NYSE Dow Jones finished today at:

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -44.08 points or ▼ -0.24% on Thursday, 19 February 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,985.77 ▼ -44.08 ▼ -0.24%
Nasdaq____ 4,924.70 ▲ 18.34 ▲ 0.37%
S&P_500___ 2,097.45 ▼ -2.23 ▼ -0.11%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.73 ▲ 0.04 ▲ 1.37%

NYSE Volume 3,223,502,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,563,696,620

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,888.90 ▼ -9.18 ▼ -0.13%
DAX_____ 11,001.94 ▲ 40.94 ▲ 0.37%
CAC_40__ 4,833.28 ▲ 34.25 ▲ 0.71%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,869.80 ▼ -8.10 ▼ -0.14%
Shanghai_Comp 3,246.91 ▲ 24.54 ▲ 0.76%
Taiwan_Weight 9,529.51 ▲ 33.20 ▲ 0.35%
Nikkei_225___ 18,264.79 ▲ 65.62 ▲ 0.36%
Hang_Seng.__ 24,832.08 ▲ 47.20 ▲ 0.19%
Strait_Times.__ 3,435.66 ▲ 19.75 ▲ 0.58%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,726.23 ▼ -15.13 ▼ -0.26%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/investors-dump-utility-stocks-us-222434998.html

As investors dump utility stocks, US markets edge lower

US stocks dip as investors dump utility stocks; losses offset by gain in consumer stocks
Associated Press
By Steve Rothwell, AP Markets Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- A slide in shares of utility companies nudged the U.S. stock market lower Thursday.

Utilities were the day's biggest losers, falling 1 percent, and their losses resumed a trend that emerged in late January. Investors have dumped the dividend-rich stocks as the yield of the U.S. 10-year note creeps higher.

Energy stocks also weighed on the market Thursday.

Overall, though, U.S. stocks have rebounded from a January slump. The Standard & Poor's 500 index has reached all-time highs in February, and is on track for its best monthly performance in more than three years. Company earnings are still growing and the economy is continuing to recover.

"The U.S. markets are still in a 'goldilocks' scenario," neither too hot, or too cold, said Jeremy Zirin, chief U.S. equity strategist for UBS Wealth Management Research. "Growth is solid, but not spectacular, and most importantly, not stoking high levels of inflation."

The Standard & Poor's 500 index ended the day down 2.23 points, or 0.11 percent, at 2,097.45. The index is still within a fraction of the all-time high of 2,100.34 reached on Tuesday.

The index has gained 5.1 percent in February. If it holds those gains through the end of the month, it would be the strongest performance since October 2011.

The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 44.08 points, or 0.2 percent, to 17,985.77.

The price of oil fell, though it regained some of its losses when the Energy Department reported that the growth in supplies was less than expected. Benchmark U.S. crude fell 98 cents to close at $51.16 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, fell 32 cents to close at $60.21 in London.

Technology stocks were among the day's gainers. The sector has outperformed the broader market since the start of the year and the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite has gained 6.2 percent this month.

On Thursday, the index rose 18.34 points, or 0.4 percent, to 4,924.70. It was the seventh straight gain for the index, its longest streak of gains since last February.

Investors are favoring technology stocks because they offer better growth prospects than the overall market, said Zirin of UBS.

Consumer-oriented tech companies such as Apple should benefit as lower gas prices leave more money in consumers' pockets, he said. Businesses are also likely to increase investments in technology.

Priceline was the biggest gainer in the S&P 500. The stock jumped $95.06, or 8.5 percent, to $1,218 as an increase in bookings helped the online travel company beat analysts' expectations.

In Europe, Greece's government asked to extend its rescue loan agreement by six months in order to give it and the eurozone more time to hash out a longer, permanent deal. However, Greece held back on offering to extend a series of budget cuts and reforms that the eurozone has required since 2010 in exchange for loans. Greece says that the measures have devastated its economy. The 19 finance ministers of the eurozone will meet Friday to discuss the proposals.

The main stock market in Athens rose 1.1 percent. Germany's DAX climbed 0.2 percent. The CAC-40 in France was 0.6 percent higher.

In U.S. government bond trading, prices fell. The yield on the 10-year government climbed to 2.10 percent from 2.08 percent on Wednesday. The yield started the month at 1.64 percent.

The U.S. dollar was little changed against the Japanese yen, trading at 118.97 yen on Thursday. The dollar edged up against the euro, pushing the currency down to $1.1383 from $1.1399.

In metals trading, gold rose $7.40, or 0.6 percent, to $1,207.10. Silver gained 11.6 cents, or 0.7 percent, to $16.38 and copper rose 0.5 cents, or 0.2 percent, to $2.62 a pound.

In other futures trading on the NYMEX:

”” Wholesale gasoline rose 4.2 cents to close at $1.616 a gallon.

”” Heating oil rose 3.5 cents to close at $1.994 a gallon.

”” Natural gas fell 0.3 cent to close at $2.834 per 1,000 cubic fee

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 154.67 points or ▲ 0.86% on Friday, 20 February 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,140.44 ▲ 154.67 ▲ 0.86%
Nasdaq____ 4,955.97 ▲ 31.27 ▲ 0.63%
S&P_500___ 2,110.30 ▲ 12.85 ▲ 0.61%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.74 ▲ 0.00 ▲ 0.11%

NYSE Volume 3,268,209,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,700,411,500

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,915.20 ▲ 26.30 ▲ 0.38%
DAX_____ 11,050.64 ▲ 48.70 ▲ 0.44%
CAC_40__ 4,830.90 ▼ -2.38 ▼ -0.05%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,845.60 ▼ -24.20 ▼ -0.41%
Shanghai_Comp 3,246.91 ▲ 24.54 ▲ 0.76%
Taiwan_Weight 9,529.51 ▲ 33.20 ▲ 0.35%
Nikkei_225___ 18,332.30 ▲ 67.51 ▲ 0.37%
Hang_Seng.__ 24,832.08 ▲ 47.20 ▲ 0.19%
Strait_Times.__ 3,435.66 ▲ 19.75 ▲ 0.58%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,748.95 ▲ 22.72 ▲ 0.40%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/nasdaq-gains-eighth-straight-day-220340889.html

Nasdaq gains for eighth straight day, nearing dot-com high

Nasdaq rises for eighth straight day, pushing index closer to dot-com-era record high
Associated Press
By Steve Rothwell, AP Markets Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- The Nasdaq composite rose for an eighth straight day Friday, pushing the index closer to its all-time closing high.

The index climbed with the overall stock market after Greece and its creditors in the eurozone reached an agreement on the country's request to extend its bailout. The news was seen as positive by investors because it reduces the risk of Greece leaving the euro, a move that has the potential to send shockwaves throughout global financial markets.

After gaining nearly 7 percent in February, the Nasdaq is now less than 2 percent from its record close of 5,048.62, a benchmark set during the frenzy of the dot-com era in March 2000.

On Friday, the Nasdaq added 31.27 points, or 0.6 percent, to 4,955.97. Its eight-day win streak matches its longest stretch of gains since February 2014.

The technology-heavy index, which tracks the 2,500-plus stocks that are listed on the Nasdaq stock market, has advanced 4.6 percent this year, and is up 16 percent in the last year.

Almost half the companies in the index are technology stocks, and the Nasdaq is outperforming both the Dow Jones industrial average and the Standard & Poor's 500 index this year, as the technology sector is coming back in favor. The S&P 500 is up 2.5 percent since the start of 2015, and has risen 15 percent over the last year.

One stock in particular is giving the Nasdaq a lift: Apple.

The technology giant has gained 17 percent this year, pushing its market value over $750 billion. The surge means that the stock now accounts for about 10 percent of the Nasdaq's market value. That compares with its 4 percent share for the S&P 500.

=============================================================================
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stock-market-hits-high-greece-211836537.html

Stock market hits new high after Greece gets loan extension

Dow, S&P 500 close at record highs after Greece gets 4-month extension of bailout
Associated Press
By Ken Sweet, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- A deal giving Greece more time to repay its debts swung the U.S. stock market higher Friday and drove the stock market to a record high.

While expected, the deal between the struggling country and its European creditors left investors relieved. Any failure to reach an accord could have sent tremors through markets at a time when Europe is trying to revive its regional economy.

"It's good this didn't go down to the wire to get resolved," said Paul Christopher, head of international strategy at Wells Fargo.

Stocks started off the day solidly lower. The Dow Jones industrial average fell as much as 107 points. But as rumors and news came out that Greece and its creditors were close to a deal, the market climbed ever-so-steadily higher. The euro also gained against the dollar.

The Dow finished up 154.67 points, or 0.9 percent, to 18,140.44. The Standard & Poor's 500 index climbed 12.85 points, or 0.6 percent, to 2,110.30 and the Nasdaq composite rose 31.27 points, or 0.6 percent, to 4,955.97. The Dow closed at a record high, surpassing its record close on Dec. 26. The S&P 500 also closed at record high.

The Nasdaq, which has yet to reclaim its record high from the dot-com era, in now within 93 points of that March 2000 peak.

In Brussels, the deal reached between the European Union and Greece's recently elected government would extend the country's repayment plan by four months. That is shorter than the six months originally requested by Greece.

In return, Greece has committed to not pursue any "unilateral" measures that might affect the country's budget targets. Greece has committed to provide a list of reforms based on its current bailout program for assessment by Monday.

The deal is a shift from only a day ago, where it seemed like Greece and its creditors were still struggling to reach a basic agreement for the Mediterranean country. Without the agreement, Greece would have only about a week left before it would default on its obligations and cause it to drop the euro currency.

Greece's economy is small, but the potential disruption Greece could have to the global financial system potentially could be huge. In a worst-case scenario, Greece abandoning the euro could embolden political parties in other debt-ridden countries to seek to leave the euro as well.

"A Greek exit is not good for anyone, including the Greeks," said Christopher of Wells Fargo. "If Greece leaves, everyone else could leave and you're left with nothing."

In energy markets, the price of oil fell Friday after a closely-watched count of drilling rigs declined less than expected. That could mean crude supplies will remain ample.

Benchmark U.S. crude fell 82 cents to close at $50.34 a barrel in New York on the last day of trading for the March contract. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, rose one cent to close at $60.22 in London.

In other futures trading, wholesale gasoline rose 2.5 cents to close at $1.641 a gallon. Heating oil rose 11.8 cents to close at $2.112 a gallon. Natural gas rose 11.7 cents to close at $2.951 per 1,000 cubic feet.

The U.S. dollar rose to 119.09 yen from 119.04 yen the previous session, while the euro rose against the dollar to $1.1379 compared with $1.1368 Thursday.

Gold fell $2.70 to $1,204.90 an ounce, silver fell 11 cents to $16.30 an ounce and high-grade copper fell 3 cents to $2.59 a pound.

6616

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -23.6 points or ▼ -0.13% on Monday, 23 February 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,116.84 ▼ -23.60 ▼ -0.13%
Nasdaq____ 4,960.97 ▲ 5.00 ▲ 0.10%
S&P_500___ 2,109.66 ▼ -0.64 ▼ -0.03%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.65 ▼ -0.08 ▼ -3.03%

NYSE Volume 3,049,044,500
Nasdaq Volume 1,723,062,000

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,912.16 ▼ -3.04 ▼ -0.04%
DAX_____ 11,130.92 ▲ 80.28 ▲ 0.73%
CAC_40__ 4,862.30 ▲ 31.40 ▲ 0.65%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,872.40 ▲ 26.80 ▲ 0.46%
Shanghai_Comp 3,246.91 ▲ 24.54 ▲ 0.76%
Taiwan_Weight 9,529.51 ▲ 33.20 ▲ 0.35%
Nikkei_225___ 18,466.92 ▲ 134.62 ▲ 0.73%
Hang_Seng.__ 24,836.76 ▲ 4.68 ▲ 0.02%
Strait_Times.__ 3,421.30 ▼ -14.36 ▼ -0.42%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,754.36 ▲ 5.41 ▲ 0.09%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-edge-mostly-lower-210916442.html

US stocks edge mostly lower, pulling Dow back from a record

US stocks edge mostly lower, pulling Dow back from record; Energy shares sink along with oil
Associated Press
By Alex Veiga, AP Business Writer

The slump in crude oil prices and disappointing U.S. home sales data helped nudge stocks mostly lower on Monday, pulling the market back from an all-time high reached last week.

The Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor's 500 index spent much of the day hovering slightly below their most-recent highs. But the Nasdaq composite mounted a late-afternoon comeback that extended its recent win streak for the ninth day in a row.

Oil drilling companies and homebuilders notched broad declines, while traders bid up shares in utilities stocks.

Investors were looking ahead to the start of a two-day round of Congressional testimony by Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen. The remarks could provide insight into when the central bank will begin raising its key interest rate from near zero.

"The markets are in a holding pattern," said Erik Davidson, chief investment officer of Wells Fargo Private Bank. "We'll have some very interesting information coming up from Janet Yellen tomorrow and Wednesday, so the markets are looking at that very closely."

