide; Airlines, energy stocks drop

US indexes slide, led by declines in airlines and energy stocks, as investors turn jittery
Associated Press
By Alex Veiga, AP Business Writer

The stock market couldn't shake off a case of the jitters from last week and closed sharply lower again on Monday.

Airlines, energy and materials stocks were among the biggest decliners. The market is coming off its biggest weekly decline in more than two years.

Many investors remain concerned that economic growth in Europe and Asia could be slowing. A meeting of Eurozone finance ministers in Luxembourg didn't appear to ease those concerns.

A measure of volatility soared, indicating investors are getting increasingly nervous.

"There is a sense that ... the U.S. maybe can't go it alone, that if global growth continues to weaken, the U.S. is not going to be able to sustained the kind of momentum we've been gaining since the first quarter," said Quincy Krosby, market strategist at Prudential Financial. "That's the worry."

A late slide in the last half-hour of trading came after an otherwise calm day in the markets. Index futures had pointed to a higher open in premarket trading early Monday, then the market opened lower and wavered for much of the day between small gains and losses.

The late wave of selling was likely triggered by automated trading programs that started selling stocks when it became clear that the S&P 500 would close below an important technical level, said Randy Frederick, managing director of trading and derivatives at Schwab Center for Financial Research.

Many traders follow these levels to give them an indication about the near-term direction of the market.

In this case, the S&P 500 closed below 1,905, the 200-day moving average price for the index. The index had traded above the average since November, 2012, gaining 36 percent.

"We've broken down to a point where we haven't been for a long, long time," Frederick said.

Frederick still thinks the stock market will avoid a "correction." That's Wall Street talk for a drop of 10 percent or more, something that hasn't happened since October 2011. Frederick is expecting the recent volatility to continue for a few more weeks yet.

All told, the Dow Jones industrial average lost 223.03, or 1.4 percent, to 16,321.07. The Standard & Poor's 500 index shed 31.39, or 1.7 percent, to 1,874.74.

The Nasdaq slid 62.58 points, or 1.5 percent, to 4,213.66.

The VIX, a measure of volatility that is commonly called Wall Street's "fear index," climbed 12.7 percent to 23.95, its highest level since June 2012.

All of the 10 sectors in the S&P 500 fell, led by energy with a decline of 2.9 percent. Utilities, a safe-play sector, fell the least, just 0.1 percent.

The downturn leaves the S&P 500 up just 1.4 percent for the year and down 6.8 percent from its recent peak of 2,011.36 reached on Sept. 18.

The Dow went negative for the year on Friday and is now down 1.5 percent for 2014 and 5.5 percent below its September peak. Small-company stocks have fared much worse than the rest of the market as investors shun investments seen as more speculative. The Russell 2000 index has fallen 13.2 percent since July.

Airline stocks had some of the biggest declines on Monday. That sector has received a drubbing from investors recently as worries mount that the outbreak of the Ebola virus will curb travel spending. Concerns about a slowing global economy have also hurt the stocks.

American Airlines Group fell $2.20, or 7.1 percent, to $28.58 and Delta Air Lines fell $2.01, or 6.1 percent, to $30.90. American has fallen 24 percent in the last month, Delta 22.2 percent.

Investors found reasons to cheer some stocks.

CSX led the gainers in the S&P 500 as investors reacted to a published report that another railroad operator has approached the company about a possible merger. The stock climbed $1.76, or 5.9 percent, to $31.70.

Atlas Energy vaulted 14.9 percent on news of its acquisition by Targa Resources Partner. Atlas Energy added $4.84 to $37.25.

Investors were looking ahead to earnings news from a number of big companies later this week including General Electric, Intel and Bank of America.

Despite the recent volatility in the markets, the overall earnings outlook is good.

Third-quarter earnings growth for companies in the S&P 500 is expected to be about 6.8 percent compared with the same period a year ago, according to S&P Capital IQ.

If earnings live up to or exceed analysts' forecasts, that could help reassure investors, said Karyn Cavanaugh, senior market strategist at Voya Investment Management.

"These companies haven't changed from two months ago, when we were talking about all-time (market) highs, to today," Cavanaugh said. "These are still good companies, with good value and good earnings potential."

The price of U.S. oil slipped slightly and the global oil price fell sharply on expectations that OPEC countries will not cut output in response to lower global demand.

Benchmark U.S. crude fell 8 cents to close at $85.74 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, fell $1.32 to close at $88.89 on the ICE Futures exchange in London.

In other energy futures trading on the NYMEX, wholesale gasoline fell 0.3 cent to close at $2.255 a gallon, heating oil fell 0.3 cent to close at $2.557 a gallon and natural gas rose 5.7 cents to close at $3.916 per 1,000 cubic feet

Gold rose $8.30 to $1,230 an ounce, silver rose four cents to $17.35 an ounce and copper was flat at $3.04 a pound.

Bond trading was closed for Columbus Day.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -5.88 points or ▼ -0.04% on Tuesday, 14 October 2014
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,315.19 ▼ -5.88 ▼ -0.04%
Nasdaq____ 4,227.17 ▲ 13.52 ▲ 0.32%
S&P_500___ 1,877.70 ▲ 2.96 ▲ 0.16%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.96 ▼ -0.06 ▼ -1.89%

NYSE Volume 4,775,167,500
Nasdaq Volume 2,380,966,250

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,392.68 ▼ -102.90 ▼ -1.58%
DAX_____ 8,825.21 ▲ 36.40 ▲ 0.41%
CAC_40__ 4,088.25 ▲ 14.54 ▲ 0.36%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,204.00 ▲ 50.90 ▲ 0.99%
Shanghai_Comp 2,359.47 ▼ -6.53 ▼ -0.28%
Taiwan_Weight 8,768.39 ▲ 57.00 ▲ 0.65%
Nikkei_225___ 14,936.51 ▼ -364.04 ▼ -2.38%
Hang_Seng.__ 23,047.97 ▼ -95.41 ▼ -0.41%
Strait_Times.__ 3,194.40 ▼ -7.75 ▼ -0.24%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,145.89 ▼ -24.16 ▼ -0.47%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/asian-shares-boosted-strong-china-050634750.html

US stocks stabilize after a three-day sell-off
Associated Press
By ALEX VEIGA

A slump in energy stocks stymied a rebound in U.S. indexes Tuesday as the price of oil plunged the most in two years.

The decline in oil prices followed forecasts for weaker global demand this year and next, a sign of slowing economic growth. Chevron fell 2 percent, helping to drag down the Dow Jones industrial average in the waning moments of trading.

Even so, corporate earnings provided some encouragement to investors, helping to close the gap on losses after a three-day slump.

Domino's Pizza, Citigroup and Johnson & Johnson reported results that were better than analysts were expecting. The market also got a boost from airline stocks, which rebounded after sliding the day before.

The modest rally provided a breather for investors. The Standard & Poor's 500 index has fallen 6.7 percent since hitting a record high on Sept. 18. Investors are worried that economies in Europe and Asia might be slowing.

"The bank earnings this morning certainly made people feel a little bit better," said Joe Peta, managing director at Novus Partners. "For the time being, at least, the panic selling is over."

The major stock indexes remained in positive territory until the last hour of trading, when they began to fade, threatening to deliver the second last-minute slide in two days.

By the end of the day, the Dow Jones industrial average had lost 5.88 points, or 0.04 percent, to 16,315.19. The S&P 500 index added 2.96 points, or 0.2 percent, to 1,877.70.

The Nasdaq rose 13.52 points, or 0.3 percent, to 4,227.17.

Six of the 10 sectors in the S&P 500 rose, led by industrials, which gained 1.3 percent. Energy fell the most, 1.2 percent.

