NYSE Dow Jones finished today at:

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 259.7 points or ▲ 1.48% on Thursday, 22 January 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,813.98 ▲ 259.70 ▲ 1.48%
Nasdaq____ 4,750.40 ▲ 82.98 ▲ 1.78%
S&P_500___ 2,063.15 ▲ 31.03 ▲ 1.53%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.47 ▲ 0.03 ▲ 1.19%

NYSE Volume 4,121,934,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,926,213,000

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,796.63 ▲ 68.59 ▲ 1.02%
DAX_____ 10,435.62 ▲ 136.39 ▲ 1.32%
CAC_40__ 4,552.80 ▲ 67.98 ▲ 1.52%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,390.50 ▲ 23.10 ▲ 0.43%
Shanghai_Comp 3,343.34 ▲ 19.73 ▲ 0.59%
Taiwan_Weight 9,369.51 ▲ 49.80 ▲ 0.53%
Nikkei_225___ 17,329.02 ▲ 48.54 ▲ 0.28%
Hang_Seng.__ 24,522.63 ▲ 170.05 ▲ 0.70%
Strait_Times.__ 3,371.24 ▲ 16.78 ▲ 0.50%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,647.15 ▼ -25.71 ▼ -0.45%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stocks-rally-euro-falls-europe-215331559.html

Stocks rally, euro falls after Europe unveils stimulus plan

US stocks erase losses for year after Europe's central bank unveils economic plan
Associated Press
By Matthew Craft, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- A plan to revive Europe's sagging economy rippled through the financial world on Thursday, setting off a rally in the stock market that wiped out its losses for the year.

The pledge by the European Central Bank to spend 1.1 trillion euros on bonds knocked down government borrowing rates across Europe and drove the euro to its lowest level against the dollar in 11 years. For investors, the long wait for action in Europe was over.

"It's all about the ECB today," said Jeff Kravetz, regional investment strategist at U.S. Bank Wealth Management. "This is a very positive development. They have a reputation of overpromising and under-delivering, and today they delivered."

The Standard & Poor's 500 index jumped 31.03 points, or 1.5 percent, to close at 2,063.15. That nudged it into positive territory for the year, up 0.2 percent.

The Dow Jones industrial average climbed 259.70 points, or 1.5 percent, to 17,813.98 while the Nasdaq climbed 82.98 points, or 1.8 percent, to 4,750.40.

The ECB announced Thursday that it would start buying 60 billion euros worth of government and private bonds every month, slightly more than what many in the markets anticipated. The central bank said the program will run 18 months, from this March until September of next year, but left open the option of extending the program if necessary.

That wiggle room is crucial, said Joseph Quinlan, chief market strategist at U.S. Trust. Turning around an economy often takes longer than people think. The Federal Reserve launched its first bond-buying effort at the end of 2008 and kept expanding it over the following years.

"The biggest positive is that it appears to be open-ended," Quinlan said. "As we learned in the U.S., it takes time for this to work."

Major markets in Europe ended the day with solid gains. Germany's DAX rose 1.3 percent and France's CAC-40 gained 1.5 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 picked up 1 percent.

Prices for government bonds across Europe jumped, pushing yields to record lows. The yield on the 10-year German bond hit 0.39 percent. Borrowing costs for governments in France, Italy and other countries also reached new lows.

"It's hard not to see this as a positive, but there will be lingering doubts," said Chris Rupkey, chief financial economist at the Bank of Tokyo, in a note to clients. "Is there even enough debt for them to buy?"

The euro fell further against the U.S. dollar on Thursday, reaching $1.13. The euro hasn't been that cheap since September 2003, according to FactSet data. A weakened euro makes European goods cheaper, which could help boost exports from the region and lift inflation from dangerously low levels.

The dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of major currencies, climbed 1.6 percent, putting it up 4.6 percent for the month.

A strong dollar has its drawbacks, especially for big U.S. corporations that depend on overseas sales. It raises prices for U.S. products in foreign countries, and means the revenue that U.S. companies collect in other currencies translates into fewer dollars when they bring the money home. A strong dollar, in other words, can pinch profits. For companies in the S&P 500 index, roughly half of total revenue comes from outside the United States.

The strong dollar, for example, hurt Johnson & Johnson in the fourth quarter, and triggered a sell-off in its shares on Tuesday.

Big-name companies turning in results on Thursday were spared damage from currency fluctuations, however. Southwest Airlines reported higher quarterly profit and revenue than Wall Street expected. The carrier said lower prices for jet fuel helped reduce costs, and estimated that it should save around half a billion dollars on fuel during the first three months of 2015. Southwest jumped $3.52, or 8 percent, to $45.35, making it the biggest gainer in the S&P 500.

Union Pacific's stock chugged ahead, rising $5.43, or 5 percent, to $119.83. Its fourth-quarter profit surged 22 percent as the railroad operator hauled more freight.

In the commodity markets, most precious and industrial metals settled higher. Gold rose an even $7 to $1,300.70 an ounce, while silver picked up 17 cents to $18.36 an ounce. Copper slipped 3 cents to $2.58 a pound.

U.S. government bond prices dipped, shoving the yield on the 10-year Treasury to 1.88 percent from 1.87 percent late Wednesday.

The price of oil fell following news of a large increase in U.S. crude stocks. The Energy Department said oil and petroleum fuel supplies have reached their highest level since 1990. Benchmark U.S. crude fell $1.47 to close at $46.31 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the international benchmark, fell 51 cents to $48.52 in London.

In other futures trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange:

”” Wholesale gasoline rose 0.5 cents to close at $1.331 a gallon.

”” Heating oil rose 0.8 cents to close at $1.638 a gallon.

”” Natural gas fell 13.9 cents to close at $2.835 per 1,000 cubic feet.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -141.38 points or ▼ -0.79% on Friday, 23 January 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,672.60 ▼ -141.38 ▼ -0.79%
Nasdaq____ 4,757.88 ▲ 7.48 ▲ 0.16%
S&P_500___ 2,051.82 ▼ -11.33 ▼ -0.55%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.39 ▼ -0.08 ▼ -3.04%

NYSE Volume 3,623,753,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,610,030,500

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,832.83 ▲ 36.20 ▲ 0.53%
DAX_____ 10,649.58 ▲ 213.96 ▲ 2.05%
CAC_40__ 4,640.69 ▲ 87.89 ▲ 1.93%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,468.20 ▲ 77.70 ▲ 1.44%
Shanghai_Comp 3,351.76 ▲ 8.42 ▲ 0.25%
Taiwan_Weight 9,470.94 ▲ 101.43 ▲ 1.08%
Nikkei_225___ 17,511.75 ▲ 182.73 ▲ 1.05%
Hang_Seng.__ 24,850.45 ▲ 327.82 ▲ 1.34%
Strait_Times.__ 3,411.50 ▲ 41.21 ▲ 1.22%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,675.24 ▲ 28.09 ▲ 0.50%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/asian-stock-markets-boosted-ecb-stimulus-plan-074702069--finance.html

Stocks fall, snapping 4-day winning streak; UPS slumps
Associated Press
By STEVE ROTHWELL

NEW YORK (AP) — A batch of mixed earnings reports Friday helped push the stock market to its first day of losses this week.

Shares of tissue and diaper maker Kimberly-Clark dropped after the company's earnings fell short of expectations and it gave a disappointing outlook. Package-delivery service UPS plunged after it cut its earnings forecast.

Strong growth in company earnings have underpinned a bull run in stocks that has stretched for nearly six years. Earnings are still expected to keep rising, but the pace of growth is slowing, and investors are looking for signs that sales are up.

"Our view is that the market is poised to have a reset to reflect what we think is a lower growth environment," said James Abate, chief investment officer of Centre Funds, an asset management company.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 11.33 points, or 0.6 percent, to 2,051.82. The Dow Jones industrial average slipped 141.38 points, or 0.8 percent, to 17,672.60. The Nasdaq composite bucked the trend, gaining 7.48 points, or 0.2 percent, to 4,757.88.

Despite the fall, stocks ended with their first weekly gain of the year.

Global stocks rose sharply on Thursday after the European Central Bank announced that it would buy 60 billion euros ($67 billion) of government and corporate bonds each month at least through September 2016. The 1.1 trillion euro program signals the willingness of the ECB to boost the economies in the 19-nation euro currency alliance.

The ECB's stimulus "was a big positive not just for Europe, but also the U.S.," said Jerry Braakman, chief investment officer of First American Trust, in Santa Ana, California.

Stocks have wavered since the start of the year on signs that growth outside of the U.S. was slowing. Many investors worried that a pronounced slowdown would eventually curb the U.S. economic recovery.

"Anything that can stem the contagion and stop the malaise from spilling over ... that allows our bull market to continue," Braakman said.

For the week, the S&P 500 edged up 1.6 percent while he Dow rose 0.9 percent.

But on Friday, earnings from some big-name companies weighed down the market.

Kimberly-Clark reported a fourth-quarter loss of $83 million. The company also forecast weaker sales in 2015. The stock dropped $7.33, or 6.2 percent, to $111.65.

UPS said it was hurt by the huge cost of guaranteeing punctual deliveries over the holidays. That forced the shipping company to cut its outlook for the year. UPS hired more workers and boosted capacity at its facilities during the busy holiday season to avoid a repeat of 2013, when shippers struggled with a deluge of orders. Its stock slumped $11.32, or 10 percent, to $102.93.

Oil has resumed its slump after stabilizing last week. Benchmark crude finished down 72 cents to $45.59 a barrel on Friday. For the week, oil is also down, extending a slump that has cut the price by more than half since June.

As a result of oil's fall, weaker results from energy companies are expected to hurt profits for S&P 500 companies in the fourth quarter. Still, overall earnings are expected to grow by 4.1 percent in that period, according to data from S&P Capital IQ. That's slower than the 4.9 percent increase a year earlier. Revenue is expected to rise 2 percent.

Still, not all earnings reports on Friday disappointed.

Starbucks quarterly earnings soared 82 percent as the coffee chain attracted more customers over the holidays, thanks to its expanded food and drink menu. The company's stock jumped $5.48, or 6.6 percent, to $88.22.

In government bond trading, prices rose. The yield on the 10-year government bond fell to 1.79 percent from 1.87 on Thursday.

The dollar continued to strengthen against most major currencies. Against the euro, the dollar traded at $1.1212 from $1.356. The euro is at its lowest against the dollar in more than a decade.

The U.S. currency slipped slightly against the Japanese yen, dropping to 117.83 yen from 118.56 yen the previous day.

In metals trading, prices fell.

Silver dropped 6 cents, or 0.3 percent, to $18.30 an ounce. Gold fell $8.10, or 0.6 percent, to $1,292.60 an ounce. Copper declined 7.7 cents, or 3 percent, to $2.50 a pound.

In other futures trading on the NYMEX:

— Brent crude rose 27 cents to $48.79 a barrel.

— Wholesale gasoline rose 2 cents to $1.347 a gallon.

— Heating oil was essentially flat at $1.646 a gallon.

— Natural gas gained 15 cents to $2.986 per 1,000 cubic feet.

4245

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 6.1 points or ▲ 0.03% on Monday, 26 January 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,678.70 ▲ 6.10 ▲ 0.03%
Nasdaq____ 4,771.76 ▲ 13.88 ▲ 0.29%
S&P_500___ 2,057.09 ▲ 5.27 ▲ 0.26%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.40 ▲ 0.00 ▲ 0.17%

NYSE Volume 3,434,999,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,667,137,500

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,852.40 ▲ 19.57 ▲ 0.29%
DAX_____ 10,798.33 ▲ 148.75 ▲ 1.40%
CAC_40__ 4,675.13 ▲ 34.44 ▲ 0.74%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,468.20 ▲ 77.70 ▲ 1.44% AUSTRALIA DAY HOLIDAY
Shanghai_Comp 3,383.18 ▲ 31.42 ▲ 0.94%
Taiwan_Weight 9,477.67 ▲ 6.73 ▲ 0.07%
Nikkei_225___ 17,468.52 ▼ -43.23 ▼ -0.25%
Hang_Seng.__ 24,909.90 ▲ 59.45 ▲ 0.24%
Strait_Times.__ 3,397.30 ▼ -14.20 ▼ -0.42%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,698.66 ▲ 23.42 ▲ 0.41%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/asia-stocks-down-anti-austerity-024727734.html

Stocks eke out small gains after drifting most of the day
Associated Press
By ALEX VEIGA

U.S. stocks eked out tiny gains on Monday after spending much of the day drifting sideways.