The Dow ended down 23.60 points, or 0.1 percent, to 18,116.84. The S&P 500 fell 0.64 points, or 0.03 percent, to 2,109.66. The Nasdaq gained 5.01 points, or 0.1 percent, to 4,960.97. The index, which has yet to reclaim its record high from the dot-com era, in now within 87 points of that March 2000 peak.

The three stock indexes are up for the year.

Stocks started off the day basically flat as investors weighed developments in Greece and falling oil prices.

Greece's new government and its creditors reached an agreement over the weekend that staved off the threat of a Greek bankruptcy and an exit from the euro. Athens was expected to send creditors a list of reforms tied to the four-month bailout pact early Tuesday.

The price of oil fell for the fourth day in a row as the return of a Libyan oil field raised expectations for more oil supply. Benchmark U.S. crude fell $1.36 to close at $49.45 a barrel in New York.

That helped drag down shares in several offshore oil drilling and oilfield services companies.

Transocean fell 75 cents, or 4.4 percent, to $16.26, while Ensco shed $1.11, or 3.7 percent, to $28.65. Nabors Industries fell the most among stocks in the S&P 500, losing 67 cents, or 5 percent, to $12.85.

Investors bought up shares in Valeant Pharmaceuticals, which announced on Sunday a deal to buy rival drugmaker Salix Pharmaceuticals for about $10 billion in cash. Valeant rose $25.49, or 15 percent, to $198.75.

A midmorning report showing that sales of previously occupied homes tumbled 4.9 percent last month sent most homebuilder shares lower. UCP declined the most, shedding 45 cents, or 4.8 percent, to $8.97.

"The home numbers were a little disappointing," said Bob Doll, chief equity strategist at Nuveen Asset Management.

All told, six of the 10 sectors in the S&P 500 fell. Telecommunications stocks declined the most. Utilities stocks led the gainers.

Tuesday will provide investors with some fresh insight on the U.S. consumer.

The Conference Board will report its latest consumer confidence index. January's reading surged to the highest level in nearly seven years.

But the biggest market-moving news could come from the Fed.

Yellen is scheduled to deliver her semiannual report to Congress on the economy and interest rates. Investors will be listening for any hints of when the central bank will move to raise its key interest rate. Higher Fed rates would affect rates on many consumer and business loans and could depress stock and bond prices.

The Fed's most recent policy statement expressed the intention to be "patient" about raising rates. Many economists have predicted the central bank will raise rates in June.

In other futures trading Monday, Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, fell $1.32 to close at $58.90 in London. Wholesale gasoline rose 0.5 cents to close at $1.646 a gallon. Heating oil rose 10.6 cents to close at $2.218 a gallon, and natural gas fell 7.2 cents to close at $2.879 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Precious and industrial metals futures closed slightly lower. Gold fell $4.10 to $1,200.80 an ounce, silver fell two cents to $16.25 an ounce and copper edged down less than a penny to $2.59 a pound.

U.S. government bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.06 percent from 2.11 percent late Friday.

Among other stocks making moves Monday:

”” Cooper Tire & Rubber fell 5 percent after the tire maker reported fourth-quarter earnings that fell short of what Wall Street analysts had expected. The stock shed $1.89 to $35.82.

”” Tower Semiconductor reported a profit during its fourth quarter after reporting a loss in the same period a year earlier. Shares in the chipmaker vaulted $2.07, or 15.1 percent, to $15.76.

”” Polypore International surged 12.7 percent on news the company is selling its energy storage business to Asahi Kasei for $2.2 billion after it sells another segment to 3M for $1 billion. The stock gained $6.75 to $59.70.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 92.35 points or ▲ 0.51% on Tuesday, 24 February 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,209.19 ▲ 92.35 ▲ 0.51%
Nasdaq____ 4,968.12 ▲ 7.15 ▲ 0.14%
S&P_500___ 2,115.48 ▲ 5.82 ▲ 0.28%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.60 ▼ -0.05 ▼ -2.04%

NYSE Volume 3,199,113,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,781,321,500

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,949.63 ▲ 37.47 ▲ 0.54%
DAX_____ 11,205.74 ▲ 74.82 ▲ 0.67%
CAC_40__ 4,886.44 ▲ 24.14 ▲ 0.50%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,890.00 ▲ 17.60 ▲ 0.30%
Shanghai_Comp 3,246.91 ▲ 24.54 ▲ 0.76%
Taiwan_Weight 9,629.37 ▲ 99.86 ▲ 1.05%
Nikkei_225___ 18,603.48 ▲ 136.56 ▲ 0.74%
Hang_Seng.__ 24,750.07 ▼ -86.69 ▼ -0.35%
Strait_Times.__ 3,437.61 ▲ 16.31 ▲ 0.48%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,722.96 ▼ -31.39 ▼ -0.55%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-st...yellen-begins-remarks-151853045--finance.html

Slight gains push US stocks to record highs; Home Depot up
Associated Press
By ALEX VEIGA

The Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor's 500 index delivered new highs Tuesday, beating marks they set last week.

The Nasdaq composite also built on its gains for the year, finishing higher for the 10th day in a row.

The latest milestones came as investors liked what they heard from Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, who told Congress the central bank would be patient about raising interest rates as the economy improves.

"Markets had been very focused on the Yellen testimony and wanted to see if there was going to be any change in the outlook for the first Fed rate hike," said David Lefkowitz, senior equity strategist for UBS Wealth Management Research. "The short answer to that is, not really. The Fed is, at a minimum, not going to do anything imminently."

Progress in Greece's efforts to secure an extension of its rescue program and strong earnings from Home Depot also encouraged traders. The home-improvement retailer was the best performer in the 30-company Dow, rising 4.4 percent.

The Dow ended up 92.35 points, or 0.5 percent, to 18,209.19. That's up 0.4 percent from its most-recent high of 18,140.44 last Friday.

The S&P 500 gained 5.82 points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,115.48. The index also reached its previous high of 2,110.30 on Friday.

The Nasdaq gained 7.15 points, or 0.1 percent, to 4,968.12. The index, which has yet to eclipse its record high from the dot-com era, is now within 81 points of that March 2000 peak.

The three main U.S. stock indexes are all up for the year. The S&P 500 has closed at a new high four times this month. The Dow has done it twice.

The current bull market, now in its sixth year, has been powered by strong corporate earnings growth and low interest rates, which make stocks more attractive relative to bonds.

Yellen's remarks to Congress on Tuesday suggest that the interest rate part of that dynamic isn't likely to change right away.

In the first part of her two-day testimony, Yellen noted that the U.S. economy is making steady progress, but that for now the Fed will remain patient about raising interest rates because the job market is still healing and inflation is too low. The Fed has kept its benchmark rate near zero since 2008. Yellen's testimony supports the view that a rate increase is not likely before June or even later this year.

"It's a little bit uncertain on when exactly they'll raise rates, but it's not going to happen sooner than expected," Lefkowitz said.

The major stock indexes spent much of the morning drifting between small gains and losses as traders awaited Yellen's remarks and kept tabs on developments in Greece.

Athens and its bailout creditors reached a tentative agreement last week to continue a rescue loan program by four months to avoid the risk of a Greek default and exit from the euro currency. On Tuesday, the country's European creditors approved a 4-month extension to the nation's financial bailout.

"It was not unexpected, but welcome news," said Brad Sorensen, director of market and sector analysis at the Schwab Center for Financial Research. "We don't have to worry about that for at least a few weeks, anyway."

The news helped lift stocks indexes in Europe, including Britain's FTSE 100, which edged up 0.5 percent to 6,949, a record high. France's CAC-40 rose 0.5 percent to 4,886 while Germany's DAX gained 0.7 percent to 11,205. The Athens Stock Exchange General Index jumped 9.8 percent.

Investors also got a batch of new U.S. economic data Tuesday.

A key gauge of U.S. home prices showed that prices rose 4.5 percent in December versus a year earlier. The small gain comes after price increases slowed for 12 straight months. Meanwhile, the Conference Board reported that its consumer confidence index dropped this month to 96.4 from a revised 103.8 in January. The February and January readings are the highest since before the recession started in December 2007.

All told, nine of the 10 sectors in the S&P 500 index rose, led by utilities stocks. Health care stocks declined.

Home Depot rose after the company reported fourth-quarter financial results and a full-year outlook that exceeded Wall Street's expectations. The company also said it has authorized an $18 billion buyback of its shares and boosted its quarterly dividend by 26 percent. The stock rose $4.47, or 4.4 percent, to $116.75.

U.S. government bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 1.98 percent from 2.06 percent late Monday.

The price of oil fell for the fifth day in a row on expectations of rising inventories in the U.S. Benchmark U.S. crude fell 17 cents to close at $49.28 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, fell 24 cents to close at $58.66 in London.

In other futures trading on the NYMEX, wholesale gasoline fell 2.6 cents to close at $1.620 a gallon, while heating oil fell 18.9 cents to close at $2.029 a gallon. Natural gas rose 2.3 cents to close at $2.902 per 1,000 cubic feet.

In metals trading, gold edged down $3.50 to $1,197.30 an ounce, silver lost seven cents to $16.19 an ounce and copper rose six cents to $2.65 a pound.

Among other stocks making big moves Tuesday:

”” First Solar jumped 10 percent a day after the solar power company said it plans to combine some of its assets with SunPower into an investment vehicle that is intended to provide steady dividends. First Solar led the gainers in the S&P 500, adding $5.06 to $54.70.

”” Macy's reported better-than-expected earnings for the fourth quarter, but the retailer issued a forecast that fell short of Wall Street's expectations. The stock dipped $2.06, or 3.2 percent, to $62.10.

”” Rosetta Resources slumped 15 percent after the oil and gas company reported worse-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings and said it is deferring production growth. Its shares slid $3.29 to $18.58.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 15.38 points or ▲ 0.08% on Wednesday, 25 February 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,224.57 ▲ 15.38 ▲ 0.08%
Nasdaq____ 4,967.14 ▼ -0.98 ▼ -0.02%
S&P_500___ 2,113.86 ▼ -1.62 ▼ -0.08%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.57 ▼ -0.03 ▼ -1.04%

NYSE Volume 3,285,582,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,782,566,120

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,935.38 ▼ -14.25 ▼ -0.21%
DAX_____ 11,210.27 ▲ 4.53 ▲ 0.04%
CAC_40__ 4,882.22 ▼ -4.22 ▼ -0.09%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,908.60 ▲ 18.60 ▲ 0.32%
Shanghai_Comp 3,228.84 ▼ -18.06 ▼ -0.56%
Taiwan_Weight 9,699.54 ▲ 70.17 ▲ 0.73%
Nikkei_225___ 18,585.20 ▼ -18.28 ▼ -0.10%
Hang_Seng.__ 24,778.28 ▲ 28.21 ▲ 0.11%
Strait_Times.__ 3,440.83 ▲ 3.22 ▲ 0.09%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,842.29 ▲ 119.33 ▲ 2.09%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/dow-ekes-another-record-close-211305982.html

Dow ekes out another record close even as other indexes slip

Dow Jones industrial average ekes out another record high close even as other indexes slip
Associated Press
By Alex Veiga, AP Business Writer

The Dow Jones industrial average notched its third record high close in a row Wednesday, even as other market indexes ended lower.

Trading was relatively subdued as investors reviewed the latest corporate earnings news. Utilities stocks were among the biggest decliners. Energy stocks rebounded as oil prices broke a five-day slide and climbed back above $50 a barrel.

Wall Street also kept an eye on Federal Reserve Chief Janet Yellen's second appearance before Congress in two days. Her remarks didn't generate any major market-moving news. A day earlier, Yellen suggested that the Fed is not in a hurry to raise interest rates.

"The market is just trying to figure out whether the next move is up or down," said David Lebovitz, global market strategist at J.P. Morgan Asset Management.

The Dow ended up 15.38 points, or 0.1 percent, to 18,224.57. McDonald's was the biggest gainer in the 30-company index, climbing 3.9 percent.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index slipped 1.62 points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,113.86. The Nasdaq shed 1 point, or 0.02 percent, to 4,967.14. The three indexes are all up for the year.

The Dow and S&P 500 closed at record highs on Tuesday after investors were encouraged Yellen's remarks on interest rates. Lower rates make borrowing easier and tend to be a plus for financial markets.

The Fed has kept its benchmark rate near zero since 2008. Most economists anticipate that a rate increase is not likely before June or even later this year.

A key factor in that decision will be inflation. That's one reason investors will be focused on the release of the latest consumer price index on Thursday.

"That should provide a little bit of insight on what the Fed's next move might be and when it may occur," Lebovitz said.

The three indexes opened lower on Wednesday, then veered between small gains and losses through much of the day. In the last hour of trading, the Dow eked out a gain.

Hewlett-Packard and Boston Beer slumped early. Both reported disappointing quarterly results late Tuesday. Hewlett-Packard tumbled 9.9 percent, while the brewer of Samuel Adams beer sank 10.3 percent. Chesapeake Energy and Lumber Liquidators also declined after reporting weak earnings early Wednesday. Chesapeake fell 9.6 percent, while the hardwood floors retailer slid 26.4 percent.

Investors bid up shares in several companies whose latest quarterly earnings fared better.