The Dow went negative for the year on Friday. It's now down 1.6 percent for 2014 and 5.6 percent below its September peak. The S&P 500 index is up 1.6 percent for the year.

Six of the 10 sectors in the S&P 500 rose, with industrial stocks posting the biggest gain at 1.3 percent. Energy stocks fell the most, sliding 1.2 percent.

Several major banks kicked off the third-quarter corporate earnings season.

JPMorgan Chase returned to a profit, but missed Wall Street's expectations. The stock fell 17 cents, or 0.3 percent, to $57.99. Wells Fargo's earnings matched analysts' expectations, while Citigroup's results came in better than expected. Wells Fargo fell $1.37, or 2.7 percent, to $48.83. Citigroup rose $1.57, or 3.1 percent, to $51.47.

Domino's Pizza jumped 11.3 percent on better-than-expected earnings and revenue. The pizza delivery chain operator's stock rose $8.58 to $84.30.

Several airline stocks surged a day after the sector got pummeled amid mounting worries that the Ebola virus outbreak could curb travel spending. Delta jumped $1.89, or 6.1 percent, to $32.79, while Southwest climbed $1.12, or 3.9 percent, to $30. American Airlines Group gained $2.93, or 10.3 percent, to $31.51.

Johnson & Johnson raised its 2014 earnings outlook, partly due to revenue gains from its new blockbuster hepatitis C drug. But shares in the world's biggest health care products maker slipped 2.1 percent as investors worried about looming competition for the drug. The stock shed $2.11 to $97.01.

"The earnings are sufficiently good to justify a higher close on today's market, however the market is a forward looking mechanism and what I think the market is concerned about is a gravitational pull downward due to slower global growth, particularly from Europe," said Jim Russell, senior US equities strategist at USBank.

The price of oil suffered its biggest drop in nearly two years after the International Energy Agency reduced its forecast for demand for this year and 2015.

Benchmark U.S. crude fell $3.90 to close at $81.84 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. That was the biggest drop since November of 2012, and it's the lowest closing price since June of 2012.

Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, fell $3.85 to close at $85.04 on the ICE Futures exchange in London. Brent is at its lowest level since November of 2010.

In metals trading, gold rose $4.30 to $1,234.30 an ounce, silver rose six cents to $17.40 an ounce and copper rose five cents to $3.09 a pound.

Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.20 percent.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -173.45 points or ▼ -1.06% on Wednesday, 15 October 2014
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,141.74 ▼ -173.45 ▼ -1.06%
Nasdaq____ 4,215.32 ▼ -11.85 ▼ -0.28%
S&P_500___ 1,862.49 ▼ -15.21 ▼ -0.81%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.88 ▼ -0.08 ▼ -2.74%

NYSE Volume 6,072,575,500
Nasdaq Volume 2,903,773,750

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,211.64 ▼ -181.04 ▼ -2.83%
DAX_____ 8,571.95 ▼ -253.26 ▼ -2.87%
CAC_40__ 3,939.72 ▼ -148.53 ▼ -3.63%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,238.00 ▲ 34.00 ▲ 0.65%
Shanghai_Comp 2,373.67 ▲ 14.19 ▲ 0.60%
Taiwan_Weight 8,655.51 ▼ -112.88 ▼ -1.29%
Nikkei_225___ 15,073.52 ▲ 137.01 ▲ 0.92%
Hang_Seng.__ 23,140.05 ▲ 92.08 ▲ 0.40%
Strait_Times.__ 3,198.72 ▲ 4.32 ▲ 0.14%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,162.87 ▲ 16.98 ▲ 0.33%

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/asia-stocks-rise-oil-slump-promises-benefits-26204412

A Nauseating Day for Wall Street as Stocks Plunge
NEW YORK ”” Oct 15, 2014, 5:33 PM ET
By KEN SWEET and ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writers

Fear drove Wall Street to one of its most dramatic, nauseating days in years on Wednesday.

Investors fled stocks and poured into bonds as worries about a global economic slowdown intensified. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 460 points in afternoon trading, all three U.S. stock indexes were in negative territory for the year, and the so-called fear index spiked.

A late recovery limited the damage and left stocks mostly lower. But investors were shaken after the heaviest day of trading in more than three years.

"I think it's fair to call it a global growth scare right now," said Bill Stone, chief investment strategist at PNC Asset Management.

Investor concerns of a worldwide economic slowdown turned into outright fear after weeks of turbulence. Germany, Europe's biggest economy is struggling. Greece, a key actor in Europe' debt crisis three years ago, could see its government collapse next year, putting a crucial bailout program in danger. A batch of worrisome economic news in the U.S. also fueled the selling.

Traders sold riskier investments and moved money into U.S. government bonds, gold and cash.

By the end of the day, the Dow Jones industrial average lost 173.45 points, or 1 percent, to 16,141.74. The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 15.21 points, or 0.8 percent, to 1,862.49 and the Nasdaq composite dropped 11.85 points, or 0.3 percent, to 4,215.32

The yield on the benchmark U.S. 10-year note fell from 2.20 percent to below 1.91 percent. By the end of the day, it pulled back to a yield of 2.14 percent. The yield on bonds moves in the opposite direction of prices.

"It typically takes weeks for 10-year Treasurys to move 29 basis points," noted Tom Di Galoma, head of fixed income rates in New York at ED&F Man Capital. "Today it moved 29 basis points in 5 minutes."

Stone said he thought the plunge in bond yields likely played a role in the stock market's steep drop in early trading.

"I don't care who you are: to see the 10-year near 2 percent is shocking," he said.

Investors have grown nervous of a stock market that had pushed ever higher, even in the face of a weakening global economy. The U.S. market has also not had a correction, a technical term for when a stock or index falls 10 percent or more, in more than 3 years. Historically a correction happens every 18 months.

Wednesday's slide brings the market closer to that long-predicted but elusive correction.

Michael Binger, senior portfolio manager at Gradient Investments, said that investors may have started to step back into the market in the last hour of trading as the S&P 500 approached a drop of close to 10 percent from its record close of Sept. 18.

"The market has been waiting for this 5 to 10 percent correction for quite some time, and we got it," he said.

Many market watchers say occasional corrections are a healthy phenomenon over the long term and give investors an opportunity to add to their holdings at a lower cost.

"That's why it' so important to stay invested at a time like this, rather than think it's a time to get out," said Kate Warne, an investment strategist at Edward Jones.

It's not the U.S. economy that investors are worried about, at least not yet. It's everyone else. Last week markets sold off sharply after the International Monetary Fund cut its economic forecast for the global economy, noting the weakness in Europe and in Asia.

 

[Knobby22]

I think some in the market are scared of what might happen with regard to the ebola virus after the latest bad news.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -24.5 points or ▼ -0.15% on Thursday, 16 October 2014
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,117.24 ▼ -24.50 ▼ -0.15%
Nasdaq____ 4,217.39 ▲ 2.07 ▲ 0.05%
S&P_500___ 1,862.76 ▲ 0.27 ▲ 0.01%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.94 ▲ 0.06 ▲ 2.09%

NYSE Volume 5,044,967,500
Nasdaq Volume 2,434,457,750

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,195.91 ▼ -15.73 ▼ -0.25%
DAX_____ 8,582.90 ▲ 10.95 ▲ 0.13%
CAC_40__ 3,918.62 ▼ -21.10 ▼ -0.54%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,244.30 ▲ 6.30 ▲ 0.12%
Shanghai_Comp 2,356.50 ▼ -17.17 ▼ -0.72%
Taiwan_Weight 8,633.69 ▼ -21.82 ▼ -0.25%
Nikkei_225___ 14,738.38 ▼ -335.14 ▼ -2.22%
Hang_Seng.__ 22,900.94 ▼ -239.11 ▼ -1.03%
Strait_Times.__ 3,154.21 ▼ -44.51 ▼ -1.39%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,132.02 ▼ -30.85 ▼ -0.60%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/asia-stocks-sag-us-fears-europe-stabilizes-080429350--finance.html


After an early slide, US stocks end mostly higher
Associated Press
By ALEX VEIGA

After several days surfing Wall Street's gut-wrenching swells and troughs, investors got a smoother ride on Thursday.
Related Stories

Well, mostly.