Major stock indexes barely budged early as investors took in stride the election of a Greek political party that has called for the elimination of some that nation's rescue loans. Market players also weighed the latest batch of corporate earnings

Traders welcomed news of several corporate mergers, including an $11 billion deal between reinsurers Axis Capital Holdings and PartnerRe.

"Greece was the big driver," said Chris Gaffney, a senior market strategist at EverBank Wealth Management. "The EU leaders have already come out and are willing to talk about extending the debt, so that calmed the markets a bit."

The market also brushed off concerns of a major blizzard set to descend over the Northeast U.S. The stock exchanges were expected to open for business as usual on Tuesday.

The Dow Jones industrial added 6.10 points, or 0.03 percent, to 17,678.70. The Standard & Poor's 500 gained 5.27 points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,057.09. The Nasdaq composite rose 13.88 points, or 0.3 percent, to 4,771.76.

Monday's market action got off to a listless start, as the major market indexes held mostly unchanged from Friday's close.

Investors were still digesting Sunday's election victory by Greece's Syriza party, which has vowed to end painful austerity policies. That's raised concerns about whether Greece will break free from the Eurozone. The country's current bailout plan concludes at the end of February.

European markets' initial reaction to the election was positive, sending Germany's DAX up 1.4 percent, while the CAC-40 in France rose 0.7 percent. The main stock market in Greece recouped some of its early losses to end 3.2 percent lower.

"European markets reflected worse expectations for the outcome of this election and, as a result, they're seeing this as better-than-expected news," said Kate Warne, an investment strategist at Edward Jones.

Six of the 10 sectors in the S&P 500 ended higher, and energy companies rose the most. The price of oil fell on continuing expectations of high supplies, but comments from an OPEC official suggested that the recent price plunge might be near an end.

Corporate deals also helped push some stocks sharply higher Monday.

Packaging company MeadWestvaco agreed to combine with Rock-Tenn Co. to create a $16 billion company, which will be named before the deal closes. MeadWestvaco jumped 14 percent, to lead all stocks in the S&P 500. The stock gained $6.31 to $51.35. Rock-Tenn vaulted $3.86, or 6.1 percent, to $66.85.

Post Holdings jumped 18 percent on news that the company has agreed to acquire privately held MOM Brands in a deal that involves $1.05 billion in cash and nearly 2.5 million shares of stock. MOM's products include cereals, hot wheat and oatmeal products. Post shares gained $7.39 to $48.83.

Investors also cheered the combination of Axis Capital and ParnterRe, lifting Axis shares $2.81, or 5.7 percent, to $52.14. PartnerRe gained $1.36, or 1.2 percent, to $115.50.

Developments in Russia also rippled through parts of the market.

Standard & Poor's rating agency downgraded Russia's credit grade to junk status on Monday. The agency sees the country's financial buffers at risk amid a slide in the country's currency and weakening revenue from oil exports. The downgrade contributed to a slide in the ruble, which weakened about 6 percent against the dollar.

Beyond geopolitical news, traders remain focused on corporate earnings, which are a key driver of stocks. They're also looking ahead to Wednesday, when the Federal Reserve is scheduled to deliver an update that could provide new insight into when the central bank plans to begin raising interest rates.

Players in the market appear to be looking past the major snowstorm sweeping into the Northeast.

"It could be disruptive, potentially, for a few people, maybe a few traders," said Doug Cote, chief market strategist at Voya Investment Management. "But as far as the market impact goes, it's minimal, unless there are severe power outages."

The NYSE Group said it plans normal trading hours for its exchanges through Tuesday.

Last week, the S&P 500 ended higher three days in a row before pulling back Friday. The Dow and S&P 500 are down slightly for the year, but remain near all-time highs set last month. The Nasdaq is up 0.8 percent this year.

In commodities trading, benchmark U.S. crude fell 44 cents to close at $45.15 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, fell 63 cents to close at $48.16 in London. Oil has plunged since June, when it traded above $100.

In other futures trading on the NYMEX:

”” Wholesale gasoline fell 3.1 cents to close at $1.317 a gallon.

”” Heating oil fell 0.7 cents to close at $1.640 a gallon.

”” Natural gas fell 10.5 cents to close at $2.881 per 1,000 cubic feet.

U.S. government bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.82 percent from 1.80 percent late Friday.

In metals trading, gold fell $13.20 to $1,279.40 an ounce. Silver slipped 31 cents to $17.98 an ounce. Copper rose four cents to $2.54 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -291.49 points or ▼ -1.65% on Tuesday, 27 January 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,387.21 ▼ -291.49 ▼ -1.65%
Nasdaq____ 4,681.50 ▼ -90.27 ▼ -1.89%
S&P_500___ 2,029.55 ▼ -27.54 ▼ -1.34%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.40 ▲ 0.00 ▲ 0.17%

NYSE Volume 3,301,402,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,859,652,250

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,811.61 ▼ -40.79 ▼ -0.60%
DAX_____ 10,628.58 ▼ -169.75 ▼ -1.57%
CAC_40__ 4,624.21 ▼ -50.92 ▼ -1.09%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,511.50 ▲ 43.30 ▲ 0.79%
Shanghai_Comp 3,352.96 ▼ -30.22 ▼ -0.89%
Taiwan_Weight 9,521.59 ▲ 43.92 ▲ 0.46%
Nikkei_225___ 17,768.30 ▲ 299.78 ▲ 1.72%
Hang_Seng.__ 24,807.28 ▼ -102.62 ▼ -0.41%
Strait_Times.__ 3,412.20 ▲ 13.68 ▲ 0.40%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,737.74 ▲ 39.08 ▲ 0.69%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-company-outlooks-worry-investors-211226348.html

US company outlooks worry investors, sending stocks lower

Disappointing outlooks for companies like Caterpillar, Microsoft, drive stocks lower
Associated Press
By Alex Veiga, AP Business Writer

U.S. stocks slumped Tuesday after some of the market's largest companies reported disappointing earnings, taking investors on a turbulent ride that deepened the losses for the year.

The companies that rattled the market included Microsoft, Caterpillar and Procter & Gamble. Some also forecast weaker results in months ahead.

An unexpected drop in U.S. orders of long-lasting goods also weighed on the market, briefly dragging the Dow Jones industrial average down 390 points early in the day before it pared back some of the losses. It was the biggest one-day decline for the blue-chip index since Jan. 5.

The downbeat company report cards raise concerns about Corporate America's ability to grow profits at a time when many investors are expecting the resurgent U.S. economy to drive earnings should economic growth weaken overseas.

"That theme, 'Boy, this is the year earnings are going to come back,' suffered a little bit of a setback," said Sean Lynch, co-head of global equity strategy at Wells Fargo Investment Institute. "Investors are starting to worry that the stronger dollar and some the impacts of energy aren't always positive."

The Dow dropped 291.49 points, or 1.7 percent, to close at 17,387.21. It is now 3.7 percent below its record high of 18,053.71 on Dec. 26.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 27.53 points, or 1.3 percent, to 2,029.56. It's down 2.9 percent from its high of 2,090.57 on Dec. 29.

The Nasdaq composite dropped 90.27 points, or 1.9 percent, to 4,681.50.

The major stock indexes got off to a rough start early on, each opening sharply lower as investors digested the company earnings news.

A report showing that sales of new U.S. homes accelerated 11.6 percent last month failed to veer the market from its slide.

By midmorning, the Dow had flirted with a drop of nearly 400 points. The market began to pare its losses around midday.

Nine of the 10 sectors in the S&P 500 fell, with technology stocks dropping the most. Utility stocks, where investors go when they're looking for safety, were the only industry group to rise.

Stocks have wavered since the start of the year on signs that growth outside of the U.S. is slowing.

December's decline in durable goods orders suggests that U.S. companies may be growing wary of economic weakness in Europe and Asia, as well as the strengthening dollar, which can hurt American exports.

Traders remain focused on corporate earnings, which are a key driver of stocks. But there were few bright spots among several of the companies delivering their latest financial results Tuesday.

Caterpillar, Packaging Corp. of America, J&J Snack Foods and mining company Freeport-McMoRan each reported earnings that fell short of Wall Street forecasts.

Even companies that boasted strong quarterly results, such as American Airlines Group, which recorded record quarterly profit, also delivered cautionary notes. The airline said a key revenue figure would decline in the next quarter.

Weakening currencies versus the dollar was a recurrent theme, with Procter & Gamble and Microsoft each citing the stronger dollar as reason for weaker results in months ahead. Caterpillar, Packaging Corp. and Pfizer also issued weak earnings or revenue outlooks.

A stronger dollar can hurt companies that do a large share of their business overseas because sales in other countries translate back into fewer dollars.

"If you look at multi-nationals, they are encountering these problems, but on the whole, I think earnings season will be OK, nothing exceptional or earth-shattering, but they will prove to be satisfactory," said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Rockwell Global Capital.

Tuesday's big price swoon may have been exaggerated by lower trading volumes than normal.

While the New York Stock Exchange opened at its regular time, many workers in the financial industry probably struggled to get to their offices because the city's transport links had been shut down in anticipation of a harsh winter storm.

"Volume is not all that heavy," Cardillo said. "These gyrations might be somewhat extended. The low volume is exaggerating these declines."

U.S. government bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 1.82 percent from 1.83 late Monday.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -195.84 points or ▼ -1.13% on Wednesday, 28 January 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,191.37 ▼ -195.84 ▼ -1.13%
Nasdaq____ 4,637.99 ▼ -43.50 ▼ -0.93%
S&P_500___ 2,002.16 ▼ -27.39 ▼ -1.35%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.29 ▼ -0.11 ▼ -4.50%

NYSE Volume 4,035,667,250
Nasdaq Volume 2,027,030,500

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,825.94 ▲ 14.33 ▲ 0.21%
DAX_____ 10,710.97 ▲ 82.39 ▲ 0.78%
CAC_40__ 4,610.94 ▼ -13.27 ▼ -0.29%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,516.60 ▲ 5.10 ▲ 0.09%
Shanghai_Comp 3,305.74 ▼ -47.22 ▼ -1.41%
Taiwan_Weight 9,510.92 ▼ -10.67 ▼ -0.11%
Nikkei_225___ 17,795.73 ▲ 27.43 ▲ 0.15%
Hang_Seng.__ 24,861.81 ▲ 54.53 ▲ 0.22%
Strait_Times.__ 3,419.15 ▲ 6.95 ▲ 0.20%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,794.82 ▲ 57.09 ▲ 0.99%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stock...s-add-growth-concerns-092948435--finance.html

Stocks fade late as oil dips, Fed gives investors pause
Associated Press
By ALEX VEIGA

The Federal Reserve's latest take on the U.S. economy got investors in a selling mood Wednesday, as stocks fell sharply for the second straight day.

The stock market also took a hit when benchmark U.S. oil sank to its lowest level in nearly six years, hurting prospects for energy companies.

The central bank issued a statement Wednesday making clear that it would remain "patient" in raising interest rates from near zero, which was expected. But the Fed also strengthened its assessment of the U.S. economy, noting it is expanding at a solid pace and generating strong job growth.

That's good news for Main Street and Corporate America, but signals that the Fed is moving closer to raising rates, even if it's not contemplating an imminent hike. When interest rates remain low they tend to make stocks more attractive by comparison to bonds.

"The market is, on one hand, happy the Fed is saying things look solid, but it means at some point we will get that first rate hike," said Quincy Krosby, market strategist for Prudential Financial.

The Energy Department reported that U.S. oil inventories rose to their highest levels ever recorded. Those high supplies drove crude prices to the lowest level since March 2009. Benchmark U.S. crude fell $1.78 to close at $44.45 a barrel in New York. As recently as June, it traded above $100.

Inflation has stayed ultra-low partly because of the plunge in energy prices and a steadily rising dollar. The Fed noted it anticipates inflation will decline further before starting to rise gradually.