TJX, the parent company of T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, rose 3.3 percent after its profit beat analysts' expectations. The company also said would raise wages for its workers.

Benefitfocus vaulted 47.2 percent, while specialty contracting services company Dycom Industries surged 17 percent. Discount retailer Dollar Tree rose 2.2 percent.

In all, half of the 10 sectors in the S&P 500 moved lower. Utilities stocks fell 1.6 percent and are now down 4 percent this year. Consumer discretionary stocks notched the biggest gain. The sector is up 5.6 percent this year.

The price of oil rose after the Energy Department reported that diesel and gasoline inventories fell more than expected, indicating a pickup in demand. Benchmark U.S. crude rose $1.71 to close at $50.99 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, rose $2.97 to close at $61.63 in London.

In other futures trading on the NYMEX: Wholesale gasoline rose 9.9 cents to close at $1.719 a gallon, while heating oil rose 7.5 cents to close at $2.104 a gallon. Natural gas fell 0.8 cents to close at $2.894 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Gold rose $4.20 to $1,201.50 an ounce, silver rose 24 cents to $16.43 an ounce and copper rose two cents to $2.66 a pound.

U.S. government bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note slipped to 1.97 percent from 1.98 percent late Tuesday.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -10.15 points or ▼ -0.06% on Thursday, 26 February 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,214.42 ▼ -10.15 ▼ -0.06%
Nasdaq____ 4,987.89 ▲ 20.75 ▲ 0.42%
S&P_500___ 2,110.74 ▼ -3.12 ▼ -0.15%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.61 ▲ 0.04 ▲ 1.48%

NYSE Volume 3,408,750,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,847,604,380

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,949.73 ▲ 14.35 ▲ 0.21%
DAX_____ 11,327.19 ▲ 116.92 ▲ 1.04%
CAC_40__ 4,910.62 ▲ 28.40 ▲ 0.58%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,877.90 ▼ -30.70 ▼ -0.52%
Shanghai_Comp 3,298.36 ▲ 69.52 ▲ 2.15%
Taiwan_Weight 9,622.10 ▼ -77.44 ▼ -0.80%
Nikkei_225___ 18,785.79 ▲ 200.59 ▲ 1.08%
Hang_Seng.__ 24,902.06 ▲ 123.78 ▲ 0.50%
Strait_Times.__ 3,426.18 ▼ -14.65 ▼ -0.43%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,861.68 ▲ 19.39 ▲ 0.33%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stock-indexes-drift-mostly-201652167.html

US stock indexes drift mostly lower as oil prices sink

US stock indexes drift mostly lower, led by declines in energy companies as oil prices slide
Associated Press
By Alex Veiga, AP Business Writer

U.S. stocks drifted to a slightly lower finish on Thursday, weighed down by falling energy stocks as the slump in oil prices deepened.

Chevron and Exxon Mobil were among the biggest decliners in the Dow Jones industrial average, which eased back from its latest all-time high. The Standard & Poor's 500 index also slipped below its record high set earlier this week. The Nasdaq composite bucked the trend, creeping within 61 points of its dot-com era record close.

Expectations of rising oil supplies sent the price of crude to its lowest level in nearly a month. Benchmark U.S. crude oil fell $2.82 to close at $48.17 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Investors also had to sort through a mix of corporate earnings and U.S. economic reports.

"When you have a big move in the market you expect to see it pull back a little bit, catch its breath and wait for that next catalyst to move higher," said Quincy Krosby, market strategist for Prudential Financial.

The Dow ended down 10.15 points, or 0.1 percent, to 18,214.42. Among individual Dow members, Chevron lost $1.52, or 1.4 percent, to $107.06 while Exxon Mobil slid 95 cents, or 1.1 percent, to $88.65.

The S&P 500 index slipped 3.12 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,110.74. The Nasdaq gained 20.75 points, or 0.4 percent, to 4,987.89.

The three indexes are all up for the year.

The Dow and S&P 500 opened lower on Thursday and held that course most of the day, while the Nasdaq gradually moved higher. The market's trajectory took shape early on, as traders pored over corporate earnings and economic news.

The Commerce Department reported that orders for long-lasting manufactured goods rose 2.8 percent in January, the biggest increase since July. The Labor Department said that applications for unemployment benefits rose last week to a seasonally adjusted 313,000, the most in six weeks. That total is still consistent with steady hiring.

A report tracking the change in prices paid by consumers held particular interest for the market. The consumer price index, a measure of inflation, is closely watched by the Federal Reserve as it looks to begin raising its benchmark interest rate from near zero, where it's been since 2008.

Excluding volatile food and energy costs, the Labor Department's consumer price index rose 0.2 percent in January. Over the past year, those "core" prices have increased just 1.6 percent. That's below the 2 percent benchmark the Federal Reserve considers optimal for a healthy economy.

"It's definitely a mixed report," said Randy Frederick, a managing director of trading and derivatives with the Schwab Center for Financial Research. "The market is in this zone where it doesn't know whether to cheer bad news because that means rates will stay low or good news because it means the economy is getting better.

Earlier this week, Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen told Congress that the Fed is not in a hurry to raise interest rates. Lower rates make borrowing easier and tend to be a plus for financial markets.

While most economists anticipate that a rate increase is not likely before June or even later this year, rising inflation could prompt the Fed to take action sooner.

Six of the 10 sectors in the S&P 500 ended lower, with energy stocks declining 1.8 percent, the biggest drop in the index. The sector is now down 1.2 percent this year. Technology stocks led the gainers. They are up 3.9 percent this year.

Several oil drilling companies fell sharply. Ensco slid $2.17, or 8.2 percent, to $24.31, while Noble shed $2.49, or 5 percent, to $47.32. Newfield Exploration ended down $2.40, or 6.7 percent, at $33.60.

Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, fell $1.58 to close at $60.05 in London.

In other futures trading on the NYMEX, wholesale gasoline fell 1.1 cents to close at $1.708 a gallon. Heating oil rose 3.2 cents to close at $2.136 a gallon. And natural gas fell 16.5 cents to close at $2.697 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Precious and industrial metals futures ended higher. Gold rose $8.60 to $1,210.10 an ounce, silver rose 15 cents to $16.58 an ounce and copper rose five cents to $2.71 a pound.

U.S. government bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.03 percent from 1.97 percent late Wednesday.

Among stocks making big moves Thursday:

”” Sears fell 5 percent after the company reported its fourth straight year of falling profit and revenue. Sears lost $1.85 to $36.05.

”” Taser International slumped 16.1 percent after its latest quarterly results fell short of Wall Street's expectations. The stock declined $4.37 to $22.69.

”” Salesforce.com gained 11.7 percent after the cloud software company reported a boost in quarterly revenue. The company jumped $7.37 to $70.24.

”” Cyberonics surged 10.3 percent on news the medical technology company's fiscal third-quarter earnings exceeded financial analysts' forecasts. The stock gained $6.23 to $66.60.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -81.72 points or ▼ -0.45% on Friday, 27 February 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,132.70 ▼ -81.72 ▼ -0.45%
Nasdaq____ 4,963.53 ▼ -24.36 ▼ -0.49%
S&P_500___ 2,104.50 ▼ -6.24 ▼ -0.30%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.60 ▼ -0.01 ▼ -0.34%

NYSE Volume 3,552,392,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,915,760,880

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,946.66 ▼ -3.07 ▼ -0.04%
DAX_____ 11,401.66 ▲ 74.47 ▲ 0.66%
CAC_40__ 4,951.48 ▲ 40.86 ▲ 0.83%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,898.50 ▲ 20.60 ▲ 0.35%
Shanghai_Comp 3,310.30 ▲ 11.94 ▲ 0.36%
Taiwan_Weight 9,622.10 ▼ -77.44 ▼ -0.80%
Nikkei_225___ 18,797.94 ▲ 12.15 ▲ 0.06%
Hang_Seng.__ 24,823.29 ▼ -78.77 ▼ -0.32%
Strait_Times.__ 3,402.86 ▼ -23.32 ▼ -0.68%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,878.47 ▲ 16.79 ▲ 0.29%

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


Stocks slip after weaker growth, end best month since 2011

Stock indexes slip after a weaker estimate of US economic growth, end best month since 2011

Associated Press
By Alex Veiga, AP Business Writer

February proved to be a strong month for U.S. stocks, even though it ended in downbeat fashion.

Major stock indexes closed lower on Friday, capping a week of subdued trading that still delivered a couple of new highs for the Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor's 500 index. It also brought the Nasdaq composite within striking distance of its March 2000 high.

The Nasdaq notched the biggest monthly gain at 7.1 percent. But the S&P 500's 5.5 percent performance marked its best monthly increase since October 2011, and a turnaround from its 3.1 percent slide in January. The Dow rose 5.6 percent for the month.

Trading was listless for much of Friday as investors balanced encouraging reports on housing and consumer confidence against data showing that the U.S. economy grew at a slower annual rate in the final months of 2014 than previously estimated. Oil rose, recouping some of its losses from a day earlier. Technology stocks were among the biggest decliners.

"Many people are trying to figure out what to do, taking some profits when they can. We saw that over the past couple of days with tech stocks," said JJ Kinahan, TD Ameritrade's chief strategist. "It's a wait-and-see attitude."

The Dow ended down 81.72 points, or 0.5 percent, to 18,132.70. That's 0.5 percent below its most-recent high of 18,224.57 on Wednesday.

The S&P 500 slid 6.24 points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,104.50. The index is down 0.5 from a high of 2,115.48 on Tuesday.

The Nasdaq fell 24.36 points, or 0.5 percent, to 4,963.53. The index has been inching closer to crossing the 5,000-point mark, something it hasn't done since March 2000 at the height of the dot-com era. It's now within 86 points of that peak.

The three main U.S. stock indexes are all up for the year.

The current bull market, now in its sixth year, has been powered by strong corporate earnings growth and low interest rates, which make stocks more attractive relative to bonds. Strong job growth and improving consumer confidence have also encouraged traders, despite signs of sluggishness in Europe and elsewhere.

Some of that confidence appeared shaken on Friday, when the Commerce Department reported that the U.S. economy grew at an annual rate of 2.2 percent in the October-December quarter, weaker than the 2.6 percent estimate last month. The latest growth projection represents a major slowdown from the previous quarter, which produced the strongest growth in 11 years.

Other economic bellwethers were more upbeat: An index of pending home sales, an indicator of potentially completed sales, rose in January and the December figure was revised higher to show a smaller decline. Separately, the University of Michigan's index of consumer sentiment slipped this month. It remains at the highest level in eight years.

"The market does not have a clear catalyst to either cause it to sell off or to surge forward, and we're getting a little expensive from a valuation perspective," said David Heidel, regional investment director at U.S. Bank Wealth Management.

Investors should get a better sense of the economy and consumers' willingness to spend next week, when automakers report their February sales figures and the government issues its monthly update on hiring.

All told, eight of the 10 sectors in the S&P 500 ended lower, with technology stocks notching the biggest decline. The sector is up 4.2 percent this year. Consumer staples rose the most. Those stocks are up 2.9 percent this year.

Several energy companies were among the biggest decliners in the S&P 500.

Southwestern Energy fell $1.27, or 4.8 percent, to $25.08, while NRG Energy lost 79 cents, or 3.2 percent, to $23.98. Chesapeake Energy slid 52 cents, or 3 percent, to $16.68.

Benchmark U.S. crude rose $1.59 to $49.76 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude rose $2.53 to $62.58 a barrel in London.

U.S. oil prices appeared to stabilize in February around the $50 a barrel mark. That's made a key variable of business more predictable for investors, Kinahan said.

"That's really the kind of thing that gives stability to the stock market," Kinahan said.

U.S. government bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note slipped to 1.99 percent from 2.03 percent late Thursday.

In metals trading, gold edged up $3 to $1,213.10 an ounce, silver fell seven cents to $16.51 an ounce and copper was flat at $2.72 a pound.

In other energy futures trading, wholesale gasoline rose 6 cents to $1.768 a gallon, heating oil jumped 16.3 cents to $2.30 a gallon and natural gas rose 3.7 cents to $2.734 per 1,000 cubic feet.

7256

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 155.93 points or ▲ 0.86% on Monday, 2 March 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,288.63 ▲ 155.93 ▲ 0.86%
Nasdaq____ 5,008.10 ▲ 44.57 ▲ 0.90%
S&P_500___ 2,117.39 ▲ 12.89 ▲ 0.61%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.68 ▲ 0.09 ▲ 3.27%

NYSE Volume 3,393,845,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,879,048,500

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,940.64 ▼ -6.02 ▼ -0.09%
DAX_____ 11,410.36 ▲ 8.70 ▲ 0.08%
CAC_40__ 4,917.32 ▼ -34.16 ▼ -0.69%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,926.30 ▲ 27.80 ▲ 0.47%
Shanghai_Comp 3,336.28 ▲ 25.98 ▲ 0.78%
Taiwan_Weight 9,601.36 ▼ -20.74 ▼ -0.22%
Nikkei_225___ 18,826.88 ▲ 28.94 ▲ 0.15%
Hang_Seng.__ 24,887.44 ▲ 64.15 ▲ 0.26%
Strait_Times.__ 3,403.89 ▲ 1.03 ▲ 0.03%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,892.67 ▲ 14.20 ▲ 0.24%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/nasdaq-5-000-index-passes-214507036.html

Nasdaq 5,000: index passes milestone number

Nasdaq passes 5,000 for first time since dot-com era as stocks move higher on deal news
Associated Press
By Matthew Craft, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- The Nasdaq composite closed above 5,000 for the first time since its dot-com era peak nearly 15 years ago after merger news and an encouraging economic report helped push U.S. stocks broadly higher on Monday.