The stock market took an early plunge but recovered nearly all of the ground it lost as the day went on. By the closing bell most indexes were showing modest gains.

Despite the relatively calm day, many market pros say investors haven't seen the last of the market's big moves.

Traders are still fretting that global growth will slow and that Europe could slip into another recession, hurting corporate profits. Then there are the many geopolitical uncertainties, from conflicts in Syria and Iraq and uncertainty over the impact of the outbreak of the Ebola virus.

"The sailing has been much too smooth, so going forward, at the very least, (we're) back to normal turbulence," said Erik Davidson, deputy chief investment officer of Wells Fargo Private Bank.

On Thursday, investors drew some encouragement from new data on the labor market and the latest batch of corporate earnings. Energy stocks surged as oil prices bounced back, notching only their fourth daily gain in a month.

"We had some positive economic data that reminded everybody that the economy is doing quite well," said Randy Frederick, a managing director of trading and derivatives with the Schwab Center for Financial Research.

Another sign of easing anxiety: The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose after plunging a day earlier.

The Dow Jones industrial average sank as much as 206 points in the first hour of trading, turned higher an hour later, then wavered in a small range the rest of the day. The moves echoed Wednesday's trading, when the Dow plunged as much as 460 points, then recovered much of that loss to close down 173.

On Thursday the Dow closed down 24.50 points, or 0.2 percent, to 16,177.24.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index added 0.27 points, or 0.01 percent, to 1,862.76. The Nasdaq composite gained 2.07 points, or 0.1 percent, to 4,217.39.

The S&P 500 is up 0.8 percent for the year, while the Nasdaq is up 1 percent. Both had been down for 2014 a day earlier. The Dow remains down 2.8 percent for the year.

Small-company stocks also rebounded. The Russell 2000 index added 13.36, or 1.3 percent, to 1,085.81. The index is still down 6.7 percent for the year.

Investors cheered earnings from Delta Air Lines, which reported results early Thursday that beat analysts' forecasts. The stock, which has been pummeled this week amid worries about the impact that worries about the Ebola virus might have on bookings, rose 94 cents, or 2.9 percent, to $33.32.

Philip Morris International gained after reporting quarterly results that exceeded analysts' forecasts. Philip Morris' shares rose $1.68, or 2 percent, to $85.26.

Netflix plunged 19 percent after the company's subscriber growth fell short of its own forecasts following a rate increase. The stock slid $86.89 to $361.70.

Half of the 10 sectors in the S&P 500 rose, led by a 1.7 percent rise in energy stocks as the price of crude oil turned higher after a recent slump. Chesapeake Energy led the risers in the S&P 500, climbing $3.02, or 17 percent, to $20.79.

Remarks from St. Louis Fed President James Bullard also helped perk up stocks. In an interview with Bloomberg TV, Bullard said that the Federal Reserve should consider putting off winding down its monthly bond purchases this month as planned.

Bullard is not a voting member of the central bank's policymaking committee, but as the head of a branch of the Fed investors still followed his remarks closely. The Fed's monthly bond purchases are currently $15 billion. The Fed's Sept. 17 policy statement said the purchases would end at the October meeting if the central bank's expectations for improvements in the labor market and inflation continued to be met.

Investors also assessed a mixed bag of U.S. economic data.

A key highlight: U.S. unemployment aid applications fell last week to the lowest level in 14 years, another sign that the job market is strengthening.

U.S. Treasury yields stabilized. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.15 percent from 2.14 percent late Wednesday.

The price of oil rebounded somewhat despite an Energy Department report showing a sharp increase in U.S. stockpiles. Benchmark U.S. crude rose 92 cents to close at $82.70 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Crude remains 4 percent lower for the week, however, on high global supplies and weak demand. It's also sharply below its June peak of $107.26 a barrel.

Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, rose 69 cents to close at $84.47 on the ICE Futures exchange in London.

In other energy futures trading on the NYMEX, wholesale gasoline rose 6.2 cents to close at $2.211 a gallon, heating oil rose 1.1 cents to close at $2.470 a gallon and natural gas fell 0.4 cent to close at $3.796 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Metals futures closed slightly lower. Gold fell $3.60 to $1,241.20 an ounce, silver fell three cents to $17.44 an ounce and copper fell three cents to $2.98 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 263.17 points or ▲ 1.63% on Friday, 17 October 2014
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,380.41 ▲ 263.17 ▲ 1.63%
Nasdaq____ 4,258.44 ▲ 41.05 ▲ 0.97%
S&P_500___ 1,886.76 ▲ 24.00 ▲ 1.29%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.97 ▲ 0.03 ▲ 1.09%

NYSE Volume 4,444,146,500
Nasdaq Volume 2,167,057,000

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,310.29 ▲ 114.38 ▲ 1.85%
DAX_____ 8,850.27 ▲ 267.37 ▲ 3.12%
CAC_40__ 4,033.18 ▲ 114.56 ▲ 2.92%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,260.10 ▲ 15.80 ▲ 0.30%
Shanghai_Comp 2,341.18 ▼ -15.32 ▼ -0.65%
Taiwan_Weight 8,512.88 ▼ -120.81 ▼ -1.40%
Nikkei_225___ 14,532.51 ▼ -205.87 ▼ -1.40%
Hang_Seng.__ 23,023.21 ▲ 122.27 ▲ 0.53%
Strait_Times.__ 3,167.73 ▲ 13.52 ▲ 0.43%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,146.94 ▲ 14.92 ▲ 0.29%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/asia-stocks-footing-global-gyrations-052848511.html

Stocks rise sharply, ending market's dramatic week
Associated Press
By KEN SWEET

NEW YORK (AP) — The stock market had another turbulent session Friday, capping off one of the more eventful weeks on Wall Street in years. The Dow Jones industrial average soared more than 250 points following strong earnings from Morgan Stanley, General Electric and Textron as well as some encouraging U.S. economic reports.

It was the latest big move for a market which, with a few exceptions, has been on a mostly downward track. Stocks have had four weeks of declines, leaving the Standard & Poor's 500 index 6 percent below the record high it set Sept. 18.

Investors have been riding wild market swings for much of the week. The Dow Jones industrial average plunged as much as 460 points Wednesday, then had one of its best days of the year on Friday.

"We had indiscriminate selling all week, and then today we had indiscriminate buying," said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at BMO Private Bank in Chicago.

Market watchers have warned investors to expect more volatility than they have been used to in recent months, reflecting the heightened concerns about weaker growth in Europe and what it could mean for U.S. corporate profits, as well as plunging oil prices.

The turmoil has not been limited to the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Bonds, overseas stock markets and commodities prices have all had big moves this week.

"Most of the swings this week were related to fears about global growth and not about the fundamentals of this market," said James Liu, global market strategist at JPMorgan Funds.

The VIX, a measure of how much volatility investors expect in stocks, has risen from 12 in mid-September to as high as 31 this week, above its historical average of around 20. That's still far below the readings of 80 it had at the height of the 2008 financial crisis.

"This volatility, in a way, is purely psychological. This is the market returning to a more normalized behavior," Liu said.

The Dow Jones industrial average advanced 263.17 points, or 1.6 percent, to 16,380.41 Friday. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 24 points, or 1.3 percent, to 1,886.76 and the Nasdaq composite rose 41.05 points, or 1 percent, to 4,258.44.

