NYSE Dow Jones finished today at:

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -78.57 points or ▼ -0.44% on Monday, November 30, 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,719.92 ▼ -78.57 ▼ -0.44%
Nasdaq____ 5,108.67 ▼ -18.86 ▼ -0.37%
S&P_500___ 2,080.41 ▼ -9.70 ▼ -0.46%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.99 ▼ -0.01 ▼ -0.37%

NYSE Volume 4,116,018,000
Nasdaq Volume 2,187,039,750

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,356.09 ▼ -19.06 ▼ -0.30%
DAX_____ 11,382.23 ▲ 88.47 ▲ 0.78%
CAC_40__ 4,957.60 ▲ 27.46 ▲ 0.56%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,218.20 ▼ -33.20 ▼ -0.63%
Shanghai_Comp 3,445.40 ▲ 9.10 ▲ 0.26%
Taiwan_Weight 8,320.61 ▼ -77.79 ▼ -0.93%
Nikkei_225___ 19,747.47 ▼ -136.47 ▼ -0.69%
Hang_Seng.__ 21,996.42 ▼ -71.90 ▼ -0.33%
Strait_Times.__ 2,855.94 ▼ -3.18 ▼ -0.11%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,100.15 ▼ -0.87 ▼ -0.01%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-little-changed-early-152322258.html#

Signs of weak holiday spending send retail stocks lower
Associated Press By KEN SWEET

NEW YORK (AP) ”” Stocks closed modestly lower on Monday, as traders returned from the Thanksgiving holiday to focus on the early signs of how the holiday shopping season may turn out and where interest rates may go in the U.S. and Europe.

The Dow Jones industrial average lost 78.57 points, or 0.4 percent, to 17,719.92. The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 9.70 points, or 0.5 percent, to 2,080.41 and the Nasdaq composite lost 18.86 points, or 0.4 percent, to 5,108.67.

Consumer discretionary stocks were among the biggest decliners, including the big department stores like Macy's, Kohl's, Wal-Mart and Target. Initial data from the first holiday shopping weekend showed shoppers were not going to stores as much as last year.

Preliminary data from ShopperTrak showed in-store sales on Thanksgiving and Black Friday were $12.1 billion, down from $12.3 billion the year earlier. This despite an economic climate that should be inherently good for Americans to shop in, including lower gas prices from a year ago and an improving job market.

"We believe Black Friday has gone from a period of management excitement to one of anguish," Nomura retail analysts Simeon Siegel, Gene Vladimirov and Julie Kim wrote in a note to investors.

Investment bank analysts observed the department stores having to do deep discounting to attract shoppers to their stores. But data from research firms like ChannelAdvisor showed strong growth in sales online, which could suggest consumers decided to spend online instead of in brick-and-mortar shops.

Consumer discretionary stocks fell 1 percent, compared to the 0.5 percent drop in the S&P 500. Some of the more notable decliners were Macy's, which fell 91 cents, or 2.3 percent, to $39.08, Wal-Mart, which fell $1.05, or 1.8 percent, to $58.84 and Urban Outfitters, which fell $1.25, or 5.3 percent, to $22.40. Even online retail giant Amazon dropped $8.46, or 1.3 percent, to $664.80.

"While it's too early to make the call about how 2015 holiday revenues (and margins) will unfold, our survey results for the Black Friday weekend don't add a lot of confidence for the broad retail landscape," Dave Weiner and Sindhu Chitturi, retail analysts for Deutsche Bank, wrote in a note to investors.

More broadly, investors are also focused on this week's European Central Bank meeting and the release of U.S. jobs data.

The European Central Bank is widely expected to give the region's economy another dose of stimulus as it tries to keep a recovery going and get inflation closer to 2 percent. The stimulus is likely to include increasing the amount banks have to pay to park money at the ECB, giving them an incentive to lend it out instead.

While the ECB moves toward increasing stimulus, the Federal Reserve is getting ready to start raising interest rates for the first time since June 2006. A series of U.S. economic reports this week, culminating with Friday's jobs survey for November, could cement investors' expectations for a rate hike at the Fed's next policy meeting in mid-December.

"Unless this report is a total disaster, I think it's very, very likely the Fed is going to raise in December," said Scott Wren, senior equity strategist at the Wells Fargo Investment Institute.

The policy divergence between the two central banks has weighed on the euro and sent the dollar higher. On Monday the euro fell to $1.0572, its lowest level since April. It traded at $1.0591 late Friday.

Major U.S. stock indexes ended November with slight gains. The S&P 500 rose less than 0.1 percent and the Dow gained 0.3 percent.

Benchmark U.S. crude fell 6 cents to $41.65 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, which is used to price international oils, lost 25 cents to close at $44.61 a barrel in London. In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline fell 3.2 cents to $1.359 a gallon, heating oil fell 1.6 cents to $1.337 a gallon and natural gas rose 2.3 cents to $2.235 per 1,000 cubic feet.

U.S. government bond prices didn't move much. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note edged down to 2.21 percent. The dollar rose to 123.12 yen from 122.85 yen late Friday.

Gold rose $9.60 to $1,065.80 an ounce, silver edged up four cents to $14.05 an ounce and copper edged down half a penny to $2.04 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 168.43 points or ▲ 0.95% on Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,888.35 ▲ 168.43 ▲ 0.95%
Nasdaq____ 5,156.31 ▲ 47.64 ▲ 0.93%
S&P_500___ 2,102.63 ▲ 22.22 ▲ 1.07%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.92 ▼ -0.07 ▼ -2.41%

NYSE Volume 3,624,903,500
Nasdaq Volume 1,995,300,120

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,395.65 ▲ 39.56 ▲ 0.62%
DAX_____ 11,261.24 ▼ -120.99 ▼ -1.06%
CAC_40__ 4,914.53 ▼ -43.07 ▼ -0.87%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,312.60 ▲ 94.40 ▲ 1.81%
Shanghai_Comp 3,456.31 ▲ 10.90 ▲ 0.32%
Taiwan_Weight 8,463.30 ▲ 142.69 ▲ 1.71%
Nikkei_225___ 20,012.40 ▲ 264.93 ▲ 1.34%
Hang_Seng.__ 22,381.35 ▲ 384.93 ▲ 1.75%
Strait_Times.__ 2,870.26 ▲ 14.32 ▲ 0.50%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,150.68 ▲ 50.53 ▲ 0.83%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-open-higher-led-banks-industrials-152101753.html

Health care, banking stocks lead a recovery in US markets
Associated Press By KEN SWEET

NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks started off December on a strong note, helped by improving economic data from Japan and Europe as well as hopes that the European Central Bank will expand its stimulus program. Trading remained relatively quiet ahead of the release later this week of the U.S. government's monthly jobs survey and a Federal Reserve meeting later this month.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 168.43 points, or 1 percent, to 17,888.35. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 22.22 points, or 1.1 percent, to 2,102.63 and the Nasdaq composite rose 47.64 points, or 0.9 percent, to 5,156.31.

Financial stocks were among the biggest gainers, helped by the prospect of higher interest rates. Banks are more profitable when interest rates rise because they can charge more to lend. JPMorgan Chase rose 93 cents, or 1.4 percent, to $67.61. Goldman Sachs rose $3.05, or 1.6 percent, to $193.07 and Bank of America rose 38 cents, or 2.2 percent, to $17.81.

Investors are keyed into both the European Central Bank and the Federal Reserve this month. Policy decisions from both central banks will be important in determining the fate of the market in the last month of 2015.

"As it has been most of this year, central banks are still running the show," said Samantha Azzarello, global market strategist at J.P. Morgan Funds.

The ECB will decide on Thursday whether to expand its economic stimulus program, which functions similarly to the bond-buying program the Fed used after the financial crisis to keep long-term interest rates low. ECB head Mario Draghi has signaled the bank could expand its bond-buying program or even cut interest rates further.

Investors are so certain that Draghi will expand his program that data out Tuesday showing the unemployment rate in the 19-country eurozone edged down to a four-year low of 10.7 percent in October is not seen as likely to derail those measures.

In the U.S., most of the focus will be on the November job's report, to be released Friday. Expectations are high. Economists expect that U.S. employers added 271,000 jobs last month, according to FactSet. The unemployment rate is expected remain at 5 percent.

This jobs report comes shortly before the Fed's two-day meeting later this month, where policymakers will debate moving interest rates in the opposite direction of the ECB: higher. Securities that allow investors to bet on which way the Fed will move rates are forecasting a 79 percent probability that the Fed will tighten. Unless Friday's jobs report is horrific, that is unlikely to change.

"Generally the last couple of weeks have been very quiet. We've been and will be in a holding pattern head of the Fed's December meeting," said Ryan Larson, head of equity trading with RBC Global Asset Management.

In energy markets, benchmark U.S. crude rose 20 cents to $41.85 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, which is used to price oil internationally, lost 17 cents to $44.44 a barrel in London. Heating oil rose a cent to $1.369 a gallon, wholesale gasoline rose six cents to $1.363 a gallon and natural gas was roughly unchanged at $2.231 per thousand cubic feet.

U.S. government bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.14 percent from 2.21 percent. The U.S. dollar slipped to 122.84 yen from 123.25 yen on Monday on the Japanese economic data. The euro rose to $1.0631 from $1.0572.