Prices for the benchmark 10-year Treasury jumped after the Fed statement came out, knocking the yield to 1.70 percent, the lowest level this year. It edged back up to 1.72 percent late in day, compared with 1.82 percent late Tuesday. The yield on the 30-year bond, meanwhile, touched a record low of 2.27 percent.

"The Fed has a much more beneficial view on drop in oil than the stock market does," said John Canally, chief economic strategist at LPL Financial.

All told, the Dow Jones industrial average dropped 195.84 points, or 1.1 percent, to close at 17,191.37.The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 27.39 points, or 1.4 percent, to 2,002.16.

The Nasdaq composite dropped 43.50 points, or 0.9 percent, to 4,637.99.

The market had been in a wait-and-see mode in advance of the Fed statement, drifting between small gains and losses for much of the day. Falling oil prices dragged the energy sector lower, while strong earnings from Apple helped lift tech stocks.

The market initially perked up after the Fed issued its statement at 2 p.m. Eastern Time. But the gains were short-lived, and by late afternoon three major indexes slumped, extending their losses for the year. The Dow in now 4.8 percent below its all-time high of 18,053.71 on Dec. 26. The S&P 500 index is down 4.2 percent from its high of 2,090.57 on Dec. 29.

The 10 sectors in the index fell Wednesday, with energy stocks falling the most.

Among the biggest decliners were several oil and gas exploration companies, as well as drilling services and equipment providers.

Nabors Industries lead declines. It slid $1.39, or 11.7 percent, to $10.49. Denbury Resources lost 67 cents, or 9.4 percent, to $6.47. Hess Corp. tumbled $5.59, or 7.8 percent, to $66.02.

Apart from the Fed, investors have been closely monitoring company earnings this week. They're trying to assess whether Corporate America can continue to grow profits amid concerns that economic growth could weaken overseas.

"This is a market that has to get used to focusing on what companies tell us in terms of their bottom line and their top line," Krosby said. "And you're already seeing it in the market during this earnings season."

Investors cheered strong financial results from Apple, which reported record-smashing quarterly earnings late Tuesday. The stock added $6.17, or 5.7 percent, to $115.31.

Boeing also got a lift after it reported that its profit vaulted 19 percent in the fourth-quarter on strong demand for commercial jets airliners. The stock rose $7.16, or 5.4 percent, to $139.64.

Along with Boeing, several other companies turned in better-than-expected financial results on Wednesday, including video-game maker Electronic Arts, storage container seller Tupperware Brands, computer chip maker Freescale Semiconductor and steel company U.S. Steel.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 225.48 points or ▲ 1.31% on Thursday, 29 January 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,416.85 ▲ 225.48 ▲ 1.31%
Nasdaq____ 4,683.41 ▲ 45.41 ▲ 0.98%
S&P_500___ 2,021.25 ▲ 19.09 ▲ 0.95%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.32 ▲ 0.02 ▲ 1.09%

NYSE Volume 4,097,000,250
Nasdaq Volume 2,013,523,880

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,810.60 ▼ -15.34 ▼ -0.22%
DAX_____ 10,737.87 ▲ 26.90 ▲ 0.25%
CAC_40__ 4,631.43 ▲ 20.49 ▲ 0.44%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,532.20 ▲ 15.60 ▲ 0.28%
Shanghai_Comp 3,262.30 ▼ -43.43 ▼ -1.31%
Taiwan_Weight 9,426.90 ▼ -84.02 ▼ -0.88%
Nikkei_225___ 17,606.22 ▼ -189.51 ▼ -1.06%
Hang_Seng.__ 24,595.85 ▼ -265.96 ▼ -1.07%
Strait_Times.__ 3,419.05 ▼ -0.10 ▲ 0.00%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,759.81 ▼ -35.01 ▼ -0.60%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/asia-stocks-sunk-oil-plunge-fed-rate-hike-054549010.html

Strong earnings and job news give stocks a lift

US stocks finish higher after stronger company earnings, labor market news
Associated Press
By Alex Veiga, AP Business Writer

After a shaky start, U.S. stocks rebounded Thursday, snapping a two-day losing streak.

Investors welcomed better-than-expected quarterly results from several companies, including Ford, Coach and Harley-Davidson. Homebuilder stocks surged.

Even energy stocks, which were down most of the day, recovered in concert with a slight uptick in oil prices. Benchmark U.S. crude oil rose 8 cents to close at $44.53 a barrel.

New government data showing that applications for unemployment benefits fell to the lowest level in almost 15 years added a dash of favorable economic news.

The broader market rally helped the major stock indexes regain some of the ground they lost earlier in the week, though they remain down for the year.

"We've had a bit of a turnaround since the lows we saw earlier in the day," said Anastasia Amoroso, global market strategist at J.P. Morgan Funds. "It appears earnings outside of energy (stocks) have been rather strong."

Investors have had no shortage of market-moving news to digest this week, from the outcome of a national election in Greece with potential implications for the Eurozone, to the Federal Reserve's latest take on the economy and interest rates. It's also the busiest week of the current earnings season, with 142 companies in the Standard & Poor's 500 scheduled to report.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 225.48 points, or 1.3 percent, to close at 17,416.85. The S&P 500 index gained 19.09 points, or 1 percent, to 2,021.25. The Nasdaq composite added 45.41 points, or 1 percent, to 4,683.41.

The gains were broad. All 10 sectors in the S&P 500 rose, led by materials stocks. Even energy stocks, which are down more than any other sector this year, eked out a 0.2 percent gain.

Electronics and audio equipment maker Harman International Industries led among the gainers, rising $24, or 23.7 percent, to $125.01. The company reported better-than-expected quarterly results and raised its profit forecast for the year.

Chipmaker Qualcomm notched the biggest drop among stocks in the S&P 500, shedding $7.30, or 10.3 percent, to $63.69.

The major market indexes drifted along through much of Thursday before turning higher in the afternoon. For much of the day, investors looked mainly on the latest batch of corporate earnings.

Homebuilders surged after PulteGroup reported that completed home sales increased 7 percent in the October-December quarter. PulteGroup climbed $1.24, or 6 percent, to $21.82. Rival Ryland Group led the sector, climbing $2.95, or 8 percent, to $39.62.

Traders also digested the implications of the steep drop in weekly unemployment benefit claims last week.

The big drop is a sign that hiring will likely remain healthy, which could bolster the case for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates from near zero sooner, rather than later, said Doug Cote, chief market strategist for Voya Investment Management.

"The market is reacting to the Fed being intent on normalizing interest rate policy, and today's numbers added to that pressure," Cote said.

Higher interest rates tend to make stocks less attractive in comparison to bonds.

The S&P 500 hit a record in late December, and it's remained relatively close to that since. Expectations for earnings, meanwhile, have been sinking with the price of crude oil.

Some companies have given weaker outlooks for growth, citing the impact of falling oil or a strengthening dollar.

That's contributed to heightened volatility in the market this month.

The average day-to-day swing for the S&P 500 index in either direction last year was about 10 points, but so far this year it's been about 20 points, said Randy Frederick, managing director of trading and derivatives at Schwab Center for Financial Research.

"It's oil prices, it's the dollar, it's interest rates, it's the Fed," said Frederick. "We're still bullish about the market, but we think volatility is not going to be as low as it was last year and right now that's been the case."

Chevron, Tyson Foods and Newell Rubbermaid are among the companies due to report earnings on Friday.

Investors also will have their eye on the government's latest estimate of U.S. economic growth in the fourth quarter, consumer sentiment, and a key report on wage growth.

"If it's way off the (market) expectations either way it could be a market mover," Frederick said.

U.S. government bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.75 percent from 1.72 percent late Wednesday.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -251.9 points or ▼ -1.45% on Friday, 30 January 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,164.95 ▼ -251.90 ▼ -1.45%
Nasdaq____ 4,635.24 ▼ -48.17 ▼ -1.03%
S&P_500___ 1,994.99 ▼ -26.26 ▼ -1.30%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.25 ▼ -0.07 ▼ -2.93%

NYSE Volume 4,568,995,000
Nasdaq Volume 2,162,717,000

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,749.40 ▼ -61.20 ▼ -0.90%
DAX_____ 10,694.32 ▼ -43.55 ▼ -0.41%
CAC_40__ 4,604.25 ▼ -27.18 ▼ -0.59%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,551.60 ▲ 19.40 ▲ 0.35%
Shanghai_Comp 3,210.36 ▼ -51.94 ▼ -1.59%
Taiwan_Weight 9,361.91 ▼ -64.99 ▼ -0.69%
Nikkei_225___ 17,674.39 ▲ 68.17 ▲ 0.39%
Hang_Seng.__ 24,507.05 ▼ -88.80 ▼ -0.36%
Strait_Times.__ 3,391.20 ▼ -27.85 ▼ -0.81%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,744.00 ▼ -15.82 ▼ -0.27%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/world-stocks-uneven-ahead-us-growth-report-095755785--finance.html

Stocks sag at the close; January finishes on weak note
Associated Press
By ALEX VEIGA

The U.S. stock market capped a rough month Friday, delivering its third loss in five days and extending its declines for the year.

All told, the Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 3 percent in January, its worse monthly performance in a year. While the U.S. economy continued to show signs of strength, energy companies suffered from a sharp drop in oil prices and some big multinational companies saw their earnings dinged by a stronger dollar.

On Friday, investors also weighed the consequences of a slowdown in U.S. economic growth and how further strength in the dollar could dent corporate profits.

"The real issue still is the confusion, the uncertainty around the speed of decline in oil prices and what that means, and the rise in the dollar and what that means for earnings," said Bob Doll, chief equity strategist at Nuveen Asset Management.

The concerns about a surging dollar intensified after Russia's central bank unexpectedly cut interest rates to 15 percent from 17 percent to help the weakening economy. That sent the ruble down against the dollar.

Before the U.S. market opened, the government said that the economy grew 2.6 percent in the last quarter of 2014, as weaker government and business spending held growth back. The decline was unexpected and down from a gain of 4.6 percent in the second quarter and 5 percent in the third quarter.

But others news signaled the steady health of the U.S. economy. Consumer spending surged in the final three months of 2014. The Labor Department reported that wages and benefits rose last year by 2.2 percent, the biggest calendar-year increase since 2008

Investors also sifted through the latest batch of corporate earnings news, and the results were mixed.

Amazon.com and Visa reported strong results late Thursday. Amazon jumped 13.7 percent, while Visa rose 2.8 percent.

Several companies didn't fare as well, including Ugg footwear maker Deckers Outdoor and the parent of Hawaiian Airlines, which offered discouraging outlooks. Deckers slumped 19.7 percent, while Hawaiian Holdings slid 27 percent.

The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 251.90 points, or 1.5 percent, to close at 17,164.95. The S&P 500 index lost 26.26 points, or 1.3 percent, to 1,994.99. The Nasdaq composite fell 48.17 points, or 1 percent, to 4,635.24.

Nine of the 10 sectors in the S&P 500 fell, with utilities declining the most.

The one sector that rose was energy. Benchmark U.S. crude rose $3.71 to close at $48.24 a barrel in New York. The price rose on expectations of lower supplies as the number of working drilling rigs continued to fall, according to a closely-watched industry count. Concerns over an attack on oil-rich Kirkuk, Iraq by Islamic insurgents also spurred oil buying and higher prices.

While oil had a strong day, it remains in a deep slump. The price of benchmark U.S. crude has fallen to $48 a barrel from over $107 last June.

Demand for ultra-safe bonds rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 1.66 percent Friday, the lowest since May 2013. Yields fall as bond prices rise.

"I think that the bond market is starting to scare equity investors: 'What do they know that I don't?'" said Jim Paulsen, chief investment strategist at Wells Capital Management. "The bond market is telling us that things are getting worse."

The dollar strengthened against the euro, which slipped to $1.1291 from $1.1327.

In other futures trading:

— Brent crude rose $3.86 to close at $52.99 in London.

— Wholesale gasoline rose 6.1 cents to close at $1.415 a gallon.

— Heating oil rose 6.8 cents to close at $1.686 a gallon.

— Natural gas fell 2.8 cents to close at $2.691 per 1,000 cubic feet.