On Friday, investors rallied behind a group of corporate earnings results.

General Electric rose 2.4 percent after the company reported third-quarter earnings that beat analysts' forecasts, citing improved performance in its aviation and oil and gas divisions. GE has a broad range of businesses that cover so many parts of the economy, from banking to building nuclear reactors, that investors see its results as a bellwether for how U.S. industry is doing. GE rose 57 cents to $24.82.

Textron, another industrial conglomerate, had the second-biggest gain in the S&P 500 index after its own earnings came in far ahead of what analysts were expecting. Textron rose $2.99, or 9 percent, to $36.65.

Overall, the S&P 500's industrial sector rose nearly 2 percent, making it the best performing part of the market.

Next week will be one of the busiest periods for Wall Street this earnings season. A total of 130 companies in the S&P 500 index will report quarterly results next week, including big names like American Express, Cola-Cola, AT&T and IBM.

Investors also had two pieces of positive economic data to work through.

A survey by the University of Michigan showed consumer sentiment unexpectedly rose last month to 86.4, much higher than the 84.3 expected by economists. It was the highest reading for that survey since July 2007, right before the Great Recession.

The Commerce Department reported that construction firms broke ground on more apartment complexes in September, up 6.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.017 million homes.

Homebuilders rose on the news. Hovnanian Enterprises gained 21 cents, or 6 percent, to $3.71 and Beazer Homes rose 72 cents, or 4 percent, to $17.71.

On Friday oil prices rose slightly, but were still down 4 percent for the week on prospects of lower demand from a slowing global economy and high supplies.

Benchmark U.S. crude rose 5 cents to close at $82.75 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, rose 34 cents to close at $86.16 on the ICE Futures exchange in London.

In other energy futures trading on the NYMEX, wholesale gasoline rose 2.2 cents to close at $2.233 a gallon, heating oil rose 2.8 cents to close at $2.498 a gallon and natural gas fell 3 cents to close at $3.766 per 1,000 cubic feet

The price of gold fell $2.20 to $1,239 an ounce, silver fell 11 cents to $17.33 an ounce and copper rose two cents to $3 a pound.

5782

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 19.26 points or ▲ 0.12% on Monday, 20 October 2014
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,399.67 ▲ 19.26 ▲ 0.12%
Nasdaq____ 4,316.07 ▲ 57.64 ▲ 1.35%
S&P_500___ 1,904.01 ▲ 17.25 ▲ 0.91%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.96 ▼ -0.01 ▼ -0.30%

NYSE Volume 3,308,984,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,644,738,120

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,267.07 ▼ -43.22 ▼ -0.68%
DAX_____ 8,717.76 ▼ -132.51 ▼ -1.50%
CAC_40__ 3,991.24 ▼ -41.94 ▼ -1.04%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,307.30 ▲ 47.20 ▲ 0.90%
Shanghai_Comp 2,356.73 ▲ 15.54 ▲ 0.66%
Taiwan_Weight 8,663.14 ▲ 150.26 ▲ 1.77%
Nikkei_225___ 15,111.23 ▲ 578.72 ▲ 3.98%
Hang_Seng.__ 23,070.26 ▲ 47.05 ▲ 0.20%
Strait_Times.__ 3,181.05 ▲ 13.32 ▲ 0.42%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,197.89 ▲ 50.94 ▲ 0.99%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/japan-leads-asia-stocks-higher-034812309.html

US stocks quietly move higher; IBM disappoints

US stocks advance in quiet trading session; IBM's results miss the mark, shares plunge
Associated Press
By Ken Sweet, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- The U.S. stock market moved quietly higher Monday as investors decided to step back into a market that was rattled by white-knuckle turbulence last week.

It was a rare move upward for a market that, for the most part, has been moving lower for the past month.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 17.26 points, or 0.9 percent, to 1,904.02 and the Nasdaq composite gained 57.64 points, or 1.4 percent, to 4,316.07.

The Dow Jones industrial average did not fare as well, and wound up essentially flat for the day. The 30-stock index rose 19.26 points, or 0.1 percent, to 16,399.67. The main reason the Dow did not perform as well as the other two indexes was IBM.

IBM fell $12.95, or 7 percent, to $169.10 after the company reported earnings that missed Wall Street's expectations. The company also missed on revenue and warned that it may not meet its profit goals for the foreseeable future. IBM was the biggest decliner in both the Dow and in the S&P 500.

The Dow is what's known as a price-weighted stock index, which means more expensive stocks like IBM tend to have an out-sized impact on its movements. Without the effect of IBM's decline, the blue chip index would have been up 102 points.

The quiet trading on Wall Street on Monday came after a wild ride last week, when the Dow moved between triple-digit losses and triple-digit gains. Investors remain concerned that economic weakness in Europe could spread to the U.S. Many investors remain bullish on the U.S. stock market over the long term, especially considering how well the U.S. economy has been doing.

"I think we are having a modest correction and I don't think this is a new bear market," said Scott Clemons, chief investment strategist for private banking at Brown Brothers Harriman.

The calm can be seen in the decline in the VIX, Wall Street's so-called "fear index." The VIX fell 15 percent to 18.7, closer to its recent average of 15. It went as high as 30 last week, but before this market volatility started, the VIX had been trading near record lows.

Many market watchers expected more volatile trading in the days and weeks to come. The S&P 500 is down just 5.3 percent from its mid-September high, even with the concerns about Europe and Asia. Also the market has had four straight weeks of declines.

"When a market gets as fully-priced as this one, it doesn't take much for things to go wrong," said Wayne Wilbanks, chief investment officer of Wilbanks, Smith & Thomas Asset Management. "This market is just shifting back to more normal market behavior after being in a low-volatility period for much longer than it should have."

This is one of the busiest weeks for company earnings. A total of 130 companies in the S&P 500 index will report their quarterly results, including big names like American Express, Cola-Cola and AT&T.

One big name to report after Monday's closing bell was Apple. The consumer electronics giant reported a profit of $1.42 a share, beating the $1.30 share expected by analysts. Sales also topped forecasts. Apple's stock rose $1.14, or 1 percent, to $100.95 in after-market trading.

U.S. government bond prices were mostly unchanged Monday. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note held steady at 2.19 percent.

One symptom of the concerns over the global economy has been the sharp fall in oil prices in recent weeks. The price of oil fell slightly Monday, remaining near its lowest level since June of 2012. Benchmark U.S. crude fell 4 cents to close at $82.71 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, fell 76 cents to close at $85.40 on the ICE Futures exchange in London. Wholesale gasoline fell 3.3 cents to close at $2.200 a gallon.

Gold rose $5.70 to $1,244.70 an ounce. Silver rose two cents to $17.35 an ounce and copper fell two cents to $2.99 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 215.14 points or ▲ 1.31% on Tuesday, 21 October 2014
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,614.81 ▲ 215.14 ▲ 1.31%
Nasdaq____ 4,419.48 ▲ 103.40 ▲ 2.40%
S&P_500___ 1,941.28 ▲ 37.27 ▲ 1.96%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.98 ▲ 0.02 ▲ 0.84%

NYSE Volume 3,954,109,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,925,690,250

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,372.33 ▲ 105.26 ▲ 1.68%
DAX_____ 8,886.96 ▲ 169.20 ▲ 1.94%
CAC_40__ 4,081.24 ▲ 90.00 ▲ 2.25%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,312.50 ▲ 5.20 ▲ 0.10%
Shanghai_Comp 2,339.66 ▼ -17.07 ▼ -0.72%
Taiwan_Weight 8,654.64 ▼ -8.50 ▼ -0.10%
Nikkei_225___ 14,804.28 ▼ -306.95 ▼ -2.03%
Hang_Seng.__ 23,088.58 ▲ 18.32 ▲ 0.08%
Strait_Times.__ 3,202.74 ▲ 21.69 ▲ 0.68%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,233.12 ▲ 35.24 ▲ 0.68%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/asian-stocks-drift-china-growth-054346725.html

Stocks rally; S&P 500 has best day of 2014
Associated Press
By KEN SWEET

NEW YORK (AP) ”” The U.S. stock market marched higher Tuesday, giving the Standard & Poor's 500 index its best day of the year.