Gold fell $1.80, or 0.2 percent, to $1,063.50 an ounce, silver was roughly unchanged at $14.08 an ounce and copper rose two cents, or 1 percent, to $2.072 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 158.67 points or ▲ 0.89% on Wednesday, December 2, 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,729.68 ▲ 158.67 ▲ 0.89%
Nasdaq____ 5,123.22 ▲ 33.08 ▲ 0.64%
S&P_500___ 2,079.51 ▲ 23.12 ▲ 1.10%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.91 ▲ 0.01 ▲ 0.38%

NYSE Volume 3,895,699,500
Nasdaq Volume 2,036,776,120

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,420.93 ▲ 25.28 ▲ 0.40%
DAX_____ 11,190.02 ▲ 71.22 ▲ 0.63%
CAC_40__ 4,905.76 ▲ 8.77 ▲ 0.18%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,304.70 ▼ -7.90 ▼ -0.15%
Shanghai_Comp 3,536.91 ▲ 80.60 ▲ 2.33%
Taiwan_Weight 8,457.40 ▼ -5.90 ▼ -0.07%
Nikkei_225___ 19,938.13 ▼ -74.27 ▼ -0.37%
Hang_Seng.__ 22,479.69 ▲ 98.34 ▲ 0.44%
Strait_Times.__ 2,883.64 ▲ 13.38 ▲ 0.47%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,143.31 ▼ -7.37 ▼ -0.12%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stocks-mixed-early-trade-oil-price-slips-150946423.html

A slump in the price of crude oil sinks energy stocks
Associated Press By KEN SWEET

NEW YORK (AP) ”” Stocks sank Wednesday as a sharp drop in the price of oil dragged down energy companies. U.S. crude closed below $40 a barrel for the first time since August.

Investors continue to weigh the implications of potential changes in interest rate policy around the world. The European Central Bank meets Thursday to discuss increasing its stimulus program, and the Federal Reserve is likely to raise rates for the first time in nine years at its next policy meeting in mid-December.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 158.67 points, or 0.9 percent, to 17,729.68. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 23.12 points, or 1.1 percent, to 2,079.51 and the Nasdaq composite lost 33.08 points, or 0.6 percent, to 5,123.22.

Oil and gas stocks fell far more than the rest of the market. Energy stocks in the S&P 500 sank 3.1 percent compared with a 1.1 percent decline in the broader market.

The price of oil was lower all day, and the losses accelerated in the afternoon after the Energy Department reported that U.S. crude inventories rose by 1.2 million barrels last week, while analysts had expected a decline.

Benchmark U.S. crude dropped $1.91, or 4.6 percent, to $39.94 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, which is used to price international oils, fell $1.95, or 4.4 percent, to $42.49 a barrel in London.

Exxon Mobil fell $2.34, or 3 percent, to $79.55, Chevron lost $2.33, or 2.5 percent, to $90.25 and drilling rig operator Transocean fell 37 cents, or 2.6 percent, to $13.83.

In other trading, Yahoo jumped $1.94, or 6 percent, to $35.65 on reports that the company was considering selling its core Internet businesses in order to avoid a big tax bill on the eventual sale of its stake in Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba. Yahoo has struggled for years to re-energize its business model.

Outside the drop in oil prices, and its impact on energy companies, investors remain focused on what the world's central banks plan to do at their upcoming policy meetings.

The consensus among investors is that the Fed will raise rates at its December 15-16 meeting. That thesis was reinforced Wednesday, when Fed Chair Janet Yellen indicated that the U.S. economy is on track for an interest rate hike this month, though she was careful to point out that the Fed will need to review any upcoming data before making a final decision.

Government bond prices fell after Yellen's comments. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.18 percent from 2.15 percent late Tuesday.

The data Yellen is referring to includes the November jobs report, which comes out Friday. Economists forecast that U.S. employers created 200,000 jobs last month and the unemployment rate remained steady at 5 percent.

"It's becoming more and more likely that the Fed is going to rate rates," said Kristina Hooper, Head of U.S. Investment Strategies at Allianz Global Investors.

Unless the November employment figures are extraordinarily weak, investors believe the Fed will raise interest rates this month, from record low levels, for the first time since the financial crisis. Some preliminary jobs data out Wednesday supported the prediction that the U.S. jobs market continued to improve last month. The payroll processor ADP said the private sector created 217,000 jobs in November.

In Europe, investors expect the European Central Bank will move in the opposite direction and expand its stimulus program when policymakers meet on Thursday, either by expanding its bond purchases or by cutting interest rates further. ECB head Mario Draghi signaled that action is coming this week as the bank seeks to support growth and push inflation higher.

The U.S. dollar strengthened to 123.24 yen from 122.84 yen. The euro slipped to $1.0613 from $1.0631.

In other energy futures trading in New York, wholesale gasoline fell 7 cents, or 5.1 percent, to close $1.293 a gallon, heating oil fell 6.4 cents, or 4.7 percent, to $1.305 a gallon and natural gas declined 6.6 cents, or 3 percent, to $2.165 a gallon.

In metals, gold fell $9.70, or 1 percent, to $1,053.80 a troy ounce, silver fell seven cents to $14.01 an ounce and copper fell four cents to $2.033 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -252.01 points or ▼ -1.42% on Thursday, December 3, 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,477.67 ▼ -252.01 ▼ -1.42%
Nasdaq____ 5,037.53 ▼ -85.70 ▼ -1.67%
S&P_500___ 2,049.62 ▼ -29.89 ▼ -1.44%
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.08 ▲ 0.17 ▲ 5.78%

NYSE Volume 4,254,098,500
Nasdaq Volume 2,059,799,500

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,275.00 ▼ -145.93 ▼ -2.27%
DAX_____ 10,789.24 ▼ -400.78 ▼ -3.58%
CAC_40__ 4,730.21 ▼ -175.55 ▼ -3.58%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,276.70 ▼ -28.00 ▼ -0.53%
Shanghai_Comp 3,584.82 ▲ 47.92 ▲ 1.35%
Taiwan_Weight 8,456.06 ▼ -1.34 ▼ -0.02%
Nikkei_225___ 19,939.90 ▲ 1.77 ▲ 0.01%
Hang_Seng.__ 22,417.01 ▼ -62.68 ▼ -0.28%
Strait_Times.__ 2,888.14 ▲ 4.50 ▲ 0.16%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,125.67 ▼ -17.64 ▼ -0.29%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-european-stocks-fall-ecb-151748067.html#

Markets slide in US and Europe after stimulus falls short
Associated Press By KEN SWEET

NEW YORK (AP) — Global markets sank Thursday after the European Central Bank announced stimulus plans that came up short of what investors had forecast. The bond market was especially roiled by the ECB's move. Bond prices in the U.S. and Europe fell sharply, and yields jumped.

The Dow Jones industrial average lost 252.01 points, or 1.4 percent, to 17,477.67. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 29.89 points, or 1.4 percent, to 2,049.62 and the Nasdaq composite fell 85.70 points, or 1.7 percent, to 5,037.53. The selling pushed the S&P 500 back into the red for 2015.

The ECB's stimulus plans, long awaited, came in with a thud on Thursday. The ECB announced a slight cut in one of its key interest rates in an attempt to stimulate lending and help a modest economic recovery. Investors had expected to see the ECB step up its monthly purchases of bonds as well.

"Financial markets were expecting the ECB to do 'whatever it takes' to stimulate inflation, and instead the ECB did 'maybe what it'll take' to stimulate inflation," said Guy LeBas, head of fixed income at Janney Montgomery Scott.

Europe's economy has lagged behind the U.S. since the financial crisis, and policymakers have struggled to keep the 19 countries that use the euro from falling into deflation or an economic contraction. But the President of the ECB, Mario Draghi, has been far more aggressive than his predecessors in trying new ways to boost the economy, including its current program of negative interest rates and bond buying. Expectations were high for this week's meeting.

"In the last couple of years, Mario Draghi and the ECB would typically over-deliver on what they indicated they would do to help stimulate the economy. So a lot of investors overbought bonds on expectations that Draghi would over-deliver. This time, he didn't, and he disappointed the market quite a bit," said Bob Michele, head of global fixed income at JPMorgan Asset Management.

The ECB's announcement caused the euro to jump 3 percent against the dollar, a large move for currencies, to $1.0975. Investors had been betting against the euro ahead of the announcement, expecting that more central bank stimulus would put pressure on the currency. Investors had to unwind those positions, causing Thursday's oversized moved in the currency market.

"People aren't sure where to put their money so everyone just went to cash," said J.J. Kinahan, chief strategist at TD Ameritrade.

European stocks also had one of their worst days in months. Germany's DAX plunged 3.6 percent, its biggest drop since September. France's CAC-40 index lost 3.6 percent and the U.K.'s FTSE lost 2.3 percent.

With the ECB not expanding stimulus as much as expected, European bond prices fell sharply, sending yields higher. If the ECB had announced more stimulus, it would have had the effect of putting downward pressure on interest rates. The yield on the 10-year German government bond soared 0.20 percentage points to 0.67 percent, a massive move in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year French government bond rose 0.20 percentage points to 0.99 percent, also a substantial move.

The sell-off in the dollar also impacted U.S. Treasuries. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note jumped to 2.32 percent, up sharply from 2.18 percent the day before.

Investors now turn to back to the U.S. While the ECB is easing policy, the Federal Reserve looks set to raise interest rates later this month for the first time in nine years. In comments Wednesday, Fed Chair Janet Yellen gave an upbeat assessment of the economy's progress since the Fed's last meeting in October, describing it as in line with its expectations for the labor market and inflation. She also was careful to point out the need to review upcoming data, including the U.S. jobs report Friday.

Economists forecast that U.S. employers created 200,000 jobs in November, and the unemployment rate remained steady at 5 percent.

In other markets, benchmark U.S. crude jumped $1.14, or 2.9 percent, to close at $41.08 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, which is used to set prices for international oils, climbed $1.35, or 3.2 percent, to $43.84 a barrel in London.

Heating oil rose 5.4 cents to $1.359 a gallon, wholesale gasoline rose 0.3 cent to $1.296 a gallon and natural gas rose 1.6 cents to $2.181 per thousand cubic feet.