4924

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 196.09 points or ▲ 1.14% on Monday, 2 February 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,361.04 ▲ 196.09 ▲ 1.14%
Nasdaq____ 4,676.69 ▲ 41.45 ▲ 0.89%
S&P_500___ 2,020.85 ▲ 25.86 ▲ 1.30%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.25 ▲ 0.00 ▲ 0.04%

NYSE Volume 3,981,375,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,912,487,000

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,782.55 ▲ 33.15 ▲ 0.49%
DAX_____ 10,828.01 ▲ 133.69 ▲ 1.25%
CAC_40__ 4,627.67 ▲ 23.42 ▲ 0.51%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,586.50 ▲ 34.90 ▲ 0.63%
Shanghai_Comp 3,128.30 ▼ -82.06 ▼ -2.56%
Taiwan_Weight 9,386.99 ▲ 25.08 ▲ 0.27%
Nikkei_225___ 17,558.04 ▼ -116.35 ▼ -0.66%
Hang_Seng.__ 24,484.74 ▼ -22.31 ▼ -0.09%
Strait_Times.__ 3,423.35 ▲ 32.15 ▲ 0.95%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,756.69 ▲ 12.69 ▲ 0.22%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stocks-rise-rally-higher-oil-220825022.html

Stocks rise in late rally on higher oil; energy stocks jump

Stocks rise broadly on a third straight day of higher oil prices; All 10 S&P 500 sectors gain
Associated Press
By Bernard Condon, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- A late rally led by energy companies pushed U.S. stock indexes higher Monday after the market flitted between small gains and losses for most of the day.

Stocks opened higher, then moved down, then back up as investors seemed unable to make up their minds. A pair of weak reports on the U.S. economy fed the uncertainty. Oil prices ended up surging for a third straight day, and stocks of big producers jumped. All 10 industry sectors in the Standard and Poor's 500 index rose.

Exxon Mobil rose 2.5 percent after reporting better-than-expected earnings. Chevron jumped 3.4 percent. Both companies are members of the Dow Jones industrial average.

The market got a lift in early trading after European markets climbed following reassuring comments from France on Greece's efforts to ease the terms of its financial rescue program.

At mid-morning Eastern time, a closely watched monthly report revealed that U.S. manufacturing expanded last month at the slowest pace in a year. Also, the Commerce Department reported that consumer spending edged lower in December as vehicle sales slowed and more Americans chose to save rather than spend.

The difference between the highest and lowest levels in the S&P 500 index was 2 percent for the day, more than twice the average move over the past two years.

"The market still hasn't found a comfort zone," said Howard Silverblatt, senior index analyst at S&P Dow Jones Indices. "Volatility was so low for so long, we got used to it."

The S&P 500 rose 25.86 points, or 1.3 percent, to 2,020.85. The Dow added 196.09 points, or 1.1 percent, to 17,361.04. The Nasdaq composite rose 41.45 points, or 0.9 percent, to 4,676.69

The price of benchmark U.S. oil has fallen more than 50 percent in the past seven months, threatening the profits of energy companies and unsettling investors.

Investors are also on edge after a Greek election that put the anti-austerity Syriza party into power. Also, prices are falling in Europe and China's economy, the world's second-largest, is slowing.

Adding to the concerns: A report Friday showing the U.S. economy grew at 2.6 percent annual rate in the fourth quarter, nearly half as fast as in the previous quarter and less than economists had expected.

"The U.S. has been able to chug along despite what's going on in the rest of the world," market strategist Bill Strazzullo of Bell Curve Trading said after the factory report came out. "But now it looks like there is a bit of contagion."

U.S. crude oil rose $1.33 to close at $49.57 a barrel in New York, its highest level in nearly a month. Traders bet that oil has bottomed out despite signs of rising inventories and a refinery strike that may shrink crude consumption. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, rose $1.76 to close at $54.75 a barrel in London.

Energy companies rose 3 percent, the biggest gain among the 10 sectors in the S&P 500. Among the big winners, Denbury Resources jumped 12 percent and Chesapeake Energy rose 7 percent.

Investors will turn their attention next to several big companies reporting this week, including United Parcel Service and Disney on Tuesday and General Motors on Wednesday.

With about half the companies in the S&P 500 index already out with their results, earnings for companies in the index are expected to have risen 2.2 percent in the fourth quarter, according to FactSet, a financial data provider. That is one of the smallest gains since the economic recovery began nearly six years ago.

The dollar rose to 117.60 yen from 117.43 yen Friday. The euro strengthened to $1.1344 from $1.1285.

U.S. government bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.67 percent. Gold edged down $2.30 to $1,276.90 an ounce, silver fell four cents to $17.25 an ounce and copper was flat at $2.49 a pound.

In other trading of energy futures on the NYMEX:

”” Wholesale gasoline rose 6.6 cents to close at $1.545 a gallon.

”” Heating oil rose 5.7 cents to close at $1.758 a gallon.

”” Natural gas fell 1.1 cents to close at $2.680 per 1,000 cubic feet.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 305.36 points or ▲ 1.76% on Tuesday, 3 February 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,666.40 ▲ 305.36 ▲ 1.76%
Nasdaq____ 4,727.74 ▲ 51.05 ▲ 1.09%
S&P_500___ 2,050.03 ▲ 29.18 ▲ 1.44%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.37 ▲ 0.12 ▲ 5.33%

NYSE Volume 4,596,594,500
Nasdaq Volume 2,076,876,500

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,871.80 ▲ 89.25 ▲ 1.32%
DAX_____ 10,890.95 ▲ 62.94 ▲ 0.58%
CAC_40__ 4,677.90 ▲ 50.23 ▲ 1.09%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,666.20 ▲ 79.70 ▲ 1.43%
Shanghai_Comp 3,204.91 ▲ 76.61 ▲ 2.45%
Taiwan_Weight 9,448.73 ▲ 61.74 ▲ 0.66%
Nikkei_225___ 17,335.85 ▼ -222.19 ▼ -1.27%
Hang_Seng.__ 24,554.78 ▲ 70.04 ▲ 0.29%
Strait_Times.__ 3,408.02 ▼ -15.33 ▼ -0.45%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,781.95 ▲ 25.26 ▲ 0.44%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/hopes-end-oil-price-rout-211226784.html

Hopes for an end to oil price rout sends stocks higher

US stocks rise on higher oil prices, hopes for deal on Greek debt; energy stocks gain the most

Associated Press
By Bernard Condon, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- A jump in oil prices helped push U.S. stocks indexes sharply higher for a second day on Tuesday, erasing much of their losses from the start of the year.

U.S. benchmark oil surged 7 percent on hopes that a seven-month collapse in prices that had rattled financial markets was ending. All 10 industry sectors of the Standard and Poor's 500 index rose, led a 2.8 percent gain in energy shares.

Stocks climbed from the start following a rally in European markets on signs that Greece's new government won't press for a write-off of the country's bailout loans. The benchmark stock index in Athens jumped 11 percent.

U.S. investors were also encouraged by a surge in auto sales last month.

The S&P 500 index climbed 29.18 points, or 1.4 percent, to 2,050.03. The Dow Jones industrial average jumped 305.36 points, or 1.8 percent, to 17,666.40. The Nasdaq rose 51.05 points, or 1.1 percent, to 4,727.74.

Investors are hoping that oil prices have found a floor after falling as much as 60 percent from their recent peak last June. Prices have risen 19 percent in four days as producers have canceled exploration projects and cut the number of rigs drilling for oil.

"Prices were due for a bounce," said Matthew Kaufler, a portfolio manager at Federated Investors. Kaufler suspects producers will have idle more rigs before prices stabilize. "There's a lot of hope that it's the bottom, but these things aren't really obvious."

The stock market got off to a bad start this year. The S&P 500 sank 3 percent in January, its worse monthly performance in a year. With Tuesday's gains, the index is now down just 0.4 percent so far in 2015.

Automakers were among the big winners as investors responded to reports of strong vehicle sales last month. Ford rose 38 cents, or 2.5 percent, to $15.65. General Motors climbed 87 cents, or 2.6 percent, to $33.98.

The main indexes in France and Britain each rose more than 1 percent after a report that Greece's finance minister had suggested in a meeting Monday in London that its debt be replaced with bonds that would be repaid only if Greece's economy grows. He also suggested using interest-only bonds.

Among other stocks making big moves:

”” Office supply chain Staples jumped $1.87, or 11 percent, to $19.01 following a report in the Wall Street Journal that the company is in advanced talks to combine with Office Depot. Office Depot leapt $1.65, or 22 percent, to $9.28.

”” AutoNation rose $3.83, or 6.5 percent, to $63.17 after the country's largest chain of car dealerships reported income that beat Wall Street's estimates.

”” The New York Times rose 7.6 percent and Gannett gained 5.7 percent after the media companies each reported quarterly earnings that exceeded analysts' expectations. The New York Times rose 97 cents to $13.73. Gannett rose $1.81 to $33.32.

The euro was little changed at $1.1505. The dollar fell 0.2 percent to 117.27 yen.

U.S. government bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.79 percent from 1.67 percent. Gold fell $16.60 to $1,260.30 an ounce, silver rose seven cents to $17.32 an ounce and copper rose nine cents to $2.58 a pound.

In other oil futures trading in New York:

”” Wholesale gasoline rose 5.67 cents to $1.601 a gallon

”” Heating oil jumped 8.9 cents to $1.847 a gallon

”” Natural gas gained 7.4 cents to $2.754 per 1,000 cubic feet.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 6.62 points or ▲ 0.04% on Wednesday, 4 February 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,673.02 ▲ 6.62 ▲ 0.04%
Nasdaq____ 4,716.70 ▼ -11.03 ▼ -0.23%
S&P_500___ 2,041.51 ▼ -8.52 ▼ -0.42%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.39 ▲ 0.02 ▲ 0.72%

NYSE Volume 4,111,902,500
Nasdaq Volume 2,137,205,500

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,860.02 ▼ -11.78 ▼ -0.17%
DAX_____ 10,911.32 ▲ 20.37 ▲ 0.19%
CAC_40__ 4,696.30 ▲ 18.40 ▲ 0.39%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,733.70 ▲ 67.50 ▲ 1.19%
Shanghai_Comp 3,174.13 ▼ -30.78 ▼ -0.96%
Taiwan_Weight 9,513.92 ▲ 65.19 ▲ 0.69%
Nikkei_225___ 17,678.74 ▲ 342.89 ▲ 1.98%
Hang_Seng.__ 24,679.76 ▲ 124.98 ▲ 0.51%
Strait_Times.__ 3,416.64 ▲ 8.62 ▲ 0.25%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,785.32 ▲ 3.37 ▲ 0.06%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stock-indexes-mostly-fall-215025883.html

US stock indexes mostly fall as price of oil plunges again

US stocks end mostly lower as oil prices resume slide; Disney hits all-time high on earnings
Associated Press
By Matthew Craft, AP Business Writer

The stock market ended an uncertain day mostly lower after the price of oil took another plunge. Stronger profits at Disney pushed its stock higher, giving the Dow Jones industrial average a small lift.

Major indexes headed lower at the opening bell, as a drop in crude oil tugged energy stocks down. The Standard & Poor's 500 index recovered its losses by midday, meandered through the afternoon, then swung from a solid gain to a slight loss in the final hour of trading.

"I think there's a sense of uneasiness and lack of conviction among investors right now," said Terry Sandven, senior equity strategist at U.S. Bank Wealth Management. "You see that in the split personality of the market."

The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 8.52 points, or 0.4 percent, to 2,041.51.

The Dow edged up 6.62 points, less than 0.1 percent, to 17,673.02 and the Nasdaq sank 11.03 points, or 0.2 percent, to 4,716.70.

Over the previous six trading days, the market turned in three gains and three losses. Sandven said rising uncertainty over corporate earnings has helped drive the volatility. Falling oil prices and a stronger dollar have pinched companies' profits, forcing investors to second-guess their expectations.

Late Tuesday, Walt Disney reported that strong results from theme parks, television channels and selling merchandise tied to its "Frozen" movie drove quarterly earnings up 19 percent. Disney's profit and revenue trounced Wall Street's estimates for the quarter, and its stock surged $7.18, or 8 percent, to $101.28, an all-time high.