Investors rallied behind an encouraging report on the Chinese economy as well as strong quarterly results from Apple and other big companies.

The market continues on its recovery from last week's swoon and has now erased much of its losses over the last two weeks.

"I think it's too early to call to call this a new rally, but I think there are definite signs that investors are gaining confidence again after last week's volatility," said Kristina Hooper, head of U.S. investment strategies at Allianz Global Investors.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index added 37.27 points, or 2 percent, to 1,941.28. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 215.14 points, or 1.3 percent, to 16,614.81. The Nasdaq composite rose 103.40 points, or 2.4 percent, to 4,419.48.

This week so far has been a contrast to last week's turbulence in many ways. Volatility is down, the S&P 500 index is on pace to have its best week of the year and the price of crude oil has stopped sliding. The bond market has also stabilized, with the 10-year Treasury note remaining around 2.20 percent for the last several days.

"Last week the main thing driving the market was the decline in oil, the Ebola scare and the rally in the 10-year Treasury note. All of those items have stabilized," said Ian Winer, director of equity trading at Wedbush Securities. "The Ebola risk, which was likely never a real issue, is being confirmed as such. Oil is holding at $80 a barrel and the 10-year note has stabilized."

That said, there's still a chance for bumps ahead given that a meeting of the Federal Reserve is coming up next week where the central bank is expected to end its bond-buying economic stimulus program for good. Growth worries in Europe and China are still top of mind, and with U.S. corporate earnings season underway, the market's direction could change quickly, traders and strategists said.

"Investors are likely to see more volatility, not less. We expected this to happen now that the Fed's quantitative easing program is ending," Hooper said. "We are in unusual times, so expect to see more of an outsized reaction in the market."

Since falling to a six-month low last week, the stock market has now basically recovered nearly all of its losses. After closing at 1,862.49 on Oct. 15, the S&P 500 index has rallied more than 4 percent in four days.

One notable part of the market investors have been moving back into is smaller, riskier companies. While the S&P 500 and Dow are still down 1.6 percent to 2.5 percent this month, respectively, the Russell 2000 is up 1 percent for October.

"That's an important sign that investors are regaining their confidence," Hooper said.

Apple gave a boost to the overall market. The maker of iPhones and iPads rose $2.71, or 2.7 percent, to $102.47 after its quarterly results easily beat analysts' expectations. Apple said it earned $1.42 a share last quarter, helped by strong sales of the latest version of the iPhone.

Investors also had an encouraging report out of Asia. China's economy expanded by 7.3 percent in the third quarter from a year earlier. Although growth slowed slightly from the previous quarter's 7.5 percent, analysts had expected a more marked slowdown, to 6.9 percent.

China has been a worry spot for investors for many weeks, and has been a key reason why financial markets have been volatile lately. Signs of a slowdown in Europe have also been worrying investors.

"After last week's volatility in the financial markets, the last thing investors needed was bad news out of China," said Neil MacKinnon, global macro strategist at VTB Capital.

In other company news, Coca-Cola fell $2.61, or 6 percent, to $40.68 after the company warned it might not meet its previous financial targets. While its earnings came in roughly where analysts had expected them to be, Coke said it doesn't expect to meet its long-term target of high-single-digit growth. The company also announced it would undergo a $3 billion a year cost-cutting program by 2019.

McDonald's also came out with figures that disappointed investors. The company said sales declined 3.3 percent globally, while in Asia, a key area for the company, sales fell 9.9 percent. McDonald's shares fell 58 cents, or 0.6 percent, to $91.01.

In commodities, oil prices were rising after weeks of declines. Crude gained as the better-than-expected economic data from China suggested higher global demand for oil. Benchmark U.S. crude rose 10 cents to close at $82.81 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, rose 82 cents to close at $86.22 on the ICE Futures exchange in London.

In other energy futures trading on the NYMEX, wholesale gasoline rose 1.3 cents to close at $2.213 a gallon, heating oil rose 2.7 cents to close at $2.513 a gallon and natural gas rose 4.1 cents to close at $3.711 per 1,000 cubic feet.

The recovery in oil prices helped send energy stocks higher. The energy sector in the S&P 500 jumped 2.9 percent Tuesday, by far the biggest gain of the 10 sectors in the index.

In metals trading, gold rose $7 to $1,251.70 an ounce, silver rose 20 cents to $17.55 an ounce and copper rose four cents to $3.03 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -153.49 points or ▼ -0.92% on Wednesday, 22 October 2014
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,461.32 ▼ -153.49 ▼ -0.92%
Nasdaq____ 4,382.85 ▼ -36.63 ▼ -0.83%
S&P_500___ 1,927.11 ▼ -14.17 ▼ -0.73%
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.00 ▲ 0.02 ▲ 0.54%

NYSE Volume 3,729,800,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,882,293,880

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,399.73 ▲ 27.40 ▲ 0.43%
DAX_____ 8,940.14 ▲ 53.18 ▲ 0.60%
CAC_40__ 4,105.09 ▲ 23.85 ▲ 0.58%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,373.30 ▲ 60.80 ▲ 1.14%
Shanghai_Comp 2,326.55 ▼ -13.10 ▼ -0.56%
Taiwan_Weight 8,748.83 ▲ 94.19 ▲ 1.09%
Nikkei_225___ 15,195.77 ▲ 391.49 ▲ 2.64%
Hang_Seng.__ 23,403.97 ▲ 315.39 ▲ 1.37%
Strait_Times.__ 3,202.74 ▲ 0.00 ▲ 0.00%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,279.70 ▲ 46.58 ▲ 0.89%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/asia-stocks-gain-us-rally-052906583.html

Slide in energy sector drags US stock market lower

S&P 500 falls, ending a four-day winning streak, as drop in oil price drags down energy stocks
Associated Press
By Bernard Condon, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks fell broadly on Wednesday, snapping a four-day winning streak for the Standard & Poor's 500 index, as investors shaken by recent swings in the market sold some of their holdings.

A slide in the price of oil dragged down energy stocks. Eight of the 10 industry groups in the S&P 500 fell, led by a 1.7 percent drop in energy. Small-company stocks also fell as traders unloaded riskier assets.

"The market is still nervous," said John Manley, chief equity strategist at Wells Fargo Funds Management. "The extreme volatility of the last few weeks is on our minds."

The drop in the S&P 500 came a day after the index's biggest gain this year.

Stocks were higher most of the morning on hopes that the European Central Bank would add to its stimulus program as well as news that U.S. inflation remained low last month. A batch of good earnings reports from U.S. companies also helped.

Those gains vanished in the afternoon as the price of crude oil began to drop. Traders have worried about a steady decline in oil as global demand for energy recedes.

"The market is taking a bit of breather," shrugged TD Ameritrade Chief Strategist JJ Kinahan. "People are reassessing what their expectations should be for the rest of the earnings season."

The S&P 500 dropped 14.17 points, or 0.7 percent, to 1,927.11. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 153.49 points, or 0.9 percent, to 16,461.32. The Nasdaq composite fell 36.63 points, or 0.8 percent, to 4,382.85.

The losses were mitigated by a batch of generally positive third-quarter earnings reports, which suggested that corporate profits were still growing at a healthy clip. Yahoo jumped 5 percent after reporting blowout earnings.