In metals, gold rose $7.40, or 0.7 percent, to $1,061.20 an ounce, silver rose seven cents to $14.08 an ounce and copper rose three cents to $2.06 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 369.96 points or ▲ 2.12% on Friday, December 4, 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,847.63 ▲ 369.96 ▲ 2.12%
Nasdaq____ 5,142.27 ▲ 104.74 ▲ 2.08%
S&P_500___ 2,091.69 ▲ 42.07 ▲ 2.05%
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.01 ▼ -0.07 ▼ -2.11%

NYSE Volume 4,146,745,500
Nasdaq Volume 1,869,551,880

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,238.29 ▼ -36.71 ▼ -0.59%
DAX_____ 10,752.10 ▼ -37.14 ▼ -0.34%
CAC_40__ 4,714.79 ▼ -15.42 ▼ -0.33%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,201.50 ▼ -75.20 ▼ -1.43%
Shanghai_Comp 3,524.99 ▼ -59.83 ▼ -1.67%
Taiwan_Weight 8,398.60 ▼ -57.46 ▼ -0.68%
Nikkei_225___ 19,504.48 ▼ -435.42 ▼ -2.18%
Hang_Seng.__ 22,235.89 ▼ -181.12 ▼ -0.81%
Strait_Times.__ 2,879.05 ▼ -4.84 ▼ -0.17%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,094.82 ▼ -30.85 ▼ -0.50%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stocks-rise-solid-november-jobs-152733915.html

Strong job gains send US stock market sharply higher
Associated Press By MARLEY JAY

NEW YORK (AP) — The stock market surged to its biggest gain since early September Friday after another strong month of hiring by U.S. employers.

The solid news on the economy opened the way for the Federal Reserve to begin raising interest rates back toward normal levels later this month. Energy stocks and the price of crude oil fell after OPEC said it won't cut production.

Stocks started the day higher after the Labor Department said employers added 211,000 jobs in November. That was more than investors expected, and a sign that consumers are still spending and keeping the economy afloat even as manufacturing and energy companies are struggling.

The rally gained more power after European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said the ECB is ready to expand its stimulus program if necessary. That was a relief: stocks and bonds tumbled Thursday after the ECB announced some new stimulus measures, but didn't do as much as investors expected.

"His clarification of comments he made earlier in the week gives investors confidence that ECB will continue its 'whatever is necessary' course," said Erik Davidson, chief investment officer at Wells Fargo Private Bank.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 369.96 points, or 2.1 percent, to 17,847.63. The Standard & Poor's 500 index had its best day since Sept. 8, rising 42.07 points, or 2.1 percent, to 2,091.69. The Nasdaq composite increased 104.74 points, or 2.1 percent, to 5,142.27 points.

When the Federal Reserve decided not to raise interest rates in September, investors gradually concluded that the Fed would act in December unless it received some big warning signs about the health of the economy.

Those signs never came. The September jobs report was disappointing, but hiring climbed in October, and November hiring was solid. The government also said the economy gained more jobs in September and October than it initially reported.

The Fed slashed its key short-term interest rate to near zero during the financial crisis and it kept it low throughout the Great Recession to encourage lending and hiring. It hasn't raised interest rates in nine years.

Davidson said the jobs data was as good as investors expected, which gives them more confidence in the state of the economy and the Fed's plans.

"The markets love predictability and this is about as predictable as you can get," he said. In addition to the jobs growth, Davidson said more people are looking for work and wages are improving.

Luke Bartholomew, investment manager Aberdeen Capital Management, said it was almost a foregone conclusion that the Fed will raise interest rates, but what isn't clear is what will happen after that.

"It would have taken a really catastrophically bad number to put the Fed off today," he said. "It's a question of what the path looks like next year."

Consumer discretionary stocks were the best performers in the S&P 500. Discount retailer Dollar Tree, toy maker Mattel and homebuilder D.R. Horton climbed, and Apple rose $3.83, or 3.3 percent, to $119.03, a large move for the world's most valuable company.

Energy stocks, however, took a beating, and almost all of the largest losses in the S&P 500 went to energy companies. Oil cartel OPEC said it won't cut oil production even though global stockpiles keep growing. The price of oil is trading near six-year lows.

The price of U.S. crude fell $1.11, or 2.7 percent, to $39.97 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, slid 84 cents, or 1.9 percent, to $43.

Meanwhile warm weather in the U.S. is hurting demand for heating fuels like natural gas and heating oil. Natural gas drillers, pipeline companies and oil and gas service companies were all pummeled.

Stephen Schork, an independent analyst and trader, said that's because weather throughout much of the U.S. remains warm, meaning Americans aren't using as much energy to heat their homes.

"The market is giving up on winter," he said. "Here in the East... there's just no demand."

Murphy Oil lost 85 cents, or 3.2 percent, to $25.46. Helmerich & Payne fell 2.23, or 4 percent, to $53.38. Southwestern Energy shed 45 cents, or 5.5 percent, to $7.74. Chesapeake Energy declined 32 cents, or 6.6 percent, to $4.55.

In other trading of energy futures, wholesale gasoline fell 2.6 cents, or 2 percent, to $1.27 a gallon. Heating oil declined 1.6 cents to $1.342 a gallon. Natural gas inched up 0.5 cents to $2.816 per 1,000 cubic feet.

The dollar regained some strength against the euro. The euro slipped to $1.0871 from $1.0975, and the dollar rose to 123.22 yen from 122.31 yen Thursday. Bond prices also bounced back, and the yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.27 percent from 2.32 percent.

Avon Products rose as multiple media reports said the beauty products company is considering selling its North American business to private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management. Avon jumped 23 cents, or 5.8 percent, to $4.22.

Gold gained $22.90, or 2.2 percent, to $1,084.10. Silver added 45 cents, or 3.2 percent, to $14.53 an ounce. Copper inched up 1.8 cents to $2.079 a pound.

3205

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -117.12 points or ▼ -0.66% on Monday, December 7, 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,730.51 ▼ -117.12 ▼ -0.66%
Nasdaq____ 5,101.81 ▼ -40.46 ▼ -0.79%
S&P_500___ 2,077.07 ▼ -14.62 ▼ -0.70%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.95 ▼ -0.06 ▼ -1.96%

NYSE Volume 4,005,680,500
Nasdaq Volume 1,927,857,750

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,223.52 ▼ -14.77 ▼ -0.24%
DAX_____ 10,886.09 ▲ 133.99 ▲ 1.25%
CAC_40__ 4,756.41 ▲ 41.62 ▲ 0.88%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,205.90 ▲ 4.40 ▲ 0.08%
Shanghai_Comp 3,536.93 ▲ 11.94 ▲ 0.34%
Taiwan_Weight 8,454.27 ▲ 55.67 ▲ 0.66%
Nikkei_225___ 19,698.15 ▲ 193.67 ▲ 0.99%
Hang_Seng.__ 22,203.22 ▼ -32.67 ▼ -0.15%
Strait_Times.__ 2,900.92 ▲ 21.87 ▲ 0.76%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,064.43 ▼ -30.39 ▼ -0.50%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/oil-gas-companies-lead-early-152552589.html

Oil price drops to lowest since 2009, sinking energy stocks
Associated Press By BERNARD CONDON

NEW YORK (AP) ”” A sharp drop in the price of oil on Monday rattled investors and helped push stocks lower across several industries.

Investors sold from the start of trading following a decision by OPEC last week not to cut production. Benchmark U.S. crude dropped nearly 6 percent, deepening its stunning 1 ½ year plunge, to close at its lowest level in nearly seven years. The losses were broad, with seven of the 10 industry sectors in the Standard & Poor's 500 index closing lower.

As they have all year, oil drillers bore the brunt of the selling. Chevron and Exxon Mobil, both members of the 30-stock Dow Jones industrial average, each fell nearly 3 percent.

"There was a big hope that OPEC would announce a production cut, but it just didn't happen," said Mizuho Securities Chief Economist Steven Ricchiuto. He added: "The whole world is facing excess supply as the global economy slows."

The Dow gave up 117.12 points, or 0.7 percent, to 17,730.51. The S&P 500 fell 14.62 points, or 0.7 percent, to 2,077.07. The Nasdaq composite dropped 40.46 points, or 0.8 percent, to 5,101.81.

Airlines stocks were among the winners as investors anticipated bigger profits thanks to falling fuel costs. JetBlue Airways jumped $1.01, or 4 percent, to $26.49. Delta Air Lines also rose 4 percent, gaining $2 to close at $51.78.

In theory, lower oil prices should help many stocks because consumers often spend money elsewhere that they save at the pump or on heating bills. But investors have been disappointed.

"Retailers have been waiting for the pump-price dividend to filter into their stores, but for the most part we're not seeing it," said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at BMO Private Bank.

Meanwhile, the shift in the U.S. to producing more oil has made the stock market more vulnerable to price swings in the commodity.

In each of the past three quarters, as oil prices have tanked, earnings per share for energy companies in the S&P 500 have dropped more than 50 percent, according to S&P Capital IQ, a financial data provider. After Monday's drop, their stocks are down 22 percent since the start of the year.

Among other stocks making big moves:

””Chipotle Mexican Grill dropped $9.45, or 1.7 percent, to $551.75. The restaurant chain warned late Friday that an outbreak of E. coli linked to its restaurants sent sales plummeting by as much as 22 percent in recent weeks.

”” Keurig Green Mountain soared 72 percent after agreeing to be acquired by a private equity firm. The stock jumped $37.19 to $88.89.

”” Office Depot plunged nearly 16 percent after regulators said they would try to block a proposed purchase of the company by rival Staples for $6.3 billion. Office Depot dropped $1.04 to $5.59. Staples fell $1.70, or nearly 14 percent, to $10.66.

”” Stocks of gun makers soared on the prospect of big sales amid a push for greater gun control following the San Bernardino shootings. Smith & Wesson Holding added $1.45, or 7.6 percent, to $20.44.

U.S. crude fell $2.32, or 5.8 percent, to close at $37.65 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, its lowest price since Feb. 2009. Brent crude, used to price international oils, fell $2.27, or 5.3 percent, to $40.73 a barrel in London.

In other energy trading in New York, wholesale gasoline fell 6.1 cents, or 4.8 percent, to close at $1.209 a gallon, heating oil lost 6.3 cents, or 4.7 percent, to close at $1.280 a gallon and natural gas fell 11.9 cents, or 5.4 percent, to $2.067 per 1,000 cubic feet.