The major indexes rose from the start, with the Nasdaq passing the 5,000- milestone shortly before noon. The tech heavy index then dropped, before rising toward the close to end at 5,008.10, just 40 points from its March 2000 record.

Investors cheered a report from the government showing household incomes rose in January, though they spent less than a month earlier. Consumer discretionary stocks rose 1.2 percent on the news, the most of the 10 industry sectors of the Standard and Poor's 500 index.

"Today, it's about the consumer," said David Joy, chief market strategist at Ameriprise Financial. "Consumers appear to be feeling a little bit better."

The S&P 500 closed up 12.89 points, or 0.6 percent, to 2,117.39. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 155.93 points, or 0.9 percent, to 18,288.63. The Nasdaq rose 44.57 points, or 0.9 percent.

The broad gains on the first trading day of March came after the best monthly advance for stocks in more than three years. The S&P 500 climbed 5.5 percent in February, its biggest gain since October 2011.

In deal news, NXP Semiconductors said Sunday that it's planning to acquire Freescale Semiconductor in an $11.8 billion deal. The merger would create the largest supplier of microchips for cars.

NXP's stock jumped $14.67, or 17 percent, to $99.56. Freescale rose $4.25, or 12 percent, to $40.36.

Boards of both companies have already approved the deal. Regulators still need to sign off on it.

In other deal news, Cardinal Health rose $1.53, or 1.7 percent, to $89.52 after offering to buy a unit of Johnson & Johnson that makes heart devices for approximately $1.94 billion.

In the U.S. government report, the dip in consumer spending in January was the second monthly drop in a row. But adjusted for inflation, spending rose. And analysts are expecting the strong income gains will lead to more spending the rest of the year.

Household income after taxes shot up 0.9 percent in January, the biggest gain in two years.

Investors also were watching developments overseas. The People's Bank of China cut interest rates for the second time in three months on Saturday, trimming the rate for one-year commercial loans to 5.35 percent.

It was the latest measure aimed at propping up growth in the world's second-largest economy. The government has recently cut business taxes and boosted pay for government workers.

Asian stock markets closed higher, but European indexes were mixed.

Other stocks making big moves included Sotheby, which sank after the auction house posted a big drop in quarterly earnings. Higher expenses weighed on the company's profits, which came in below analysts' estimates. Sotheby sank 61 cents, or 1.4 percent, to $43.34.

In the bond market, prices for U.S. government bonds fell, pushing yields up. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.08 percent from 2 percent late Friday.

The price of oil fell on reports of rising OPEC output, including from a large field in Libya that recently re-started production. Benchmark U.S. crude fell 17 cents to close at $49.59 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, fell $3.04 to close at $59.54 in London.

In other futures trading on the NYMEX:

”” Wholesale gasoline fell 8.1 cents to close at $1.897 a gallon.

”” Heating oil fell 8.7 cents to close at $1.887 a gallon.

”” Natural gas fell 3.6 cents to close at $2.698 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Precious and industrial metals ended mixed. Gold dropped $4.90 to settle at $1,208.20 an ounce, while silver slipped 11 cents to $16.45 an ounce. Copper picked up a penny to $2.70 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -85.26 points or ▼ -0.47% on Tuesday, 3 March 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,203.37 ▼ -85.26 ▼ -0.47%
Nasdaq____ 4,979.90 ▼ -28.19 ▼ -0.56%
S&P_500___ 2,107.78 ▼ -9.61 ▼ -0.45%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.71 ▲ 0.03 ▲ 1.04%

NYSE Volume 3,251,710,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,965,946,880

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,889.13 ▼ -51.51 ▼ -0.74%
DAX_____ 11,280.36 ▼ -130.00 ▼ -1.14%
CAC_40__ 4,869.25 ▼ -48.07 ▼ -0.98%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,902.90 ▼ -23.40 ▼ -0.39%
Shanghai_Comp 3,263.05 ▼ -73.23 ▼ -2.20%
Taiwan_Weight 9,605.77 ▲ 4.41 ▲ 0.05%
Nikkei_225___ 18,815.16 ▼ -11.72 ▼ -0.06%
Hang_Seng.__ 24,702.78 ▼ -184.66 ▼ -0.74%
Strait_Times.__ 3,422.11 ▲ 18.22 ▲ 0.54%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,893.66 ▲ 0.99 ▲ 0.02%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-fall-broadly-day-214428801.html

US stocks fall broadly a day after Nasdaq passes 5,000 mark

US stocks fall a day after Nasdaq passes 5,000 for first time in 15 years; energy stocks rise
Associated Press
By Bernard Condon, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- U.S. stocks fell from record highs on Tuesday and the Nasdaq dropped below 5,000 a day after passing that milestone for the first time since the dot-com era 15 years ago.

The losses were modest but broad, with eight industry sectors in the Standard and Poor's 500 index falling. Higher oil prices helped oil drillers and other energy companies buck the trend. They eked out a 0.2 percent rise for the day.

With no major economic news and few earnings reports, investors were at pains to point to a catalyst for the stock slump other than jitters that sometime follow big gains.

"It's only natural we would get a little flutter after a milestone like yesterday," said Wells Fargo Funds' Chief Equity Strategist John Manley, referring to the Nasdaq closing above 5,000. "It may very well go on for a few days."

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 85.26 points, or 0.5 percent, to 18,203.37. The Standard & Poor's 500 declined 9.61 points, or 0.5 percent, to 2,107.78. The Nasdaq gave up 28.20 points, or 0.6 percent, to close at 4,979.90.

Ford Motor slumped after reporting U.S. sales from last month that disappointed investors. Ford sales fell 1.9 percent as dealers lacked the inventory to meet demand for the new F-150 pickup truck. Ford dropped 40 cents, or 2.4 percent, to $16.17.

Oil rose on reports that Saudi Arabia raised prices for Asian customers and fears of heightening tensions with Iran after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed Congress. Several oil drillers surged. Denbury Resources, an oil and gas producer, jumped 28 cents, or 3.4 percent, to $8.58.

With nearly all companies in the S&P 500 having reported their fourth-quarter results, earnings per share for companies in the S&P 500 index are expected to have risen a healthy 7.7 percent, according to S&P Capital IQ.

Liquor giant Brown-Forman reports earnings on Wednesday, followed by Costco Wholesale on Thursday. Staples, the nation's biggest office supply chain, reports on Friday.

Financial analysts expect earnings to drop compared with the year-earlier periods for the next two quarters, but that is mostly because of a drag from energy companies as oil prices have fallen more than 50 percent since last June.

Anastasia Amoroso, global market strategist for J.P. Morgan Asset Management, said she wasn't surprised by the pullback.

"We're seeing a market that is fairly valued, earnings are behind us and no major catalysts are coming up," she said. "It's a market ready for a pause."

The slump in the U.S. followed losses in European markets. France's CAC 40 and Germany's DAX each lost 1 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 dropped 0.7 percent.

On Monday, the Nasdaq rose to just 40 points from its 5,048.62 peak reached March 10, 2000. The index has changed significantly since then. Gone is the heavy weighting of telecommunications stocks and big bets on Internet companies with little or no earnings.

Among other stocks in the news:

”” Personal finance company Springleaf Holdings rose $12.19, or 32 percent, to $50.23 after it said it would buy Citigroup's OneMain Financial for $4.25 billion. OneMain provides personal loans at more than 1,100 branches across 43 states.

””Best Buy gained 55 cents, or 1.4 percent, to $39.18 after the company said it would raise its dividend 21 percent and give shareholders an additional one-time payment. The nation's biggest electronics chain also reported fourth-quarter earnings that were higher than financial analysts had expected.

Benchmark U.S. crude rose 93 cents to close at $50.52 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, rose $1.48 to close at $61.02 a barrel in London.

In other futures trading on the NYMEX:

”” Wholesale gasoline rose 5.3 cents to close at $1.950 a gallon.

”” Heating oil rose 5.3 cents to close at $1.940 a gallon.

”” Natural gas rose 1.4 cents to close at $2.712 per 1,000 cubic feet.

In bond trading, the yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.12 percent from 2.08 percent on Monday.

In metals trading, gold fell $3.80 to $1,204.40 an ounce, silver fell two cents to $16.30 an ounce and copper lost four cents to close at $2.66 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -106.47 points or ▼ -0.58% on Wednesday, 4 March 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,096.90 ▼ -106.47 ▼ -0.58%
Nasdaq____ 4,967.14 ▼ -12.76 ▼ -0.26%
S&P_500___ 2,098.53 ▼ -9.25 ▼ -0.44%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.72 ▲ 0.01 ▲ 0.22%

NYSE Volume 3,421,329,500
Nasdaq Volume 1,780,947,500

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,919.24 ▲ 30.11 ▲ 0.44%
DAX_____ 11,390.38 ▲ 110.02 ▲ 0.98%
CAC_40__ 4,917.35 ▲ 48.10 ▲ 0.99%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,871.50 ▼ -31.40 ▼ -0.53%
Shanghai_Comp 3,279.53 ▲ 16.48 ▲ 0.51%
Taiwan_Weight 9,621.73 ▲ 15.96 ▲ 0.17%
Nikkei_225___ 18,703.60 ▼ -111.56 ▼ -0.59%
Hang_Seng.__ 24,465.38 ▼ -237.40 ▼ -0.96%
Strait_Times.__ 3,415.53 ▼ -6.58 ▼ -0.19%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,874.08 ▼ -19.58 ▼ -0.33%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-fall-pulling-market-210928725.html

US stocks fall, pulling market further below record highs

Stock indexes ended lower for a second day in US, pulling market further below record highs
Associated Press
By Mathew Craft, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- U.S. stocks sank Wednesday, pulling indexes further below record highs hit earlier in the week. The drop was modest but broad: nine of the 10 sectors in the Standard & Poor's 500 index lost ground.

Given the market's recent run, it's only natural for investors to turn cautious, said Terry Sandven, senior equity strategist at U.S. Bank Wealth Management. On Monday, the S&P 500 reached an all-time high while the Nasdaq crossed the 5,000 mark for the first time in nearly 15 years.

"We're in wait-and-see mode," Sandven said. "Prices are definitely stretched, especially when earnings expectations are being set lower."

The S&P 500 gave up 9.25 points, or 0.4 percent, to 2,098.53.

The Dow Jones industrial average lost 106.47 points, or 0.6 percent, to 18,096.90. The Nasdaq composite fell 12.76 points, or 0.3 percent, to 4,967.14.

Alcoa's stock sank 4 percent following news that analysts at Bank of America cut their ratings on the aluminum giant. BofA's analysts expect prices for aluminum to lose strength as China increases its exports. Alcoa lost 59 cents to $14.59.

Abercrombie & Fitch posted quarterly profits that beat analysts' estimates but its sales fell short. A top executive at the retailer warned that it will likely face trouble from a stronger dollar. Abercrombie's stock plunged $3.72, or 16 percent, to $20.27.

With all but 12 big companies in the S&P 500 having turned in their fourth-quarter results, overall earnings are on track to increase 7.7 percent, according to S&P Capital IQ. That's much better than some had feared.

Forecasts for the first three months, however, have been slashed. In early December, analysts projected an 8.6 percent increase in corporate earnings for the first quarter. Today, they expect them to shrink 2.6 percent.

ADP, a payroll processing company, reported Wednesday that its survey showed U.S. businesses added more than 200,000 people to their payrolls in February, the latest sign of strong hiring. The survey came two days before the government's release of its monthly employment report on Friday. Economists forecast that the economy added 240,000 jobs last month and the unemployment rate slipped to 5.6 percent from 5.7 percent.

U.S. economic growth appears steady despite reports out earlier this week showing declines in construction spending and car sales, according to Jim O'Sullivan, chief U.S. economist at High-Frequency Economics. "We expect another fairly strong rise in payrolls and a drop in the unemployment rate in the February employment report on Friday," O'Sullivan said in a report to clients.

In Europe, both France's CAC-40 index and Germany's DAX gained 1 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 picked up 0.4 percent.

Two reports showed hints of life in Europe's economy. Retail sales increased by 1.1 percent in January, the first time since records began in 2000 that they've grown for four consecutive months. Meanwhile, a key gauge of business activity showed growth in February across all four of the region's biggest economies: Germany, France, Italy and Spain.

In the market for U.S. government bonds, the yield on the 10-year Treasury note held steady at 2.12 percent.

Most precious and industrial metals traded lower. Gold fell $3.50 to settle at $1,200.90 an ounce, and silver slipped 14 cents to $16.16 an ounce. Copper settled at $2.66 a pound, nearly unchanged.

