NYSE Dow Jones finished today at:

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -279.47 points or ▼ -1.54% on Friday, 17 April 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,826.30 ▼ -279.47 ▼ -1.54%
Nasdaq____ 4,931.81 ▼ -75.98 ▼ -1.52%
S&P_500___ 2,081.18 ▼ -23.81 ▼ -1.13%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.51 ▼ -0.05 ▼ -2.00%

NYSE Volume 3,614,370,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,917,801,000

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,994.63 ▼ -65.82 ▼ -0.93%
DAX_____ 11,688.70 ▼ -310.16 ▼ -2.58%
CAC_40__ 5,143.26 ▼ -81.23 ▼ -1.55%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,851.50 ▼ -66.10 ▼ -1.12%
Shanghai_Comp 4,287.30 ▲ 92.47 ▲ 2.20%
Taiwan_Weight 9,570.93 ▼ -85.94 ▼ -0.89%
Nikkei_225___ 19,652.88 ▼ -232.89 ▼ -1.17%
Hang_Seng.__ 27,653.12 ▼ -86.59 ▼ -0.31%
Strait_Times.__ 3,525.19 ▼ -6.42 ▼ -0.18%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,861.48 ▼ -20.27 ▼ -0.34%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/greek-day-reckoning-shakes-stock-175252223.html

Greek 'day of reckoning' shakes stock markets

European stock slump, disappointing earnings drive US market lower in broad sell-off
Associated Press By Bernard Condon, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Fear that Greece could default on its debt and abandon the euro rattled global financial markets Friday.

News that negotiations between Greece and its international lenders are making little progress sent European stock markets down sharply, and the selling spread across the Atlantic. By the close of U.S. trading, stocks across industries were lower, with four of five stocks down. Investors shifted money into German government bonds, a perceived haven in troubled times.

In the U.S., disappointing first-quarter financial results from several big companies fed the selling. After American Express reported revenue that fell short of expectations, investors drove down its stock more than 4 percent.

"The day of reckoning" for Greece is fast approaching, said Uri Landesman, president of investment fund Platinum Partners. "People thought everyone would work it out, but if no one caves, there won't be a deal."

For all the turmoil in the markets, major U.S. stock indexes closed the day with relatively modest losses. At one point, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 357, heading for its worst day in six months. The Dow regained some of those losses toward the close of trading, ending down 279.47 to 17,826.30, a drop of 1.5 percent.

That was only the worst drop since March 25. The Dow has struggled since reaching a record high on March 2 and is now back where it started the year.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 23.81 points, or 1.1 percent, to 2,081.18. The Nasdaq composite fell 75.98 points, or 1.5 percent, to 4,931.81.

Greece and its creditors are still struggling to find a deal that can keep the country from defaulting on its debt. The argument is over what reforms Greece should make in return for loans. Many think Greece will struggle to make payments to the International Monetary Fund due next month if it fails to reach a deal.

The concerns have caused investors to demand higher rates for loaning money to Greece's government. The yield on the country's benchmark 10-year bond jumped to 12.72 percent Friday. That rate has more than doubled from 5.51 percent in September.

In corporate news, Honeywell International fell $2.22, or 2 percent, to $101.70 after reporting disappointing first-quarter results. The industrial conglomerate posted earnings per share that beat estimates, but its revenue fell short.

Advanced Micro Devices plunged 10 percent after reporting a larger loss than investors had expected after the market closed on Thursday. The chipmaker's stock fell 29 cents to $2.58.

Investors have been bracing themselves for a disappointing earnings season. Companies in the S&P 500 are expected to report earnings per share fell 2.6 percent from a year earlier, according to S&P Capital IQ, a research firm. That would be the first drop since 2009.

Jim Paulsen, chief investment strategist at Wells Capital Management, said stocks are now somewhat expensive compared with earnings and, along with a list of other worries, the news from Greece on Friday proved just too much to bear.

"When you have more nervous investors, news becomes magnified," he said.

Worrisome news out of China also weighed on investors. After markets closed in Asia, Chinese financial regulators issued warnings about that country's soaring stock market. Regulators said they will tighten rules on borrowing to buy stocks. They also plan to make it easier for investors to bet against the market there, The Wall Street Journal reported. Shanghai's stock market has more than doubled in the last year.

"People are thinking maybe the party is over in China," said Doug Cote, chief market strategist for Voya Investment Management. "China recognizes that it could be creating a bubble, and now it wants to slow down. It's trying to rein back risk."

Germany's DAX index dropped 2.6 percent. France's CAC 40 shed 1.6 percent and Britain's FTSE 100 fell 0.9 percent. Investors piled into German government debt, which is perceived as being among the safest investments denominated in euros. Yields on Germany's 10-year government note, which moves opposite to its price, fell to 0.07 percent, a record low, according to Tradeweb.

The price of oil fell nearly 3 percent Friday on a slowdown in the reduction of working drilling rigs, but finished the week sharply higher. A closely watched industry count of drilling rigs showed a decline of 26 U.S. rigs for the week, compared with a decline of 42 last week.

Benchmark U.S. crude fell 97 cents to close at $55.74 a barrel in New York. U.S. crude finished up 8 percent for the week, however. Brent crude fell 53 cents to close at $63.45 a barrel in London.

In other futures trading on the NYMEX:

— Wholesale gasoline fell 0.5 cent to close at $1.930 a gallon.

— Heating oil fell 2.6 cents to close at $1.882 a gallon.

— Natural gas rose 0.5 cent to close at $2.634 per 1,000 cubic feet.

The dollar fell slightly to 118.86 yen while the euro rose to $1.0794. Bond prices fell after the U.S. government reported a slight increase in inflation last month. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell slightly to 1.87 percent from 1.88 percent on Thursday

Precious and industrial metals futures didn't move much. Gold rose $5.10 to $1,203.10 an ounce, silver fell 6 cents to $16.23 an ounce and copper was unchanged at $2.77 a pound.

1499

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 208.63 points or ▲ 1.17% on Monday, 20 April 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,034.93 ▲ 208.63 ▲ 1.17%
Nasdaq____ 4,994.60 ▲ 62.79 ▲ 1.27%
S&P_500___ 2,100.40 ▲ 19.22 ▲ 0.92%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.57 ▲ 0.07 ▲ 2.63%

NYSE Volume 2,966,101,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,611,972,000

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 7,052.13 ▼ -8.32 ▼ -0.12%
DAX_____ 11,891.91 ▲ 203.21 ▲ 1.74%
CAC_40__ 5,187.59 ▲ 44.33 ▲ 0.86%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,806.80 ▼ -44.70 ▼ -0.76%
Shanghai_Comp 4,217.08 ▼ -70.22 ▼ -1.64%
Taiwan_Weight 9,552.85 ▼ -18.08 ▼ -0.19%
Nikkei_225___ 19,634.49 ▼ -18.39 ▼ -0.09%
Hang_Seng.__ 27,094.93 ▼ -558.19 ▼ -2.02%
Strait_Times.__ 3,503.25 ▼ -21.94 ▼ -0.62%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,824.28 ▼ -37.21 ▼ -0.63%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-gain-rebounding-fridays-204044025.html

US stocks gain, rebounding from Friday's slump; Hasbro jumps

US stocks gain, getting a lift from good earnings reports; Hasbro jumps on Transformer sales
Associated Press By Steve Rothwell, AP Markets Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- The stock market bounced back from a big loss on Friday after getting a boost from some good first-quarter earnings reports.

Toy maker Hasbro reported an unexpected gain in sales on the back of strong demand for its Transformer, Nerf and Marvel toys. Oil and gas services company Halliburton and investment bank Morgan Stanley also reported results that we're better than analysts were expecting.

Stocks were recovering from a big slump on Friday when worries about the unresolved Greek debt crisis and some disappointing earnings reports rattled financial markets.

This week is one of the busiest for first-quarter earnings with 147 companies, close to one-third of those in the S&P 500, scheduled to report their results. Investors are already expecting weak earnings because a surge in the dollar is hurting overseas sales. A big drop in oil prices is also hitting energy companies.

The strong earnings Monday "are setting a good trend to start the week," said David Lyon, a global investment specialist at JPMorgan Private Bank. "Earnings are coming in better than the weakened expectations."

The Standard & Poor's 500 index climbed 19.22 points, or 0.9 percent, to 2,100.40. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 208.63 points, or 1.2 percent, to 18,034.93. The Nasdaq composite climbed 62.79 points, or 1.3 percent, to 4,994.60.

Currently, analysts are predicting earnings per share will slide by an average of 2.6 percent for S&P 500 companies in the first quarter, according to S&P Capital IQ data. If that forecast holds, it will mark the first period that earnings have contracted since the third quarter of 2009, when the U.S. was emerging from the Great Recession.

On Monday, though, the reports were better than forecast.

Hasbro was the biggest gainer in the S&P 500 index after reporting better-than-expected earnings. The company is battling a shift toward video gaming, but unexpectedly reported rising revenue for the first quarter. The stock jumped $8.27, or 13 percent, to $74.16.

Halliburton was another company to gain after posting earnings that beat expectations.

The company reported a $643 million loss for the first quarter, but after asset write-offs, severance costs and other items had been accounted for, the company logged earnings per share of 49 cents. Halliburton's stock rose 96 cents, or 2 percent, to $47.85.

Stocks have moved between big upswings and losses for much of the year, and the S&P 500 has gained only 2 percent so far in 2015.

Not all investors are positive on the near-term outlook for stocks. Michael Scanlon, a senior investment analyst at John Hancock Asset Management, says stocks will likely continue to struggle to advance as long as the debt situation in Greece remains unresolved and earnings at U.S. companies remain weak.

"I feel like the first half of this year ... is going to turn out to be a pretty bumpy period for equities," said Scanlon.

In government bond trading, prices edged lower. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.88 percent from 1.86 percent on Friday.

In currency trading, the euro weakened to $1.0737 from $1.0805 on Friday. The dollar rose to 119.24 yen from 118.94 yen

U.S. crude oil rose 64 cents to close at $56.38 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, was unchanged at $63.45 a barrel in London.

In metals trading, silver fell 34 cents, or 2.1 percent, to $15.89 an ounce. Gold dropped $9.40, or 0.8 percent, to $1,193.50 an ounce. Copper also dropped, falling 4.2 cents, or 1.5 percent, to $2.73 a pound.

In other futures trading on the NYMEX:

”” Wholesale gasoline rose 1.6 cents to close at $1.932 a gallon.

”” Heating oil fell 0.5 cent to close at $1.877 a gallon.

”” Natural gas fell 9.8 cents to close at $2.536 per 1,000 cubic feet.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -85.34 points or ▼ -0.47% on Tuesday, 21 April 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,949.59 ▼ -85.34 ▼ -0.47%
Nasdaq____ 5,014.10 ▲ 19.50 ▲ 0.39%
S&P_500___ 2,097.29 ▼ -3.11 ▼ -0.15%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.59 ▲ 0.02 ▲ 0.66%

NYSE Volume 3,223,047,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,689,459,000

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 7,062.93 ▲ 10.80 ▲ 0.15%
DAX_____ 11,939.58 ▲ 47.67 ▲ 0.40%
CAC_40__ 5,192.64 ▲ 5.05 ▲ 0.10%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,844.00 ▲ 37.20 ▲ 0.64%
Shanghai_Comp 4,293.62 ▲ 76.55 ▲ 1.82%
Taiwan_Weight 9,533.98 ▼ -18.87 ▼ -0.20%
Nikkei_225___ 19,909.09 ▲ 274.60 ▲ 1.40%
Hang_Seng.__ 27,850.49 ▲ 755.56 ▲ 2.79%
Strait_Times.__ 3,508.61 ▲ 5.36 ▲ 0.15%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,817.52 ▼ -6.76 ▼ -0.12%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/mixed-earnings-news-leaves-us-200903397.html

Mixed earnings news leaves US stocks mostly lower

Stock indexes end mostly lower as US companies turn in mixed earnings; Harley-Davidson sinks
Associated Press By Matthew Craft, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Tepid corporate results and another drop in the price of crude oil pulled stocks mostly lower on Tuesday.

Major indexes started the day slightly higher, turned lower around noon, then languished until the closing bell. A mixed batch of first-quarter earnings reports offered traders little direction.

DuPont said the rising dollar weighed on its results in the first quarter as earnings and sales shrunk. The chemical giant also lowered its forecast for full-year profits, and its stock fell $2.15, or 3 percent, to $70.69.