Bob Iger, Disney's CEO, said the company was not seeing a hit to attendance from the measles outbreak linked last month to Disney's Southern California parks.

Ralph Lauren's stock lost $31.12, or 18 percent, to $139.71, after the retailer reported a drop in quarterly earnings and slashed its sales forecast for the full year. The company spent more to open new stores while revenue stayed nearly flat, held back by a stronger dollar.

The fourth-quarter earnings season now looks better than it did just two weeks ago. Nearly three out of four big companies have turned in higher profits than analysts had expected, putting overall earnings on track to rise nearly 7 percent for the quarter, according to S&P Capital IQ. Two weeks ago, the expected increase was just 4 percent.

A recent rebound in oil prices fizzled out Wednesday as the benchmark contract for U.S. crude fell $4.60, or 8.7 percent, to settle at $48.45 a barrel in New York. The drop came after the U.S. government reported an increase in crude inventories last week.

Oil had rallied over the previous four days as traders speculated that low prices would force more energy companies to curtail exploration and production. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, declined $3.75, or 6.5 percent, to close at $54.16 a barrel in London.

Major markets in Europe ended mixed. France's CAC 40 rose 0.4 percent and Germany's DAX edged up 0.2 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 closed with a loss of 0.2 percent.

In the U.S., Staples announced that it's buying Office Depot for $6 billion in a widely anticipated merger of the two largest office supply retailers. The cash-and-stock deal comes a little more than a year after Office Depot merged with OfficeMax and still needs approval from regulators. Staples dropped $2.28, or 12 percent, to $16.73.

Prices wavered in the market for U.S. government bonds, leaving the yield on the 10-year Treasury note at 1.79 percent, the same as late Tuesday.

In the commodity markets, gold rose $4.20 to $1,264.50 an ounce, while silver rose seven cents to $17.40 an ounce. Copper edged up a penny to $2.59 a pound.

In other futures trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange:

”” Wholesale gasoline fell 12 cents to $1.482 a gallon.

”” Heating oil fell 8 cents to close at $1.767 a gallon.

”” Natural gas fell 9.2 cents to close at $2.662 per 1,000 cubic feet.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 211.86 points or ▲ 1.20% on Thursday, 5 February 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,884.88 ▲ 211.86 ▲ 1.20%
Nasdaq____ 4,765.10 ▲ 48.39 ▲ 1.03%
S&P_500___ 2,062.52 ▲ 21.01 ▲ 1.03%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.42 ▲ 0.03 ▲ 1.38%

NYSE Volume 3,782,941,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,976,066,750

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,865.93 ▲ 5.91 ▲ 0.09%
DAX_____ 10,905.41 ▼ -5.91 ▼ -0.05%
CAC_40__ 4,703.30 ▲ 7.00 ▲ 0.15%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,765.50 ▲ 31.80 ▲ 0.55%
Shanghai_Comp 3,136.53 ▼ -37.59 ▼ -1.18%
Taiwan_Weight 9,512.05 ▼ -1.87 ▼ -0.02%
Nikkei_225___ 17,504.62 ▼ -174.12 ▼ -0.98%
Hang_Seng.__ 24,765.49 ▲ 85.73 ▲ 0.35%
Strait_Times.__ 3,403.83 ▼ -13.74 ▼ -0.40%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,797.59 ▲ 12.28 ▲ 0.21%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/healt...y-advance-wall-street-150614488--finance.html

Stocks jump as health care, energy stocks advance
Associated Press
By KEN SWEET

NEW YORK (AP) — The stock market surged again on Thursday, putting the Dow Jones industrial average on track for its best week since 2011.

Investors plowed money back into stocks following a slump the week before, encouraged by a 4 percent jump in the price of crude oil and Pfizer's $16 billion deal to buy the drugmaker Hospira.

The Dow Jones industrial average jumped more than 200 points, its third big gain this week. The Dow is now up about 700 points, or 4 percent, so far this week.

That's a far cry from the week before, when the blue-chip index stumbled nearly 3 percent.

"We've been returning to more normal volatility and this week is just the most recent example of that," said Gabriela Santos, a global market strategist with JPMorgan Funds.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 211.86 points, or 1.2 percent, to 17,884.88. The Standard & Poor's 500 index added 21.01 points, or 1 percent, to 2,062.52. The Nasdaq composite rose 48.39 points, or 1 percent, to 4,765.10.

The gains put the Dow and S&P 500 back into the black for 2015.

Health care stocks and energy companies had some of the biggest gains.

Drug giant Pfizer said it would buy Hospira, a maker of injectable drugs, for $90 a share in cash. The deal is the first by Pfizer since it walked away from a merger with AstraZeneca last year. Like many other large drug companies, Pfizer is trying to generate more sales as its blockbuster drugs go generic. Hospira soared $22.84, or 35 percent, to $87.62 and Pfizer rose 92 cents, or 3 percent, to $32.99.

Oil also had a wild day.

Benchmark U.S. crude rose $2.03 to settle at $50.48 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, continuing a volatile ride that has lasted for several weeks. On Wednesday, oil plunged $4.60, or 8.7 percent, to settle at $48.45 a barrel the day before after the U.S. government reported an increase in crude inventories last week.

Few investors believe the turbulence in oil trading will end any time soon. While data earlier this week showed U.S. production is slowing, this week's crude oil inventory levels tell a different story.

"We're starting to see some production shifts, but it's happening slowly," Santos said. "Oil is going to keep making these big swings until something is done to deal with all this oversupply."

Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, rose $2.50 to $56.66 a barrel in London.

U.S. stocks shrugged off more bad news in Europe. Greek stocks dropped as tensions between the country's new left-wing government and the European Central Bank intensified.

Greece's new left-wing government is insisting it will stick to its anti-austerity agenda, hours after the European Central Bank tightened the screws on Athens by withdrawing a key borrowing option for the country's banks.

Greek stocks dropped 3 percent on the news. European stocks closed mostly flat, after being down more sharply earlier in the trading day.

"The decision by the ECB to no longer accept Greek bonds as collateral may be aimed at piling the pressure on Greece to request an extension of its current bailout beyond February 28, but it is has also raised the risk that Greece could be forced into a default," said Jane Foley, an analyst at Rabobank International.

In other markets, U.S. government bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.81 percent.

Gold fell $1.80 to $1,262.70 an ounce, silver fell 20 cents to $17.20 an ounce and copper was flat at $2.60 a pound.

In other energy commodities:

— Wholesale gasoline rose 4.3 cents to close at $1.525 a gallon.

— Heating oil rose 3.9 cents to close at $1.806 a gallon.

— Natural gas fell 6.2 cents to close at $2.600 per 1,000 cubic feet.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -60.59 points or ▼ -0.34% on Friday, 6 February 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,824.29 ▼ -60.59 ▼ -0.34%
Nasdaq____ 4,744.40 ▼ -20.70 ▼ -0.43%
S&P_500___ 2,055.47 ▼ -7.05 ▼ -0.34%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.52 ▲ 0.10 ▲ 4.00%

NYSE Volume 4,242,252,500
Nasdaq Volume 1,976,066,750

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,853.44 ▼ -12.49 ▼ -0.18%
DAX_____ 10,846.39 ▼ -59.02 ▼ -0.54%
CAC_40__ 4,691.03 ▼ -12.27 ▼ -0.26%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,774.70 ▲ 9.20 ▲ 0.16%
Shanghai_Comp 3,075.91 ▼ -60.62 ▼ -1.93%
Taiwan_Weight 9,456.18 ▼ -55.87 ▼ -0.59%
Nikkei_225___ 17,648.50 ▲ 143.88 ▲ 0.82%
Hang_Seng.__ 24,679.39 ▼ -86.10 ▼ -0.35%
Strait_Times.__ 3,431.36 ▲ 24.78 ▲ 0.73%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,797.59 ▲ 12.28 ▲ 0.21%

http://www.kptv.com/story/28043113/us-stocks-give-up-gains-as-dividend-stocks-sink

Safe-play stocks, bonds and gold sink after US hiring surge

By KEN SWEET
AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) - "Safety" wasn't safe Friday.

A blockbuster U.S. jobs report sent investors fleeing traditional places of comfort: dividend-paying stocks, as well as bonds and gold. The selling left major indexes slightly lower.

When nervous investors crowd into safe-haven assets, it's known on Wall Street as a "flight to safety." On Friday, it was a flight from safety as investors grew more confident that the economy would grow.

"The January employment report was strong across the board," said Michelle Girard, an economy at RBS Securities, in a note to clients. "The data were clearly very healthy."

Gold fell more than 2 percent. As bond prices fell, the yield on the 10-year Treasury note jumped to 1.95 percent from 1.81 percent, a large move. Yields on shorter-term Treasury securities moved even more.

High-dividend utility stocks, one of the best performing parts of the market over the last 12 months, took a beating. The Dow Jones utility index, a collection of 15 utility companies, plunged 4 percent, its worst day since August 2011.

January's jobs report startled investors who have become accustomed to near-zero interest rates. U.S. employers added 257,000 jobs last month and wages jumped by the most in six years, evidence that the job market is closer to full health. The gain was far better than the 230,000 jobs economists had expected.

The government also said hiring was far stronger in November and December than previously estimated. Wages, which have been mostly stagnant since the recession, rose at the fastest pace since 2008.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 60.59 points, or 0.3 percent, to 17,824.29. The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 7.05 points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,055.47 and the Nasdaq composite fell 20.70 points, or 0.4 percent, to 4,744.40.

Understanding why a strong jobs report could cause the stock market to slide requires some counterintuitive thinking.

Unlike their counterparts in Europe and Asia, U.S. central bankers are poised to start raising interest rates. The exact timing of the Federal Reserve's interest rate move is unknown, but every investor has an opinion on when and how it will happen. Strategists say the January jobs report, as well as the November and December revisions, gives the Fed more ammunition to justify an interest rate increase sooner rather than later.

"There's an underlying nervousness in this market built on cheap money," said Russ Koesterich, global chief investment strategist at BlackRock.

Trading Friday in Fed fund futures, securities that reflect investors' views on when the Federal Reserve might change interest rates, suggested a rising likelihood that the Fed could raise interest rates as soon as June.

Near-zero interest rates have been a key factor driving the stock market's dramatic rise since March 2009. By keeping interest rates low, the Fed has made bonds seem expensive and, by comparison, stocks cheap. So if interest rates are to rise, a richly-priced stock market would tend to be less attractive to investors, strategists say.

This dynamic was reflected in trading in utility stocks on Friday. Utility stocks typically pay consistently high dividends and tend to fluctuate less than other stocks, giving them some attributes of a bond. That makes them appealing to investors seeking income with relatively less risk compared with other parts of the stock market.

"It's much more difficult to justify these high prices for utility stocks with yields rising like this," Koesterich said.

Banks, which can profit from higher rates by charging more for loans, rose Friday.

Despite Friday's downturn, it has been a good week overall for investors. The Dow ended up 3.8 percent and the S&P 500 climbed 3 percent. Stocks have now reclaimed the ground the lost in January.

The price of oil also rebounded this week. U.S. crude jumped 7 percent, its biggest gain since February 2011, during the Arab Spring and turmoil in Libya.

On Friday U.S. crude rose $1.21 a barrel, or 2.4 percent, to close at $51.69 a barrel. Brent, the international standard, gained $1.23, or 2.2 percent, to end at $57.80 a barrel in London.

The price of oil is still down by about half from last June because of a glut in global supplies.

In other metals trading, silver fell 50 cents, or 2.9 percent, to $16.69 an ounce and copper fell a penny to $2.59 a pound.

In other futures trading on the NYMEX:

Wholesale gasoline rose 3.4 cents to close at $1.559 a gallon.

Heating oil rose 3.3 cents to close at $1.839 a gallon.

Natural gas fell 2.1 cents to close at $2.579 per 1,000 cubic feet. It was the eighth down day for natural gas out of the last 9, pushing natural gas to its lowest level since June of 2012.