Benchmark U.S. crude rose $1.01 to settle at $51.53 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the international benchmark, fell 47 cents to $60.55 in London.

In other trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange:

”” Wholesale gasoline fell 2.4 cents to close at $1.926 a gallon.

”” Heating oil fell 3.9 cents to close at $1.901 a gallon.

”” Natural gas rose 5.7 cents to close at $2.769 per 1,000 cubic feet.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 38.82 points or ▲ 0.21% on Thursday, 5 March 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,135.72 ▲ 38.82 ▲ 0.21%
Nasdaq____ 4,982.81 ▲ 15.67 ▲ 0.32%
S&P_500___ 2,101.04 ▲ 2.51 ▲ 0.12%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.72 ▲ 0.00 ▼ -0.11%

NYSE Volume 3,104,982,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,685,234,250

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,961.14 ▲ 41.90 ▲ 0.61%
DAX_____ 11,504.01 ▲ 113.63 ▲ 1.00%
CAC_40__ 4,963.51 ▲ 46.16 ▲ 0.94%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,873.70 ▲ 2.20 ▲ 0.04%
Shanghai_Comp 3,248.48 ▼ -31.06 ▼ -0.95%
Taiwan_Weight 9,595.09 ▼ -26.64 ▼ -0.28%
Nikkei_225___ 18,751.84 ▲ 48.24 ▲ 0.26%
Hang_Seng.__ 24,193.04 ▼ -272.34 ▼ -1.11%
Strait_Times.__ 3,395.27 ▼ -20.26 ▼ -0.59%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,856.77 ▼ -17.31 ▼ -0.29%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-edge-higher-pharmacyclics-161305897.html

US stocks edge higher; Pharmacyclics jumps on AbbVie bid

US stocks edge higher; Pharmacyclics jumps on AbbVie $21 billion bid
Associated Press
By Steve Rothwell, AP Markets Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- The stock market closed slightly higher on Thursday as gains for utilities and financial stocks were largely offset by losses in energy and materials companies.

Kroger jumped after reporting better-than-expected earnings that were boosted in part by lower fuel costs. Joy Global, a manufacturer of mining equipment, fell sharply after it said that the worldwide plunge in commodity prices was hurting its business.

Investors got some positive news on the global economy early in the day as the European Central Bank upgraded its growth forecast for the eurozone this year to 1.5 percent from 1 percent. ECB President Mario Draghi also said that the bank's planned 1 trillion euro ($1.1 trillion) stimulus program will start on March 9.

Even though gains for stocks have slowed this week, major indexes remain close to record levels after a strong surge in February.

Despite steady gains in recent years, stocks remain attractive because interest rates are still close to historic lows, while company earnings are inching higher, said Scott Keifer, a global investment specialist at JPMorgan Private Bank.

"Fundamentally, things are still good," he said. "We think this is an environment of global growth that's good, but not great."

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 2.51 points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,101.04. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 38.82 points, or 0.2 percent, to 18,135.72. The Nasdaq composite climbed 15.67 points, or 0.3 percent, to 4,982.81.

On Thursday, health care stocks got a boost from some merger news. The sector was one of the hottest for acquisitions last year, and that trend that looks set to continue in 2015.

Pharmacyclics jumped after AbbVie said it would acquire the company for about $21 billion. It's AbbVie's first attempt at a major deal since walking away from a $55 billion takeover of Shire last fall.

Pharmacyclics rose $23.74, or 10.3 percent, to $254.22, while AbbVie's stock fell $3.41, or 5.7 percent, to $56.86.

Investors also got some news on hiring.

The number of people seeking unemployment benefits rose last week to the highest level since May, though the pace of applications remains at a level consistent with steady hiring, the Labor Department said.

The government will publish its monthly jobs report Friday. Economists expect it to show that the U.S. added 240,000 jobs in February after adding 257,000 jobs in January.

Investors will also be watching for signs of wage growth. In January, average hourly wage rose 12 cents to $24.75, a jump of 0.5 percent, the sharpest since 2008.

Further signs of strength in the labor market may prompt investors to bring forward their expectations for the timing of the Federal reserve's first rate increase in almost a decade. Currently, investors expect the Federal Reserve to raise rates by October, at the latest.

In individual stock trading, Kroger jumped $4.66, or 6.7 percent, to $74.31, after it reported better results than analysts were expecting. The company attributed the strong earnings to better fuel margins and a lower inventory charge. The retailer also released a better outlook than analysts were expecting.

Joy Global, a manufacturer of mining equipment, was one of the day's biggest losers.

The stock slumped $2.19, or 5.2 percent, to $39.94 after the company said a worldwide slump in commodity prices continues to hurt its business. The decline was the biggest in the S&P 500.

In energy trading, the price of U.S. oil fell Thursday on a stronger dollar, which makes oil, which is priced in dollars around the world, more expensive to holders of foreign currency.

Benchmark U.S. crude fell 77 cents to close at $50.76 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, fell 7 cents to close at $60.48 in London.

U.S. government bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.11 percent from 2.12 percent on Wednesday. The dollar gained against the euro, pushing the currency down to $1.1018. The dollar rose to 120.14 Japanese yen.

Precious and industrial metals futures ended mostly lower. Gold fell $4.70 to $1,196.20 an ounce, silver was unchanged at $16.16 an ounce and copper edged down less than a penny to $2.65 a pound.

In other futures trading on the NYMEX:

”” Wholesale gasoline fell 3.9 cents to close at $1.887 a gallon.

”” Heating oil fell 2.4 cents to close at $1.877 a gallon.

”” Natural gas rose 7.2 cents to close at $2.841 per 1,000 cubic feet.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -278.94 points or ▼ -1.54% on Friday, 6 March 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,856.78 ▼ -278.94 ▼ -1.54%
Nasdaq____ 4,927.37 ▼ -55.44 ▼ -1.11%
S&P_500___ 2,071.26 ▼ -29.78 ▼ -1.42%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.84 ▲ 0.12 ▲ 4.53%

NYSE Volume 3,859,937,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,857,358,000

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,911.80 ▼ -49.34 ▼ -0.71%
DAX_____ 11,550.97 ▲ 46.96 ▲ 0.41%
CAC_40__ 4,964.35 ▲ 0.84 ▲ 0.02%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,868.60 ▼ -5.10 ▼ -0.09%
Shanghai_Comp 3,241.19 ▼ -7.29 ▼ -0.22%
Taiwan_Weight 9,645.77 ▲ 50.68 ▲ 0.53%
Nikkei_225___ 18,971.00 ▲ 219.16 ▲ 1.17%
Hang_Seng.__ 24,164.00 ▼ -29.04 ▼ -0.12%
Strait_Times.__ 3,417.51 ▲ 22.24 ▲ 0.66%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,903.06 ▲ 46.29 ▲ 0.79%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-drop-strong-jobs-162146004.html

US stocks drop; strong jobs report raises rate hike prospect

US stocks drop sharply as strong jobs report raises prospect of summer rate hike; dollar jumps
Associated Press
By Steve Rothwell, AP Markets Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- A strong jobs report shook up the financial markets on Friday.

U.S. employers added 295,000 jobs last month, the government said. That was more than economists were expecting and, combined with a drop in the unemployment rate, raised the likelihood of the Federal Reserve raising interest rates sooner than had previously been expected.

The dollar surged and Treasuries fell as investors factored in the possibility that the Fed could implement its first rate hike in almost a decade as soon as June. The prospects of higher interest rates sent stocks tumbling. The market logged its worst day in two months.

Fed policy makers have held interest rates close to zero for more than six years in an effort to stimulate growth and boost the economy. That stimulus has helped underpin a six-year bull market in stocks.

"We're moving to another chapter here," said Jim Russell, a portfolio manager at Bahl and Gaynor, a wealth manager. "Certainly, the number does put pressure on the Fed to move."

The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 29.78 points, or 1.4 percent, to 2,071.26. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 278.94 points, or 1.5 percent, to 17,856.78. The Nasdaq composite fell 55.44 points, or 1.1 percent, to 4,927.37.

Stocks opened lower and the losses accelerated throughout the day. By the close of trading the S&P 500 index had logged its biggest one-day loss since Jan. 5.

Government bonds fell as investors factored in a higher probability of a summer rate hike. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note jumped to 2.25 percent from 2.12 percent late Thursday.

Stocks that pay rich dividends, such as utilities, telecommunication companies and real estate investment companies, slumped the most. These stocks have been popular while interest rates on bonds have remained low. If interest rates on bonds rise, they become less attractive by comparison. The Dow Jones utility average plunged 3.1 percent. It's down 7.8 percent this year.

Some investors said that the sharp sell-off was an overreaction.

"The Fed is not going to raise interest rates from zero to five percent overnight," said Kevin Mahn, Chief Investment Officer of Hennion & Walsh Asset Management.

Mahn says that investors should remember that if interest rates are going up, it's because the economy is getting stronger, and while rates may rise this year, they remain low by historical standards.

Financial stocks were among those that fared better on Friday, logging the smallest loss in the S&P 500 index.

Higher interest rates are generally good for financial companies such as banks because they can lend at higher rates. Banks also rose a day after the Federal Reserve announced that major U.S. lenders had all passed the Fed's annual "stress tests," which are designed to gauge whether lenders are strong enough to withstand severe disruptions to the financial system. Bank of America rose 22 cents, or 1.4 percent, to $16.22, one of the biggest gains in the S&P 500.

Apple was another stock that managed to buck the trend and eke out a small gain.

The company will replace AT&T in the Dow Jones industrial average on March 19, the manager of the index announced Friday. S&P Dow Jones, which manages the index, cast the move as a sort of a housekeeping maneuver, a way of ensuring that the index better reflects the U.S. economy and markets.

Apple, the world's most valuable publicly traded company, gained 19 cents, or 0.2 percent, to $126.60. The company's market value is about $736 billion, according to FactSet data.

The dollar jumped after the release of the job figures as traders priced in an earlier rate hike. The euro, already at 12-year lows, slid to $1.0848. The dollar also rose against the Japanese yen, climbing to 120.72 yen.

While a stronger dollar is a boon to U.S. consumers because it helps make imported goods less expensive, it is a burden to big companies that rely on overseas sales for a lot of their revenue. Global corporations from Coca-Cola to Avon Products have said this year that their earnings have been affected by the strengthening U.S. currency. A rising dollar means that the sales they make abroad are worth less in dollar terms.

In energy trading, the price of U.S. oil fell sharply after the strong jobs report pushed up the value of the dollar. That made oil a less attractive investment for overseas buyers. Benchmark U.S. crude fell $1.15 to close at $49.61 a barrel in New York. Oil finished the week down 25 cents. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, fell 75 cents to close at $59.73 a barrel in London.

Precious and industrial metals futures fell sharply. Gold fell $31.90 to $1,164.30 an ounce, silver fell 35 cents to $15.81 an ounce and copper lost four cents to $2.61 a pound.

In other futures trading on the NYMEX:

— Wholesale gasoline fell 0.5 cent to close at $1.882 a gallon.

— Heating oil fell 0.8 cents to close at $1.869 a gallon.

— Natural gas fell 0.2 cent to close at $2.839 per 1,000 cubic feet.

7853

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 138.94 points or ▲ 0.78% on Monday, 9 March 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,995.72 ▲ 138.94 ▲ 0.78%
Nasdaq____ 4,942.44 ▲ 15.07 ▲ 0.31%
S&P_500___ 2,079.43 ▲ 8.17 ▲ 0.39%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.80 ▼ -0.04 ▼ -1.41%

NYSE Volume 3,349,576,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,662,511,120

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,876.47 ▼ -84.67 ▼ -1.22%
DAX_____ 11,582.11 ▲ 31.14 ▲ 0.27%
CAC_40__ 4,937.20 ▼ -27.15 ▼ -0.55%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,793.00 ▼ -75.60 ▼ -1.29%
Shanghai_Comp 3,302.41 ▲ 61.22 ▲ 1.89%
Taiwan_Weight 9,562.98 ▼ -82.79 ▼ -0.86%
Nikkei_225___ 18,790.55 ▼ -180.45 ▼ -0.95%
Hang_Seng.__ 24,123.05 ▼ -40.95 ▼ -0.17%
Strait_Times.__ 3,404.57 ▼ -12.94 ▼ -0.38%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,896.96 ▼ -6.10 ▼ -0.10%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stock-indexes-climb-gm-191927559.html

US stock indexes climb; GM gains on buyback announcement

US stock indexes gain, recovering after a big slump on Friday; GM rises on buyback plan
Associated Press
By Steve Rothwell, AP Markets Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- The stock market's bull run turned six on Monday. The anniversary was marked with modest gains.

Stocks were rebounding from a big sell-off on Friday when the market slumped after an unexpectedly strong jobs report. The healthy hiring picture bolstered speculation that the Federal Reserve will raise its interest rates sooner than had previously been expected.

On Monday, General Motors was among the biggest gainers after announcing a $5 billion stock buyback plan. Deal news also gave the market a boost. Macerich, a real estate investment trust, jumped after bigger rival Simon Property made a hostile bid for the company.