"It seems the market is in a holding pattern as investors are waiting to see just how much the dollar impacts corporate earnings," said Russell Price, Ameriprise Financial's senior economist. "So far, things are a bit better than expected, but we'll see how it plays out."

The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 3.11 points, or 0.2 percent, to close at 2,097.29.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 85.34 points, or 0.5 percent, to 17,949.59 while the Nasdaq composite gained 19.50 points, or 0.4 percent, to 5,014.10.

A strong dollar reflects the relative strength of the U.S. economy, but for big companies with customers around the world, a rising dollar can mean trouble. It hits Corporate America in two ways, making goods produced in the U.S. more expensive to foreign customers and diminishing the value of sales collected in foreign currencies when U.S. corporations bring the money home.

The rising dollar is a key reason analysts forecast that first-quarter corporate earnings will fall 2.2 percent, according to S&P Capital IQ. They expect sales to sink 1.8 percent. Over the past week, Johnson & Johnson, American Express and General Electric blamed the dollar for hurting their results.

Among a slew of other companies reporting results Tuesday, Harley-Davidson turned in quarterly sales that fell short of analysts' targets. The maker of motorcycles also cut its full-year forecast for shipments, blaming price cuts by rivals as well as the strong dollar. The company's stock fell $6.05, or 10 percent, to $55.72.

Teva Pharmaceuticals proposed buying Mylan NV, another maker of generic drugs, for more than $40 billion in cash and stock. The offer depends on Mylan dropping its proposed acquisition of yet another drugmaker, Perrigo. Mylan's stock jumped $6.02, or 9 percent, to $74.07. Teva's rose 87 cents, or 1 percent, to $64.16.

Major markets in Europe continued their recent climb. Germany's DAX finished with a gain of 0.4 percent, while France's CAC-40 inched up 0.1 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 added 0.2 percent.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng led a surge in Asian markets, jumping 2.8 percent. The Shanghai Composite Index in mainland China added 1.8 percent. Japan's Nikkei 225 gained 1.4 percent, while South Korea's Kospi lost 0.1 percent.

Back in the U.S., Kimberly-Clark jumped 5 percent after the maker of Huggies diapers and paper products reported income and revenue that easily beat analysts' forecasts. Its stock surged $5.79 to $113.15.

Government bond prices fell, pushing the yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note up to 1.91 percent.

In commodity trading, gold rose $9.40 to settle at $1,203.10 an ounce, while silver rose 12 cents to $16.01 an ounce. Copper slipped 3 cents to $2.70 a pound.

Crude oil fell $1.12 to close at $55.26 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, lost $1.37 to close at $62.08 a barrel in London.

In other futures trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange:

”” Wholesale gasoline fell 4.3 cents to close at $1.888 a gallon.

”” Heating oil fell 2.4 cents to close at $1.853 a gallon.

”” Natural gas rose 3.9 cents to close at $2.575 per 1,000 cubic feet.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 88.68 points or ▲ 0.49% on Wednesday, 22 April 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,038.27 ▲ 88.68 ▲ 0.49%
Nasdaq____ 5,035.17 ▲ 21.07 ▲ 0.42%
S&P_500___ 2,107.96 ▲ 10.67 ▲ 0.51%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.65 ▲ 0.07 ▲ 2.55%

NYSE Volume 3,348,150,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,669,728,620

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 7,028.24 ▼ -34.69 ▼ -0.49%
DAX_____ 11,867.37 ▼ -72.21 ▼ -0.60%
CAC_40__ 5,211.09 ▲ 18.45 ▲ 0.36%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,812.80 ▼ -31.20 ▼ -0.53%
Shanghai_Comp 4,398.49 ▲ 104.87 ▲ 2.44%
Taiwan_Weight 9,613.00 ▲ 79.02 ▲ 0.83%
Nikkei_225___ 20,133.90 ▲ 224.81 ▲ 1.13%
Hang_Seng.__ 27,933.85 ▲ 83.36 ▲ 0.30%
Strait_Times.__ 3,496.24 ▼ -12.37 ▼ -0.35%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,793.61 ▼ -23.90 ▼ -0.41%

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

After a sluggish start, US stocks finish higher

US stocks end higher after slow start; Visa among top gainers after China opens payment market
Associated Press By Matthew Craft, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Investors cheered moves by Google and credit-card companies on Wednesday and sent the stock market to a solid gain. Google helped set off a surge in technology stocks after it unveiled a low-cost wireless phone service.

Google's new wireless service, dubbed "Project Fi," costs around $20 a month for basic service and charges customers for the amount of data they use. The low-cost plan puts the Internet search giant into competition with AT&T and Verizon Wireless. Google's stock gained $6.25, or 1 percent, to $549.18.

For most of the day, the market looked like a driver given bad directions. Major indexes shuffled between slight gains and losses in morning trading before turning higher in the late afternoon. The gains were modest but shared widely: All 10 industries in the Standard & Poor's 500 index rose.

McDonald's said a strong dollar and restructuring charges weighed on its first-quarter results as a new CEO tries to turn the hamburger chain around. The company's sales continued to fall in the quarter, but its earnings beat Wall Street's estimates. McDonald's gained $2.97, or 3 percent, to $97.84.

Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at BMO Private Bank, called the market's response to McDonald's earnings typical of the earnings season so far.

"It was pretty lousy report, but investors remain optimistic about the future," Ablin said. "I think investors are willing to shrug off one bad quarter for earnings. We'll see what happens if we get a string of disappointments."

The S&P 500 index rose 10.67 points, or 0.5 percent, to 2,107.96. That's just 10 points shy of its record high reached on March 2.

The Dow Jones industrial average was up 88.68 points, or 0.5 percent, to 18,038.27, and the Nasdaq composite picked up 21.07 points, or 0.4 percent, to 5,035.17.

Visa and MasterCard surged following news that China plans to allow foreign companies to handle bank-card transactions. Visa's stock jumped $2.66, or 4 percent, to $68.01, while MasterCard gained $3.43, also 4 percent, to $91.20.

Among the big companies turning in quarterly results, Boeing reported higher profit and revenue for the first quarter. But the aircraft maker's sales missed estimates, while costs climbed for its 787 Dreamliner. Boeing dropped $2.14, or 1 percent, to $151.19.

Chipotle said bad weather and a shortage of pork slowed its sales growth at the start of the year. As a result, revenue for the first quarter fell short of Wall Street's targets. Chipotle said the issue could last until the end of the year. Chipotle's stock sank $51.29, or 7 percent, to $641.23.

Major markets finished mixed in Europe. France's CAC 40 rose 0.4 percent, while Germany's DAX dropped 0.6 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 fell 0.5 percent.

In Asia, Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 1.1 percent to finish at 20,133, the first time since April 14, 2000 that the index closed above 20,000 points. South Korea's Kospi was little changed. Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.3 percent and China's Shanghai Composite jumped 2.4 percent.

Back in the U.S., government bond prices fell, driving the yield on the 10-year Treasury note up to 1.98 percent from 1.91 percent late Tuesday.

In commodities trading, benchmark U.S. crude oil fell 45 cents to $56.16 a barrel in New York. Brent crude rose 65 cents to $62.73 barrel in London.

In other futures trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, wholesale gasoline rose 3.6 cents to $1.925 a gallon, heating oil rose 1.8 cents to $1.871 a gallon and natural gas rose 3.1 cents to $2.606 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Precious and industrial metals closed lower. Gold dropped $16.20 to end at $1,186.920 an ounce, while silver slid 21 cents to $15.80 an ounce. Copper dropped 4 cents to $2.67.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 20.42 points or ▲ 0.11% on Thursday, 23 April 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,058.69 ▲ 20.42 ▲ 0.11%
Nasdaq____ 5,056.06 ▲ 20.89 ▲ 0.41%
S&P_500___ 2,112.93 ▲ 4.97 ▲ 0.24%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.63 ▼ -0.02 ▼ -0.72%

NYSE Volume 3,648,069,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,833,633,880

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 7,053.67 ▲ 25.43 ▲ 0.36%
DAX_____ 11,723.58 ▼ -143.79 ▼ -1.21%
CAC_40__ 5,178.91 ▼ -32.18 ▼ -0.62%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,820.30 ▲ 7.50 ▲ 0.13%
Shanghai_Comp 4,414.51 ▲ 16.01 ▲ 0.36%
Taiwan_Weight 9,797.49 ▲ 184.49 ▲ 1.92%
Nikkei_225___ 20,187.65 ▲ 53.75 ▲ 0.27%
Hang_Seng.__ 27,827.70 ▼ -106.15 ▼ -0.38%
Strait_Times.__ 3,502.75 ▲ 6.51 ▲ 0.19%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,757.91 ▼ -35.70 ▼ -0.62%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/nasdaq-sets-record-high-15-203205818.html

Nasdaq sets record high, 15 years after dot-com bubble

Nasdaq closes at all-time high, 15 years after dot-com bubble; oil gains

Associated Press By Ken Sweet, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Fifteen years, one month and thirteen days.

That's how long it took the Nasdaq composite index to close above the record it set at the apex of the dot-com bubble.

The Nasdaq rose 20.89 points, or 0.4 percent, to 5,056.06, above the record of 5,048.62 it set on March 10, 2000. In many ways, the crossing of that threshold is purely ceremonial and psychological.

The index, while still weighted with technology and Internet companies, has not been defined by the like of Pets.com, Geocities or WebVan for a decade and a half.

Apple, a company that was teetering on the edge in 2000, is now the biggest publicly traded company on the planet and makes up 9.7 percent of the Nasdaq. Google, which didn't exist as a public company in 2000, now makes up 2.4 percent of the index.

And the Standard & Poor's 500, which most fund managers use as a benchmark for the overall stock market, recovered from its dot-com peak in 2007.

"It's a major psychological barrier, but in the end, it's just a number," said Scott Wren, senior global equity strategist at Wells Fargo Advisors.

The Nasdaq's advance was part of a broader move higher by the stock market on Thursday.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 20.42 points, 0.1 percent, to 18,058.69. The S&P 500 rose 4.97 points, or 0.2 percent, 2,112.93. The S&P 500 is about four points below the record high it set March 2.

The Nasdaq's close was a side attraction for many professional investors, who have been focused on companies that have been reporting their quarterly earnings and how the strong U.S. dollar has been having a negative impact on U.S. companies that rely a lot on overseas sales.

3M, General Motors, Procter & Gamble and Caterpillar all reported their earnings on Thursday and all said the strong U.S. dollar hurt them.

P&G, which makes Tide detergent and Gillette razors, said its profits were down roughly 7 percent and sales were down 8 percent from a year earlier. The company blamed a strong U.S. dollar, which makes its products more expensive when sold abroad. P&G fell $1.48, or 2 percent, to $80.95.

Another consumer products company, 3M, also reported lower profits due to the dollar. The maker of Post-Its and Scotch Tape fell $5.01, or 3 percent, to $159.66.

While Caterpillar reported a better-than-expected profit for last quarter, the construction equipment maker said it may face bigger issues later this year as long as the dollar remains strong. Caterpillar fell 8 cents to $84.79.

"The results have been pretty consistent this earnings season. If you're an export-heavy company, your results have suffered from a strong dollar," said Randy Frederick, managing director of trading and derivatives for Charles Schwab.

Benchmark U.S. crude oil rose $1.58, or 2.8 percent, to close at $57.74 a barrel in New York. The advance helped lift energy stocks, which gained 1 percent. Brent crude rose $2.12 to close at $64.85 a barrel in London.

Oil has been recovering slowly from low levels it hit in March, which investors have taken as a sign that prices are starting to stabilize after a year of declines.

In other trading of energy futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange, wholesale gasoline rose 7.1 cents to $1.997 a gallon, heating oil gained 5.3 cents to $1.924 a gallon and natural gas fell 7.5 cents to $2.531 per 1,000 cubic feet.

In other markets, the dollar fell to 119.50 yen from 119.98 yen late Wednesday. The euro rose to $1.0828 from $1.0725. Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note declined to 1.95 percent from 1.98 percent late Wednesday.

In metals, gold rose $7.40 to $1,194.30 an ounce, silver rose 3 cents to $15.83 an ounce, and copper rose 3 cents to $2.69 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Lest We Forget

The phrase "lest we forget" forms the refrain of "Recessional." It introduces the reason for the entreaty expressed in the poem: that God might spare England from oblivion or profanity "lest we forget" the sacrifice of Christ ("Thine ancient sacrifice").