5479

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -95.08 points or ▼ -0.53% on Monday, 9 February 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,729.21 ▼ -95.08 ▼ -0.53%
Nasdaq____ 4,726.01 ▼ -18.39 ▼ -0.39%
S&P_500___ 2,046.74 ▼ -8.73 ▼ -0.42%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.52 ▲ 0.00 ▲ 0.08%

NYSE Volume 3,507,667,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,585,009,750

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,837.15 ▼ -16.29 ▼ -0.24%
DAX_____ 10,846.39 ▼ -59.02 ▼ -0.54%
CAC_40__ 4,691.03 ▼ -12.27 ▼ -0.26%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,770.10 ▼ -4.60 ▼ -0.08%
Shanghai_Comp 3,095.12 ▲ 19.22 ▲ 0.62%
Taiwan_Weight 9,421.50 ▼ -34.68 ▼ -0.37%
Nikkei_225___ 17,711.93 ▲ 63.43 ▲ 0.36%
Hang_Seng.__ 24,521.00 ▼ -158.39 ▼ -0.64%
Strait_Times.__ 3,419.71 ▼ -11.65 ▼ -0.34%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,769.57 ▼ -28.02 ▼ -0.48%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stocks-head-lower-concerns-mount-152727608.html

Stocks head lower as concerns mount over China, Greece

US stocks head lower following weak Chinese trade report and concerns over Greece
Associated Press
By Matthew Craft, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Concerns about the world economy helped tug U.S. stocks lower on Monday as worries mount over Greece's standoff with its creditors.

Major indexes headed lower at the opening of trading, following European markets down. A rebound in crude oil drove energy stocks higher.

With no major reports on the U.S. economy to hold their attention, investors looked abroad.

"There's still a lot of uncertainty around Greece," said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at BMO Private Bank. "It's one of these tectonic plates shifting around the financial system."

Greece's new prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, set his government on a collision course with the country's creditors. In a speech on Sunday, Tsipras declared an end to a regimen of budget cuts and tax increases and said he would push for a short-term loan to give the country and its creditors time to negotiate a new arrangement to replace its bailout program. Greece and its international creditors were expected to take up the issue later this week.

For investors, the worry is that if Greece drops the European currency, it could have unpredictable consequences for the wider financial system. One fear is that other countries with much larger economies might follow Greece out the door.

The Standard & Poor's 500 slipped 8.73 points, or 0.4 percent, to close at 2,046.74. Of the 10 sectors in the index, only energy companies finished higher.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 95.08 points, or 0.5 percent, to 17,729.21, while the Nasdaq composite fell 18.39 points, or 0.4 percent, to 4,726.01.

Hasbro jumped $3.92, or 7 percent, to $59.66 after the toy company turned in stronger quarterly results. Sales of toys geared toward boys surged, led by Transformers, Nerf and Marvel-brand action heroes. Hasbro also raised its dividend and expanded plans to buy back its own shares.

McDonald's reported that a key measure of global sales shrank last month, as sales slumped across the Middle East, Africa and Asia. The world's biggest hamburger chain dropped $1.27, or 1 percent, to $92.72.

This week marks the half-way point for the fourth-quarter earnings season, and the results are shaping up better than Wall Street had expected. Seven out of 10 big companies have turned in higher profits than analysts had forecast, putting overall earnings on track to rise 7 percent for the full quarter, according to S&P Capital IQ.

In other trading on Monday, U.S. crude oil rose $1.17, or 2.3 percent, to close at $52.86 a barrel in New York, while brent crude, the international benchmark, rose 54 cents to $58.34 in London. The gains came as OPEC said that it expects demand for crude to rise this year and U.S. output to fall.

Higher prices for crude oil helped lift stocks in companies tied to the oil industry. Nabors Industries, a driller, and National Oilwell Varco each gained 3 percent.

Major markets in Europe closed lower. France's CAC-40 lost 0.9 percent, and Germany's DAX fell 1.7 percent. Greece's main Athens Exchange lost 4.7 percent.

Interest rates on government bonds in Italy and Spain jumped, though they still remain near historic lows.

In Asia, most major stock markets closed lower following news that China's imports fell nearly 20 percent over a year earlier. Exports were also weak, heightening concerns about the world's second-largest economy.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.6 percent while South Korea's Kospi slipped 0.4 percent. Japan's Nikkei 225 added 0.4 percent.

Back in the U.S., prices for government bonds edged up, pushing long-term interest rates down. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note slipped to 1.95 percent.

In the commodity markets, gold gained $6.90 to settle at $1,241.50 an ounce, while silver rose 38 cents to $17.07 an ounce. Copper lost half a penny to $2.85 a pound.

In other trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange:

”” Wholesale gasoline rose 1.9 cents to close at $1.578 a gallon.

”” Heating oil rose 3.4 cents to close at $1.873 a gallon.

”” Natural gas rose 1.8 cents to close at $2.597 per 1,000 cubic feet.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 139.55 points or ▲ 0.79% on Tuesday, 10 February 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,868.76 ▲ 139.55 ▲ 0.79%
Nasdaq____ 4,787.64 ▲ 61.63 ▲ 1.30%
S&P_500___ 2,068.59 ▲ 21.85 ▲ 1.07%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.57 ▲ 0.05 ▲ 1.98%

NYSE Volume 3,642,547,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,720,542,120

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,829.12 ▼ -8.03 ▼ -0.12%
DAX_____ 10,753.83 ▲ 90.32 ▲ 0.85%
CAC_40__ 4,695.65 ▲ 44.57 ▲ 0.96%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,757.40 ▼ -12.70 ▼ -0.22%
Shanghai_Comp 3,141.59 ▲ 46.47 ▲ 1.50%
Taiwan_Weight 9,393.70 ▼ -27.80 ▼ -0.30%
Nikkei_225___ 17,652.68 ▼ -59.25 ▼ -0.33%
Hang_Seng.__ 24,528.10 ▲ 7.10 ▲ 0.03%
Strait_Times.__ 3,434.24 ▲ 16.22 ▲ 0.47%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,784.09 ▲ 14.52 ▲ 0.25%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-st...stors-assess-earnings-150237303--finance.html

US stocks advance on earnings, possible Greece deal
Associated Press
By STEVE ROTHWELL

NEW YORK (AP) ”” A mix of positive earnings and corporate news boosted stocks on Tuesday. Signs that Greece might be willing to broker a deal with its creditors also gave the market a lift.

Coca-Cola rose after the company reported a better-than-expected quarterly profit. General Motors gained after an activist investor said he would seek a seat on the company's board and push for a stock buyback.

Stock investors have had a bumpy ride since the start of the year.

The market slumped in January as the ongoing drop in oil prices hit energy stocks and amid worries about the prospects for global growth. Stocks have bounced back in February as energy stocks rose from their lows and on signs that the U.S. economy is maintaining its recovery. On Tuesday, stocks logged a solid gain even after a big drop in oil prices pushed the energy sector lower.

"The economic data is coming in OK, and when you delve into the big picture of the earnings reports, they're not bad," said Robert Pavlik, Chief Investment Strategist at Boston Private Wealth. "People want to be in the market when it starts to go back up."

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 21.85 points, or 1.1 percent, to 2,068.59. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 139.55 points, or 0.8 percent, to 17,868.76. The Nasdaq composite rose 61.63 points, or 1.3 percent, to 4,787.64.

Investors were encouraged by signs that a deal could be reached between Greece and its lenders. The nation's new prime minister voiced confidence Monday that a compromise can be reached at high-stakes meetings in coming days.

Greece's stocks and bonds have taken a drubbing this year after the radical left-led government renewed a pledge to seek debt forgiveness and dubbed the country's rescue package, with its conditions of strict austerity, a "toxic fantasy."

"There's a growing sense that the two sides in the negotiations may be moving toward some compromise," said Quincy Krosby, a market strategist at Prudential Financial.

Energy stocks took a hit on Tuesday after the International Energy Agency said that the recent rebound in oil prices "will be comparatively limited in scope." Analysts at Citigroup said the upturn would likely to prove short-lived and predicted that rising inventory costs could push the price as low as $20 a barrel.

Oil dropped more than 5 percent, erasing three days of gains. Benchmark U.S. crude fell $2.84 to close at $50.02 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, fell $1.91 to close at $56.43 in London.

Among individual stocks, Coca-Cola was one of the day's winners after reporting a better-than-expected quarterly profit. The company trimmed costs and fetched higher prices for its drinks in North America.

The world's biggest beverage maker has been struggling to boost global sales amid tepid growth overseas and a shift away from soda back at home. The company's stock rose $1.17, or 2.8 percent, to $42.40.

General Motors rose after Harry Wilson, a former hedge fund manager and one-time member of the Obama administration's task force that helped to restructure GM and Chrysler in 2009, said he'll seek a seat on GM's board at the automaker's annual meeting this summer and will push for an $8 billion stock buyback to take place next year. Wilson is acting with the backing of a variety of hedge funds.

GM rose $1.52, or 4.2 percent, to $37.52.

U.S. government bond prices were little changed. The yield on the benchmark Treasury note was flat at 1.98 percent.

The dollar strengthened to 119.43 yen from 118.58 yen Monday. The euro declined to $1.1313 from $1.1330.

In metals trading, gold fell $9.30 to $1,232.20 an ounce, silver fell 20 cents to $16.87 an ounce and copper fell three cents to $2.55 a pound.

In other energy futures trading on the NYMEX:

”” Wholesale gasoline fell 2.6 cents to close at $1.552 a gallon.

”” Heating oil fell 4 cents to close at $1.833 a gallon.

”” Natural gas rose 8 cents to close at $2.677 per 1,000 cubic feet.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -6.62 points or ▼ -0.04% on Wednesday, 11 February 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,862.14 ▼ -6.62 ▼ -0.04%
Nasdaq____ 4,801.18 ▲ 13.54 ▲ 0.28%
S&P_500___ 2,068.53 ▼ -0.06 ▲ 0.00%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.56 ▼ -0.01 ▼ -0.27%

NYSE Volume 3,568,424,500
Nasdaq Volume 1,752,518,880

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,818.17 ▼ -10.95 ▼ -0.16%
DAX_____ 10,752.11 ▼ -1.72 ▼ -0.02%
CAC_40__ 4,679.38 ▼ -16.27 ▼ -0.35%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,731.70 ▼ -25.70 ▼ -0.45%
Shanghai_Comp 3,157.70 ▲ 16.11 ▲ 0.51%
Taiwan_Weight 9,462.22 ▲ 68.52 ▲ 0.73%
Nikkei_225___ 17,652.68 ▼ -59.25 ▼ -0.33%
Hang_Seng.__ 24,315.02 ▼ -213.08 ▼ -0.87%
Strait_Times.__ 3,444.57 ▲ 10.33 ▲ 0.30%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,789.18 ▲ 5.09 ▲ 0.09%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-end-little-changed-212051329.html

US stocks end little changed as Greek debt meeting begins

US stocks close effectively unchanged as European ministers meet to discuss Greece's debt
Associated Press
By Ken Sweet, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- U.S. stocks closed effectively flat in quiet trading Wednesday as investors waited to see what the outcome would be of an emergency meeting between Greece and the rest of the eurozone to discuss the country's finances.

Energy stocks were among the biggest decliners as the price of oil fell.

The Dow Jones industrial average edged down 6.62 points, or 0.04 percent, to 17,862.14. The Standard & Poor's 500 index closed flat, down 0.06 of a point to 2,068.53 and the Nasdaq composite rose 13.54 points, or 0.3 percent, to 4,801.18.

Once again, investors turned their eyes to Europe. Finance ministers from nations that use the euro held an emergency meeting in Brussels on Wednesday, the group's first opportunity to hear directly from Greece's new government.

Greece wants to renegotiate the terms of its international bailout, which has imposed years of punishing austerity on the country. The current agreement expires in late February. Speculation that Greece could be granted extra time to hold new negotiations lifted markets Tuesday.

"At the moment, it seems European leaders and Greece are willing to meet each other in the middle and this has comforted investors' concerns after the aggressive tone by Greek Prime Minister Tsipras over the weekend," Stan Shamu, market strategist at IG, said in a commentary.

One source of weakness in U.S. markets was energy stocks.

The price of oil fell back below $50 a barrel after the Energy Department reported that U.S. crude inventories rose by 4.9 million barrels last week to their highest level for this time of year "in at least the last 80 years."

Benchmark U.S. crude fell $1.18 to close at $48.84 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, fell $1.77 to close at $54.66 in London.