U.S. government bond prices edged up. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.23 percent from 2.27 percent late Friday. The euro slipped to $1.0843 from $1.0871 and the dollar edged up to 123.33 yen from 123.22 yen.

Precious and industrial metals futures ended broadly lower. The price of gold slipped $8.90 to $1,075.20 an ounce, silver lost 20 cents to $14.33 an ounce and copper gave up three cents to $2.05 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -162.51 points or ▼ -0.92% on Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,568.00 ▼ -162.51 ▼ -0.92%
Nasdaq____ 5,098.24 ▼ -3.57 ▼ -0.07%
S&P_500___ 2,063.59 ▼ -13.48 ▼ -0.65%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.97 ▲ 0.02 ▲ 0.81%

NYSE Volume 4,104,963,500
Nasdaq Volume 1,838,744,880

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,135.22 ▼ -88.30 ▼ -1.42%
DAX_____ 10,673.60 ▼ -212.49 ▼ -1.95%
CAC_40__ 4,681.86 ▼ -74.55 ▼ -1.57%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,158.00 ▼ -47.90 ▼ -0.92%
Shanghai_Comp 3,470.07 ▼ -66.86 ▼ -1.89%
Taiwan_Weight 8,343.86 ▼ -110.41 ▼ -1.31%
Nikkei_225___ 19,492.60 ▼ -205.55 ▼ -1.04%
Hang_Seng.__ 21,905.13 ▼ -298.09 ▼ -1.34%
Strait_Times.__ 2,876.03 ▼ -24.89 ▼ -0.86%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,035.00 ▼ -29.43 ▼ -0.49%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/energy-companies-lead-early-stock-153117251.html#

Signs of weakness in China sink materials stocks; oil falls

Another drop in stocks, led by materials and energy sectors, as China's economy appears weak
Associated Press By Bernard Condon, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- U.S. stocks fell for a second day on Tuesday following a wave of selling abroad on fears that a slump in commodity prices was far from over.

The selling began in Asia on disappointing trade figures from China, then spread to Europe where stock indexes in Germany, France and Britain each dropped more than 1 percent. In the U.S., stocks fell sharply in the morning, but later made back much of the losses.

Still, the selling was broad, with nine of the 10 sectors of the Standard and Poor's 500 index closing down. Suppliers of raw materials fell the most, down 1.9 percent. Energy companies dropped 1.5 percent.

A big focus for investors ”” oil ”” slid again. After dropping for 1 1/2 years, U.S. benchmark crude costs just $37.51 a barrel, near a seven-year low.

"The energy sector has done a good job grappling with mid-$40 oil, but it's tougher as you go under $40," said Doug Cote, chief market strategist at Voya Investment Management. "The energy sector is having trouble adapting."

The Dow Jones industrial average lost 162.51 points, or 0.9 percent, to 17,568. It was down 245 points earlier.

The S&P 500 gave up 13.48 points, or 0.7 percent, to 2,063.59. The Nasdaq composite slipped 3.6 points, or 0.1 percent, to 5,098.24.

In Asia, Chinese customs data showed exports from the world's second largest economy contracted 6.8 percent in November, worse than October's 3.6 percent fall. Imports dropped 8.7 percent.

Mining stocks in particular were slammed because China is a major importer of raw materials, accounting for as much as 50 percent of global demand, according to consultants PwC. Freeport-McMoran slumped 7 percent. It's down 71 percent this year.

John Manley, chief stock strategist at Wells Fargo Funds, said raw material suppliers ramped up production too much a few years ago as China stoked its economy after the global financial crisis.

"It surprised producers that China was soaking up so much," Manley said. "As China slows, and shifts to more consumer growth, these producers have been hit."

Iron ore, off 43 percent since the start of 2015, fell again Tuesday, shedding 15 cents to close at $39.25 a metric ton. Copper inched up less than a penny to $2.05 a pound. It is down 29 percent this year.

Among other stocks making big moves:

”” Outerwall plunged $14.02, or 24 percent, to $44.04 after lowering its earnings guidance and announcing the head of its movie-kiosk division, Redbox, was leaving as rentals fall.

”” Chipotle Mexican Grill fell $9.51, or 1.7 percent, to $542.24 on reports that 80 Boston College students were sickened after eating at one of the company's restaurants. The stock is down 21 percent so far in 2015 as the food chain struggles with the fallout from an E. coli outbreak linked to its restaurants. The company said it believes the Boston College cases are due to the norovirus, not E. coli.

”” Norfolk Southern fell $5.20, or 5.7 percent, to $86.32 after rejecting Canadian Pacific's latest takeover offer. Norfolk Southern has said it doubts regulators would approve the merger anyway. Canadian Pacific fell $4.47, or 2.5 percent, to $171.64.

U.S. government bond prices were flat. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note held steady at 2.23 percent. The euro edged up to $1.0897 from $1.0843 late Monday. The dollar fell to 123.02 yen from 123.33 yen.

Precious metals futures closed mixed. Gold edged up 10 cents to $1,075.30 an ounce, silver fell 22 cents to $14.12 an ounce.

Brent crude, the international benchmark, lost 47 cents, or 1.2 percent, to close at $40.26 a barrel in London.

In other trading of energy futures in New York, wholesale gasoline fell 0.6 cents to close at $1.204 a gallon, heating oil fell 2 cents to $1.259 a gallon and natural gas edged up 0.3 cent to $2.07 per 1,000 cubic feet.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -75.7 points or ▼ -0.43% on Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,492.30 ▼ -75.70 ▼ -0.43%
Nasdaq____ 5,022.87 ▼ -75.38 ▼ -1.48%
S&P_500___ 2,047.62 ▼ -15.97 ▼ -0.77%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.96 ▼ -0.02 ▼ -0.54%

NYSE Volume 4,295,741,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,966,374,500

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,126.68 ▼ -8.54 ▼ -0.14%
DAX_____ 10,592.49 ▼ -81.11 ▼ -0.76%
CAC_40__ 4,637.45 ▼ -44.41 ▼ -0.95%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,129.90 ▼ -28.10 ▼ -0.54%
Shanghai_Comp 3,472.44 ▲ 2.37 ▲ 0.07%
Taiwan_Weight 8,229.62 ▼ -114.24 ▼ -1.37%
Nikkei_225___ 19,301.07 ▼ -191.53 ▼ -0.98%
Hang_Seng.__ 21,803.76 ▼ -101.37 ▼ -0.46%
Strait_Times.__ 2,861.19 ▼ -14.84 ▼ -0.52%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,053.55 ▲ 18.55 ▲ 0.31%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stocks-shake-off-two-day-slump-materials-rebound-152354340.html

Tech stocks lead a broad decline in the US market
Associated Press By BERNARD CONDON

NEW YORK (AP) ”” A slump in technology shares on Wednesday helped turn early gains in U.S. stock indexes into losses across industries, extending the market's losing streak to a third day.
Related Stories

Investors sent the Dow Jones industrial average up 200 points in morning, then began dumping some big tech stocks. Apple fell 2.2 percent and Microsoft lost 1.5 percent.

By the end of the day, seven of the 10 industry sectors in the Standard and Poor's 500 index fell. Suppliers of raw materials, the focus of aggressive selling in recent days, rose 3.1 percent as investors hunted for bargains.

"You've got two days of massive selling of oil and commodity companies, so perhaps some are oversold," said Bryn Mawr Trust Chief Investment Officer Ernie Cecilia. He added, though, that they weren't cheap enough yet for him to join in the buying.

The Dow index lost 75.70 points, or 0.4 percent, to 17,492.30. The S&P 500 gave up 15.97 points, or 0.8 percent, to 2,047.62. The Nasdaq composite dropped 75.38 points, or 1.5 percent, to 5,022.87.

Yahoo slumped after the struggling Internet company said it would scrap a spinoff of its big stake in the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba. The stock lost 45 cents, or 1.3 percent, to $34.40. Yahoo said it will instead explore breaking off the rest of its business into a new company.

Some of the biggest gainers were stocks that suffered big losses the day before. Freeport McMoRan, a miner that fell 7 percent on Tuesday, rose 3.7 percent, gaining 25 cents to close at $6.99.

Helping boost raw material stocks were news reports that two giant chemical companies, Dow Chemical and DuPont, were in talks to combine. Dow Chemical rose $6.07, or 11.9 percent, to $56.97. DuPont climbed $7.89, or 11.8 percent, to $74.49.

Oil drillers, which have been beaten down recently, also rallied. Exxon Mobil and Chevron each rose 1.3 percent, despite another drop in benchmark U.S. oil.

Bill Strazzullo, chief market strategist at Bell Curve Trading, said a recent slump in oil and other major commodities is signaling that the global economy is weak. That could mean more rocky days in the market.

"You got commodities in a death spiral, and that's just not impacting the U.S., but the global economy," he said. "Investors are taking off risk."

Among other stocks making big moves Wednesday, Costco fell $9.15, or 5 percent, to $159.72 after reporting weaker earnings than analysts were expecting.

Benchmark U.S. crude slipped 35 cents to close at $37.16 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the international standard, fell 15 cents to close at $40.11 a barrel in London. In other trading, wholesale gasoline rose 2.8 cents to close at $1.232 a gallon, heating oil fell two cents to $1.239 a gallon and natural gas fell 0.8 cent to $2.062 per 1,000 cubic feet.

U.S. government bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.21 percent from 2.22 percent late Tuesday. The U.S. dollar fell to 121.24 yen from 123.05 yen. The euro rose to $1.1023 from $1.0890.