The closely watched Vix index, a gauge of expected swings in stock prices, surged nearly two points to 18. That is above the recent average of 15, but far below last week's high of 30.

TD Ameritrade's Kinahan suggested investors may have pushed up the Vix in reaction to news of a gunman killing a soldier outside a war memorial in Canada earlier in the day. But he was doubtful the shooting impacted the overall market much.

A big question hanging over stocks is just how good can corporate earnings get as Europe inches closer to recession and China slows.

So far this earnings season, investors have been encouraged. With about a fifth of S&P 500 companies out with their results and outlooks, stocks look reasonably priced as measured by expectations of future earnings. The index is trading at 15.8 times expected earnings per share over the next 12 months, according to S&P Capital IQ, a research firm. That is not much lower”” meaning cheaper ””than the average of 16.4 since 2001.

But other measures, comparing stock prices to earnings over the past 10 years, for instance, suggest the market may be overvalued.

Investors will get a clearer view on Thursday, a big day for earnings across industries. Those reporting include Microsoft, 3M, Amazon.com, Caterpillar and United Continental.

The government reported that consumer prices rose 1.7 percent in the year to date through September, below the 2 percent target set by the Federal Reserve. Low inflation has allowed the central bank to keep rates at record lows to help the economy by encouraging lending and hiring.

Frank Fantozzi, CEO of money management firm Planned Financial Services, says low inflation is another reason to resist selling when stocks are dropping, like they did Wednesday.

"Energy prices are pretty low and wages have stayed pretty flat. You look at that, and GDP growing pretty healthily, and there are too many good things," Fantozzi said. "The market should push through this."

Among stocks making big news:

”” Broadcom, a semiconductor company, rose 5.5 percent, the largest gain in the S&P 500, after reporting earnings late Tuesday that topped Wall Street estimates. The stock rose $2.04 to $39.37.

”” Biogen Idec dropped 5 percent despite a strong quarter. The drug company said a patient who took its newest multiple sclerosis drug suffered a brain inflammation and later died. The stock dropped $17.70 to $309.07.

The price of oil fell sharply after the Energy Department reported an increase in oil inventories that was far larger than analysts expected. The benchmark U.S. crude contract fell $1.97 to $80.52 a barrel in New York.

Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, fell $1.51 to close at $84.71 on the ICE Futures exchange in London.

In other energy futures trading on the NYMEX, wholesale gasoline fell 5.7 cents to close at $2.156 a gallon, heating oil fell 4.0 cents to close at $2.473 a gallon and natural gas fell 5.2 cents to close at $3.659 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Bond prices didn't move much. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note held steady at 2.22 percent.

Gold fell $6.20 to $1,245.50 an ounce, silver fell 32 cents to $17.23 an ounce and copper fell a penny to $3.02 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 216.58 points or ▲ 1.32% on Thursday, 23 October 2014
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,677.90 ▲ 216.58 ▲ 1.32%
Nasdaq____ 4,452.79 ▲ 69.95 ▲ 1.60%
S&P_500___ 1,950.82 ▲ 23.71 ▲ 1.23%
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.05 ▲ 0.05 ▲ 1.53%

NYSE Volume 3,756,220,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,876,923,620

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,419.15 ▲ 19.42 ▲ 0.30%
DAX_____ 9,047.31 ▲ 107.17 ▲ 1.20%
CAC_40__ 4,157.68 ▲ 52.59 ▲ 1.28%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,369.90 ▼ -3.40 ▼ -0.06%
Shanghai_Comp 2,302.42 ▼ -24.14 ▼ -1.04%
Taiwan_Weight 8,731.07 ▼ -17.76 ▼ -0.20%
Nikkei_225___ 15,138.96 ▼ -56.81 ▼ -0.37%
Hang_Seng.__ 23,333.18 ▼ -70.79 ▼ -0.30%
Strait_Times.__ 3,236.50 ▲ 33.76 ▲ 1.05%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,292.83 ▲ 13.13 ▲ 0.25%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/asia-stocks-down-mixed-china-055857197.html

US stocks jump following strong corporate earnings

US stocks rise sharply following strong earnings from 3M, Caterpillar, others
Associated Press
By Steve Rothwell, AP Business Writers

NEW YORK (AP) -- A combination of strong company earnings and encouraging economic reports, both in the U.S. and Europe, gave the stock market another day of solid gains on Thursday.

Caterpillar jumped after its third-quarter earnings report was better than Wall Street analysts had been expecting. The company also raised its profit outlook for the year. 3M, the maker of Post-it notes, industrial coatings and ceramics, was among other companies that gained after releasing impressive third-quarter results.

Investors were also cheered by a report that showed the number of people applying for U.S. unemployment benefits remains at a historically low level, suggesting that hiring is gaining steam. In Europe, a survey of businesses eased concerns that the region may be slipping back into recession.

Solid company earnings are sending the stock market higher and helping it recover from a jarring drop in mid-October that gave the Standard & Poor's 500 index its biggest slump in two years. The index has gained on five of the last six days, and on Tuesday logged its biggest advance of the year.

"The economic backdrop here in the United States is continuing to look strong. Earnings are validating that," said Karyn Cavanaugh, a senior market strategist at Voya Investment Management.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 23.71 points, or 1.2 percent, to 1,950.82. The Dow Jones industrial average climbed 216.58 points, or 1.3 percent, to 16,677.90. The Nasdaq composite rose 69.95 points, or 1.6 percent, to 4,452.79.

Eight of the ten sectors in the S&P 500 gained, led by a surge in industrial companies after Caterpillar and 3M reported their earnings.

Caterpillar said that some belt tightening had helped it contend with a slowing global economy. The company's CEO said he was hopeful that economic growth would pick up next year. Caterpillar's stock rose $4.70, or 5 percent, to $99.27. 3M gained $6.10, or 4.4 percent, to $145.05.

Companies in the S&P 500 have reported earnings growth of 5.5 percent for the third quarter, according to analysts at S&P Capital IQ. The rate of growth has slowed from 10.4 percent in the second quarter, but is forecast to pick up in the final three months of the year.

Stocks had started the day higher, following gains in European indexes, after a survey of the manufacturing and services sectors eased some fears that the region could be falling back into recession.

Financial information company Markit said its composite purchasing managers index for the 18-country bloc, a broad gauge of business activity, rose to 52.2 in October from 52 in September. Analysts had expected a small decline. Readings above 50 suggest expansion.

Although the reports from Europe "weren't fantastic," they suggested that the region would avoid sliding back into recession, said David Lebovitz, Global Market Strategist at J.P. Morgan Funds. Concerns about the worsening growth outlook in Europe helped push stocks sharply lower last week.

"It almost feels like the markets can breathe a sigh of relief for the time being," Lebovitz said. "That, combined with the earnings numbers, is what's driving the market."

European markets closed higher. France's CAC-40 rose 1.3 percent. Germany's DAX gained 1.2 percent and Britain's FTSE 100 edged up 0.3 percent.

In energy trading, the price of oil rose sharply Thursday on reports of lower production in Saudi Arabia and signs of strength in the U.S. economy.

The price of oil rose sharply on reports of lower production in Saudi Arabia and signs of strength in the U.S. economy. Benchmark U.S. crude rose $1.57 to close at $82.09 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, rose $2.12 to close at $86.83 on the ICE Futures exchange in London.

In other energy futures trading on the NYMEX, wholesale gasoline rose 5.1 cents to close at $2.207 a gallon, heating oil rose 2.6 cents to close at $2.499 a gallon natural gas fell 3.7 cents to close at $3.622 per 1,000 cubic feet.