The phrase later passed into common usage after World War I across the British Commonwealth especially, becoming linked with Remembrance Day observations; it came to be a plea not to forget past sacrifices, and was often found as the only wording on war memorials, or used as an epitaph.

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 21.45 points or ▲ 0.12% on Friday, 24 April 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,080.14 ▲ 21.45 ▲ 0.12%
Nasdaq____ 5,092.08 ▲ 36.02 ▲ 0.71%
S&P_500___ 2,117.69 ▲ 4.76 ▲ 0.23%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.62 ▼ -0.02 ▼ -0.68%

NYSE Volume 3,355,276,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,875,132,380

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 7,070.70 ▲ 17.03 ▲ 0.24%
DAX_____ 11,810.85 ▲ 87.27 ▲ 0.74%
CAC_40__ 5,201.45 ▲ 22.54 ▲ 0.44%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,906.80 ▲ 86.50 ▲ 1.49%
Shanghai_Comp 4,393.69 ▼ -20.82 ▼ -0.47%
Taiwan_Weight 9,913.28 ▲ 115.79 ▲ 1.18%
Nikkei_225___ 20,020.04 ▼ -167.61 ▼ -0.83%
Hang_Seng.__ 28,060.98 ▲ 233.28 ▲ 0.84%
Strait_Times.__ 3,513.00 ▲ 10.25 ▲ 0.29%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,765.36 ▲ 7.45 ▲ 0.13%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stocks-rise-tech-earnings-nasdaq-140959492.html

Stocks rise on tech earnings; Nasdaq adds to record

Stocks rise on big tech earnings; Nasdaq composite adds to record
Associated Press By Ken Sweet, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks advanced slightly Friday as investors cheered the quarterly results of three large technology companies: Google, Microsoft and Amazon.

The modest gains helped close out a relatively strong week for U.S. stocks, with the three major indexes rising between 1.4 and 3.2 percent in five days. The Standard & Poor's 500 and Nasdaq composite closed at record highs.

Investors now prepare for the biggest week of earnings season. Next week, more than 150 companies in the S&P 500 will report their results, including such market-moving names as Apple, Ford, Visa, Pfizer and Exxon Mobil.

On Friday, The Dow Jones industrial average rose 21.45 points, or 0.1 percent, to 18,080.14. The S&P 500 rose 4.76 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,117.69 and the Nasdaq rose 36.02 points, or 0.7 percent, to 5,092.08.

The Nasdaq beat its record of 5,048.62, set on March 10, 2000 at the height of the dot-com boom, on Thursday.

Microsoft, Amazon and Google all rose sharply after the releasing their quarterly results, which helped lift the Nasdaq more than the Dow or S&P 500. A common theme was signs that the companies were growing sales outside of their bread-and-butter businesses.

Amazon jumped $55.11, or 14 percent, to $445.10 in heavy trading. While the company reported a quarterly loss, Amazon showed it had 49 percent sales growth in Amazon Web Services, its cloud computing division. The promise that cloud computing could bolster Amazon's bottom line was enough to send investors flooding into the stock.

Microsoft rose $4.53, or 11 percent, to $47.87. The software giant had results that beat expectations, and like Amazon, showed promising growth in its cloud computing business. Lastly, Google rose $16.20, or 3 percent, to $573.66. The search and advertising company missed analysts' expectations; the company had strong growth in mobile advertising.

Investors have been looking for Google, Microsoft and Amazon to show some sort of progress outside their traditional businesses. Microsoft cannot solely rely on computer sales to drive its profits, Amazon has very low profit margins on the products it sells and Google is heavily exposed to desktop computer advertising while the world is shifting to mobile.

"I think we are starting to see actual evidence that their strategies are working, especially at Microsoft and Amazon," said Dan Morgan, a portfolio manager at Synovus Trust Company, who owns shares of all three companies.

Next week could be a make-or-break period for investors. So far, first quarter earnings have come in softer than what investors had anticipated, which has caused analysts to write down their forecasts. Most companies have blamed the U.S. dollar as a reason why sales and profits are down, but there are only so many excuses investors will accept before they sell.

First-quarter profits are expected to be down 2.8 percent from a year earlier. It would be the first time corporate profits have declined since the third quarter of 2012, according to FactSet.

In the energy markets, the price of U.S. crude oil fell 59 cents to close at $57.15 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, rose 43 cents to close at $65.28 a barrel in London.

The dollar fell to 118.93 yen from 119.62 yen. The euro was little changed at $1.0866. U.S. government bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 1.91 percent from 1.96 percent late Thursday.

In other energy futures trading on the NYMEX, wholesale gasoline rose 1.2 cents to close at $2.008 a gallon. Heating oil rose 0.4 cent to close at $1.928 a gallon. Natural gas was unchanged at $2.531 per 1,000 cubic feet.

In metals trading, gold fell $19.30 to $1,175 an ounce, silver fell 19 cents to $15.64 an ounce and copper rose five cents to $2.75 a pound.

2020

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -42.17 points or ▼ -0.23% on Monday, 27 April 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,037.97 ▼ -42.17 ▼ -0.23%
Nasdaq____ 5,060.25 ▼ -31.84 ▼ -0.63%
S&P_500___ 2,108.92 ▼ -8.77 ▼ -0.41%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.61 ▼ -0.01 ▼ -0.19%

NYSE Volume 3,438,881,750
Nasdaq Volume 2,147,460,500

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 7,103.98 ▲ 50.31 ▲ 0.71%
DAX_____ 12,039.16 ▲ 228.31 ▲ 1.93%
CAC_40__ 5,268.91 ▲ 67.46 ▲ 1.30%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,954.80 ▲ 48.00 ▲ 0.81%
Shanghai_Comp 4,527.40 ▲ 133.71 ▲ 3.04%
Taiwan_Weight 9,973.12 ▲ 59.84 ▲ 0.60%
Nikkei_225___ 19,983.32 ▼ -36.72 ▼ -0.18%
Hang_Seng.__ 28,433.59 ▲ 372.61 ▲ 1.33%
Strait_Times.__ 3,515.85 ▲ 2.85 ▲ 0.08%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,765.36 ▲ 7.45 ▲ 0.13%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-drop-start-busy-210330592.html

US stocks drop at start of busy week for earnings,

US stocks drop ahead of busy week for earnings, Fed meeting; health care stocks fall sharply
Associated Press By Bernard Condon, AP Business Writer
NEW YORK (AP) -- U.S. stocks slumped on Monday as investors looked ahead to a flood of earnings reports this week.

Stocks appeared headed for new highs in the morning, but drifted lower in afternoon as health care companies dropped sharply. Mylan, a maker of generic drugs, slumped nearly 6 percent. It was a downbeat note after strong gains last week, capped by a new record in the Nasdaq composite, 15 years after its dot-com era peak.

With little news and stocks at highs, "I think we have some profit-taking here," said chief stock strategist Phil Orlando, of Federated Investors as stocks started moving lower in the afternoon.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 42.17 points, or 0.2 percent, to close at 18,037.97. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 8.77 points, or 0.4 percent, to 2,108.92. The Nasdaq fell 31.84 points, or 0.6 percent, to 5,060.25.

The drops were broad, with seven of the 10 industry sectors of the S&P 500 down for day. Health care stocks fell the most, down 1.8 percent

One bright spot was Dow index component DuPont, which rose 4.6 percent after activist investor Nelson Peltz gained a powerful backer Monday in his effort to split the chemical maker into two companies. Proxy advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services recommended shareholders give the billionaire investor two seats on DuPont's board.

More than 150 companies in the S&P 500 report quarterly results this week, including Ford, Visa, Pfizer and Exxon Mobil. Investors are anxious because falling oil prices and a strengthening dollar have hammered first-quarter results at some companies. Per-share earnings for the S&P 500 are expected to fall 0.8 percent from a year earlier, according to S&P Capital IQ, a provider of financial data.

That would be the first drop since 2009, though it is better than the 2.4 percent drop expected two months ago.

Investors are also worried about slumping revenue at many companies, thanks in part to the stronger dollar. That makes money generated overseas by big companies here worth less when translated back into the U.S currency. Companies can compensate by cutting costs, but it's not easy given all the cutting already.

"We're at the point in the cycle where revenue needs to pick up, but it's not," said David Lebovitz, global market strategist at J.P. Morgan Asset Management. He added, "I'm not so sure companies can slash their way to earnings; they're running pretty leanly."

Investors are also looking ahead to Wednesday when the Federal Reserve ends a two-day meeting where policymakers will discuss when to raise a key interest rate that has been held near zero for 6 ½ years. After its March meeting, the Fed opened the door to a rate increase this year by no longer saying it would be "patient" in starting to raise its benchmark rate.

The government also releases its estimate of economic growth in the January-March quarter. Gross domestic product is expected to have risen 1 percent, down from 2.2 percent in the previous quarter.

The rise in U.S. stocks in the morning followed gains in European markets that built toward their close. Investors were encouraged by news that Greece had reshuffled its team that is negotiating a bailout, raising hopes that it will be able to avert a default.

Some see the shake-up as a way to reduce the clout of Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis, who has been criticized for failing to put together a list of changes that the country's European creditors want before they release new loans. Greece's government is expected to run out of money to pay its bills in another few weeks.

The Greek stock index rallied on the news, closing up 4.4 percent. France's CAC-40 index rose 1.3 percent and Germany's DAX jumped 1.9 percent.

In other stocks making moves, Applied Materials fell $1.83, or 8 percent, to $19.97 after calling off its $9.4 billion acquisition of Tokyo Electron Ltd. The two big semiconductor industry suppliers said that they were told by the Department of Justice that there were antitrust concerns.

Mylan dropped after the drugmaker rejected a $40 billion buyout offer from Teva Pharmaceuticals, a cash-and-stock deal that Mylan says undervalues it. The stock fell $4.34 to $71.72.

The dollar rose to 119.09 yen from 118.95 yen. The euro rose slightly to $1.0885 from $1.0883.

U.S. government bond prices fell, pushing up the yield on the 10-year Treasury to 1.93 percent.

The price of oil fell slightly Monday as concerns about hefty supplies offset signs that oil companies are cutting production. U.S. oil slipped 16 cents to $56.99 per barrel. Brent crude, a benchmark for many international oils used by U.S. refineries to make gasoline, fell 45 cents to $64.83 in London.

In other energy futures trading:

”” Wholesale gasoline was flat at $2.01 per gallon

”” Heating oil slipped 0.7 cent to $1.921 per gallon

”” Natural gas fell 4.1 cents to $2.49 per 1,000 cubic feet.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 72.17 points or ▲ 0.40% on Tuesday, 28 April 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,110.14 ▲ 72.17 ▲ 0.40%
Nasdaq____ 5,055.42 ▼ -4.82 ▼ -0.10%
S&P_500___ 2,114.76 ▲ 5.84 ▲ 0.28%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.67 ▲ 0.06 ▲ 2.18%

NYSE Volume 3,546,427,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,992,896,880

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 7,030.53 ▼ -73.45 ▼ -1.03%
DAX_____ 11,811.66 ▼ -227.50 ▼ -1.89%
CAC_40__ 5,173.38 ▼ -95.53 ▼ -1.81%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,921.50 ▼ -33.30 ▼ -0.56%
Shanghai_Comp 4,476.21 ▼ -51.18 ▼ -1.13%
Taiwan_Weight 9,956.83 ▼ -16.29 ▼ -0.16%
Nikkei_225___ 20,058.95 ▲ 75.63 ▲ 0.38%
Hang_Seng.__ 28,442.75 ▲ 9.16 ▲ 0.03%
Strait_Times.__ 3,495.09 ▼ -20.76 ▼ -0.59%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,769.65 ▲ 4.30 ▲ 0.07%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stocks-end-mostly-higher-company-203246577.html

Stocks end mostly higher as company earnings reports pour in

US stocks edge higher as company earnings reports pour in; Twitter plunges on results
Associated Press By Ken Sweet, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks posted modest gains Tuesday as investors worked through another large batch of earnings reports.

Pharmaceutical stocks rose after drug giant Merck reported better-than-expected results. Twitter plunged nearly 20 percent after its results, which were released early, missed analysts' marks.