Previous and industrial metals futures closed broadly higher. Gold edged up $1.20 to $1,076.50 an ounce, silver rose seven cents to $14.19 an ounce and copper gained a penny to $2.07 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 82.45 points or ▲ 0.47% on Thursday, December 10, 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,574.75 ▲ 82.45 ▲ 0.47%
Nasdaq____ 5,045.17 ▲ 22.31 ▲ 0.44%
S&P_500___ 2,052.23 ▲ 4.61 ▲ 0.23%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.97 ▲ 0.02 ▲ 0.54%

NYSE Volume 3,676,701,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,710,936,380

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,088.05 ▼ -38.63 ▼ -0.63%
DAX_____ 10,598.93 ▲ 6.44 ▲ 0.06%
CAC_40__ 4,635.06 ▼ -2.39 ▼ -0.05%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,087.50 ▼ -42.40 ▼ -0.83%
Shanghai_Comp 3,455.50 ▼ -16.94 ▼ -0.49%
Taiwan_Weight 8,216.17 ▼ -13.45 ▼ -0.16%
Nikkei_225___ 19,046.55 ▼ -254.52 ▼ -1.32%
Hang_Seng.__ 21,704.61 ▼ -99.15 ▼ -0.45%
Strait_Times.__ 2,848.46 ▼ -12.73 ▼ -0.44%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,040.56 ▼ -12.99 ▼ -0.21%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stocks-edge-higher-early-trade-energy-sector-recovers-152517099.html

Energy stocks, beaten down all week, help push market higher
Associated Press By BERNARD CONDON

NEW YORK (AP) ”” Investors took a chance on some beaten-down shares on Thursday, helping the U.S. stock market to its first gain in four days.

The gain was modest, but broad, with eight of the 10 industry sectors of the Standard and Poor's 500 index ending higher. Drillers and other energy companies, down sharply in previous days, climbed 0.6 percent, much more than the rest of the market. Among individual stocks, Chevron rose nearly 2 percent.

Some suppliers of raw materials posted gains, too. Aluminum giant Alcoa and miner Freeport-McMoRan each rose 5 percent.

The climb came despite a continuing slump in the price of commodities that has been rattling markets all year. Benchmark U.S. crude oil fell to another seven-year low.

The Dow Jones industrial average climbed 82.45 points, or 0.5 percent, to 17,574.75. The S&P 500 index rose 4.61 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,052.23. The Nasdaq composite increased 22.31 points, or 0.4 percent, to 5,045.17.

Natural gas and coal producer Consol Energy jumped 10 percent. It's still the biggest loser in the S&P 500 this year, however, down 78 percent.

In economic news, applications for unemployment benefits in the U.S. rose last week, but the number of Americans seeking aid remains close to historic lows. The report comes a week before the Federal Reserve is expected to raise interest rates for the first time in nine years. That would signal the central bank is confident the economy is strong enough to withstand higher borrowing costs.

"There is a fear over the market. China is slowing, emerging markets are slowing," said James Dunigan, chief investment strategist at PNC Wealth Management. "But if the Fed can say we're comfortable with U.S. employment and economic growth, that will be a positive."

The price of crude oil fell 40 cents, or 1 percent, to $36.76 a barrel in New York. Oil is trading at its lowest level since early 2009.

The upside to lower oil is that consumers save money at the gas pump, giving them more money to spend at stores and elsewhere. But that boost hasn't helped much yet.

"You just don't have anything to show in retail sales or consumer spending," said James Paulsen, chief investment strategist at Wells Capital Management. "Where is the stimulus from lower oil?"

Among other stocks making big moves, Men's Wearhouse plunged $3.12, or 17 percent, to $15.27 after reporting earnings per share that were half what financial analysts expected, according to FactSet. The struggling clothes chain is down 65 percent since the start of 2015.

First Solar dropped $4.50, or nearly eight percent, to $54.35 after the solar energy company released earnings and a forecast that disappointed investors.

U.S. government bond prices fell slightly. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.23 percent from 2.21 percent late Wednesday. The dollar rose to 121.62 yen from 121.19 yen. The euro fell to $1.0936 from $1.1028.

Precious and industrial metals futures closed mostly lower. Gold edged down $4.50 to $1,072 an ounce, silver lost eight cents to $14.11 an ounce and copper was up less than a penny at $2.07 a pound.

Brent crude, the international benchmark, fell 38 cents, or 0.9 percent, to $39.73 a barrel in London.

In other trading of energy futures in New York, wholesale gasoline rose 4.9 cents to $1.28 a gallon, heating oil lost 1.4 cents to $1.225 a gallon and natural gas fell 4.7 cents to $2.105 per 1,000 cubic feet.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -309.54 points or ▼ -1.76% on Friday, December 11, 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,265.21 ▼ -309.54 ▼ -1.76%
Nasdaq____ 4,933.47 ▼ -111.71 ▼ -2.21%
S&P_500___ 2,012.37 ▼ -39.86 ▼ -1.94%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.88 ▼ -0.10 ▼ -3.23%

NYSE Volume 4,255,235,500
Nasdaq Volume 2,053,096,380

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 5,952.78 ▼ -135.27 ▼ -2.22%
DAX_____ 10,340.06 ▼ -258.87 ▼ -2.44%
CAC_40__ 4,549.56 ▼ -85.50 ▼ -1.84%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,078.60 ▼ -8.90 ▼ -0.17%
Shanghai_Comp 3,434.58 ▼ -20.91 ▼ -0.61%
Taiwan_Weight 8,115.89 ▼ -100.28 ▼ -1.22%
Nikkei_225___ 19,230.48 ▲ 183.93 ▲ 0.97%
Hang_Seng.__ 21,464.05 ▼ -240.56 ▼ -1.11%
Strait_Times.__ 2,834.63 ▼ -13.83 ▼ -0.49%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,069.94 ▲ 29.38 ▲ 0.49%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stocks-drop-early-trading-oil-152004066.html

A rout in crude oil prices hammers the stock market
Associated Press By BERNARD CONDON

NEW YORK (AP) — A slump in oil prices sparked a global sell-off in financial markets on Friday with losses spreading from Asia to Europe to the U.S., where stocks fell sharply to cap their worst week since the summer.

The selling was broad, with all 10 sectors of the Standard and Poor's 500 index ending down. Fearful investors put their money in government bonds, especially U.S. Treasurys. Another measure of anxiety, the so-called Vix index, jumped. It is now up 70 percent in just five days.

Investors worry the sharp fall in the price of oil and other commodities is a sign of weakness in the global economy, especially China, and that will cut into profits at big energy producers and suppliers of raw materials as well as other companies.

"We're stockpiling commodities and demand is not picking up," said Tim Courtney, chief investment officer of Exencial Wealth Advisors. "It's kind of a depressing market."

Energy shares, already decimated this year, fell 3.4 percent on Friday. Southwestern Energy plunged 14 percent. Freeport McMoRan, a mining giant, dropped 6 percent.

The trouble began with a report from the International Energy Agency that said the oversupply in oil would persist until late next year even as demand continues to weaken. Benchmark U.S. crude plunged $1.14, or 3 percent, to close at $35.62 a barrel in New York. It has been falling for 1 ½ years and is now at its lowest level since early 2009.

By the end of the day, the S&P 500 index had lost 39.86 points, or 1.9 percent, to 2,012.37. It was down 3.8 percent for the week, its worst showing since August.

The Dow Jones industrial average lost 309.54 points, or 1.8 percent, to 17,265.21. The Nasdaq composite declined 111.71 points, or 2.2 percent, to 4,933.47.

In Europe, Germany's DAX lost 2.4 percent, Britain's FTSE 100 dropped 2.2 percent and France's CAC 40 shed 1.8 percent.

Investors were also rattled by trouble in a risky corner of the credit markets where bonds from heavily indebted companies are traded. Their prices have fallen sharply as investors fear the companies that issued the bonds might default. A fund that tracks the bonds, the iShares iBoxx USD High Yield Corporate Bond ETF, has dropped nearly 4 percent in five days.

Investors are also focused on a Federal Reserve meeting next week where the central bank is widely expected to announce an increase in its benchmark interest rate from a record low.

Recent economic reports indicate that the U.S. economy is healthy enough to withstand a rate hike, but investors are still nervous because it would be the first rate rise in nearly a decade.

"It's anticipation of the Fed, it's oil, it's credit ... all of these factors are putting fear and confusion into the investor," said Jonathan D. Corpina, senior managing partner at Meridian Equity Partners.

In a sign of trouble among commodity producers, Dow Chemical and DuPont on Friday announced a $130 billion deal to merge their businesses to counter falling prices. Their stocks had risen in previous days on reports the deal was forthcoming, but fell sharply on Friday.

Dow Chemical dropped $1.54, or nearly 3 percent, to $53.37. DuPont lost $4.11, or 5.5 percent, to $70.44.

In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 index climbed 1 percent, but most other major indexes fell. Hong Kong's Hang Seng dropped 1.1 percent and mainland China's Shanghai Composite lost 0.6 percent.

Among stocks making big moves:

— Software maker Adobe Systems rose $2.46, or 2.8 percent, to $91.42 after reporting earnings in its latest quarter that exceeded analysts' expectations. The stock is up 26 percent since the start of the year.

— Corning rose 99 cents, or 5.6 percent, to $18.68 after the company said it will give up its stake in Dow Corning, a joint venture with Dow Chemical. Instead it will invest in a semiconductor business that is owned by Dow Corning.

U.S. government bond prices rose sharply. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.12 percent from 2.23 percent late Thursday, a big move. The dollar fell to 120.79 yen from 121.64 yen. The euro strengthened to $1.0995 from $1.0939.

Precious and industrial metals futures closed mixed. Gold edged up $3.70 to $1,075.70 an ounce, silver fell 23 cents to $13.88 an ounce and copper rose four cents to $2.12 a pound.

In other energy futures market, Brent crude, the international oil benchmark, fell $1.80, or 4.5 percent, to $37.93 a barrel in London. In New York, heating oil plunged eight cents, or 6.5 percent, to $1.146 a gallon, wholesale gasoline was little changed at $1.282 a gallon, and natural gas lost 2.5 cents, or 1.2 percent, to $1.99 per 1,000 cubic feet.