In currency trading, the dollar was little changed against the euro, trading at $1.2651. The dollar climbed to 108.16 yen. U.S. government bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.28 percent from 2.22 on Wednesday.

In metals trading, gold fell $16.40 to $1,229.10 an ounce, silver fell seven cents to $17.16 an ounce and copper rose two cents to $3.04 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 127.51 points or ▲ 0.76% on Friday, 24 October 2014
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,805.41 ▲ 127.51 ▲ 0.76%
Nasdaq____ 4,483.72 ▲ 30.92 ▲ 0.69%
S&P_500___ 1,964.58 ▲ 13.76 ▲ 0.71%
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.05 ▲ 0.00 ▲ 0.13%

NYSE Volume 3,062,606,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,697,352,380

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,388.73 ▼ -30.42 ▼ -0.47%
DAX_____ 8,987.80 ▼ -59.51 ▼ -0.66%
CAC_40__ 4,128.90 ▼ -28.78 ▼ -0.69%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,399.30 ▲ 29.40 ▲ 0.55%
Shanghai_Comp 2,302.28 ▼ -0.14 ▼ -0.01%
Taiwan_Weight 8,646.01 ▼ -85.06 ▼ -0.97%
Nikkei_225___ 15,291.64 ▲ 152.68 ▲ 1.01%
Hang_Seng.__ 23,302.20 ▼ -30.98 ▼ -0.13%
Strait_Times.__ 3,222.55 ▼ -13.95 ▼ -0.43%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,333.83 ▲ 41.00 ▲ 0.77%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/asia-stocks-down-mixed-china-055857197.html

US stock market has best week in nearly 2 years
Associated Press
By KEN SWEET

NEW YORK (AP) ”” The stock market closed out its best week in nearly two years on a positive note Friday, helped by strong quarterly earnings from Microsoft and other big U.S. companies.

After weeks of speculation over the fate of Europe's economy, Ebola fears and plunging oil prices, investors were able to get back to basics. Wall Street is in the midst of one of the busiest times of the year, when companies report their quarterly results. Ultimately what drives stock prices higher is the potential for a company to earn more, so higher profits generally mean higher stock prices.

"What matters most to the market are earnings expectations and corporate fundamentals, and so far they're looking pretty good," said Michael Arone, chief investment strategist at State Street Global Advisors.

Profits for S&P 500 companies are up 5.6 percent from a year ago this earnings season, according to FactSet. That growth is better than the 4.6 percent increase the market was expecting.

Quarterly results from Microsoft and UPS helped lift stocks Friday, but there have been other strong reports this week. Caterpillar, 3M, Apple and others have all came in well above expectations.

Microsoft's sales and profits were well above analysts' expectations. Cloud services, a business the company has focused on, also grew. Microsoft rose $1.11, or 2.5 percent, to $46.13.

UPS also reported strong results and expects December shipments to rise 11 percent from a year ago. Many investors consider UPS a bellwether for how the U.S. economy is doing, particularly during the crucial holiday shopping season. UPS rose 11 cents, or 0.1 percent, to $100.59.

Investors were able to set aside dismal third-quarter results from Amazon. The online retailer's stock took a beating, but that wasn't enough to drag down the rest of the market.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 127.51 points, or 0.8 percent, to 16,805.41. The Standard & Poor's 500 index added 13.76 points, or 0.7 percent, to 1,964.58 and the Nasdaq composite rose 30.92 points, or 0.7 percent, to 4,483.72.

The S&P 500 rose 4.1 percent for the week, its biggest gain since January 2013. But volatility can go both ways. Just as the market jumped sharply this week, it plunged just as sharply last week. The index is still down 0.4 percent for October.

"We've seen the market sell-off and we saw people buy on the bounce, and that looks like it will continue," said Brad McMillan, chief investment officer at Commonwealth Financial.

Amazon reported a steeper-than-expected quarterly loss despite soaring sales. Investors have grown impatient with the company, which has been unable to deliver profits even as it gains ground as one of the world's largest retail companies. Amazon fell $26.12, or 8 percent, to $287.06.

Investors are turning their focus to next week's Federal Reserve policy meeting for hints about the future of the central bank's bond purchases and its short-terms interest rates.

The bond-buying program has kept long-term rates extremely low to encourage investment and hiring. Recent mixed signals about the strength of the U.S. recovery have prompted speculation that the Fed might let the program continue for longer than previously anticipated.

Investors will also get another large batch of quarterly results from U.S. companies next week, when 159 members of the S&P 500 index report. Those companies include Merck, Exxon Mobil, Chevron and Visa.

The price of oil fell Friday on further evidence of ample supplies and weak demand. Benchmark U.S. crude fell $1.08 to close at $81.01 a barrel in New York.

Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, fell 70 cents to close at $86.13 in London.

In New York, wholesale gasoline fell 2.5 cents to close at $2.182 a gallon, heating oil fell 1.7 cents to close at $2.482 a gallon and natural gas rose 0.1 cent to close at $3.623 per 1,000 cubic feet.

The price of gold rose $2.70 to $1,231.80 an ounce, silver rose two cents to $17.18 an ounce and copper was flat at $3.04 a pound.

6204

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 12.53 points or ▲ 0.07% on Monday, 27 October 2014
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,817.94 ▲ 12.53 ▲ 0.07%
Nasdaq____ 4,485.93 ▲ 2.22 ▲ 0.05%
S&P_500___ 1,961.63 ▼ -2.95 ▼ -0.15%
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.03 ▼ -0.02 ▼ -0.52%

NYSE Volume 3,497,992,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,488,414,750

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,363.46 ▼ -55.69 ▼ -0.87%
DAX_____ 8,902.61 ▼ -85.19 ▼ -0.95%
CAC_40__ 4,096.74 ▼ -32.16 ▼ -0.78%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,441.90 ▲ 42.60 ▲ 0.79%
Shanghai_Comp 2,290.44 ▼ -11.84 ▼ -0.51%
Taiwan_Weight 8,627.78 ▼ -18.23 ▼ -0.21%
Nikkei_225___ 15,388.72 ▲ 97.08 ▲ 0.63%
Hang_Seng.__ 23,143.23 ▼ -158.97 ▼ -0.68%
Strait_Times.__ 3,226.11 ▲ 3.56 ▲ 0.11%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,333.83 ▲ 41.00 ▲ 0.77%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/asia-stocks-mostly-higher-ecb-032347790.html

S&P 500 ends with slight loss on oil, Europe woes
Associated Press
By Matthew Craft, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Lower oil prices and more gloomy economic news from Europe tugged the U.S. stock market to a slight loss on Monday.

Companies whose fortunes tend to follow global economic growth fared the worst, as shares of oil companies and material producers dropped 2 percent. Those industries that depend on the U.S. economy, including telecoms, held steady.

"What we're seeing is a market trying to find its footing right now," said Kevin Mahn, president and chief investment officer of Hennion & Walsh Asset Management.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index closed with a loss of 2.95 points, or 0.2 percent, at 1,961.63.

The Nasdaq composite rose 2.22 points, a fraction of a percent, to 4,485.93, while the Dow Jones industrial average picked up 12.53 points, or 0.1 percent, to 16,817.94.

The news out Monday was mostly glum. Business confidence in Germany, Europe's largest economy, declined for a sixth straight month, and Goldman Sachs said slowing economic growth around the world led it to lower its forecast for crude prices.

The European Central Bank released the results of its stress tests of Europe's 130 biggest banks and said 13 of them still needed to raise more capital to survive a severe downturn. The bank that did worst in the tests, Italy's Monte dei Paschi di Siena, saw its shares plunge 18 percent. Those that passed, however, traded higher.

Germany's DAX lost 0.9 percent. France's CAC 40 dropped 0.8 percent, and Britain's FTSE 100 dipped 0.4 percent.