Earnings season is at its busiest this week, with more than 150 companies reporting their results, including Apple, Exxon Mobil, Ford and others. So far, earnings have been coming in better than the gloomy expectations analysts had at the beginning of the month.

But with stocks trading at all-time highs, there's little momentum for this market to barrel upward, strategists say.

"This market just feels tired to me," said Dan Morgan, a fund manager at Synovus Trust.

On Tuesday, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 72.17 points, or 0.4 percent, to 18,110.14. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 5.84 points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,114.76. The Nasdaq composite edged down 4.82 points, or 0.1 percent, to 5,055.42.

Merck rose $2.88, or 5 percent, to $59.88. While the company's profits fell 44 percent from a year ago, the results still handily beat analysts' estimates. Adjusted earnings for the maker of diabetes drugs Januvia and Janumet were 85 cents a share versus the 75 cents expected by analysts. Other health care stocks also rose, including Aetna, drugmaker AbbVie and laboratory equipment maker Waters Corp.

The Nasdaq ended lower partly because of Apple, which fell $2.09, or 1.6 percent, to $130.56.

The iPhone and computer and maker reported a record quarterly profit of $13.6 billion, but Apple's outlook was not as rosy as some analysts had predicted. Apple had $193.5 billion in cash on its balance sheet and plans on increasing its dividend and share buyback.

Twitter was the center of some late-day drama when its quarterly results were unexpectedly released before the market closed. Twitter's revenue missed analysts' expectations, sending its shares down $9.39, or 18 percent, to $42.27.

Much of the focus this week will be on the Fed's two-day policy meeting, which ends Wednesday. Policymakers are discussing when the Fed should start raising interest rates again. The Fed opened the door to rate increases after its March meeting, but some recent weak economic data might complicate that picture.

"What we do know is the Fed is going remain accommodative and keep interest rates low for the foreseeable future," said David Lefkowitz, senior equity strategy at UBS Wealth Management.

Another weak signal on the U.S. economy came out Tuesday. The Conference Board reported that its index of consumer confidence fell to the lowest level in four months as hiring slowed down.

The Conference Board said its index fell to 95.2 in April from 101.4 in March. That was the lowest since 93.1 in December. The survey's measure of how respondents assess current economic conditions fell for the third straight month. Their expectations for the future also fell.

In energy markets, the price of U.S. oil rose slightly while global crude slipped. Benchmark U.S. crude rose 7 cents to close at $57.06 a barrel in New York. Brent crude fell 19 cents to close at $64.64 a barrel in London.

In other energy futures trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange: wholesale gasoline fell 0.7 cent to close at $2.002 a gallon, heating oil fell 0.4 cents to close at $1.917 a gallon and natural gas rose 2.7 cents to close at $2.517 per 1,000 cubic feet.

U.S. government bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.98 percent from 1.92 percent late Monday.

Precious and industrial metals futures closed mostly higher. Gold rose $10.70 to $1,213.90 an ounce. Silver gained 20 cents to $16.59 an ounce and copper edged up a penny to $2.78 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -74.61 points or ▼ -0.41% on Wednesday, 29 April 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,035.53 ▼ -74.61 ▼ -0.41%
Nasdaq____ 5,023.64 ▼ -31.78 ▼ -0.63%
S&P_500___ 2,106.85 ▼ -7.91 ▼ -0.37%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.74 ▲ 0.07 ▲ 2.74%

NYSE Volume 4,084,899,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,829,542,380

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,946.28 ▼ -84.25 ▼ -1.20%
DAX_____ 11,432.72 ▼ -378.94 ▼ -3.21%
CAC_40__ 5,039.39 ▼ -133.99 ▼ -2.59%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,818.20 ▼ -103.30 ▼ -1.74%
Shanghai_Comp 4,476.62 ▲ 0.41 ▲ 0.01%
Taiwan_Weight 9,853.83 ▼ -103.00 ▼ -1.03%
Nikkei_225___ 20,058.95 ▲ 75.63 ▲ 0.38%
Hang_Seng.__ 28,400.34 ▼ -42.41 ▼ -0.15%
Strait_Times.__ 3,487.15 ▼ -7.94 ▼ -0.23%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,740.82 ▼ -28.84 ▼ -0.50%

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

US stocks drop as economy grows at meager pace

US stocks drop as economy ekes out meager growth; Fed shows no sign of raising interest rates
Associated Press By Steve Rothwell, AP Markets Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- News that the economy skidded to a near halt in the first three months of the year helped push the stock market lower on Wednesday.

Battered by harsh weather, plunging exports and sharp cutbacks in oil and gas drilling, the overall economy grew at a barely discernible annual rate of 0.2 percent in the first quarter, the Commerce Department reported early in the day. It was the poorest showing in a year and down from 2.2 percent growth in the fourth quarter.

Stocks stayed lower after the Federal Reserve downgraded its assessment of the economy and appeared no closer to raising its benchmark interest rate from close to zero.

The stock market, trading close to record levels, is struggling to maintain its upward momentum at the start of the seventh year of a bull-market run. The S&P 500 index has gained only 2.3 percent in the first four months of the year and is fluctuating between small gains and losses. That's a trend that may continue for a while yet.

"We're in a period of indecisiveness, where things could stay muddled for a while, without any really compelling case to either drive things back up ... or, on the other hand, to send things back into a major pullback," said Katrina Lamb, head of investment strategy and research at MV Financial, a wealth management firm.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 7.91 points, or 0.4 percent, to 2,106.85. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 74.61 points, or 0.4 percent, or 18,035.53 points. The Nasdaq declined 31.78 points, or 0.6 percent, to 5,023.64.

In addition to news from the Fed and on the economy, investors were also looking at the latest corporate earnings.

Starwood Hotels and Resorts surged after the company's board of directors said it would explore a "full range" of strategic and financial options for the company. Starwood also reported earnings that surpassed analysts' expectations. The stock climbed $6.73, or 8.3 percent, to $87.53.

Buffalo Wild Wings slumped $24.35, or 12.8 percent, to $160.25 after the company reported disappointing first-quarter results. The company said its net income and revenue grew. But the price of chicken wings surged and Buffalo Wild Wings' costs were also boosted by the chain's expansion.

Overall, company earnings are coming in better than had been expected.

Just over half of the companies in the S&P 500 have now reported their first-quarter numbers, and analysts are forecasting that average earnings will grow by just 0.2 percent, according to data from S&P Capital IQ. While that is a sharp slowdown from a 7.8 percent growth rate in the fourth quarter of last year, it is much better than the decline of 3.1 percent that analysts had expected at the start of the month.

That slowdown is being driven by a big drop in earnings at energy companies, caused by a plunge in the price of oil, as well as a stronger dollar, which is eating away at the value of overseas sales for global companies based in the U.S. Most investors remain confident that many of the factors weighing on the economy are transitory, and that growth will accelerate in the second quarter, said Russ Koesterich, chief investment strategist at BlackRock. However, if that scenario doesn't play out, trading could become more volatile in the second half of the year. "The narrative is that the economy rebounds in the second quarter and earnings rebound with it," said Russ Koesterich, chief investment strategist at BlackRock. "If it wasn't all about the weather or temporary factors ... then that is where you might get some more volatility this summer."

In other corporate news, shares of Salesforce.com surged as investors reacted to a report that the business software company had been approached by an unidentified suitor.

A Bloomberg story, citing unnamed people, stirred speculation that Salesforce might be sold to rival Oracle Corp. in a deal that could be worth $50 billion. Salesforce jumped $7.76, or 11.6 percent, to $74.65.

In currency trading, the euro climbed to $1.1116 from $1.0972, after the weaker-than-forecast report on the U.S. economy. That's the currency's highest level against the dollar in almost two months. The dollar rose to 118.98 yen from 118.82 yen late Tuesday

Government bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.04 percent from 2 percent late Tuesday.

In energy trading, U.S. benchmark crude oil rose $1.52 to $58.58 a barrel in New York, its highest closing price of the year. Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil, climbed $1.20 to $65.84.

In other energy futures trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange: wholesale gasoline rose 1.6 cents to close at $2.018 a gallon, heating oil rose 3.2 cents to close at $1.948 a gallon and natural gas rose 6.9 cents to close at $2.606 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Precious and industrial metals futures were little changed. Gold fell $3.90 to settle at $1,210 an ounce, silver rose eight cents to $16.67 an ounce and copper rose two cents to $2.80 an ounce.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 183.54 points or ▲ 1.03% on Friday, 1 May 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,024.06 ▲ 183.54 ▲ 1.03%
Nasdaq____ 5,005.39 ▲ 63.97 ▲ 1.29%
S&P_500___ 2,108.29 ▲ 22.78 ▲ 1.09%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.83 ▲ 0.07 ▲ 2.69%

NYSE Volume 3,419,650,500
Nasdaq Volume 1,831,669,880

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,985.95 ▲ 25.32 ▲ 0.36%
DAX_____ 11,454.38 ▲ 21.66 ▲ 0.19%
CAC_40__ 5,046.49 ▲ 7.10 ▲ 0.14%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,798.80 ▲ 25.10 ▲ 0.43%
Shanghai_Comp 4,441.66 ▼ -34.96 ▼ -0.78%
Taiwan_Weight 9,820.05 ▼ -33.78 ▼ -0.34%
Nikkei_225___ 19,531.63 ▲ 11.62 ▲ 0.06%
Hang_Seng.__ 28,133.00 ▼ -267.34 ▼ -0.94%
Strait_Times.__ 3,487.39 ▲ 0.24 ▲ 0.01%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,797.40 ▲ 6.06 ▲ 0.10%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stocks-end-higher-bouncing-back-200826054.html

Stocks end higher, bouncing back from a drop the day before

Stocks end higher on Wall Street, bouncing back from a drop the day before
Associated Press By Matthew Craft, AP Business Writer
May 1, 2015

NEW YORK (AP) -- The stock market bounced back on Friday as investors picked up companies that had dropped earlier in the week. Major indexes recovered nearly all their losses from a fall the day before.

"It's an odd day in the markets," said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at BMO Private Bank. The news out Friday was mostly disappointing, he said. Big corporations' earnings reports weren't all that good.

Expedia was an exception. The online travel company turned in sales that topped Wall Street's estimates, driving its stock up $7.46, or 8 percent, to $101.69.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index climbed 22.78 points, or 1.1 percent, to finish at 2,108.29. That's after dropping 1 percent the day before.

The Dow Jones industrial average gained 183.54 points, or 1 percent, to 18,024.06, while the Nasdaq composite rose 63.97 points, 1.3 percent, to 5,005.39.

Charlie Smith, chief investment officer at Fort Pitt Capital Group, cautioned against reading too much into a day with light trading. "The rally is fun," he said, "but it doesn't mean much."

The Nasdaq lost 1.7 percent for the week as investors sold many of the technology companies that have fared well this year. Strong gains for Apple and other tech stocks helped the Nasdaq finally topple a record high last Thursday. So, what changed?

Smith said Apple's earnings had something to do with it. Apple is big enough that its moves can swing the Nasdaq higher or lower. Last week, investors bought Apple's stock in anticipation of another blowout earnings report when the tech giant reported results Monday. In the three days afterward, Apple's stock lost 6 percent.

LinkedIn plunged after the online networking service warned of weaker earnings in the months ahead, a result of the stronger dollar and the company's pending purchase of Lynda.com, an online learning company. Twitter continued a slump started earlier in the week when the company turned in disappointing sales and cut its revenue outlook. Twitter dropped $1.12, or 3 percent, to $37.84, while LinkedIn lost $46.92, or 19 percent, to $205.21.

Roughly a third of all the companies in the S&P 500 reported first-quarter results this week, and the news was mixed. Falling oil prices and a rising dollar hammered many of them. Analysts expect companies in the S&P 500 will say overall earnings inched up 0.6 percent compared with the same period of last year, according to S&P Capital IQ, a provider of financial information. But revenue is expected to drop 1.4 percent.

Ablin said that investors are wrestling with a slew of diverging trends. Recent reports have raised concerns about the economy's strength. On Wednesday, the government said that it nearly stopped growing in the first three months of the year. To some investors that's not such bad news: Weak economic growth could lead the Federal Reserve to postpone its plans to raise a key borrowing rate. Record low interest rates have helped the stock market soar since the financial crisis.

"Economic data has recently been disappointing," Ablin said, "but that keeps the Fed offstage."

In Europe, the only major market open for trading was in Britain, where the FTSE 100 finished with a gain of 0.4 percent.

Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 0.1 percent, and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 0.4 percent. New Zealand's benchmark rose 0.1 percent. Most markets in Asia and Europe were closed for the International Workers Day holiday.

Back in the U.S., government bond prices sank, pushing the yield on the 10-year Treasury note up to 2.12 percent from 2.03 percent the day before.

In commodities trading, gold dropped $7.90 to end at $1,174.50 an ounce, while silver lost 2 cents to $16.14 an ounce. Copper added 4 cents to $2.93 a pound.

Oil fell nearly 1 percent Friday, the first trading day in May, following a gain of more than 20 percent the month before. U.S. oil slid 48 cents, or 0.8 percent, to $59.15 a barrel. Brent crude slipped 32 cents, or 0.5 percent, to $66.46 a barrel.

In other trading:

—Wholesale gasoline was barely changed at $2.045 a gallon.

—Heating oil crept up 0.2 cent to $1.982.

—Natural gas rose 2.5 cents to $2.776 per 1,000 cubic feet.

3038

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 46.34 points or ▲ 0.26% on Monday, 4 May 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,070.40 ▲ 46.34 ▲ 0.26%
Nasdaq____ 5,016.93 ▲ 11.54 ▲ 0.23%
S&P_500___ 2,114.49 ▲ 6.20 ▲ 0.29%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.87 ▲ 0.04 ▲ 1.49%

NYSE Volume 3,092,168,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,641,476,000

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,985.95 ▲ 25.32 ▲ 0.36%
DAX_____ 11,619.85 ▲ 165.47 ▲ 1.44%
CAC_40__ 5,081.97 ▲ 35.48 ▲ 0.70%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,815.90 ▲ 17.10 ▲ 0.29%
Shanghai_Comp 4,480.46 ▲ 38.81 ▲ 0.87%
Taiwan_Weight 9,845.04 ▲ 24.99 ▲ 0.25%
Nikkei_225___ 19,531.63 ▲ 11.62 ▲ 0.06%
Hang_Seng.__ 28,123.82 ▼ -9.18 ▼ -0.03%
Strait_Times.__ 3,482.70 ▼ -4.69 ▼ -0.13%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,767.08 ▼ -30.32 ▼ -0.52%


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

US stocks gain, pushing the market close to record levels

US stocks climb, pushing the market close to record levels; Cognizant jumps on earnings
Associated Press By Steve Rothwell, AP Markets Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- The stock market closed just short of a record on Monday as investors assessed some positive earnings reports.

Cognizant Technology Solutions, a technology consulting business, was the biggest gainer in the Standard & Poor's 500 index after it reported earnings that beat the expectations of Wall Street analysts and raised its outlook for earnings and sales for the year. Tyson Foods, the maker of Jimmy Dean sausage products, was another company whose stock gained after posting strong earnings.

Corporate earnings for the first quarter have surpassed analysts' expectations, growing slightly rather than contracting, as had been forecast. That's helping boost demand for stocks, keeping alive a bull market that is now in its seventh year.

"Earnings haven't been as bad as people were expecting ... the picture isn't too bad," said Sean Lynch, Co-Head of Global Equity Strategy for Wells Fargo Investment Institute.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 6.20 points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,114.49, within three points of its all-time high reached on April 24. The Dow Jones industrial average climbed 46.34 points, or 0.3 percent, to 18,070.40. The Nasdaq composite gained 11.54 points, or 0.2 percent, to 5,016.93.

Stocks also got a lift from the first gain in factory orders since last summer.

Orders rose in March for the first time since last July, breaking a long stretch of weakness in manufacturing. The increase of 2.1 percent followed seven monthly declines, the Commerce Department reported Monday. Also, orders in a key category that tracks business investment plans eked out a 0.1 percent rise. It was the first advance in the category since last August.

The most closely watched piece of economic news this week will come out on Friday, when the government releases its monthly jobs report. Investors follow the survey closely because they believe it will give them insight into when the Federal Reserve may raise interest rates.

Fed policy makers have heled their benchmark interest rate close to zero since 2008. Most investors expect that they will refrain from raising rates until the second half of the year at the earliest, to allow the economy more time to strengthen.

Although the economy slowed in the first three months of the year, companies have still managed to continue to increase their earnings.

Average earnings-per-share for S&P 500 companies are forecast to rise by 1.7 percent in the first quarter, according to data from S&P Capital IQ. While the pace of growth has slowed from the final quarter of 2014, it is a much better performance than analysts were expecting at the start of April. At that time analysts were predicting a slump of 3.1 percent.

On Monday, Cognizant Technology Solutions beat Wall Street analysts' forecasts and raised its earnings and sales outlook for the year. The stock climbed $3.64, or 6.2 percent, to $62.78.

Tyson Foods rose 60 cents, or 1.5 percent, to $41.09 after its earnings were better than analysts predicted.

In bond trading, prices edged lower.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note, which moves in the opposite direction to its price, climbed 2.14 percent from 2.12 percent on Friday.

Gold rose $12.30, or 1 percent, to $1,186.80 an ounce. Silver climbed 30.6 cents, or 1.9 percent, $16.44 an ounce and copper fell a penny $2.92 a pound.

In energy trading, oil slipped slightly. Benchmark U.S. crude fell 22 cents to close at $58.93 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude fell a penny to close at $66.45 a barrel in London.

The euro gave up some of its recent gains, falling to $1.1148 from $1.1192. The dollar fell to 120.13 yen from 120.28 yen.

In other energy futures trading on the NYMEX:

”” Wholesale gasoline fell 1.1 cents to close at $2.034 a gallon.

”” Heating oil fell 0.3 cents to close at $1.979 a gallon.

”” Natural gas rose 4.5 cents to close at $2.821 per 1,000 cubic feet.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -142.2 points or ▼ -0.79% on Tuesday, 5 May 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,928.20 ▼ -142.20 ▼ -0.79%
Nasdaq____ 4,939.33 ▼ -77.60 ▼ -1.55%
S&P_500___ 2,089.46 ▼ -25.03 ▼ -1.18%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.91 ▲ 0.04 ▲ 1.29%

NYSE Volume 3,794,350,500
Nasdaq Volume 2,029,572,620

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,927.58 ▼ -58.37 ▼ -0.84%
DAX_____ 11,327.68 ▼ -292.17 ▼ -2.51%
CAC_40__ 4,974.07 ▼ -107.90 ▼ -2.12%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,816.20 ▲ 0.30 ▲ 0.01%
Shanghai_Comp 4,298.71 ▼ -181.76 ▼ -4.06%
Taiwan_Weight 9,820.13 ▼ -24.91 ▼ -0.25%
Nikkei_225___ 19,531.63 ▲ 11.62 ▲ 0.06%
Hang_Seng.__ 27,755.54 ▼ -368.28 ▼ -1.31%
Strait_Times.__ 3,471.19 ▼ -11.51 ▼ -0.33%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,787.79 ▲ 20.71 ▲ 0.36%

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


US stocks sink as oil price jumps above $60

Stocks sag, ending a 2-day run; oil rises above $60 a barrel and jitters over Greece return
Associated Press By Matthew Craft, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- A combination of concerns knocked the U.S. stock market lower Tuesday, snapping a two-day run.

Crude oil climbed above $60 a barrel for the first time this year, raising expectations for rising inflation and interest rates. Greece's government remained in a standoff with its European creditors as a debt payment looms next week.

"There are some jitters," said Bill Stone, chief investment officer at PNC Asset Management Group. "Greece is definitely part of it. The other part is oil prices going up. That implies more inflation."

Major indexes wavered at the outset of trading, drifted lower throughout the morning, then spent the afternoon slowly ceding ground.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 25.03 points, or 1.2 percent, to 2,089.46. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 142.20 points, or 0.8 percent, to 17,928.20, while the Nasdaq composite fell 77.60 points, or 1.6 percent, to 4,939.33.

The price of oil jumped $1.47 to close at $60.40 a barrel, the first time crude has traded that high since early December, following reports that a Libyan oil terminal had closed. Brent crude rose $1.07 to $67.52 in London.

An impasse in talks between Greece and its lenders raised concerns about the country's ability to handle an upcoming debt payment. Greece will have to scrounge for cash to make a payment of 750 million euros (the equivalent of $840 million) to the International Monetary Fund due on May 12.

Among companies turning in results on Tuesday, Kellogg reported that its quarterly earnings slumped 44 percent as a rising U.S. dollar took a bite out of sales. The maker of Frosted Flakes and Pop Tarts fell 95 cents, or 1 percent, to $63.18.

Walt Disney's stock hit an all-time high after it delivered quarterly results that beat Wall Street's estimates, thanks, in part, to rising revenue from its Walt Disney World Resort and other theme parks. Last weekend, its "Avengers: Age of Ultron" had the second-biggest domestic opening behind the first "Avengers." Disney's stock gave up its early gain and ended the day slightly lower, down 22 cents at $110.81.

The first-quarter earnings season has given investors little to celebrate, said Tim Dreiling, a senior portfolio manager at a division of U.S. Bank Wealth Management. Roughly seven out of every 10 companies in the S&P 500 have reported results that beat analysts' estimates for quarterly profit, according to S&P Capital IQ. Yet more than half have fallen short of revenue targets. "That's what is concerning," Dreiling said.

Major markets in Europe slumped. France's CAC-40 sank 2.1 percent, while Germany's DAX fell 2.5 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 slipped 0.8 percent. European government bond prices also fell, shooting government borrowing costs up.

The Shanghai Composite Index in mainland China had its worst day in months, losing 4.1 percent, in turn dragging down Hong Kong's Hang Seng 1.3 percent. Markets in Japan, South Korea and Thailand were shut for holidays.

Back in the U.S., government bond prices fell, nudging the yield on the 10-year Treasury note up to 2.18 percent from 2.15 percent the day before.

In commodities trading, gold rose $6.40 to end at $1,193.20 an ounce, while silver picked up 14 cents to $16.58 an ounce. Copper added 1 cent to $2.94 a pound.

In other trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange:

”” Wholesale gasoline rose 2.9 cents to close at $2.063 a gallon.

”” Heating oil rose 3.6 cents to close at $2.015 a gallon.

”” Natural gas fell 4.1 cents to close at $2.780 per 1,000 cubic feet.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -86.22 points or ▼ -0.48% on Wednesday, 6 May 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,841.98 ▼ -86.22 ▼ -0.48%
Nasdaq____ 4,919.64 ▼ -19.68 ▼ -0.40%
S&P_500___ 2,080.15 ▼ -9.31 ▼ -0.45%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.99 ▲ 0.08 ▲ 2.75%

NYSE Volume 3,789,947,250
Nasdaq Volume 2,086,102,250

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,933.74 ▲ 6.16 ▲ 0.09%
DAX_____ 11,350.15 ▲ 22.47 ▲ 0.20%
CAC_40__ 4,981.59 ▲ 7.52 ▲ 0.15%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,690.90 ▼ -125.30 ▼ -2.15%
Shanghai_Comp 4,229.27 ▼ -69.44 ▼ -1.62%
Taiwan_Weight 9,818.20 ▼ -1.93 ▼ -0.02%
Nikkei_225___ 19,531.63 ▲ 11.62 ▲ 0.06%
Hang_Seng.__ 27,640.91 ▼ -114.63 ▼ -0.41%
Strait_Times.__ 3,459.79 ▼ -11.40 ▼ -0.33%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,765.27 ▼ -22.52 ▼ -0.39%

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

Stocks drop on weak jobs data, jitters over Yellen comments

US stocks fall broadly on weak jobs data, Yellen comments; bond yields, oil price rise again
Associated Press By Bernard Condon, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- U.S. stocks fell across industries on Wednesday as investors worried over stock valuations, economic growth and rising interest rates.

Markets started the day higher, propelled by a jump in energy stocks, but then quickly gave up the gains. A comment from Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen suggesting that stocks are generally overvalued added to the selling pressure.

Uncertainty over how quickly interest rates will climb also weighed on markets as yields on bonds continued to rise. Some market experts think the Fed will have to increase its short-term rate relatively soon to fight inflation. The yield on 10-year U.S. Treasury note rose to 2.23 percent, its highest level in two months.

"There are creeping worries that inflation, which was seen as non-existent, will soon be part of landscape," said Mark Luschini, chief investment strategist for Janney Montgomery Scott. "There is data suggesting the Federal Reserve will not be in a hurry to raise rates, but people are worried."