Stocks are becoming more volatile as investors try to assess when the Federal Reserve will start to raise interest rates and the impact that will have on the economy. The Fed has kept its benchmark lending rate close to zero for six years, underpinning the run in stocks that stretches back to March, 2009.

"Every time the market settles in on what the Fed will do, it gets spooked," said Jim Dunigan, chief investment officer at PNC Asset Management. "Today, that anxiety subsided a bit."

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 8.17 points, or 0.4 percent, to 2,079.43. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 138.94 points, or 0.8 percent, to 17,995.72. The Nasdaq composite climbed 15.07 points, or 0.3 percent, to 4,942.44.

GM was among the biggest gainers on Monday.

The automaker announced a plan to buy back its own stock. The move is part of a deal with Harry Wilson, an activist investor and a former member of the government task force that restructured GM coming out of its 2009 bankruptcy. In exchange, Wilson agreed to withdraw his hostile candidacy for the Detroit automaker's board of directors. The company's stock rose $1.12, or 3.1 percent, to $37.66.

Macerich, a real estate investment trust that specializes in retail properties, was another winner.

Its stock climbed $6.04, or 7 percent, to $92.76 after Simon Property made a hostile bid of $16 billion in cash and stock for the company.

The S&P 500 has tripled since bottoming out at 676.53 six years ago in the wake of the housing market collapse and the Great Recession. The streak of gains is the fourth longest since the 1940s and has pushed the stock market to record levels.

Despite those sizeable gains, few analysts are calling an end to the bull market just yet.

Scott Wren, a senior global equity strategist at the Wells Fargo Investment Institute, says investors should still take advantage of any sell-offs to add to their positions.

"Overall, you're still going to get out of this year with good, but not great returns," Wren said. Wren forecasts that overseas growth will pick up, helping to underpin a steady recovery in the U.S.

Gains on Monday were led by industrial and technology stocks. These so-called cyclical stocks are most likely to benefit the most if economic growth picks up.

Investors were also keeping an eye on developments overseas.

In Europe, The European Central Bank started its 60 billion euro ($65 billion) per month bond-buying program on Monday. The bank hopes the purchases will stimulate the eurozone economy and get inflation back to the bank's target of just below 2 percent. At present, consumer prices in the 19-country currency bloc are falling at an annual rate of 0.3 percent.

The divergence between the Fed and the ECB's monetary policies has caused the dollar to appreciate against other currencies. The dollar has surged since December, gaining against both the euro and the Japanese yen.

The dollar traded at $1.0853 against the euro on Monday, close to a 12-year high. It also gained against the yen, climbing to 121.15 yen.

U.S. government bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.19 percent from 2.25 percent on Friday.

Precious and industrial metals futures closed mixed. Gold edged up $2.20 to $1,166.50 an ounce, silver fell three cents to $15.78 an ounce and copper rose six cents to $2.67 a pound.

The price of oil rose slightly on forecasts that a dramatic increase in inventories at the country's main storage hub in Cushing, Oklahoma may be abating. Benchmark U.S. crude rose 39 cents to close at $50 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, fell $1.20 to close at $58.53 a barrel in London.

In other futures trading on the NYMEX:

”” Wholesale gasoline fell 0.7 cent to close at $1.875 a gallon.

”” Heating oil fell 2.9 cents to close at $1.840 a gallon.

”” Natural gas fell 16.1 cents to close at $2.678 per 1,000 cubic feet.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -332.78 points or ▼ -1.85% on Tuesday, 10 March 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,662.94 ▼ -332.78 ▼ -1.85%
Nasdaq____ 4,859.80 ▼ -82.64 ▼ -1.67%
S&P_500___ 2,044.16 ▼ -35.27 ▼ -1.70%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.72 ▼ -0.08 ▼ -2.86%

NYSE Volume 3,669,011,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,828,395,120

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,702.84 ▼ -173.63 ▼ -2.52%
DAX_____ 11,500.38 ▼ -81.73 ▼ -0.71%
CAC_40__ 4,881.95 ▼ -55.25 ▼ -1.12%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,794.30 ▲ 1.30 ▲ 0.02%
Shanghai_Comp 3,286.07 ▼ -16.34 ▼ -0.49%
Taiwan_Weight 9,536.53 ▼ -26.45 ▼ -0.28%
Nikkei_225___ 18,665.11 ▼ -125.44 ▼ -0.67%
Hang_Seng.__ 23,896.98 ▼ -226.07 ▼ -0.94%
Strait_Times.__ 3,398.26 ▼ -6.31 ▼ -0.19%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,887.75 ▼ -9.21 ▼ -0.16%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-fall-sharply-fears-210159034.html

US stocks fall sharply on fears the Fed may soon raise rates

US stocks fall sharply amid global market turmoil on fears of possible US interest rates hikes
Associated Press
By Bernard Condon, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- The seventh year of the U.S. bull market is off to a rocky start.

U.S. stocks fell sharply on Tuesday, wiping out this year's gains for the Dow Jones industrial average and the Standard & Poor's 500 index. Investors are nervous about the likelihood of the first increase in U.S. interest rates in nine years and a plunge in the value of the euro.

Investors dumped stocks from the start of trading and the selling accelerated as the day wore on. All 10 industry sectors in the S&P 500 closed lower.

The Dow sank 332.78 points, or 1.9 percent, to 17,662.94. The S&P 500 fell 35.27 points, or 1.7 percent, to end at 2,044.16. The Nasdaq composite lost 82.64 points, or 1.7 percent, to 4,859.79. The Nasdaq is still up nearly 3 percent so far this year.

The prospect higher interest rates is unnerving investors. The Fed's ultra-low rate policy, in place since 2008, has allowed companies to borrow cheaply and has made stocks more appealing relative to bonds by pushing bond yields lower. The S&P 500 has tripled since hitting a recession low on March 9, 2009.

A Fed rate increase would also be likely to drive up the value of the U.S. dollar even more. Though a strong dollar sounds good, it can hurt U.S. companies. It makes their goods costlier for foreigners and shrinks the value of profits they collect overseas.

"Regardless of whether the Fed hikes in June or September, it's coming and it's not very far away," said Craig Erlam, senior market analyst at OANDA. "That makes the dollar very strong compared to its peers."

On Tuesday, the euro dropped 1.3 percent against the dollar to a 12-year low of $1.07.

Talk of U.S. rate hikes comes as central banks in other major countries are trying to jolt their economies to faster growth by lowering borrowing costs. On Monday, the European Central Bank began buying bonds to lower long-term interest rates in a program called quantitative easing, or QE. The central bank in Japan has a similar effort underway. The U.S. Fed ended its bond purchases last year.

When central banks move in opposite directions, it can cause disruptions in the global flow of capital into bonds and currencies and, in turn, stocks.

The hit to U.S. companies from the stronger dollar comes as they struggle to meet high earnings targets. In October, earnings per share for the S&P 500 were expected to jump 12 percent in 2015, according to S&P Capital IQ. Now, earnings per share are expected to increase just 1.5 percent.

Steven Ricchiuto, chief economist at Mizuho Securities, thinks U.S. markets are in for trouble as the Fed moves to raise rates.

"Earnings are not improving here, and you're getting weaker potential overseas earnings," he said.

Traders think it's likely that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates in June given a strengthening U.S. jobs market. A government report on Tuesday showed U.S. employers advertising the most job openings in 14 years in January. That followed a report on Friday that the unemployment rate had fallen to 5.5 percent last month.

Markets also fell in Europe. Britain's FTSE 100 index lost the most, 2.5 percent.

Investors are worried that Greece may run out of money soon. Analysts say Europe is better protected now than two years ago against a potential Greek default, but the possibility continues to create uncertainty. Greece's lenders are withholding rescue money until it comes up with a list of economics reforms. Greece faces a cash crunch this month.

"The Greek government is pushing the envelope with its creditors and the market is scared by the prospect of another long, drawn-out debt negotiation," said David Madden, market analyst at IG.

Bonds in several European countries rose on Tuesday, sending yields lower. In Germany, France, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy, yields on 10-year government bonds hit record lows, according to data from Tradeweb.

Among stocks in the news:

”” Barnes & Noble dropped $2.50, or 10 percent, to $22.36 after reporting fiscal third-quarter profit that fell far short of Wall Street expectations. Revenue also fell due to weakness in its retail and Nook businesses.

”” Credit Suisse surged after the Swiss bank sought to turn the page on a period of scandals and fines by replacing its CEO with the head of British insurer Prudential, Tidjane Thiam. Credit Suisse rose $1.57, or 6.7 percent, to $25.11.

In the U.S. bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.13 percent from 2.19 percent late Monday.

The price of oil fell sharply on further indications of rising global supplies as Iraq production appeared to be returning to market after weather-related disruptions. Benchmark U.S. crude fell $1.71 to close at $48.29 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, fell $2.14 to close at $56.39 in London.

In other futures trading on the NYMEX:

”” Wholesale gasoline fell 5.7 cents to close at $1.818 a gallon.

”” Heating oil fell 2.6 cents to close at $1.814 a gallon.

”” Natural gas rose 5.4 cents to close at $2.732 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Precious and industrial metals futures closed lower. Gold lost $6.40 to $1,160.10 an ounce, silver fell 14 cents to $15.63 an ounce and copper fell five cents to $2.62 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -27.55 points or ▼ -0.16% on Wednesday, 11 March 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,635.39 ▼ -27.55 ▼ -0.16%
Nasdaq____ 4,849.94 ▼ -9.85 ▼ -0.20%
S&P_500___ 2,040.24 ▼ -3.92 ▼ -0.19%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.68 ▼ -0.04 ▼ -1.32%

NYSE Volume 3,407,256,500
Nasdaq Volume 1,805,382,750

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,721.51 ▲ 18.67 ▲ 0.28%
DAX_____ 11,805.99 ▲ 305.61 ▲ 2.66%
CAC_40__ 4,997.75 ▲ 115.80 ▲ 2.37%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,763.30 ▼ -31.00 ▼ -0.54%
Shanghai_Comp 3,290.90 ▲ 4.83 ▲ 0.15%
Taiwan_Weight 9,523.18 ▼ -13.35 ▼ -0.14%
Nikkei_225___ 18,723.52 ▲ 58.41 ▲ 0.31%
Hang_Seng.__ 23,717.97 ▼ -179.01 ▼ -0.75%
Strait_Times.__ 3,379.57 ▼ -18.69 ▼ -0.55%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,861.98 ▼ -25.77 ▼ -0.44%

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

US stocks slip at close, stabilizing a day after sell-off

US stocks edge lower in listless trading, stabilizing a day after sell-off; euro slides again
Associated Press
By Bernard Condon, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- U.S. stock indexes closed slightly lower Wednesday, stabilizing a day after their biggest sell-off in two months.

With no obvious catalyst pushing them either way, indexes spent most of the day wavering between slight gains and losses. Investors are waiting for clues from a Federal Reserve meeting next Wednesday as to when it may start increasing interest rates. The prospect of higher rates and a surge in the dollar have been weighing on markets since indexes hit record highs last week.

Stocks rose at the opening of trading and, until about an hour before the close, were holding onto their gains. The losses at the end were tiny, and energy and financial companies managed to rally.

"Investors are reassessing whether yesterday's sell-off made sense," said David Lefkowitz, senior stock strategist at UBS. "We still like stocks."

The Dow Jones industrial average lost 27.55 points, or 0.2 percent, to close at 17,635.39. The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 3.92 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,040.24. Both indexes are down now about 1 percent in 2015.

The Nasdaq composite fell 9.85 points, or 0.2 percent, to 4,849.94. The Nasdaq is up 2.4 percent this year.

The odds of the Fed raising rates appeared to rise on Friday after the U.S. government reported a burst in hiring last month. A rate increase would be the first in nine years. Low rates and other monetary stimulus have helped the S&P 500 to triple in price since the bull market began six years ago.

A U.S. interest rate rise would come as Japan and Europe are struggling to grow and as China's expansion slows. On Wednesday, China's official Xinhua news agency reported that output in the world's second-biggest economy rose 6.8 percent in the first two months of the year, less than expected. China is expected to slow further after growing 7.4 percent last year, the slowest rate in nearly a quarter-century.

"You have three out of four major drivers of economic growth still struggling," said Bill Strazzullo, chief market strategist at Bell Curve Trading. "Can the U.S. go it alone, especially with rates heading higher?"

Strazzullo said he wouldn't be surprised if the S&P 500 fell 10 percent in the coming months.

UBS's Lefkowitz is more optimistic. He said he doesn't think higher interest rates will hurt the U.S. economy because it has been steadily strengthening. After Tuesday's stock market tumble, he published a report showing that, in the six months after initial Fed rate hikes going back to 1954, the S&P 500 has rallied an average 7.6 percent.

David Lebovitz, Global Market Strategist for J.P. Morgan Asset Management, also thinks interest rate fears are overblown. "I think a couple of months after the Fed hikes, the market will be higher," he said.

As the Fed is poised to raise rates, the European Central Bank is trying to lower them. The divergent policies are hammering the euro and sending the dollar higher. On Wednesday, the euro fell to $1.0550, its lowest level since April 2003.