3787

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 103.29 points or ▲ 0.60% on Monday, December 14, 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,368.50 ▲ 103.29 ▲ 0.60%
Nasdaq____ 4,952.23 ▲ 18.76 ▲ 0.38%
S&P_500___ 2,021.94 ▲ 9.57 ▲ 0.48%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.96 ▲ 0.08 ▲ 2.88%

NYSE Volume 4,548,816,000
Nasdaq Volume 2,147,859,500

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 5,874.06 ▼ -78.72 ▼ -1.32%
DAX_____ 10,139.34 ▼ -200.72 ▼ -1.94%
CAC_40__ 4,473.07 ▼ -76.49 ▼ -1.68%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 4,981.90 ▼ -96.70 ▼ -1.90%
Shanghai_Comp 3,520.67 ▲ 86.09 ▲ 2.51%
Taiwan_Weight 8,040.16 ▼ -75.73 ▼ -0.93%
Nikkei_225___ 18,883.42 ▼ -347.06 ▼ -1.80%
Hang_Seng.__ 21,309.85 ▼ -154.20 ▼ -0.72%
Strait_Times.__ 2,815.04 ▼ -19.59 ▼ -0.69%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,035.25 ▼ -34.69 ▼ -0.57%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-wobble-early-trade-152816747.html

A late buying burst leaves US stocks higher after wobbly day
Associated Press By MARLEY JAY

NEW YORK (AP) ”” After an indecisive day, stocks turned around in the last minutes of trading Monday and managed to end with modest gains.

Last week the market had its worst drop since mid-August, and for much of the day it looked like the losses would continue. Near midday the Standard & Poor's 500 index hit a two-month low. But oil prices recovered from last week's rout and the broader market rose over the last hour of trading, finishing at its highest levels of the day.

The Dow Jones industrial average picked up 103.29 points, or 0.6 percent, to 17,358.50. The S&P 500 index gained 9.57 points, or 0.5 percent, to 2,021.94. Nine of the 10 sectors on the S&P 500 finished higher, though most of the gains were small. The Nasdaq composite index added 18.76 points, or 0.4 percent, to 4,952.23.

Early in the day the price of oil fell below $35 a barrel for the first time since early 2009. However oil recovered and rose about 2 percent, breaking a streak of six straight losses.

U.S. crude gained 69 cents at $36.31 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, fell a penny to $37.92 a barrel in London.

The gain sent oil companies broadly higher. Exxon Mobil rose $1.69, or 2.3 percent, to $76.03 and Chevron added $2.89, or 3.3 percent, to $89.33.

Consumer products maker Jarden Brands agreed to be acquired by competitor Newell Rubbermaid. The cash and stock deal would create a conglomerate that owns brands like Paper Mate, Sharpie, Elmer's, Rubbermaid and Calphalon.

The deal is worth at least $13.2 billion, or $60 per share. Jarden stock added $1.41, or 2.7 percent, to $54.09. Newell Rubbermaid shares fell $3.13, or 6.9 percent, to $42.15.

Natural gas prices plunged to the lowest level since September 2001 as warm weather continues to erode demand for home heating. The falling price hurt natural gas companies. Range Resources sank 89 cents, or 3.9 percent, to $21.86 and Southwestern Energy slumped 57 cents, or 9.7 percent, to $5.33.

Natural gas fell 9.6 cents, or 4.8 percent, to $1.894 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Stephen Schork, an independent analyst and trader, said industrial demand for natural gas in the U.S. and from Canada has tumbled. That means the biggest remaining source of demand is for consumers who use gas to heat their homes. But it's been a very warm winter so far.

"This weather's going to persist through the rest of this month," Schork said. However he said prices will recover if it gets colder in January.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline declined 2.6 cents, or 2 percent, to $1.256 a gallon and heating oil lost 1.8 cents, or 1.6 percent, to $1.128 a gallon.

Activist investor Daniel Loeb is challenging the combination of chemicals makers DuPont and Dow Chemical, announced on Friday. Loeb, who owns a stake in Dow Chemical, questioned the timing of the deal and wants Dow CEO Andrew Liveris removed. Dow's board says it stands by the proposal.

On Friday Dow and DuPont agreed to combine into a $130 billion company and then split up into three smaller businesses. Loeb has pushed Dow to split its specialty chemical and petrochemical businesses. Another activist investor, Nelson Peltz, has been pushing DuPont to break itself up.

Dow Chemical lost $2.08, or 3.9 percent, to $51.29 and DuPont slid $2.52, or 3.6 percent, to $67.92.

Mining companies and industrial materials makers slumped, with Dow and DuPont leading the way. Copper miner Freeport-McMoRan dropped as copper prices continued to slide. Freeport shares skidded 44 cents, or 6.4 percent, to $6.46.

Gold sank $12.30, or 1.1 percent, to $1,063.40 an ounce. Silver declined 18.9 cents, or 1.4 percent, to $13.70 an ounce. The price of copper fell 0.5 cents to $2.11 a pound.

The Federal Reserve will start its last meeting of the year on Tuesday, and on Wednesday it's expected to raise interest rates for the first time in almost a decade. The Fed's key short-term interest rate has been close to zero since Dec. 16, 2008. The boost in rates would be a sign of confidence in the U.S. economy, but some investors worry that it will slow down growth.

Phil Orlando, chief equity strategist for Federated Investors, said the Federal Reserve is reacting to positive signs like increased hiring and economic growth. While inflation is lower than the Fed would like, Orlando said the Fed won't wait for inflation to rise further because it will take a long time before the economy feels the full effect of higher interest rates.

"The Fed can't wait," he said. "It'll be 18 months before that change in policy hits the economy," he said.

Orlando also thinks the boost in interest rates will set off a rally that will take stocks higher for the rest of the year, possibly back to the record levels they set in May. Stocks have wobbled in recent weeks. It's been more than a month since the S&P 500 rose for two consecutive days.

Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.22 percent from 2.13 percent. The dollar rose to 120.87 yen from 120.77 yen Friday. The euro was unchanged at $1.0993.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 156.41 points or ▲ 0.90% on Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,524.91 ▲ 156.41 ▲ 0.90%
Nasdaq____ 4,995.36 ▲ 43.13 ▲ 0.87%
S&P_500___ 2,043.41 ▲ 21.47 ▲ 1.06%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.99 ▲ 0.03 ▲ 1.05%

NYSE Volume 4,302,359,000
Nasdaq Volume 2,002,016,000

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,017.79 ▲ 143.73 ▲ 2.45%
DAX_____ 10,450.38 ▲ 311.04 ▲ 3.07%
CAC_40__ 4,614.40 ▲ 141.33 ▲ 3.16%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 4,963.90 ▼ -18.00 ▼ -0.36%
Shanghai_Comp 3,510.35 ▼ -10.31 ▼ -0.29%
Taiwan_Weight 8,073.35 ▲ 33.19 ▲ 0.41%
Nikkei_225___ 18,565.90 ▼ -317.52 ▼ -1.68%
Hang_Seng.__ 21,274.37 ▼ -35.48 ▼ -0.17%
Strait_Times.__ 2,822.18 ▲ 7.14 ▲ 0.25%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,040.55 ▲ 5.30 ▲ 0.09%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-rise-morning-trade-market-shakes-off-152819724--finance.html

Stocks post biggest gain in a week, led by energy and banks
Associated Press By MARLEY JAY

NEW YORK (AP) ”” Stocks posted their biggest gains in more than a week Tuesday, led by rising energy companies and banks.

The market was higher all day, building on a late gain the day before. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose for the second day in a row, something that hadn't happened since early November. Energy stocks rose as the price of crude oil jumped 3 percent, and banks moved higher a day ahead of an expected rate increase by the Federal Reserve.

The Dow Jones industrial average added 156.41 points, or 0.9 percent, to 17,524.91. The S&P 500 increased 21.47 points, or 1.1 percent, to 2,043.41. The Nasdaq composite index gained 43.13 points, or 0.9 percent, to 4,995.36.

Stocks have been on a bumpy ride ever since a six-week winning streak ended in early November. They dropped sharply in mid-November, then bounced back the following week, but failed to build consistently on those gains.

Last week, a plunge in the price of oil set off a sharp drop in energy stocks, which dragged the broader market down to its second-worst weekly performance of 2015. Now with more encouraging signs on the economy, many expect the Fed to begin returning borrowing costs back toward normal levels with its first interest rate increase in nine years.

The government said early Tuesday that prices for a variety of goods and services rose last month, including plane tickets and medical care. Overall prices were unchanged from last year because food and energy prices are weak, but "core inflation," which leaves out energy and food, rose 0.2 percent. That's the best result in more than a year.

Michelle Girard, chief U.S. economist for RBS, said the reassuring signal on inflation should remove any last barriers to the Fed to raise rates. The inflation report gave the Fed "a green light to take action tomorrow," Girard said. The Fed's key short-term interest rate has been near zero for seven years.

Energy stocks were the top-performing sector as U.S. crude rose $1.04, or 2.9 percent, to $37.35 a barrel in New York. That's on top of a 2 percent gain on Monday. Oil is still down 30 percent in 2015 and is at its lowest in more than six years. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, rose 53 cents, or 1.4 percent, to $38.45 a barrel in London.

That helped the energy sector, which has struggled throughout 2015. Exxon Mobil had its best day since late August. Its shares jumped $3.40, or 4.5 percent, to $79.43. Offshore drillers Ensco added $1.21, or 8 percent, to $16.40 and Transocean rose 74 cents, or 5.9 percent, to $13.38.

Natural gas continued to tumble. Its price gas slid 7.2 cents, or 3.8 percent, to $1.822 per 1,000 cubic feet. That's the lowest price since March 1999, not adjusting for inflation. Industrial demand for natural gas has been weak, and the warm weather means most Americans haven't needed as much heat for their homes as they usually do this time of year.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline fell 1.1 cents, or 0.9 percent, to $1.2444 a gallon and heating oil rose 1.9 cents, or 1.7 percent, to $1.147 a gallon.

Bank stocks climbed as investors anticipated that higher interest rates would help banks become more profitable by charging more for loans. JPMorgan Chase rose $1.83, or 2.8 percent, to $66.10 and Wells Fargo gained $1.71, or 3.2 percent, to $54.91.