Eight of the 10 industry sectors of the Standard and Poor's 500 index ended the day lower, led by a 1.2 percent slump in telecommunications companies.

The S&P 500 fell 9.31 points, or 0.5 percent, to 2,080.15. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 86.22 points, or 0.5 percent, to 17,841.98. The Nasdaq composite declined 19.68 points, or 0.4 percent, to 4,919.64.

In economic news, U.S. payroll processor ADP said hiring slowed in April to its weakest pace in nearly a year and a half. But a separate report showed labor costs jumped 5 percent in the first quarter, after a 4.2 percent rise in the fourth quarter.

"I think we're going to get higher rates, and the stock market is going to struggle with this," said Wells Capital Management chief strategist Jim Paulsen, noting that the unemployment rate fell to 5.5 percent in March, down nearly half from its peak less than six years ago. "It doesn't take much to overheat when you're near full employment."

Investors will get a clearer picture on Friday, when the government releases its monthly survey on hiring and unemployment.

The decline in stocks accelerated in midmorning trading after Yellen said market valuations were generally "quite high" in response to a question about risks to financial stability at a conference in Washington.

The S&P 500 now trades at 17.5 times what companies in the index earned in the past 12 months, according to FactSet, a data provider. That is higher, meaning more expensive, than the 10-year average of 14.6 times.

Corporate earnings reports were mixed. Video game maker Electronic Arts rose 3 percent and Lending Club rose 4 percent after reporting results that beat analysts' expectations. EA rose $1.77 to $60.93 and Lending Club rose 73 cents to $18.31.

News Corp., the publisher of The Wall Street Journal, fell $1.03, or 6.4 percent, to $14.99 after its results missed forecasts. Restaurant chain Noodles & Co. also reported disappointing results, and investors sent its stock down $4.01, or 19 percent, to $16.70.

In deal news, shares of Synageva BioPharma soared 112 percent after Alexion Pharmaceuticals said it would pay a huge premium to buy the maker of rare disease treatments in an $8.4 billion deal. Synageva has no products on the market and lost nearly $60 million in the first quarter. Its stock rose $107.52 to $203.39.

The price of oil rose on an unexpected drop in crude oil supplies in the U.S. Benchmark U.S. crude rose 53 cents to close at $60.93 a barrel in New York after having reached as high as $62.58 during the day.

Crude climbed above $60 a barrel for the first time this year on Tuesday following reports that a Libyan oil terminal had closed.

Brent crude rose 25 cents to close at $67.77 in London.

In other futures trading on the NYMEX:

”” Wholesale gasoline fell 2.6 cents to close at $2.037 a gallon.

”” Heating oil rose 0.1 cent to close at $2.016 a gallon.

”” Natural gas fell 0.4 cents to close at $2.776 per 1,000 cubic feet.

The dollar weakened to 119.30 yen from 119.93 yen. The euro strengthened to $1.1369 from $1.1184.

Gold fell $2.90 to $1,190.30 an ounce, silver fell seven cents to $16.50 an ounce and copper fell a penny to $2.93 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 82.08 points or ▲ 0.46% on Thursday, 7 May 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,924.06 ▲ 82.08 ▲ 0.46%
Nasdaq____ 4,945.54 ▲ 25.90 ▲ 0.53%
S&P_500___ 2,088.00 ▲ 7.85 ▲ 0.38%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.91 ▼ -0.08 ▼ -2.58%

NYSE Volume 3,704,130,750
Nasdaq Volume 2,007,518,500

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,886.95 ▼ -46.79 ▼ -0.67%
DAX_____ 11,407.97 ▲ 57.82 ▲ 0.51%
CAC_40__ 4,967.22 ▼ -14.37 ▼ -0.29%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,644.80 ▼ -46.10 ▼ -0.81%
Shanghai_Comp 4,112.21 ▼ -117.05 ▼ -2.77%
Taiwan_Weight 9,704.11 ▼ -114.09 ▼ -1.16%
Nikkei_225___ 19,291.99 ▼ -239.64 ▼ -1.23%
Hang_Seng.__ 27,289.97 ▼ -350.94 ▼ -1.27%
Strait_Times.__ 3,432.78 ▼ -27.01 ▼ -0.78%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,729.35 ▼ -35.92 ▼ -0.62%

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

US stock indexes edge higher a day after a drop

US stocks edge higher after sell-off the day before; Yellen's comments remain in focus
Associated Press By Ken Sweet, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks rose moderately Thursday in relatively quiet trading, a contrast to the heavy selling that occurred a day earlier when Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen suggested that stock prices might be too high.

The bigger action was in the bond market. U.S. Treasurys rose sharply in the afternoon, sending benchmark yields lower, a day after a flood of selling.

Yellen caught investors off-guard Wednesday by saying stock values were generally "quite high." She was speaking response to a question about risks to financial stability at a conference in Washington.

Historically, Fed officials do not usually offer opinions about market levels. In the mid-1990s, stocks swooned after then-Fed chairman Alan Greenspan used the term "irrational exuberance" when talking about the market.

"Investors remain confused as to where this market wants to go," said Jonathan Corpina, a managing partner at Meridian Equity Partners.

Many investors agree that the U.S. stock market is trading at stretched levels. Quarterly corporate earnings, which are ultimately what stocks are valued off of, were better than expected, but those expectations were low in the first place.

Now, with Yellen's comments, some analysts say stocks are unlikely to advance much further from here. Investors are paying about $17 for every dollar of earnings in the Standard & Poor's 500, not excessively high but still above the $15 that investors have historically paid for similar results.

"This market just feels tired. I just see us moving sideways for a while," said Wayne Wilbanks, chief investment officer at Wilbanks, Smith, Thomas in Norfolk, Va., which manages about $2.4 billion in assets.

The Dow rose 82.08 points, or 0.5 percent, to 17,924.06, effectively erasing the losses from the previous prior. The S&P 500 rose 7.85 points, or 0.4 percent, to 2,088 and the Nasdaq composite index rose 25.90 points, or 0.5 percent, to 4,945.54.

Even with today's gains, the major indexes are down between 0.6 percent and 1.2 percent for the week.

The next big thing on investors' plates will be the April jobs report, which comes out Friday. Economists expect U.S. employers added 215,000 jobs in April and the unemployment rate ticked down to 5.4 percent. The March jobs report was much weaker than Wall Street had anticipated, so economists and investors are going to be looking for any significant revisions to the previous numbers.

The bond market had a neck-twisting day as bond prices rose sharply. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.19 percent from 2.25 percent late Wednesday, an unusually large move.

Among individual companies, Whole Foods Market lost $4.65, or 10 percent, to $43.07 after the company's reported sales growth for the first quarter that was weaker than analysts had expected.

Yelp jumped $8.79, or 23 percent, to $47.01 after The Wall Street Journal reported that the online review website is exploring a sale.

In energy markets, oil fell more than 3 percent because of gains in the U.S. dollar, which makes oil more expensive for holders of other currencies.

U.S. oil dropped $1.99, or 3.3 percent, to $58.94 per barrel. That marked the biggest drop in U.S. oil since April 8. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by U.S. refineries to make gasoline, fell $2.23 to $65.54 per barrel.

In trading in other energy futures, wholesale gasoline fell 4.6 cents to $1.99 per gallon, heating oil dropped 5.4 cents to $1.962 per gallon and natural gas fell 4.2 cents to $2.734 per 1,000 cubic feet.

The dollar rose to 119.77 yen from 119.32 yen. The euro fell to $1.1271 from $1.1354.

The price of gold fell $8.10 to $1,182.20 an ounce, silver fell 21 cents to $16.30 an ounce and copper fell a penny to $2.92 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 267.05 points or ▲ 1.49% on Friday, 8 May 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,191.11 ▲ 267.05 ▲ 1.49%
Nasdaq____ 5,003.55 ▲ 58.00 ▲ 1.17%
S&P_500___ 2,116.10 ▲ 28.10 ▲ 1.35%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.90 ▼ -0.01 ▼ -0.31%

NYSE Volume 3,399,567,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,928,335,880

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 7,046.82 ▲ 159.87 ▲ 2.32%
DAX_____ 11,709.73 ▲ 301.76 ▲ 2.65%
CAC_40__ 5,090.39 ▲ 123.17 ▲ 2.48%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,635.40 ▼ -9.40 ▼ -0.17%
Shanghai_Comp 4,205.92 ▲ 93.70 ▲ 2.28%
Taiwan_Weight 9,692.00 ▼ -12.11 ▼ -0.12%
Nikkei_225___ 19,379.19 ▲ 87.20 ▲ 0.45%
Hang_Seng.__ 27,577.34 ▲ 287.37 ▲ 1.05%
Strait_Times.__ 3,452.01 ▲ 19.23 ▲ 0.56%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,735.35 ▲ 6.00 ▲ 0.10%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-jump-most-since-203953259.html

US stocks jump the most since March following hiring gains

Stocks surge the most since March after US reports a pickup in hiring; Monster Beverage sinks
Associated Press By Ken Sweet, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- The U.S. stock market had its best day in two months Friday following good news about the job market.

The surge was enough to push two of the three major U.S indexes to gains for the week.

Investors were encouraged that U.S. employers added 223,000 jobs in April, a solid gain suggesting that the economy may be recovering after a stumbling start to the year.

While the jobs report is always closely watched, April's survey garnered even more interest than usual after a poor March, which had revised figures showing only 85,000 jobs were added to payrolls.

"I am even more convinced that the March report was an outlier," Paul Christopher, an investment strategist with Wells Fargo Advisors. "We all know the first quarter was a tough quarter. The jobs numbers needed to hold up and they did."

The Dow Jones industrial average jumped 267.05 points, or 1.5 percent, to 18,191.11 Friday. The Standard & Poor's 500 index added 28.10 points, or 1.4 percent, 2,116.10, its biggest percentage gain since March 16. The Nasdaq composite rose 58 points, or 1.2 percent, to 5,003.55.

Both the Dow and S&P 500 ended fractionally higher for the week, while the Nasdaq ended down less than 0.1 percent.

The bond market had a more nuanced take on the employment report. Investors bought bonds, pushing down the yield on the U.S. 10-year Treasury note to 2.14 percent from 2.18 percent Thursday. That rate had been as high as 2.30 percent just two days ago, representing a big move for that market.

Bond traders noted that while the job survey was positive overall, there were several troubling signs, including sluggish wage growth. The disappointing March number also cast doubt on how solid the economy's footing is. As a result, they said, the Federal Reserve could hold off longer than previously expected before raising interest rates.

"These numbers are starting to lead investors to the same conclusion that the Fed will not lift rates through 2015," said Tom di Galoma at ED&F Man Capital.

European markets also rose sharply after David Cameron's Conservative Party won an outright majority in Britain's Parliament, greatly reducing the threat of political uncertainty there.

Britain's FTSE 100 rose 2.3 percent, Germany's DAX rose 2.6 percent and France's CAC 40 gained 2.5 percent. Prices for European government bonds rose broadly, sending yields lower.

The British pound advanced sharply against the dollar and euro.

"The U.K. general election result is a surprisingly market-friendly outcome," said Vicky Redwood from Capital Economics in London.

Visa was among the biggest gainers in the S&P 500 and Dow. Shares in the payment processor jumped in late-afternoon trading after Bloomberg News reported Visa is in talks to buy Visa Europe, which was split off in 2007.

The price of oil rose slightly at the end of a volatile week. Benchmark U.S. crude rose 45 cents to close at $59.39 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude fell 15 cents Friday to close at $65.39 in London.

In other energy futures trading on the NYMEX, wholesale gasoline rose 0.2 cent to close at $1.992 a gallon, heating oil fell 0.8 cent to close at $1.954 a gallon and natural gas rose 14.6 cents to close at $2.880 per 1,000 cubic feet.

In metals trading, gold rose $6.70 to $1,188.90 an ounce, silver rose 17 cents to $16.47 an ounce and copper was little changed at $2.92 a pound.