Among stocks making big moves:

”” Apple fell $2.27, or 1.8 percent, to $122.24 after its iTunes and app stores suffered a rare outage, frustrating millions of users around the world. Earlier in the week, Apple announced new details about its Apple Watch and MacBook products.

”” Southwest Airlines rose 90 cents, or 2 percent, to $43.84. The airline said its flights were more crowded and a key revenue figure increased in February compared with a year earlier.

”” Vera Bradley, a handbag and accessories company, plunged $2.93, or 16 percent, to $15.14. The company reported fourth-quarter results below analysts' estimates. Its updated outlook for the fiscal 2016 also disappointed.

The price of U.S. oil fell slightly after the Energy Department reported an increase in inventories that was only slightly larger than analysts had expected. Benchmark U.S. crude fell 12 cents to close at $48.17 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, rose $1.15 to close at $57.54 a barrel in London.

In other futures trading on the NYMEX:

”” Wholesale gasoline rose 0.8 cent to close at $1.826 a gallon.

”” Heating oil rose 0.6 cent to close at $1.820 a gallon.

”” Natural gas rose 9.2 cents to close at $2.824 per 1,000 cubic feet.

In the bond market, U.S. government bond prices rose, pushing yields lower. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.11 percent from 2.13 percent on Tuesday.

Precious and industrial metals futures closed lower. Gold fell $9.50 to $1,150.60 an ounce, silver fell 27 cents to $15.37 an ounce and copper fell two cents to $2.61 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 259.83 points or ▲ 1.47% on Thursday, 12 March 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,895.22 ▲ 259.83 ▲ 1.47%
Nasdaq____ 4,893.29 ▲ 43.35 ▲ 0.89%
S&P_500___ 2,065.95 ▲ 25.71 ▲ 1.26%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.68 ▼ -0.01 ▼ -0.19%

NYSE Volume 3,420,219,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,819,094,000

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,761.07 ▲ 39.56 ▲ 0.59%
DAX_____ 11,799.39 ▼ -6.60 ▼ -0.06%
CAC_40__ 4,987.33 ▼ -10.42 ▼ -0.21%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,816.00 ▲ 52.70 ▲ 0.91%
Shanghai_Comp 3,349.32 ▲ 58.42 ▲ 1.78%
Taiwan_Weight 9,596.00 ▲ 72.82 ▲ 0.76%
Nikkei_225___ 18,991.11 ▲ 267.59 ▲ 1.43%
Hang_Seng.__ 23,797.96 ▲ 79.99 ▲ 0.34%
Strait_Times.__ 3,373.60 ▼ -4.99 ▼ -0.15%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,886.78 ▲ 24.80 ▲ 0.42%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-gain-dollar-rally-204757758.html

US stocks gain as dollar rally wanes; Banks jump

US stocks rebound as dollar falls; Banks gain after many win Fed clearance to raise dividends
Associated Press
By Steve Rothwell, AP Markets Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- A sharp rally in the dollar relented on Thursday, helping push the stock market to its best day in five weeks.

The U.S. currency dropped for the first day in nine against the euro after a weak retail sales report raised questions about the strength of the economy.

A jump in the dollar since the start of the month has pushed stocks back from record levels. Investors are worried that the stronger U.S. currency could crimp corporate earnings by hurting overseas sales. About half of the revenue generated by companies in the Standard & Poor's 500 index comes from overseas.

Financial stocks were among the biggest gainers after a number of banks got approval from the Federal Reserve to raise dividends and buy back shares. Intel was one of the days' biggest losers after the company cut its revenue forecast for the first quarter.

"It's the pullback in the dollar that's cheering investors," said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Rockwell Global Capital. "The frenzy that we saw in the foreign exchange markets has, at least for today, calmed down."

The Standard & Poor's 500 index climbed 25.71 points, or 1.3 percent, to 2,065.95. The best performance for the index since Feb. 3.

The Dow Jones industrial gained 259.83 points, or 1.5 percent, to 17,895.22. The Nasdaq composite climbed 43.55 points, or 0.9 percent, to 4,893.29

Stocks have slumped since the start of the month on speculation that the Federal Reserve could raise its benchmark interest rate in June as hiring continues to improve. Policy makers have held their main rate close to zero for more than six years to help the economy recover from the Great Recession.

Thursday's slide in the dollar and the positive news on the banks more than outweighed a government report that showed retail sales were sluggish in February. The ongoing weakness is raising concerns about the strength of the economy.

Retail sales remain poor despite a big drop in gas prices last year. U.S. retail sales fell in February as auto purchases dropped by the most in more than a year and Americans spent less at restaurants and home improvement stores. Retail sales fell 0.6 percent last month after a 0.8 percent decline in January, the Commerce Department said Thursday. It was the third straight drop.

Many investors think it's only a matter of time before consumers start to spend again, particularly if gas prices stay low and wages start to rise.

"We're still set up for a good back-half of the year," said Michael Scanlon, a senior investment analyst at John Hancock Asset Management. "People are going to start spending that money that they are saving on fuel ... and we're definitely seeing green shoots of wage inflation."

Among individual stocks, Intel was the biggest decliner in the S&P 500.

Intel cut its revenue forecast for the first quarter to $12.5 billion to $13.1 billion. The company cited weak demand for business desktop PCs and a strong dollar, which diminished revenue from overseas sales. Intel's stock slumped $1.53, or 4.7 percent, to $30.80.

Morgan Stanley was the biggest gainer in the index.

The bank and other financial stocks gained after the Fed approved their plans to raise dividends and buy back shares. The announcements follow regulatory tests that assess whether lenders have adequate reserves to withstand a major economic downturn.

Morgan Stanley gained $2.14, or 6.1 percent, to $37.09 after announcing a $3.1 billion stock buyback and raising its dividend to 15 cents from 10 cents.

Citigroup was another big gainer. Its stock rose $1.75, or 3.3 percent, to $54.08 after the bank announced late Wednesday that it would buy back $7.8 billion in stock and raise its quarterly dividend to 5 cents from 1 cent.

While the Fed appears to be edging closer to raising rates, the European Central Bank and the Bank of Japan are still trying to stimulate their economies by lowering borrowing costs. The divergent policies have pushed the dollar sharply higher against most other major currencies.

In the short term, investors worry that the stronger dollar will act as a drag on profits for global companies that rely on overseas sales for a large portion of their revenue.

On the Thursday, the U.S. currency pared some of its gains.

The euro appreciated 0.5 percent against the dollar and was trading at $1.0635. The dollar also lost ground against the Japanese yen, falling to 121.29 yen.

U.S. government bond prices were little changed from Wednesday. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note held steady at 2.11 percent.

In metals trading, gold gained $1.30, or 0.1 percent, to $1,151.90 an ounce. Silver rose 15 cents, or 1 percent, to $15.52 an ounce. Copper gained 5.3 cents, or 2 percent, to $2.66 per pound.

The price of oil fell for the fifth time in 6 days on continuing concerns about rising supplies in the U.S. and around the world. Benchmark U.S. crude fell $1.12 to close at $47.05 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, fell 46 cents to close at $57.08 in London.

In other futures trading on the NYMEX:

”” Wholesale gasoline rose 1.6 cent to close at $1.810 a gallon.

”” Heating oil rose 4.1 cent to close at $1.779 a gallon.

”” Natural gas fell 9 cents to close at $2.734 per 1,000 cubic feet.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -145.91 points or ▼ -0.82% on Friday, 13 March 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,749.31 ▼ -145.91 ▼ -0.82%
Nasdaq____ 4,871.76 ▼ -21.53 ▼ -0.44%
S&P_500___ 2,053.40 ▼ -12.55 ▼ -0.61%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.70 ▲ 0.02 ▲ 0.63%

NYSE Volume 3,499,276,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,801,874,000

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,740.58 ▼ -20.49 ▼ -0.30%
DAX_____ 11,901.61 ▲ 102.22 ▲ 0.87%
CAC_40__ 5,010.46 ▲ 23.13 ▲ 0.46%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,788.00 ▼ -28.00 ▼ -0.48%
Shanghai_Comp 3,372.91 ▲ 23.59 ▲ 0.70%
Taiwan_Weight 9,579.35 ▼ -16.65 ▼ -0.17%
Nikkei_225___ 19,254.25 ▲ 263.14 ▲ 1.39%
Hang_Seng.__ 23,823.21 ▲ 25.25 ▲ 0.11%
Strait_Times.__ 3,362.77 ▼ -10.83 ▼ -0.32%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,908.59 ▲ 21.80 ▲ 0.37%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stocks-decline-third-week-interest-203205459.html

Stocks decline for third week; interest rate worries persist

US stocks fall for third-straight week; worries about oil prices and interest rates persist
Associated Press
By Ken Sweet, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- The stock market was hit hard Friday, capping a third week of declines, as investors reacted to a steep drop in oil prices and a jump in the value of the dollar.

Utilities, companies that make basic materials like steel, and major exporters had the biggest declines.

The sell-off came at the end of a volatile week and sets the stage for a Federal Reserve policy meeting next week. Investors will be watching closely for clues about the central bank's views on the economy and interest rates.

"This week has really been about investors' outlooks adjusting in the face of higher interest rates later this year," said Gabriela Santos, a global market strategist at JPMorgan Funds.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 145.91 points, or 0.8 percent, to 17,749.31. The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 12.55 points, or 0.6 percent, to 2,053.40 and the Nasdaq composite lost 21.53 points, or 0.4 percent, to 4,871.76.

Oil dropped sharply after the International Energy Agency said prices had further to fall because supplies were continuing to rise. Benchmark U.S. crude fell $2.21 to close at $44.84 a barrel in New York. Oil is now within 40 cents of its low for the year, and its lowest level in six years, after a drop of 10 percent this week. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, fell $2.41 to close at $54.67 a barrel in London.

Several energy stocks followed the price of oil lower. Transocean, an offshore oil rig company, fell 67 cents, or 4.7 percent, to $13.60 and Denbury Resources fell 29 cents, or 3.8 percent, to $7.31.

The U.S. dollar continued its advance against other major currencies. The euro declined 1.3 percent to $1.0486. The U.S. dollar index, which measures the dollar against a group of other currencies, increased 0.8 percent Friday and is up 6.4 percent over the past month.

The dollar's advance can be tied to two factors, strategists say. The U.S. economy is getting better, as seen by the strong jobs report last week, and the Federal Reserve is poised to raise interest rates sooner rather than later. In comparison, the European Central Bank is trying to drive down interest rates by buying government bonds, a tactic the Fed used until last fall. The ECB's program has been driving down the value of the euro.

A higher dollar makes U.S. exports more expensive abroad. General Electric, Caterpillar and Deere fell more than the rest of the market. U.S. Steel, whose products competes with cheap foreign imports, fell nearly 4 percent after the company announced it would idle of its operations and lay off workers. U.S. Steel lost 83 cents to $21.80.

"A rise in the dollar over a long period of time is fine, but this very rapid appreciation can directly impact companies' profits," Santos said.

Stocks that pay higher dividends, such as utilities, also had big losses. The Dow Jones utility index fell 1 percent. That index is down 7.4 percent so far this year.

A growing number of investors believe the Federal Reserve will raise its benchmark interest rate as early as June. Higher rates are typically bad for high-dividend stocks because it diminishes their appeal to investors seeking income.

In the bond market, U.S. government bond prices didn't move much. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note was unchanged at 2.12 percent.

In other commodity markets, precious and industrial metals futures closed little changed on the day. Gold edged up 50 cents to $1,152.40 an ounce, silver fell two cents to $15.49 an ounce and copper was flat at $2.66 a pound. In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline fell 4.8 cents to close at $1.762 a gallon, heating oil fell 6.6 cents to close at $1.713 a gallon and natural gas fell 0.7 cents to close at $2.727 per 1,000 cubic feet.

8390

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 228.11 points or ▲ 1.29% on Monday, 16 March 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,977.42 ▲ 228.11 ▲ 1.29%
Nasdaq____ 4,929.51 ▲ 57.75 ▲ 1.19%
S&P_500___ 2,081.19 ▲ 27.79 ▲ 1.35%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.68 ▼ -0.02 ▼ -0.67%

NYSE Volume 3,295,894,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,673,514,380

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,804.08 ▲ 43.01 ▲ 0.64%
DAX_____ 12,167.72 ▲ 266.11 ▲ 2.24%
CAC_40__ 5,061.16 ▲ 50.70 ▲ 1.01%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,769.70 ▼ -18.30 ▼ -0.32%
Shanghai_Comp 3,449.30 ▲ 76.39 ▲ 2.26%
Taiwan_Weight 9,512.91 ▼ -66.44 ▼ -0.69%
Nikkei_225___ 19,246.06 ▼ -8.19 ▼ -0.04%
Hang_Seng.__ 23,949.55 ▲ 126.34 ▲ 0.53%
Strait_Times.__ 3,376.04 ▲ 13.27 ▲ 0.39%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,911.40 ▲ 2.81 ▲ 0.05%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-gain-rebounding-weeks-152242719.html

US stocks gain, rebounding after weeks of losses

US stocks climb as dollar's rally against the euro abates; Oil falls to six-year low
Associated Press
By Steve Rothwell, AP Markets Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- U.S. stocks bounced back on Monday after losing ground for three weeks as the dollar's rally against the euro abated.