Transocean, one of the world's largest drilling rig companies, fell 4 percent while Pioneer Natural Resources, another major oil exploration company, fell 4 percent as well. Both were the biggest decliners in the S&P 500.

In other energy commodities, wholesale gasoline fell 0.9 cent to close at $1.543 a gallon. Heating oil fell 1.9 cents to close at $1.814 a gallon. Natural gas rose 12 cents to close at $2.797 per 1,000 cubic feet.

U.S. government bond prices were little changed. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note was flat at 2 percent.

Gold fell $12.60 to $1,219.60 an ounce, silver fell 11 cents to $16.76 an ounce and copper lost a penny to $2.54 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 110.24 points or ▲ 0.62% on Thursday, 12 February 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,972.38 ▲ 110.24 ▲ 0.62%
Nasdaq____ 4,857.61 ▲ 56.64 ▲ 1.18%
S&P_500___ 2,088.48 ▲ 19.95 ▲ 0.96%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.57 ▲ 0.01 ▲ 0.27%

NYSE Volume 3,781,206,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,982,049,380

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,828.11 ▲ 9.94 ▲ 0.15%
DAX_____ 10,919.65 ▲ 167.54 ▲ 1.56%
CAC_40__ 4,726.20 ▲ 46.82 ▲ 1.00%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,707.70 ▼ -24.00 ▼ -0.42%
Shanghai_Comp 3,173.42 ▲ 15.71 ▲ 0.50%
Taiwan_Weight 9,496.31 ▲ 34.09 ▲ 0.36%
Nikkei_225___ 17,979.72 ▲ 327.04 ▲ 1.85%
Hang_Seng.__ 24,422.15 ▲ 107.13 ▲ 0.44%
Strait_Times.__ 3,415.08 ▼ -29.49 ▼ -0.86%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,749.31 ▼ -39.87 ▼ -0.69%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stocks-muted-ahead-emergency-meeting-145910783.html

US stocks approach record as technology, energy stocks gain
Associated Press
By STEVE ROTHWELL

NEW YORK (AP) ”” U.S. stocks climbed back close to record levels on Thursday as technology, materials and energy companies all notched big gains.

Cisco Systems led the technology sector higher after reporting better-than-expected earnings. Energy stocks rose as the price of oil rebounded following two days of heavy losses.

There were also big gains for online travel companies. Expedia and Orbitz jumped after Expedia said that it was acquiring its rival. TripAdvisor also surged amid speculation that the wave of consolidation in the industry would continue.

Stocks have logged big gains in February after a slumping to their worst month in a year in January on worries about the outlook for the global economy. Company earnings are still growing and the U.S. economy appears to be maintaining its recovery as hiring picks up.

"People were getting a little bit overly pessimistic," said Karyn Cavanaugh, a senior market strategist at Voya Investment Management. "I still think we're going to see a pretty decent year for the market."

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 19.95 points, or 1 percent, to 2,088.48. The index is within two points of its record close of 2,090.57, set Dec. 29.

The Dow Jones industrial average gained 110.24 points, or 0.6 percent, to 17,972. The Nasdaq composite climbed 56.43 points, or 1.2 percent, to 4,857.61.

Stocks had started the day higher on some encouraging news from Europe, where world leaders clinched a cease-fire deal for Ukraine and as investors remained hopeful that Greece would be able to reach an agreement with its creditors.

An emergency meeting Wednesday between Greece's new government and finance ministers from nations that use the euro ended in a stalemate. Greece wants its creditors to ease the terms of a bailout program that has imposed years of austerity on the country.

Investors are hopeful that a deal will be reached before the country's financial rescue program expires at the end of the month. The main Athens stock index jumped 6.7 percent.

In the U.S., TripAdvisor was the biggest gainer in the S&P 500, surging $15.13, or 23 percent, to $82.40, after the announcement of Expedia's bid for Orbitz.

Cisco, a major maker of computer networking equipment, was another big gainer. The stock jumped $2.53, or 9.4 percent, to $29.46 after it reported earnings late Wednesday that exceeded analysts' expectations. The company's outlook for the full year was also better than expected.

The S&P 500 index is up 4.7 percent for the month. If the market closes out the month at this level, it will be the best performance for the index since July 2013.

On Thursday, American Express was among the day's losers after the company said that it hasn't been able to come to an agreement to renew and exclusivity deal with Costco. The current agreement covers U.S. stores and dates back 16 years. It will end March 31, 2016.

Amex slumped $5.53, or 6.4 percent, to $80.48.

In energy trading, the price of oil rose sharply as the CEO of Royal Dutch Shell said he expects crude demand will grow faster than supply this year. Benchmark U.S. crude rose $2.37 to close at $51.21 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, rose $2.39 to close at $57.05 in London.

Oil has recovered since falling 60 percent in the past seven months. It went as low as $45 a barrel at the end of January. The rebound is encouraging investors who had worried that the slump was signal of a slowing global economy.

In U.S. government bond trading, prices rose slightly. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note edged down to 1.97 percent from 1.99 percent on Wednesday.

The dollar fell to 119 yen from 120.16 yen the previous day. The euro rose to $1.1406 from $1.1319.

In metals trading, gold rose $1.10 to $1,220.70 an ounce, silver rose three cents to $16.79 an ounce and copper rose five cents to $2.60 a pound.

In other energy trading, In other futures trading on the NYMEX:

”” Wholesale gasoline rose 5.3 cents to close at $1.596 a gallon.

”” Heating oil rose 10 cents to close at $1.914 a gallon.

”” Natural gas fell 8.4 cents to close at $2.713 per 1,000 cubic feet.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 46.97 points or ▲ 0.26% on Friday, 13 February 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,019.35 ▲ 46.97 ▲ 0.26%
Nasdaq____ 4,893.84 ▲ 36.22 ▲ 0.75%
S&P_500___ 2,096.99 ▲ 8.51 ▲ 0.41%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.63 ▲ 0.06 ▲ 2.14%

NYSE Volume 3,534,205,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,897,722,750

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,873.52 ▲ 45.41 ▲ 0.67%
DAX_____ 10,963.40 ▲ 43.75 ▲ 0.40%
CAC_40__ 4,759.36 ▲ 33.16 ▲ 0.70%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,835.50 ▲ 127.80 ▲ 2.24%
Shanghai_Comp 3,203.83 ▲ 30.41 ▲ 0.96%
Taiwan_Weight 9,529.51 ▲ 33.20 ▲ 0.35%
Nikkei_225___ 17,913.36 ▼ -66.36 ▼ -0.37%
Hang_Seng.__ 24,682.54 ▲ 260.39 ▲ 1.07%
Strait_Times.__ 3,426.22 ▲ 7.05 ▲ 0.21%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,786.54 ▲ 37.23 ▲ 0.65%

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

Stocks close at a record high as energy sector recovers

US stocks close at record high as oil rebound lifts the energy sector; CBS gains on earnings
Associated Press
By Steve Rothwell, AP Markets Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- A slight gain was enough to push the stock market to a record high Friday.

Stocks climbed as a rebound in oil prices pushed energy stocks higher. A report showing faster-than-forecast growth in Europe at the end of last year also boosted investor sentiment.

Investors were also picking over the latest earnings news. CBS gained after strong advertising revenue boosted its earnings. V.F. Corporation, a clothing company whose brands include Vans, Wrangler and Timberland, jumped after giving an upbeat outlook for the year.

Stocks have surged in February, rebounding from a January slump, as recovering oil prices have boosted energy stocks. Growing corporate earnings and the announcement of more stimulus from the European Central Bank to boost growth in the region have also helped turn around investor sentiment this month.

"Stability seems to be coming back," said JJ Kinahan, chief strategist at TD Ameritrade. "Overall, I think the market is going to go higher ... but it may be a case of two steps forward, one step back."

The Standard & Poor's 500 rose 8.51 points, or 0.4 percent, to 2,096.99. That surpassed the previous record close of 2,090.57 set Dec. 29.

The Dow Jones industrial average climbed 46.97 points, or 0.3 percent, to 18,019.35. The index is still 35 points short of its all-time high. The Nasdaq composite gained 36.22 points, or 0.8 percent, to 4,893.84.

About three-quarters of the companies in the S&P 500 index have now reported results for the fourth quarter, and earnings for the period are projected to rise by 7.5 percent. While that is a decline from growth of 10.4 percent in the previous quarter, it's better than analysts were expecting at the start of December.

On Friday, V.F. Corporation was one of the biggest gainers in the S&P 500. The company's stock rose $4.26, or 6 percent, to $75.26 after it said that it was expecting "meaningful growth" in all of its markets worldwide. That's despite challenges it faces from a strengthening dollar.

CBS was another winner on Friday.

The media company gained $2.06, or 3.6 percent, to $59.83 after it reported earnings late Thursday that were slightly better than Wall Street analysts had been expecting. The company got a boost from higher advertising revenues, led by the broadcast of "Thursday Night Football" and political ad revenues associated with the midterm elections.

This month's sharp gains are making some analysts cautious on stocks.

The price-earnings ratio for next year's earnings for S&P 500 companies is at 17.1, the highest level in more than a decade. The measure is a gauge of how much investors are willing to pay for a company's earnings.

"Watch those valuation levels very carefully," said James Liu, Global Market Strategist for J.P. Morgan Asset Management.

Rather than tracking the broader market investors should focus on certain sectors, Liu says. At the moment he favors so-called consumer discretionary stocks, which should benefit as hiring picks and consumers get more money in their pockets from lower gas prices.

ConAgra was one of the biggest losers in the S&P 500 on Friday.

The food company, whose brands include Swiss Miss hot chocolate mix and Slim Jim beef jerky, dropped $1.59, or 4.4 percent, to $34.83 after cutting its earnings outlook for the year late Thursday. ConAgra blamed the impact of a stronger dollar and intense competition for its Private Brands unit.

While energy stocks have been rebounding this year, one of last year's biggest gainers is this year's biggest decliner.

Utilities surged 25 percent last year as investor pushed up the price of the dividend-rich stocks as bond yields fell. Now, as bond yields are showing signs of rising from their lows, investors are dumping the stocks. The sector is down 7 percent this month.

Stocks in the U.S. again got a lift from developments in Europe.

Data out Friday showed the eurozone economy picked up speed in the fourth quarter thanks to better growth in Germany and Spain. The currency union's economy grew 0.3 percent in the October-December period compared with the previous quarter, more than expected, thanks also to lower oil prices and a weaker euro. The growth rate, while encouraging, is still only about half that of the U.S.

Greece and its creditors in the 19-country eurozone took visible, if modest, steps to bridge their differences over Athens' demands to lighten the load of its financial bailout. Investors are hopeful that a deal will be reached to avoid Greece's exit from the euro.

In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude rose $1.57 to $52.78 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude climbed $2.24 to $61.52 a barrel in London.

In U.S. government bond trading, prices fell slightly. The yield on the 10-year benchmark government note edged up to 2.04 percent from 1.99 percent on Tuesday.

The dollar was little changed against the Japanese yen and the euro. The dollar traded at 118.75 yen, down from 118.85 yen the previous day. The euro was flat at $1.1406.

In metals trading, precious and industrial metals futures closed higher. Gold rose $6.40 to $1,227.10 an ounce, silver jumped 50 cents to $17.29 an ounce and copper edged up less than a penny to $2.61 a pound.

In other energy futures trading on the NYMEX:

— Wholesale gasoline rose 3 cents to close at $1.626 a gallon.

— Heating oil rose 5.7 cents to close at $1.971 a gallon.

— Natural gas rose 9.1 cents to close at $2.804 per 1,000 cubic feet.