3588

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -85.94 points or ▼ -0.47% on Monday, 11 May 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,105.17 ▼ -85.94 ▼ -0.47%
Nasdaq____ 4,993.57 ▼ -9.98 ▼ -0.20%
S&P_500___ 2,105.33 ▼ -10.77 ▼ -0.51%
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.04 ▲ 0.14 ▲ 4.72%

NYSE Volume 2,992,633,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,710,091,750

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 7,029.85 ▲ 142.90 ▲ 2.07%
DAX_____ 11,673.35 ▼ -36.38 ▼ -0.31%
CAC_40__ 5,027.87 ▼ -62.52 ▼ -1.23%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,627.60 ▼ -7.80 ▼ -0.14%
Shanghai_Comp 4,333.58 ▲ 127.67 ▲ 3.04%
Taiwan_Weight 9,663.72 ▼ -28.28 ▼ -0.29%
Nikkei_225___ 19,620.91 ▲ 241.72 ▲ 1.25%
Hang_Seng.__ 27,718.20 ▲ 140.86 ▲ 0.51%
Strait_Times.__ 3,470.80 ▲ 18.79 ▲ 0.54%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,747.95 ▲ 12.60 ▲ 0.22%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stock-indexes-edge-lower-204728180.html

US stock indexes edge lower, led by the energy sector

US stocks drift lower, led by energy sector, as market comes off its biggest gain in 2 months
Associated Press By Alex Veiga, AP Business Writer

The U.S. stock market took a small step back on Monday, giving up some of its big gains from last week.

Crude oil prices fell, pulling down energy stocks. Exxon Mobil lost 1.7 percent, the most in the Dow Jones industrial average. The price of oil slipped as traders weighed declining drilling in the U.S. against rising gasoline supplies that could crimp demand for crude in the coming weeks. Benchmark U.S. crude fell 14 cents to close at $59.25 a barrel in New York.

The market was coming off its biggest gain in two months on Friday following news that U.S. employers added 223,000 jobs in April, a solid gain suggesting that the economy may be recovering after a stumbling start to the year.

That sentiment helped cool off demand for bonds on Monday. As a result, the yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.26 percent, its highest level of the year so far, from 2.15 percent late Friday.

"It's a day of digestion after big news and a big move on Friday," said Eric Wiegand, a senior portfolio manager at U.S. Bank Wealth Management.

The Dow fell 85.94 points, or 0.5 percent, to 18,105.17. The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 10.77 points, or 0.5 percent, to 2,105.33. The Nasdaq composite slipped 9.98 points, or 0.2 percent, to 4,993.57. The three indexes are up for the month and year.

The indexes barely budged much of the day. Absent major new economic data, investors mostly focused Monday on the latest corporate deal news and company earnings.

Noble Energy's $2.1 billion all-stock buyout of rival oil and gas production company Rosetta Resources failed to impress traders, however. Noble's shares slumped $3.05, or 6.2 percent, to $46.07. It was the biggest decliner among S&P 500 companies.

The slide in oil prices also hurt stock prices for several other oil producers and drilling equipment companies. QEP Resources fell $1.13, or 5.2 percent, to $20.46, while Pioneer Natural Resources slid $6.07, or 3.8 percent, to $152.99. National Oilwell Varco shed $1.90, or 3.6 percent, to $51.33.

"We have crude down a little bit today and energy stocks are having a tough time," said JJ Kinahan, TD Ameritrade's chief strategist.

The 10 sectors in the S&P 500 declined, led by energy stocks. The sector is down 0.2 percent for the year.

The rest of this week should provide traders some insight into a key facet of the U.S. economy: consumer spending.

Several major retailers report quarterly results, including Macy's, J.C. Penney, Nordstrom and Kohl's. Also, the government reports its latest monthly tally of retail sales on Wednesday.

"Are the people out there spending money? That's what we need to see next," Kinahan said. "That's what everybody is having a bit of trouble figuring out."

In other energy futures trading, Brent crude, a benchmark for international oil used by many U.S. refineries, fell 48 cents to close at $64.91 in London. Wholesale gasoline fell 0.6 cents to close at $1.986 a gallon, while heating oil fell 0.9 cent to close at $1.945 a gallon. Natural gas fell 7.8 cents to close at $2.802 per 1,000 cubic feet.

In metals trading, gold fell $5.90 to $1,183 an ounce, silver fell 15 cents to $16.31 an ounce and copper fell two cents to $2.90 a pound.

Markets in Europe were mixed as traders looked for progress on the latest bailout for Greece. European finance ministers met on Monday to discuss the issue, but emerged without a deal. A debt default would destabilize Greece, potentially causing it to fall out of the eurozone. France's CAC 40 fell 1.2 percent, while Germany's DAX shed 0.3 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 edged up 0.2 percent.

The Shanghai Composite Index jumped 3 percent after the People's Bank of China cut interest rates for the third time in half a year, the central bank's latest bid to shore up sputtering economic growth. Elsewhere in Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 1.3 percent, while South Korea's Kospi gained 0.6 percent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 0.5 percent.

Among U.S. stocks making big moves Monday:

— Better-than-expected quarterly results sent shares in Actavis and Dean Foods higher. Actavis rose $8.92, or 3 percent, to $301.74, while Dean Foods gained $1.05, or 6.4 percent, to $17.33.

— Monster Beverage surged after a Citi analyst upgraded the energy drink maker. The stock jumped $5.53, or 4.3 percent, to $134.01.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -36.94 points or ▼ -0.20% on Tuesday, 12 May 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,068.23 ▼ -36.94 ▼ -0.20%
Nasdaq____ 4,976.19 ▼ -17.38 ▼ -0.35%
S&P_500___ 2,099.12 ▼ -6.21 ▼ -0.29%
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.02 ▼ -0.02 ▼ -0.56%

NYSE Volume 3,160,062,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,669,256,250

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,933.80 ▼ -96.05 ▼ -1.37%
DAX_____ 11,472.41 ▼ -200.94 ▼ -1.72%
CAC_40__ 4,974.65 ▼ -53.22 ▼ -1.06%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,673.10 ▲ 45.50 ▲ 0.81%
Shanghai_Comp 4,401.22 ▲ 67.64 ▲ 1.56%
Taiwan_Weight 9,680.73 ▲ 17.01 ▲ 0.18%
Nikkei_225___ 19,624.84 ▲ 3.93 ▲ 0.02%
Hang_Seng.__ 27,407.18 ▼ -311.02 ▼ -1.12%
Strait_Times.__ 3,442.33 ▼ -28.47 ▼ -0.82%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,746.23 ▼ -1.72 ▼ -0.03%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-edge-lower-amid-182941849.html

US stocks edge lower amid bond market volatility

US stock indexes edge lower as investors weigh bond market action; AOL soars
Associated Press By Alex Veiga, AP Business Writer

A spike in long-term interest rates rattled investors Tuesday, nudging major U.S. stock indexes lower for the second day in a row.

The market nearly clawed back all the way from an early slump that dragged the Dow Jones industrial average down as much as 180 points in the first half-hour of trading. The price of oil closed above $60 a barrel for just the third time this year, giving a boost to energy stocks.

Traders around the world have been selling off government bonds in recent weeks. That trend accelerated on Tuesday, bringing down bond prices and, in turn, driving up the benchmark U.S. bond yield to the highest level since late November. Weakness in bond prices pushes up the cost of borrowing, including mortgages and other loans, which can act as drag on the economy.

"A dramatic increase in yields brought our market down in the morning, and as the pressure on the bonds eased up the stock market came back," said David Chalupnik, head of equities at Nuveen Asset Management.

The Dow fell 36.94 points, or 0.2 percent, to 18,068.23. The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 6.21 points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,099.12. The Nasdaq composite slid 17.38 points, or 0.4 percent, to 4,976.19. The three indexes are up for the month and year.

The indexes headed lower as soon as regular trading opened on Tuesday, following declines in European markets as the bond market sell-off sent yields higher.

The yield on the 10-year German government bond rose to 0.67 percent from 0.61 percent the day before. It traded as low as 0.08 percent last month.

In the U.S., the yield on the 10-year Treasury note surged as high as 2.36 percent. The selling eased by late afternoon and the yield fell to 2.25 percent, down from 2.28 percent late Monday. The yield was below 2 percent as recently as April 28.

"Bonds had been at such lofty prices that a sell-off was somewhat expected," said Chris Gaffney, president of EverBank World Markets.

Investors also had their eye on the latest batch of company earnings and some headline-grabbing corporate deals.

Verizon agreed to buy Internet pioneer AOL for about $4.4 billion, a 15 percent premium to its closing price on Monday. Shares in AOL jumped 18.6 percent. The stock added $7.93 to $50.52. Verizon slipped 18 cents, or 0.4 percent, to $49.62.

Shares in water and air filter maker Pall vaulted 19.4 percent on a published report that the company is close to being acquired. The stock added $19.31 to $118.62.

Traders sold off shares in clothing chain operator Gap and cloud computing company Rackspace Hosting after each reported quarterly results that were crimped by the strong U.S. dollar. Gap fell $1.51, or 3.8 percent, to $38.36, while Rackspace slid $7.17, or 13.5 percent, to $45.96.

Eight of the 10 sectors in the S&P 500 moved lower. Materials stocks dropped the most. The sector is up 4.3 percent this year. Energy led the gainers. It's up 0.3 percent for the year.

In Europe, Britain's FTSE 100 fell 1.4 percent and Germany's DAX sank 1.7 percent. France's CAC 40 dropped 1.1 percent. In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 closed flat. South Korea's Kospi was little changed. Hong Kong's Hang Seng was down 1.1 percent, while Australia's S&P/ ASX 200 rose 0.9 percent. China's Shanghai Composite index advanced 1.6 percent.

Benchmark U.S. crude rose $1.50 to close at $60.75 in New York. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oil used by many U.S. refineries, climbed $1.95 to close at $66.86 in London.

In other futures trading on the NYMEX, wholesale gasoline rose 5 cents to close at $2.039 a gallon, while heating oil rose 5 cents to close at $2 a gallon. Natural gas rose 10 cents to close at $2.90 per 1,000 cubic feet.

In metals trading, gold rose $9.40 to $1,192.40 an ounce, silver gained 21 cents to $16.53 and copper increased three cents to $2.93 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -7.74 points or ▼ -0.04% on Wednesday, 13 May 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,060.49 ▼ -7.74 ▼ -0.04%
Nasdaq____ 4,981.69 ▲ 5.50 ▲ 0.11%
S&P_500___ 2,098.48 ▼ -0.64 ▼ -0.03%
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.07 ▲ 0.05 ▲ 1.69%

NYSE Volume 3,379,705,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,648,494,120

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,949.63 ▲ 15.83 ▲ 0.23%
DAX_____ 11,351.46 ▼ -120.95 ▼ -1.05%
CAC_40__ 4,961.86 ▼ -12.79 ▼ -0.26%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,710.80 ▲ 37.70 ▲ 0.66%
Shanghai_Comp 4,375.76 ▼ -25.46 ▼ -0.58%
Taiwan_Weight 9,724.11 ▲ 43.38 ▲ 0.45%
Nikkei_225___ 19,764.72 ▲ 139.88 ▲ 0.71%
Hang_Seng.__ 27,249.28 ▼ -157.90 ▼ -0.58%
Strait_Times.__ 3,453.17 ▲ 10.84 ▲ 0.31%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,751.76 ▲ 5.53 ▲ 0.10%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stock-indexes-end-mostly-205113961.html

US stock indexes end mostly lower after a listless day

US stock indexes close mostly lower as investors weigh US retail sales data, corporate deals
Associated Press By Alex Veiga, AP Business Writer

Weak U.S. retail sales data helped set the stage Wednesday for a listless day of trading on Wall Street.

Coming off a two-day losing streak, the major stock indexes spent much of the day drifting between small gains and losses before ending mostly lower.

Technology stocks were among the biggest gainers, sending the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite slightly higher. The Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor's 500 index notched their third straight loss. The price of U.S. oil fell.

In addition to corporate deals and earnings news, traders had their eye on the Commerce Department's latest monthly snapshot of retail sales. The report, a bellwether for consumer spending, showed retail sales were essentially flat in April, falling short of Wall Street's forecasts. All told, retail sales have risen just 0.9 percent over the past 12 months.

"The retail sales numbers were really crucial in terms of assessing whether or not the rebound from the first quarter was gaining momentum," said Quincy Krosby, market strategist for Prudential Financial. "It leaves a lingering concern as to whether or not there's something more at work keeping the economy from rebounding."

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 7.74 points, or 0.04 percent, to 18,060.49. The Standard & Poor's 500 index shed 0.64 points, or 0.03 percent, to 2,098.48. The Nasdaq composite added 5.50 points, or 0.1 percent, to 4,981.69.

The indexes are up for the month and year.