Last week, the U.S. stock market turned in its best performance in nearly two years. The rise helped the S&P 500 regain ground from four weeks of losses. The benchmark index had dropped almost 6 percent by mid-October, but is now down just a fraction ”” 0.5 percent ”” for the month.

David Joy, chief market strategist at Ameriprise Financial, thinks the volatility is tied to actions by the world's central banks. The Federal Reserve is winding down its $4 trillion bond-buying program ”” known as QE ”” this month. And many investors expect the European Central Bank to launch its own program on a similar scale.

"We're approaching the end of QE, and I think the market is going through a period when people are asking, how important is it to lack that support?" Joy said. "The open question is how robust is the economy you're left with. Is it strong enough to sustain earnings growth?"

Rising supplies and weak global demand continued to weigh on the price of crude oil on Monday, which has tumbled from a high of $107 a barrel in June. Goldman Sachs was the latest Wall Street bank to lower its forecast for prices in a report, saying OPEC was unlikely to cut exports to try and push prices back up. Benchmark U.S. crude fell 1 cent to close at $81 a barrel in New York after trading much lower earlier in the day.

Oil and gas companies sank. Halliburton and Nabors Industries both dropped more than 6 percent.

Among other companies making big moves, Micron Technology surged 4 percent after the chip maker announced plans to spend as much as $1 billion to buy its own shares. Micron jumped $1.24 to $32.30, extending a rally that has pushed the stock up 48 percent this year.

Merck said its earnings and sales fell in the third quarter, and the pharmaceutical company also scaled back its most optimistic forecasts for full-year profits and revenue. The news knocked Merck's stock down $1.16, or 2 percent, to $56.45.

In other trading on Monday, prices barely budged in the market for U.S. government bonds. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note slipped to 2.26 percent from 2.27 percent late Friday.

In the commodity markets, gold fell $2.50 to settle at $1,229.30 an ounce, silver fell 2 cents to $17.16 an ounce and copper edged up 2 cents to $3.06 a pound.

Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, fell 30 cents to close at $85.13 in London.

In other trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange:

”” Wholesale gasoline fell 1.2 cents to close at $2.170 a gallon.

”” Heating oil fell 0.7 cents to close at $2.475 a gallon.

”” Natural gas fell 6.2 cents to close at $3.561 per 1,000 cubic feet.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 187.81 points or ▲ 1.12% on Tuesday, 28 October 2014
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,005.75 ▲ 187.81 ▲ 1.12%
Nasdaq____ 4,564.29 ▲ 78.36 ▲ 1.75%
S&P_500___ 1,985.05 ▲ 23.42 ▲ 1.19%
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.06 ▲ 0.02 ▲ 0.76%

NYSE Volume 3,602,050,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,849,439,880

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,402.17 ▲ 38.71 ▲ 0.61%
DAX_____ 9,068.19 ▲ 165.58 ▲ 1.86%
CAC_40__ 4,112.67 ▲ 15.93 ▲ 0.39%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,434.00 ▼ -7.90 ▼ -0.15%
Shanghai_Comp 2,337.87 ▲ 47.43 ▲ 2.07%
Taiwan_Weight 8,773.55 ▲ 145.77 ▲ 1.69%
Nikkei_225___ 15,329.91 ▼ -58.81 ▼ -0.38%
Hang_Seng.__ 23,520.36 ▲ 377.13 ▲ 1.63%
Strait_Times.__ 3,211.65 ▼ -14.46 ▼ -0.45%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,338.33 ▲ 4.50 ▲ 0.08%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/global-stocks-mostly-higher-fed-meeting-awaited-091856970.html

Stocks rise as profits, confidence index climb
Associated Press
By BERNARD CONDON

NEW YORK (AP) ”” Strong corporate earnings pushed up stocks across industries on Tuesday, with the energy sector and small companies leading the gains.

Stocks rose from the open, then built on the momentum as investors sifted through mostly encouraging quarterly results. Whirlpool, AutoNation and engine-maker Cummins all rose 7 percent after reporting their results.

The surge in stocks in recent days is a turnaround from Oct. 15, when the Standard and Poor's 500 closed just short of a "correction," defined as a drop of 10 percent or more from a recent high. With the gains on Tuesday, the index has nearly erased all those losses.

"Here we are just two weeks later, and we've just about gained it back," said Scott Wren, a stock strategist at Wells Fargo Advisors. "We think it's still going up."

Investors were cheered also by news that a key gauge of U.S. consumer confidence rebounded strongly in October. The Conference Board reported that its confidence index hit a seven-year high as solid job gains raised expectations for economic growth, an encouraging sign for retailers as they head into the holiday shopping season.

"We're predicting Christmas is going to be very strong," said Phil Orlando, chief equity strategist at Federated Investments. "Stocks are cheap right now."

The S&P 500 rose 23.42 points, or 1.2 percent, to 1,985.05. That puts it another strong day from it a record high. It's now just 26.31 points short of its Sept. 18 record close of 2,011.36.

All ten industry groups in the index rose, led by a 2.3 percent gain in energy stocks.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 187.81 points, or 1.1 percent, to 17,005.75. The Nasdaq composite climbed 78.36 points, or 1.8 percent, to 4,564.29.

The biggest gain was in the Russell 2000, a small stock index. It jumped 2.9 percent.

In other economic news, orders to U.S. companies for long-lasting manufactured goods fell for a second month in September, a government report showed. Orders have jumped around in recent months due to moves in the volatile category of aircraft orders.

Homebuilders rose following news that U.S. home prices grew in August, albeit at a more modest pace. The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller 20-city home price index rose 5.6 percent in August from 12 months earlier. Home prices were rising at a double-digit pace as recently as last fall. Meritage Homes rose 84 cents, or 2.2 percent, to $38.60.

Investors are now looking ahead to Wednesday's announcement from the Federal Reserve's policymaking committee for insight into when the central bank might start raising interest rates. The Fed is winding down its $4 trillion bond-buying program, which is known as quantitative easing. There is heightening concern about whether the U.S. economy is strong enough to sustain growth without that support.

Among other stocks making big moves Tuesday:

”” Amgen rose 6 percent after it announced plans to cut more jobs, buy back $2 billion worth of stock and raise its dividend by 30 percent. That followed news Monday that third-quarter adjusted earnings and revenue for the world's biggest biotech drugmaker topped Wall Street's expectations. The stock rose $8.99 to $157.19.

”” Madison Square Garden Co. surged 11 percent after the company said it's considering a plan to split off its entertainment businesses from its media and sports divisions. The stock rose $7.21 to $72.99.

”” Twitter reported third-quarter revenue late Monday that outpaced expectations, but investors are worried about revenue for the last three months of the year and growth in the number of users. The stock plummeted $4.78 to $43.78, a loss of 10 percent.

The price of oil rose as rising consumer confidence led investors to anticipate greater demand for energy.

U.S. crude rose 42 cents to $81.42 a barrel in New York. That helped push up energy stocks 2.3 percent, the biggest gain among the 10 industry groups in the S&P 500. Crude has dropped sharply since June, when it went as high as $107 a barrel.

Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, rose 20 cents to close at $86.03 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange in London.

In other energy futures trading on the NYMEX, wholesale gasoline rose 2.6 cents to close at $2.196 a gallon, heating oil rose 1.8 cents to close at $2.493 a gallon and natural gas rose 8.8 cents to close at $3.649 per 1,000 cubic feet.

In bond trading, the price of the 10-year Treasury note fell slightly. The yield, which moves in the opposite direction, rose to 2.29 percent from 2.26 percent late Monday.

The price of gold edged up 10 cents to $1,229.40 an ounce, silver rose six cents to $17.23 an ounce and copper rose three cents to $3.09 a pound.