Investors dipped a toe back into the high-yield bond market after several days of selling. The iShares high yield corporate bond ETF rose $1.29, or 1.6 percent, to $80.12 and the SPDR Barclays high yield bond ETF rose 39 cents, or 1.2 percent, to $33.81.

High yield bonds have been attractive to investors in recent years because their returns are high. But investors are becoming worried that more companies could default.

Guy LeBas, chief fixed income strategist at Janney Montgomery Scott, said plunging oil prices were a big contributor to the recent decline. And he thinks more pain is coming.

"Buyers of high yield bonds will be, on average, pretty happy five years from now," he said. "But I think they're going to be pretty unhappy in the next three months."

Prices for U.S. government bonds, which are considered extremely low-risk, fell. The yield on the 10-year note rose to 2.27 percent from 2.23 percent late Monday.

Gold fell $1.80 to $1,061.60 an ounce, while silver gained 7.5 cents, or 0.5 percent, to $13.77 an ounce. Copper fell 5.5 cents, or 2.6 percent, to $2.06 per pound.

The euro fell to $1.0917 from $1.0998. The dollar rose to 121.73 yen from 120.84 yen on Monday.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 224.18 points or ▲ 1.28% on Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,749.09 ▲ 224.18 ▲ 1.28%
Nasdaq____ 5,071.13 ▲ 75.77 ▲ 1.52%
S&P_500___ 2,073.07 ▲ 29.66 ▲ 1.45%
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.00 ▲ 0.01 ▲ 0.33%

NYSE Volume 4,543,912,500
Nasdaq Volume 1,983,573,120

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,061.19 ▲ 43.40 ▲ 0.72%
DAX_____ 10,469.26 ▲ 18.88 ▲ 0.18%
CAC_40__ 4,624.67 ▲ 10.27 ▲ 0.22%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,078.70 ▲ 114.80 ▲ 2.31%
Shanghai_Comp 3,516.19 ▲ 5.83 ▲ 0.17%
Taiwan_Weight 8,184.66 ▲ 111.31 ▲ 1.38%
Nikkei_225___ 19,049.91 ▲ 484.01 ▲ 2.61%
Hang_Seng.__ 21,701.21 ▲ 426.84 ▲ 2.01%
Strait_Times.__ 2,840.92 ▲ 25.40 ▲ 0.90%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,070.94 ▲ 30.39 ▲ 0.50%

http://www.usnews.com/news/business...continue-to-rise-before-fed-decision-on-rates

Stocks climb after Fed raises interest rates at long last, but says it won't move too quickly

Associated Press Dec. 16, 2015, at 4:57 p.m.
By MARLEY JAY, AP Markets Writer

NEW YORK (AP) ”” Stocks climbed Wednesday after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates, a long-expected vote of confidence in the U.S. economy. At the same time investors were encouraged that the Fed emphasized that further increases will be gradual.

The market was slightly higher at midday and rose steadily through the afternoon after the Fed released its policy statement and as Fed Chair Janet Yellen gave a news conference explaining the Fed's decision.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 224.18 points, or 1.3 percent, to 17,749.09. The Standard & Poor's 500 index added 29.66 points, or 1.5 percent, to 2,073.07. The Nasdaq composite gained 75.77 points, or 1.5 percent, to 5,071.13.

The market finished higher for the third day in a row, something that hadn't happened in almost two months. The S&P 500 is up 3 percent over the last three days.

The biggest gainers were sectors known for paying big dividends. Utilities surged 2.6 percent, while telecommunications and consumer goods makers rose 2 percent. Only the energy sector finished lower as the price of oil dropped and natural gas continued to fall.

Paul Christopher, head global market strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute, said investors think big dividend payers might pay even more out to shareholders and buy back more stock because as interest rates rise, they'll be reluctant to spend a lot of money on equipment.

The Federal Reserve raised its main interest rate by a quarter of a point, a move that was widely anticipated in the markets. That rate had been near zero for seven years.

For months the Fed has been suggesting it would raise borrowing costs from their historically low levels because the U.S. economy has improved a great deal since the financial crisis and the Great Recession. The S&P 500 has more than doubled since the Federal funds rate was cut to zero in 2008. Unemployment, which peaked at 10 percent, is now at five percent.

The Fed emphasized Wednesday that it plans to raise interest rates slowly.

Stephen Freedman, senior investment strategist at UBS Wealth Management Americas, said the Fed is "taking off the Band-Aid" because the economy has healed substantially.

"Three or four hikes next year would be, historically speaking, extremely slow and progressive," he said. "The Fed is not going to choke the economy."

The boost in interest rates lifted metals prices. The yield on the two-year Treasury note also rose to its highest level in five years.

Oil prices and energy stocks skidded after the U.S. government said oil stockpiles grew 4.8 million barrels last week. The price of oil has plunged to its lowest levels in more than six years because supplies continued to rise as the global economy struggles.

Benchmark U.S. crude dropped $1.83, or 4.9 percent, to close at $35.52 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, lost $1.26, or 3.3 percent, to $37.19 a barrel in London. U.S. crude had climbed over the last two days after falling beneath $35 a barrel Monday.

Pioneer Natural Resources lost $10.18, or 7 percent, to $134.40 and Devon Energy dropped $1.30, or 4.1 percent, to $30.57.

Natural gas, which has dropped to 16-year-lows, lost 3.2 cents to close at $1.79 per 1,000 cubic feet. Natural gas has been falling as traders anticipate weaker demand for home heating due to the unseasonably warm winter weather in the U.S.

The price of wholesale gasoline fell 1.2 cents to $1.233 a gallon and heating oil lost 3.5 cents, or 3 percent, to $1.112 a gallon.

Payment card processor Heartland Payments climbed after it accepted an offer from Global Payments worth $100 per share, or $4.3 billion. Heartland provides credit, debit, and prepaid card processing and security technology services nationwide. Its shares rose $9.87, or 11.6 percent, to $94.97.

The government said the pace of homebuilding increased in November on a big jump in apartment construction in the Midwest and the South. Construction of single-family houses also reached an eight-year high. The Commerce Department said Wednesday that total housing starts climbed 10.5 percent.

Shares of homebuilders rallied. Beazer Homes rose 64 cents, or 5.6 percent, to $12.13. PulteGroup added 63 cents, or 3.6 percent, to $18.02 and D.R. Horton advanced 80 cents, or 2.5 percent, to $32.26.

U.S. government bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.30 percent. The euro edged up to $1.0970 from $1.0917 late Thursday while the dollar rose to 121.85 yen from 121.73 yen.

The price of gold rose $15.20, or 1.4 percent, to $1,076.80 an ounce and silver jumped 47.8 cents, or 3.5 percent, to $14.25 an ounce. Copper picked up 1.5 cents to $2.07 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -253.25 points or ▼ -1.43% on Thursday, December 17, 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,495.84 ▼ -253.25 ▼ -1.43%
Nasdaq____ 5,002.55 ▼ -68.58 ▼ -1.35%
S&P_500___ 2,041.89 ▼ -31.18 ▼ -1.50%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.94 ▼ -0.07 ▼ -2.23%

NYSE Volume 4,249,961,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,841,601,120

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,102.54 ▲ 41.35 ▲ 0.68%
DAX_____ 10,738.12 ▲ 268.86 ▲ 2.57%
CAC_40__ 4,677.54 ▲ 52.87 ▲ 1.14%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,150.60 ▲ 71.90 ▲ 1.42%
Shanghai_Comp 3,580.00 ▲ 63.81 ▲ 1.81%
Taiwan_Weight 8,319.67 ▲ 135.01 ▲ 1.65%
Nikkei_225___ 19,353.56 ▲ 303.65 ▲ 1.59%
Hang_Seng.__ 21,872.06 ▲ 170.85 ▲ 0.79%
Strait_Times.__ 2,861.18 ▲ 20.26 ▲ 0.71%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,088.33 ▲ 17.39 ▲ 0.29%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-dip-early-trading-153155265.html

Stocks slide as a late tumble erases post-Fed gains
Associated Press By MARLEY JAY

NEW YORK (AP) ”” Stocks skidded Thursday as a late drop erased the market's gains from the day before. Companies that sell oil, gold and silver tumbled along with the prices of those commodities.

Thursday's slide marked the end of a three-day winning streak. Indexes drifted lower in the morning and fell sharply in the final minutes of trading. Energy stocks fell as the price of oil slumped again, and lower metals prices hurt mining companies.

The Dow Jones industrial average sank 253.25 points, or 1.4 percent, to 17,495.84. The Standard & Poor's 500 lost 31.18 points, or 1.5 percent, to 2,041.89. The Nasdaq composite index gave up 68.58 points, or 1.4 percent, to 5,002.55.

Energy and mining stocks have been pummeled this year as the sluggish global economy reduces demand even as supplies become more abundant. U.S. crude fell 57 cents, or 1.6 percent, to $34.95 a barrel in New York. It had not closed beneath $35 since Feb. 18, 2009 and traded above $60 a barrel as recently as June.

Chevron lost $2.90, or 3.1 percent, to $90.54 and Marathon Oil lost $1, or 7.3 percent, to $12.78.

Natural gas, which has fallen to 16-year lows, gave up another 3.5 cents, or 2 percent, to $1.755 per 1,000 cubic feet. The price of natural gas has tumbled as demand has collapsed. Thanks to the warm weather, customers haven't needed much gas to heat their homes this winter. And demand from industrial customers has been weak.

Metals prices gave up their gains from Wednesday. The price of gold fell $27.20, or 2.5 percent, to $1,049.60 an ounce and silver sank 54.5 cents, or 3.8 percent, to $13.703 an ounce. Copper fell 2.8 cents, or 1.4 percent, to $2.044 a pound.

Among mining stocks, Newmont Mining dropped $1.47, or 7.7 percent, to $17.61 and Freeport-McMoRan lost 57 cents, or 8.5 percent, to $6.12.