The markets barely budged from the get-go on Wednesday, absent the global bond market sell-off that rattled investors a day earlier. After a brief dip, bond prices rose, sending the yield on the 10-year Treasury note up to 2.28 percent from 2.25 percent late Tuesday.

Traders got a look at the disappointing retail sales report early on.

Even so, the major stock indexes made only minor moves and spent much of the afternoon higher before arriving at an uneven finish.

Why wasn't there a bigger drop in the market? Because some investors anticipate the weaker sales data could give the Federal Reserve one more reason to put off lowering its key interest rate until at least September, said Phil Orlando, chief equity strategist at Federated Investors.

"The Fed is looking at this data too, and if you thought they would be considering a rate hike in June, I don't see how you do that on the basis of this data point," Orlando said. Low interest rates favor stocks.

Investors also got some insight into retail spending from one of the biggest department store operators, Macy's.

The retailer said its profit slumped 13 percent in the first quarter as it faced delayed merchandise shipments from the West Coast port slowdown, severe winter weather and lower spending by international tourists. Macy's results fell short of Wall Street's expectations. The stock lost $1.60, or 2.4 percent, to $63.73.

Traders also took a dim view of Artic Cat's latest financial results, which included revenue that fell short of financial analysts' forecasts. Arctic Cat slid $2.56, or 7.3 percent, to $32.51.

EZchip Semiconductor tumbled 24.2 percent after the network processor delivered a disappointing customer update. The stock fell $4.73 to $14.84.

Investors bid up stocks in a couple of companies that announced acquisitions.

Owens-Illinois, which makes beer and wine bottles, jumped 9.2 percent after saying it would buy a glass container business from the Mexican company Vitro. The stock gained $2.19 to $26.98.

Shares in Williams Companies rose 6.2 percent on news that the gas infrastructure company is buying Williams Partners in a $13.8 billion stock deal. The stock added $3.11 to $53.21.

Six of the 10 sectors in the S&P 500 moved lower. Utilities stocks declined the most. The sector is down 8.8 percent this year. Technology stocks notched the biggest gain. That sector is now up 3.1 percent this year.

The price of U.S. oil fell 25 cents to $60.50 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, fell 5 cents to $66.81 a barrel in London. In other futures trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, wholesale gasoline rose less than a penny to $2.041 a gallon, while heating oil rose half a penny to $2.005 a gallon. Natural gas gained 3.8 cents to $2.935 per 1,000 cubic feet.

In metals trading, gold jumped $25.80 to $1,218.20 an ounce, silver rose 70 cents to $17.22 an ounce and copper edged down less than a penny to $2.93 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 191.75 points or ▲ 1.06% on Thursday, 14 May 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,252.24 ▲ 191.75 ▲ 1.06%
Nasdaq____ 5,050.79 ▲ 69.10 ▲ 1.39%
S&P_500___ 2,121.10 ▲ 22.62 ▲ 1.08%
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.06 ▼ -0.01 ▼ -0.23%

NYSE Volume 3,207,805,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,703,440,500

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,973.04 ▲ 23.41 ▲ 0.34%
DAX_____ 11,559.82 ▲ 208.36 ▲ 1.84%
CAC_40__ 5,029.31 ▲ 67.45 ▲ 1.36%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,692.50 ▼ -18.30 ▼ -0.32%
Shanghai_Comp 4,378.31 ▲ 2.55 ▲ 0.06%
Taiwan_Weight 9,610.83 ▼ -113.28 ▼ -1.16%
Nikkei_225___ 19,570.24 ▼ -194.48 ▼ -0.98%
Hang_Seng.__ 27,286.55 ▲ 37.27 ▲ 0.14%
Strait_Times.__ 3,454.04 ▲ 0.87 ▲ 0.03%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,738.40 ▼ -13.35 ▼ -0.23%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stock-indexes-end-higher-205424240.html

US stock indexes end higher, breaking three-day slump

Encouraging jobs and inflation data help lift US stocks, push S&P 500 to new high
Associated Press By Alex Veiga, AP Business Writer


U.S. stocks rebounded Thursday, snapping a three-day losing streak for the Dow Jones industrial average and the Standard & Poor's 500 index.

Encouraging data on the U.S. job market and inflation helped lift the market, pushing the S&P 500 to a record high. The Dow came within 36 points of its own record. The indexes are up for the month and year.

Technology and consumer staples stocks were among the biggest gainers. The price of U.S. oil fell on continuing concerns about high global supplies.

The Dow rose 191.75 points, or 1.1 percent, to 18,252.24. The S&P 500 index gained 22.62 points, or 1.1 percent, to 2,121.10. That's three points higher than its previous closing high of 2,117.69 on April 24.

The Nasdaq composite added 69.10 points, or 1.4 percent, to 5,050.80.

The 10 sectors in the S&P 500 closed higher, with technology stocks leading the pack. The sector is up 4.8 percent this year.

"We've been at roughly this level of the S&P for almost three months," said David Lefkowitz, senior equity strategist at UBS Wealth Management Americas. "We're up 1 percent today and that's a decent move."

After a mostly downbeat week in the markets, trading got off to a strong start early Thursday as investors weighed the two Labor Department reports.

The government said fewer people applied for unemployment aid last week, pushing the four-week average down to its lowest level since April 2000. Unemployment benefit applications are a proxy for layoffs, so the very low level is evidence that Americans are enjoying more job security.

It is also a sign employers are confident enough in the economy to hold on to their employees, despite signs of sluggish growth.

A separate index that tracks the prices of goods and services before they reach consumers declined 0.4 percent last month. That could signal that the Federal Reserve will hold off on raising its key interest rate until this fall, said Erik Davidson, chief investment officer for Wells Fargo Private Bank.

"Inflation is not a big issue," he said. "The market consensus has to be that it will be September or later that the Fed will move."

Investors are trying to gauge when the Federal Reserve will move to raise short-term interest rates for the first time in more than six years. The central bank has said it wants to see annual inflation heading toward 2 percent, a sign of a healthier economy.

Beyond economic data, traders had their eye on the latest batch of corporate earnings and deal news.

Ctrip.com International surged 8.8 percent after the Chinese travel services company reported better-than-expected first-quarter financial results and a strong outlook. The stock gained $5.78 to $71.14.

Traders also bid up shares in Perry Ellis International. The clothing maker's first-quarter earnings trumped Wall Street forecasts and the company also raised its earnings forecast for the year. Perry Ellis climbed $2.06, or 8.6 percent, to $26.09.

Some companies' latest financial results failed to live up to expectations.

Kohl's plunged 13.3 percent after the retailer reported that its first-quarter revenue and a key sales measure fell short of Wall Street's forecasts, even as the company posted a better-than-expected profit for the quarter. The stock lost $9.89 to $64.62.

In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude oil fell 62 cents to close at $59.88 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oil used by many U.S. refineries, fell 22 cents to close at $66.59 in London.

Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.24 percent from 2.29 percent late Wednesday.

Wholesale gasoline rose 1.7 cents to close at $2.058 a gallon, while heating oil rose 0.1 cent to close at $2.006 a gallon. Natural gas rose 7.3 cents to close at $3.008 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Precious and industrial metals futures closed mixed. Gold edged up $7 to $1,225.20 an ounce, silver rose 24 cents to $17.47 an ounce and copper edged down less than a penny to $2.92 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 20.32 points or ▲ 0.11% on Friday, 15 May 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,272.56 ▲ 20.32 ▲ 0.11%
Nasdaq____ 5,048.29 ▼ -2.50 ▼ -0.05%
S&P_500___ 2,122.73 ▲ 1.63 ▲ 0.08%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.92 ▼ -0.14 ▼ -4.60%

NYSE Volume 3,097,247,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,634,362,620

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,960.49 ▼ -12.55 ▼ -0.18%
DAX_____ 11,447.03 ▼ -112.79 ▼ -0.98%
CAC_40__ 4,993.82 ▼ -35.49 ▼ -0.71%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,730.00 ▲ 37.50 ▲ 0.66%
Shanghai_Comp 4,308.69 ▼ -69.62 ▼ -1.59%
Taiwan_Weight 9,579.48 ▼ -31.35 ▼ -0.33%
Nikkei_225___ 19,732.92 ▲ 162.68 ▲ 0.83%
Hang_Seng.__ 27,822.28 ▲ 535.73 ▲ 1.96%
Strait_Times.__ 3,463.10 ▲ 7.32 ▲ 0.21%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,760.38 ▲ 21.97 ▲ 0.38%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stock-indexes-end-mostly-205648196.html

US stock indexes end mostly higher; S&P hits new high

S&P 500 notches second straight record high after a day of mostly listless trading; oil falls
Associated Press By Alex Veiga, AP Business Writer

U.S. stock indexes spent Friday mostly drifting between tiny gains and losses, but the small moves were enough to nudge the Standard & Poor's 500 index to its second record high in two days.

The Dow Jones industrial average also notched a gain for the second day in a row. The Nasdaq bucked the trend, closing slightly lower.

Utilities stocks were among the biggest gainers as investors weighed a mix of U.S. economic data and corporate earnings news. The price of U.S. oil fell slightly, ending a second week in a row nearly flat just under $60 a barrel.

Despite the latest milestone, it was a mostly listless day on Wall Street, as traders appeared content to hold off on major moves following Thursday's big rally.

"Often, in fact, there's a bit of selling pressure in these situations as many people want to book some profits after these days," said JJ Kinahan, TD Ameritrade's chief strategist.

The Dow rose 20.32 points, or 0.1 percent, to 18,272.56. That's within 16 points of its record set on March 2.

The S&P 500 index gained 1.63 points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,122.73. The Nasdaq slipped 2.50 points, or 0.1 percent, to 5,048.29. The three indexes are up for the month and year.

Trading got off to a sluggish start early Friday and remained mostly muted, with the major indexes hovering near their prior-day totals.

Separate reports on Friday offered a mixed assessment of U.S. manufacturing. The Federal Reserve said factory activity in New York increased slightly in May, suggesting that manufacturers are beginning to adapt to the challenges caused by a stronger dollar, lower oil prices and restrained consumer spending. Meanwhile, U.S. industrial output fell for the fifth straight month in April. The trend suggests that weakness in manufacturing and mining are weighing heavily on the economy.

Other reports this week have also shown diverging trends for the U.S. economy. The Commerce Department's U.S. retail sales report for April fell short of Wall Street's forecasts. But the latest figures on applications for unemployment aid and inflation were more encouraging.

"This week, on balance, the economic reports have been a little soggy," said Bob Doll, chief equity strategist at Nuveen Asset Management. "We're muddling through and the market is just fine with that."

Investors are gauging how well the U.S. economy is doing as they try to anticipate when the Federal Reserve will raise short-term interest rates for the first time in more than six years. Many economists anticipate the central bank won't increase rates before September.

Seven of the 10 sectors in the S&P 500 index rose, led by utilities stocks. The sector remains down 6.7 percent this year. Financials fared the worst. The sector is down 0.3 percent for the year.

Netflix was among the big gainers in the S&P 500, climbing 4.5 percent following a published report saying that the video streaming service is in talks to begin doing business in China. The stock rose $26.40 to $613.25.

Companies reporting better-than-expected quarterly earnings or outlooks were among the big gainers Friday. Darling Ingredients climbed $1.55, or 11 percent, to $15.64.

Others failed to live up to expectations, however.

Dillard's reported weak first-quarter financial results, which pulled the department store chain's shares down 7 percent. The stock lost $8.74 to $115.46.

Keurig Green Mountain sank 8.6 percent as investors worried that the company's new cold-drink machine is priced too high. The stock lost $8.81 to $94.26.

Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.15 percent from 2.23 percent late Thursday.

In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude fell 19 cents to close at $59.69 a barrel in New York. U.S. oil ended last week at $59.39 and the week before at $59.15. Brent crude for July delivery, a benchmark for international oil used by many U.S. refineries, fell 11 cents to close at $66.81 in London. The June Brent contract expired Thursday at $66.59.

In other futures trading on the NYMEX, wholesale gasoline fell 0.1 cent to close at $2.057 a gallon. Heating oil fell 0.1 cent to close at $2.005 a gallon. Natural gas rose 0.8 cents to close at $3.016 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Precious and industrial metals futures edged mostly higher. Gold increased 10 cents to $1,225.30 an ounce, silver also rose 10 cents to $17.56 an ounce and copper was unchanged at $2.92 a pound.

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