Elsewhere in financial markets, oil closed at a six-year low, below $44 a barrel, as supplies continue to outpace demand. Treasurys gained after some mixed reports on the economy.

The stock market has stumbled in recent weeks as the dollar has surged against the euro. The U.S. currency has been rising on expectations that the Federal Reserve will start to raise interest rates even as the European Central Bank continues to provide stimulus to that region's economy.

A stronger dollar is a problem for big U.S. companies that rely on overseas sales because it makes their goods more expensive in foreign markets and reduces the value of the profits they bring back home to the U.S.

"The dollar was weaker today, which was helpful." said Quincy Krosby, a market strategist at Prudential Financial. "There's no doubt that the stronger dollar has been impeding sales."

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 27.79 points, or 1.4 percent, to 2,081.19. It was the biggest gain for the index in six weeks.

The Dow Jones industrial average climbed 228.11 points, or 1.3 percent, to 17,977.42. The Nasdaq composite jumped 57.75 points, or 1.2 percent, to 4,929.51.

The focal point this week for investors is the Fed's two-day policy meeting that starts on Tuesday. Many investors and analysts expect the U.S. central bank will signal in a statement after the meeting that they are considering raising interest rates later this year. The Fed has kept its benchmark lending rate near zero for more than six years, underpinning a strong rally in U.S. stocks.

Investors will also be looking for any comments Fed policymakers might make on the impact to the economy of the rapid surge in the dollar, Krosby said.

Stocks rose broadly on Monday. Nine of the 10 industry groups that make up the S&P 500 index rose.

The market gained despite some mixed reports on the economy.

U.S. industrial production edged up slightly in February as a big surge by utilities due to a cold winter offset a third straight decline in factory output. The Federal Reserve also reported that industrial production rose 0.1 percent in February following a 0.3 percent fall in January.

Another report showed that U.S. homebuilders are feeling slightly less confident in their sales prospects, even as their overall sales outlook remains favorable. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index slipped this month to 53, down two points from February. It's the third monthly decline in a row.

The economic data gave a lift to bond prices, pushing Treasury yields lower. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note dropped to 2.08 percent from 2.12 percent on Friday.
View gallery
US stocks gain, rebounding after weeks of losses
Trader Christopher Fuchs, left, works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Monday, March 16 …

Health care stocks were the biggest gainers of the 10 industry groups that make up the S&P 500, rising 2.2 percent. Gains for the sector were led by Edwards Lifesciences, a company that develops and manufactures products to treat heart disease. On Sunday, the company announced positive study results for the medical device maker's third-generation heart-valve replacement system.

The company's stock climbed $13.29, or 9.8 percent, to $148.64, making it the biggest gainer in the S&P 500.

Avon Products was the biggest loser in index.

The cosmetics company's stock is being removed from the S&P 500 on March 20. It will be replaced by menswear company Hanesbrands. Avon fell 44 cents, or 5.7 percent, to $7.28.

Energy stocks managed to gain despite another big slump in the price of oil.

Oil fell to its lowest level in six years on continuing expectations that rising supplies in the U.S. are far outpacing demand. Benchmark U.S. crude fell 96 cents to close at $43.88 a barrel in New York.

The price of oil has dropped 12 percent over the past week, and is now the lowest since March of 2009. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, fell $1.23 to close at $53.44 in London.

In Europe, Germany's DAX rose 2.2 percent to 12,167, the first time the index has closed above 12,000. France's CAC 40 rose 1 percent to 5,061, while Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.9 percent to 6,804. European stocks have surged this year after the European Central Bank announced that it would introduce more stimulus to revive the region's slumping economy.

In currency trading, the euro strengthened to $1.0575 from $1.0497 Friday. The U.S. currency has surged against the euro in this year. The strengthening dollar hurts U.S. companies such as Coca-Cola and Proctor & Gamble that rely on overseas sales for a large chunk of their revenue.

The dollar was little changed against the Japanese currency at 121.40 yen.

Precious and industrial metals futures edged higher. Gold rose 80 cents to $1,153.20 an ounce, silver rose 12 cents to $15.62 an ounce and copper inched up less than a penny to $2.67 a pound.

In other futures trading on the NYMEX:

”” Wholesale gasoline fell 3.3 cents to close at $1.729 a gallon.

”” Heating oil fell 1.4 cents to close at $1.699 a gallon.

”” Natural gas fell 1.1 cents to close at $2.716 per 1,000 cubic feet.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -128.34 points or ▼ -0.71% on Tuesday, 17 March 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,849.08 ▼ -128.34 ▼ -0.71%
Nasdaq____ 4,937.43 ▲ 7.93 ▲ 0.16%
S&P_500___ 2,074.28 ▼ -6.91 ▼ -0.33%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.62 ▼ -0.06 ▼ -2.28%

NYSE Volume 3,190,258,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,689,431,880

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,837.61 ▲ 33.53 ▲ 0.49%
DAX_____ 11,980.85 ▼ -186.87 ▼ -1.54%
CAC_40__ 5,028.93 ▼ -32.23 ▼ -0.64%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,811.00 ▲ 41.30 ▲ 0.72%
Shanghai_Comp 3,502.85 ▲ 53.54 ▲ 1.55%
Taiwan_Weight 9,539.44 ▲ 26.53 ▲ 0.28%
Nikkei_225___ 19,437.00 ▲ 190.94 ▲ 0.99%
Hang_Seng.__ 23,901.49 ▼ -48.06 ▼ -0.20%
Strait_Times.__ 3,369.95 ▼ -6.09 ▼ -0.18%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,905.41 ▼ -5.99 ▼ -0.10%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-mostly-fall-fed-205006353.html

US stocks mostly fall as Fed meets on interest rates

US stocks mostly drop, a day after big jump, as investors wait for clues from Fed on rate hike
Associated Press
By Bernard Condon, AP Business Writer

A day after their biggest gain in six weeks, U.S. stock indexes mostly fell on Tuesday as oil continued to slide and investors fretted over when the Federal Reserve will raise a key borrowing rate. Low rates have helped stocks soar over the past six years. The Fed kicked off a two-day meeting on Tuesday to discuss rates, and will release a policy statement on Wednesday.

Losses were small, but spread across industries. Nine of the 10 sectors of the Standard & Poor's 500 index dropped, led by a 1.2 percent fall in raw-material companies.

Randall Warren, chief investment officer of Warren Financial Service, said he's isn't worried about higher rates, but is bracing for more price swings nonetheless.

"The economy is stronger, and can handle it and people will realize that," he said. "But now we're in the fear phase."

The S&P 500 fell 6.99 points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,074.20. The Dow Jones industrial average lost 128.34 points, or 0.7 percent, to 17,849.08. The Dow jumped 228 the day before.

The Nasdaq composite edged up 7.93 points, or 0.2 percent, to 4,937.43.

Energy stocks sank as the price of oil slid for the sixth straight day to another six-year low. U.S. benchmark crude fell 42 cents to close at $43.46 a barrel in New York.

In its statement released Wednesday, the Fed is widely expected to drop the word "patient" in describing how long it will wait to raise rates. Many economists think that will signal that the Fed will make its first move in June.

Others aren't so sure, with some predicting the central bank will wait until next year.

Mixed signals on the economy have been adding to the uncertainty.

U.S. employers have added more than 200,000 jobs in each of the past 12 months, and the unemployment rate has fallen to 5.5 percent. That is the lowest rate in seven years.

On the down side, a report on Monday showed output at the nation's factories fell for a third straight month in February.

"We keep getting good economic information, then bad economic information," said Aaron Jett, an equity strategist at Bel-Air Investment Advisors. "There's no conviction about what the Fed will do."

On Tuesday, the Commerce Department said construction of new homes plummeted 17 percent in February from the month before, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 897,000. Bad winter weather in Northeast and Midwest was mostly to blame.

Homebuilder stocks dropped on the news. Hovnanian Enterprises fell 8 cents, or 2.4 percent, to $3.27.

Other stocks in the news:

”” Apple rose $2.09, or 1.7 percent, to $127.04 on a report in the Wall Street Journal that the iPhone maker is in talks with programmers to include TV networks in an online television service.

”” Weight Watchers sank 20 cents, or 2 percent, to $9.93 after Credit Suisse downgraded its rating on the stock. The bank said the company faces tough competition from free and lower-cost weight loss alternatives.

”” American Airlines jumped $3.47, or nearly 7 percent, to $53.69 after news that the carrier will join the S&P 500 index after the close of trading Friday.

The euro strengthened to $1.0603 from $1.0578. The dollar was unchanged at 121.37 yen.

In oil markets, Brent crude for May delivery, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, fell 43 cents to close at $53.51 in London. The Brent contract for April delivery expired Monday at $53.44 a barrel.

In other futures trading on the NYMEX:

”” Wholesale gasoline rose 0.1 cent to close at $1.730 a gallon.

”” Heating oil fell 0.5 cent to close at $1.694 a gallon.

”” Natural gas rose 13.9 cents to close at $2.855 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Precious and industrial metals futures fell. Gold lost $5 to $1,148.20 an ounce, silver fell four cents to $15.58 an ounce and copper fell three cents to $2.63 a pound.

U.S. government bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.05 percent from 2.08 percent on Monday.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 227.11 points or ▲ 1.27% on Wednesday, 18 March 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,076.19 ▲ 227.11 ▲ 1.27%
Nasdaq____ 4,982.83 ▲ 45.39 ▲ 0.92%
S&P_500___ 2,099.50 ▲ 25.22 ▲ 1.22%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.54 ▼ -0.08 ▼ -3.02%

NYSE Volume 4,102,171,500
Nasdaq Volume 1,918,997,620

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,945.20 ▲ 107.59 ▲ 1.57%
DAX_____ 11,922.77 ▼ -58.08 ▼ -0.48%
CAC_40__ 5,033.42 ▲ 4.49 ▲ 0.09%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,808.00 ▼ -3.00 ▼ -0.05%
Shanghai_Comp 3,577.30 ▲ 74.45 ▲ 2.13%
Taiwan_Weight 9,653.43 ▲ 113.99 ▲ 1.19%
Nikkei_225___ 19,544.48 ▲ 107.48 ▲ 0.55%
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http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stocks-bonds-rally-fed-says-203556137.html

Stocks, bonds rally as Fed says it may move slowly on rates

US stocks and bonds rally after Fed signals it may move slowly on raising rates, dollar slumps
Associated Press
By Steve Rothwell, AP Markets Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks rallied Thursday after the Federal Reserve signaled that it may move slowly to raise interest rates.

While the central bank left open the possibility of a rate increase later in the year, policymakers also lowered their assessment of the economy and noted that inflation was likely to remain low.

Investors had expected the Fed to signal that it was close to raising rates, possibly as early as June, and were surprised by the cautious tone that policymakers struck on the outlook for the economy.

Stocks swung from losses earlier in the day to big gains after the statement was released. Bonds also rallied, pushing the yield on the 10-year Treasury note back below 2 percent. The dollar plunged against the euro.

"There is very little to suggest that the Fed is going to raise rates aggressively this year," said Jeremy Zirin, an investment strategist at UBS Wealth Management.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 25.14 points, or 1.2 percent, to 2,099.42. The index had been down as much as 11 points before the release of the Fed's statement at 2:00 p.m.

The Dow Jones industrial average gained 227.11 points, or 1.3 percent, to 18,076.19. The Nasdaq composite rose 45.39 points, or 0.9 percent, to 4,982.83.

Energy companies led the gains for stocks as the price of oil spiked after the Fed's statement. Lower rates tend to make oil and other hard assets more attractive investments, increasing their prices. The energy sector in the S&P 500 jumped 2.9 percent.

Benchmark U.S. crude rose $1.20 to close at $44.66 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, rose $2.40 to close at $55.91 a barrel in London.

Fed policymakers have held their benchmark interest rate close to zero since 2008 to help the economy recover from the Great Recession. Low rates make it easier for businesses and consumers to borrow and spend. They have also helped the stock market soar over the past six years, pushing major stock indexes to record levels.

The Fed's statement confirmed that stocks remain in a "Goldilocks" environment, where growth is solid, but not strong enough to stoke inflation, said Zirin at UBS.

"This still seems to be the sweet spot for equity investors, where you should see decent, but unspectacular earnings gains," he said.

In currency trading, the dollar slumped, reversing a recent surge against the euro.

The U.S. currency traded lower against the euro, weakening almost 3 percent to $1.0894. The dollar had traded as low as $1.05 earlier in the week.

The dollar weakened to 119.85 yen from 121.34 yen late Tuesday.

U.S. government bond prices jumped. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 1.92 percent from 2.08 percent on Tuesday, a sharp move lower.

Metals were mixed. Gold rose $3.10, or 0.3 percent, to $1,151.30 an ounce. Silver fell four cents, or 0.2 percent, to $15.54 an ounce. Copper dropped 6 cents, or 2.4 percent, to $2.57 a pound.