6093

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE was closed for Washington’s Birthday holiday on Monday February 17

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 46.97 points or ▲ 0.26% on Friday, 13 February 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,019.35 ▲ 46.97 ▲ 0.26% HOLIDAY
Nasdaq____ 4,893.84 ▲ 36.22 ▲ 0.75% HOLIDAY
S&P_500___ 2,096.99 ▲ 8.51 ▲ 0.41% HOLIDAY
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.63 ▲ 0.06 ▲ 2.14% HOLIDAY

NYSE Volume 3,534,205,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,897,722,750

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,857.05 ▼ -16.47 ▼ -0.24%
DAX_____ 10,923.23 ▼ -40.17 ▼ -0.37%
CAC_40__ 4,751.95 ▼ -7.41 ▼ -0.16%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,849.50 ▲ 14.00 ▲ 0.24%
Shanghai_Comp 3,222.36 ▲ 18.54 ▲ 0.58%
Taiwan_Weight 9,529.51 ▲ 33.20 ▲ 0.35%
Nikkei_225___ 18,004.77 ▲ 91.41 ▲ 0.51%
Hang_Seng.__ 24,726.53 ▲ 43.99 ▲ 0.18%
Strait_Times.__ 3,427.16 ▲ 0.94 ▲ 0.03%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,758.25 ▼ -28.29 ▼ -0.49%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/asia-stocks-gain-japan-exits-091524669.html

Europe stocks wary on Greece, Asia up on Japan recession end
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) ”” European stocks edged lower on Monday as investors were skeptical that Greece and its European creditors would find a quick deal to solve the country's debt problems. Asian stocks, however, closed higher after Japan emerged from recession.

KEEPING SCORE: Germany's DAX fell 0.4 percent to close at 10,923.23 and France's CAC 40 dropped 0.2 percent to 4,751.95. Britain's FTSE 100 inched down 0.2 percent to 6,857.05. In Asia, Tokyo's Nikkei 225 jumped 0.5 percent to 18,004.77 and the Shanghai Composite Index added 0.6 percent to 3,222.36. Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.2 percent to 24,726.50. Wall Street is closed for a public holiday.

GREEK TENSIONS: Eurozone finance ministers meet Monday to consider Greece's proposal for short-term "bridge financing" without the onerous terms previously imposed on the country until a longer-term solution to Greece's crushing debt is found. Investors hope an agreement will be reached to avoid Greece's exit from the euro. Germany's finance minister on Monday said a quick deal on Monday is unlikely. That pushed Athens' stock index down almost 4 percent.

JAPAN REBOUND: Asia was buoyed by news Japan emerged from recession last quarter, even though growth fell short of many forecasters' expectations. Data on Monday showed the world's third-largest economy grew at a 2.2 percent annualized rate in the three months ending in October, boosted by exports and public spending. Growth for 2014 was flat and real wages fell 0.1 percent. Private investment was anemic, suggesting that businesses and households still are cautious. Japan's economy slipped into recession last year after the government increased sales tax in April.

THE QUOTE: "The fact that the economic growth started stabilizing should be reassuring to both the government and the Bank of Japan," said economist Yoshiro Sato of Credit Agricole-CIB in a report. "That said, the level of real GDP is still far below that before the consumption tax hike and that will require continued efforts made by the government side in terms of structural reforms."

ENERGY: U.S. benchmark crude was up 22 cents at $53.00 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract gained $1.57 on Friday to close at $52.78.

CURRENCIES: The dollar dropped to 118.48 yen from 118.76 yen late Friday. The euro was steady at $1.1390.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 28.23 points or ▲ 0.16% on Tuesday, 17 February 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,047.58 ▲ 28.23 ▲ 0.16%
Nasdaq____ 4,899.27 ▲ 5.43 ▲ 0.11%
S&P_500___ 2,100.34 ▲ 3.35 ▲ 0.16%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.74 ▲ 0.11 ▲ 4.27%

NYSE Volume 3,289,191,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,675,401,750

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,898.13 ▲ 41.08 ▲ 0.60%
DAX_____ 10,895.62 ▼ -27.61 ▼ -0.25%
CAC_40__ 4,753.99 ▲ 2.04 ▲ 0.04%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,822.30 ▼ -27.20 ▼ -0.47%
Shanghai_Comp 3,246.91 ▲ 24.54 ▲ 0.76%
Taiwan_Weight 9,529.51 ▲ 33.20 ▲ 0.35%
Nikkei_225___ 17,987.09 ▼ -17.68 ▼ -0.10%
Hang_Seng.__ 24,784.88 ▲ 58.35 ▲ 0.24%
Strait_Times.__ 3,415.91 ▼ -11.25 ▼ -0.33%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,750.21 ▼ -8.03 ▼ -0.14%


MY APOLOGIES FOR POSTING THIS EARLY REPORT; I HAVE AN IMPORTANT APPOINTMENT THAT I MUST ATTEND SHORTLY

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-edge-higher-bringing-183930860.html

US stocks edge higher, bringing market back to record

US stocks edge higher in afternoon trading, pulling the market back to a record
Associated Press
By Ken Sweet, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- U.S. stocks edged slightly higher in late afternoon trading Tuesday as investors continued to watch Greece's debt talks and hoped a deal would eventually be reached to keep the country from falling out of the eurozone.

KEEPING SCORE: The Dow Jones industrial average was up nine points, or 0.1 percent, to 18,027 as of 3:03 p.m. Eastern. The Standard & Poor's 500 index was up a point, or 0.1 percent, 2,098. The Nasdaq composite was flat at 4,894.

GREEK DRAMA: Greece is considering requesting an extension to its loan agreement, government officials said Tuesday, in an effort to reach a last-minute deal with the country's European creditors and avoid the danger of a euro exit.

After five years of punishing austerity, Greece wants to scrap its existing program in favor of a new one with easier terms. If no agreement is reached by the end of the month, investors expect that Greece may have little option but to default and stop using the euro currency. Most analysts expect a deal will be reached in time and this extension is the latest sign that an agreement will be reached.

THE QUOTE: "Greece's new government wants more independence, but it doesn't want that independence at all costs," said Anastasia Amoroso, a global market strategist at JPMorgan Funds. "The extension is good news because it buys Greece and the eurozone time to reach a long-term resolution."

BONDS: The yield on the benchmark U.S. 10-year note jumped to 2.15 percent from 2.05 percent on Friday. Bond yields have been climbing sharply since the start of the month as investors become more confident that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates this year.

On Wednesday, the Fed will release the minutes from its January policy meeting. Investors expect the language to signal that the nation's central bank is on track for a modest interest rate hike as early as June.

EUROPE: Market indexes ended mixed across the continent. Germany's DAX edged down 0.3 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.6 percent and France's CAC-40 closed mostly flat. Greek stocks fell 2.5 percent.

ENERGY: U.S. benchmark crude added 84 cents to $53.59 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract gained $1.57 to close at $52.78 Friday. U.S. markets were closed Monday for Presidents Day.

BURNING RUBBER: Goodyear Tire & Rubber's stock surged after the company reported a jump in its quarterly profit, thanks to a $2 billion tax credit that offset the effect of a stronger dollar on sales. Goodyear rose 84 cents, or 3 percent, to $26.75.

ROOM UPGRADE: Starwood Hotels was up $2.37, or 3 percent, to $80.92 after the company announced the sudden resignation of its CEO Frits van Paasschen. The company's board of directors said it would pivot the company toward timeshares and other high-growth areas of the hospitality industry.

METALS: Gold fell $18.50, or 1.5 percent, to $1,208.60 an ounce. Silver fell 92 cents, or 5 percent, to $16.40 an ounce and copper fell 2 cents, or 1 percent, to $2.58 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -17.73 points or ▼ -0.10% on Wednesday, 18 February 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,029.85 ▼ -17.73 ▼ -0.10%
Nasdaq____ 4,906.36 ▲ 7.10 ▲ 0.14%
S&P_500___ 2,099.68 ▼ -0.66 ▼ -0.03%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.70 ▼ -0.04 ▼ -1.57%

NYSE Volume 3,338,230,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,645,685,380

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,898.08 ▼ -0.05 ▲ 0.00%
DAX_____ 10,961.00 ▲ 65.38 ▲ 0.60%
CAC_40__ 4,799.03 ▲ 45.04 ▲ 0.95%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,877.90 ▲ 55.60 ▲ 0.95%
Shanghai_Comp 3,246.91 ▲ 24.54 ▲ 0.76%
Taiwan_Weight 9,529.51 ▲ 33.20 ▲ 0.35%
Nikkei_225___ 18,199.17 ▲ 212.08 ▲ 1.18%
Hang_Seng.__ 24,832.08 ▲ 47.20 ▲ 0.19%
Strait_Times.__ 3,435.66 ▲ 19.75 ▲ 0.58%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,741.36 ▼ -8.85 ▼ -0.15%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stock-market-ends-mostly-211331210.html

US stock market ends mostly lower
S&P 500, Dow end slightly lower after Fed releases meeting minutes
Associated Press
By Steve Rothwell, AP Markets Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- The U.S. stock market edged mostly lower on Wednesday, easing back from its latest all-time highs.

The markets barely budged following the midafternoon release of minutes from the Federal Reserve's January meeting. The transcript showed that policymakers were less likely to raise interest rates in June than investors previously thought.

The decline follows two straight days of record closing highs for the Standard & Poor's 500 index.

"The market had really gathered steam around a June tightening date, the minutes seem to have walked that back a bit," said David Lafferty, chief market strategist at Natixis Global Asset Management.

The Dow Jones industrial average slipped 17.73 points, or 0.1 percent, to 18,029.85. The S&P 500 eased 0.7 point, or 0.03 percent, to 2,099.68. The index closed at an all-time high of 2,100.34 on Tuesday.

The Nasdaq composite rose 7.10 points, or 0.1 percent, to 4,906.36.

Major stock indexes opened lower early Wednesday. Energy stocks declined as the price of oil fell amid speculation that a recent rally in crude was excessive.

The price of benchmark U.S. crude, which had been rising last week, fell $1.39 to $52.14 a barrel Wednesday. The price of oil has jumped 16 percent since bottoming out at the end of January after a seven-month slump.

Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, fell $2 to $60.53 a barrel.

Investors hammered Fossil Group's shares after the retailer reported disappointing fourth-quarter earnings report and outlook. The stock fell the most among companies in the S&P 500, shedding $15.63, or 15.7 percent, to $83.69.

Stocks continued to drift lower ahead of the release of the meetings from the Fed's January meeting.

But the declines eased after 2 p.m. Eastern time, when the minutes appeared to ease any concerns that the central bank would raise rates anytime soon.

The minutes revealed that officials were concerned about the impact on financial markets of dropping the word "patient" from their communications, when describing how long they were willing to wait before raising rates.

Officials noted that wage growth has remained weak even as the unemployment rate has declined. Inflation remains below the Fed's 2 percent target. The Fed's benchmark interest rate has been at a record low near zero since December 2008.

Government bonds rallied after the release of the Fed's minutes. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note, which moves inversely to its price, fell to 2.08 percent from 2.14 percent late Tuesday.

All told, four of the 10 sectors in the S&P 500 ended lower. Energy stocks slumped the most, declining 1.5 percent. Utilities notched the biggest gain at 2.4 percent.

The S&P 500 has bounced back after a weak start to the year, as a rebound in the price of oil has boosted energy stocks and returned the index to all-time highs. Strong reports on hiring and company earnings have also encouraged investors. The gains have come, even as a strengthening dollar has curbed overseas earnings for companies in the index.

Most companies in the S&P 500 index have now reported their results for the fourth quarter. Earnings are forecast to rise 7.6 percent after all the results are in, according to S&P Capital IQ. That compares with growth of 9.2 percent in the third quarter and a rate of 4.9 percent in the same period a year earlier.

In metals trading, gold fell $8.40, or 0.7 percent, to $1,199.70 an ounce. Silver fell 11 cents, or 0.7 percent, to $16.27 an ounce and copper rose 3 cents, or 1.3 percent, to $2.61 a pound.

The dollar gained against the euro, pushing the currency down to $1.14. The U.S. currency fell to 118.71 against the Japanese yen.

Investors also had their eye on developments in Greece, where the government is set to ask its European creditors to extend a 240 billion-euro international loan agreement ”” but without the deep spending cuts and income reductions from the country's austerity program.

Greece's bailout program expires after Feb. 28 and there are worries that a failure to extend it may force the country out of the euro, and potentially damage the global economy. Investors are optimistic, however, that Greece will reach a compromise with its creditors.

In other energy futures trading, the price of wholesale gasoline fell 2 cents to $1.574 a gallon. Heating oil slipped 2 cents to $1.959 a gallon. Natural gas rose 7 cents to $2.831 per 1,000 cubic feet.