Only utility stocks traded higher. Utilities have also struggled this year, but including a tiny gain Thursday, they have risen for four days in a row and are up 4 percent over that time. Utility stocks are seen as steady performers that pay regular dividends, and some investors think payments are going to increase. Duke Energy rose 47 cents to $70.50 and Ameren Corp. gained $1.03, or 2.4 percent, to $44.03.

Solar power stocks continued to rise after Congress agreed to extend a federal tax credit for commercial and residential solar projects. Leading Democrats and Republicans reportedly agreed to extend the 30-percent credit through 2019, after which it will wind down over two years. The credit was scheduled to fall in 2017 and be eliminated in 2018.

SolarCity gained $3.57, or 6.6 percent, to $57.26 and Sunrun added $1.08, or 9.3 percent, to $12.71. The stocks are up 55 percent and 62 percent this week, respectively.

"This was one of the biggest risks confronting the industry over the last year," said Angelica Jarvenpaa, research associate for Raymond James. She said solar power companies didn't know if the tax credit would be allowed to expire.

Jarvenpaa said the agreement is "among the best case scenarios" for solar power because it tells companies what they can expect for the next several years. She added that the extension will benefit the entire industry, including companies that serve homes, businesses, utilities and manufacturers of solar cells.

Shipping company FedEx said its quarterly profit grew as online shopping increased and costs in its express-delivery business came down. FedEx also said it thinks holiday shipments will rise by more than 12 percent from a year ago. FedEx rose $3.01, or 2 percent, to $151.84.

Streaming music company Pandora Media surged. A panel of copyright judges raised the amount that streaming companies like Pandora have to pay to record labels, but the increase was less than many had expected. Pandora jumped $1.82, or 13.5 percent, to $15.26.

Business software maker Oracle had its worst day in more than two years. The stock slipped after Oracle reported a smaller quarterly profit. Its revenue also fell short of analyst forecasts. The shares declined $1.98, or 5.1 percent, to $36.93.

The dollar climbed. While the Fed is raising interest rates, central banks in Europe and Japan are planning to lower them. That will make the dollar even stronger. A strong dollar hurts U.S. exporters but makes imports cheaper.

The euro dropped to $1.0805 from $1.0970. The dollar rose to 122.85 yen from 121.85 yen.

U.S. government bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.23 percent from 2.30 percent late Wednesday.

In other energy trading, Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, fell 33 cents, or 0.9 percent, to $37.06 a barrel in London. The price of wholesale gasoline rose 2.9 cents, or 2.3 percent, to $1.262 a gallon in New York. Heating oil slipped 0.7 cents to $1.105 a gallon.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -367.29 points or ▼ -2.10% on Friday, December 18, 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,128.55 ▼ -367.29 ▼ -2.10%
Nasdaq____ 4,923.08 ▼ -79.47 ▼ -1.59%
S&P_500___ 2,005.55 ▼ -36.34 ▼ -1.78%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.91 ▼ -0.03 ▼ -0.89%

NYSE Volume 6,585,060,500
Nasdaq Volume 3,722,671,000

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,052.42 ▼ -50.12 ▼ -0.82%
DAX_____ 10,608.19 ▼ -129.93 ▼ -1.21%
CAC_40__ 4,625.26 ▼ -52.28 ▼ -1.12%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,156.50 ▲ 5.90 ▲ 0.11%
Shanghai_Comp 3,578.96 ▼ -1.03 ▼ -0.03%
Taiwan_Weight 8,257.32 ▼ -62.35 ▼ -0.75%
Nikkei_225___ 18,986.80 ▼ -366.76 ▼ -1.90%
Hang_Seng.__ 21,755.56 ▼ -116.50 ▼ -0.53%
Strait_Times.__ 2,852.84 ▼ -8.34 ▼ -0.29%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,107.84 ▲ 19.51 ▲ 0.32%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-keep-sliding-global-153625375.html

US stocks tumble on global worries; financial stocks skid
Associated Press By MARLEY JAY

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks plunged across all sectors in the heaviest trading of the year Friday as enthusiasm over a long-awaited increase in U.S. interest rates faded.

Several other negative factors combined to give the market its second big loss in a row, bringing the indexes lower for the week.

Bank stocks, which investors had bid up in hopes they would become more profitable as loan rates climbed, fell the most. Technology shares suffered more declines as a bad December got worse for Apple. The world's most valuable publicly traded company sank again, bringing its monthly loss to 10 percent.

Overseas, Japan's market sank after that country's central bank made changes to a stimulus program that fell short of what investors were hoping for. Another drop in energy prices sent oil stocks lower again, and worries about weak global growth weighed on shipping and other transportation companies.

The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 367.29 points, or 2.1 percent, to 17,128.55. The S&P 500 index fell 36.34 points, or 1.8 percent, to 2,005.55. The Nasdaq composite sank 79.47 points, or 1.6 percent, to 4,923.08. All 10 Standard & Poor's 500 sectors fell.

U.S. stock trading was even more volatile than usual Friday because of the simultaneous expiration of several kinds of futures and other contracts that investors use to place bets on indexes and individual stocks. As a result Friday was the busiest trading day of the year for stocks.

The market ended a tumultuous week slightly lower. Stocks had rallied over the first three days and jumped Wednesday after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the first time in almost a decade. The move was a vote of confidence in the U.S. economy. But over the next two days stocks were hit by some of the worries that have dogged them all year, like weakness in the Chinese economy, slowing global growth, and skidding prices for energy and metals.

While the Bank of Japan plans to spend a bit more on exchange-traded funds for companies that increase hiring and investment, investors were hoping for more, according to Ryan Larson, head of U.S. equity trading for RBC Global Asset Management.

"They were looking for more, and when the market's disappointed, this is what you get," he said.

The global market went into a similar slide two weeks ago, when the European Central Bank ramped up its stimulus efforts but didn't do nearly as much as expected. Stocks rallied after ECB President Mario Draghi said the bank is ready to expand its stimulus program further if needed.

Those slumps show that investors will continue keeping an eye on the words and deeds of central banks in struggling Europe and Japan as well as the U.S. for the foreseeable future.

The Federal Reserve had kept interest rates near zero for seven years. Fed Chair Janet Yellen emphasized that despite the boost, interest rates will remain low for some time. That pleased investors overall, but it eventually put pressure on bank stocks. Banks will benefit from higher interest rates and have and have rallied over the last few months, but the initial benefits won't be great.

Goldman Sachs dropped $7.12, or 3.9 percent, to $175.49 and ETrade Financial lost $1.13, or 3.8 percent, to $28.82. Citigroup gave up $1.63, or 3.1 percent, to $51.21.

Tech stocks also slumped. Apple fell $2.95, or 2.7 percent, to $106.03. The stock has fallen 10 percent in December and has risen only three days this month. Microsoft fell $1.57, or 2.8 percent, to $54.13.

Transportation stocks also fell. Shares of J.B. Hunt Transportation surrendered $1.96, or 2.7 percent, to $70.62 and Ryder System lost $2.59, or 4.6 percent, to $54.08.

Used car dealership chain CarMax disclosed disappointing quarterly results, as its profit and sales both fell short of analyst projections. Its stock lost $3.66, or 6.4 percent, to $53.49.

The news wasn't all bad. Darden Restaurants, the owner of Olive Garden and other chains, climbed after the company raised its outlook for the year. Olive Garden sales rose and the company's profit was better than analysts were expecting. The stock added $4.11, or 7 percent, to $62.50.

U.S. crude fell 22 cents to $34.73 a barrel in New York. Oil is trading at its lowest level in almost seven years and has slumped over the last two days. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, slipped 18 cents to $36.88 a barrel in London. Natural gas, which has sunk to 16-year lows as demand fell, picked up 1.2 cents to $1.767 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Offshore oil drilling companies skidded. Transocean gave up 74 cents, or 5.7 percent, to $12.26 while Ensco lost $1.08, or 7 percent, to $14.31 and Diamond Offshore Drilling dipped 70 cents, or 3.3 percent, to$20.47.

Wholesale gasoline rose 1.3 cents to $1.275 a gallon and heating oil inched up to $1.107 a gallon.

Metals prices also rose Friday. The price of gold edged up $15.40, or 1.5 percent, to $1,065 per ounce and silver added 39.3 cents, or 2.9 percent, to $14.096 an ounce. Copper rose 6.9 cents, or 3.4 percent, to $2.113 a pound.

U.S. government bond prices rose. The yield on 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.21 percent from 2.23 percent. The euro rose to $1.0863 from $1.0805. The dollar dipped to 121.25 yen from 122.85 yen. The dollar had climbed Thursday and is expected to gain strength as the Fed raises interest rates while central banks in Europe and Japan reduce interest rates.

4348

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 123.07 points or ▲ 0.72% on Monday, December 21, 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,251.62 ▲ 123.07 ▲ 0.72%
Nasdaq____ 4,968.92 ▲ 45.84 ▲ 0.93%
S&P_500___ 2,021.15 ▲ 15.60 ▲ 0.78%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.93 ▲ 0.02 ▲ 0.55%

NYSE Volume 3,685,404,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,626,678,500

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,034.84 ▼ -17.58 ▼ -0.29%
DAX_____ 10,497.77 ▼ -110.42 ▼ -1.04%
CAC_40__ 4,565.17 ▼ -60.09 ▼ -1.30%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,157.80 ▲ 1.30 ▲ 0.03%
Shanghai_Comp 3,642.47 ▲ 63.51 ▲ 1.77%
Taiwan_Weight 8,282.17 ▲ 24.85 ▲ 0.30%
Nikkei_225___ 18,916.02 ▼ -70.78 ▼ -0.37%
Hang_Seng.__ 21,791.68 ▲ 36.12 ▲ 0.17%
Strait_Times.__ 2,845.55 ▼ -7.29 ▼ -0.26%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,120.82 ▲ 12.98 ▲ 0.21%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-rise-moderately-light-150842747.html

US stocks post modest gain in light trading

US stocks recover some of last week's losses in light trade; oil stocks fall as oil drops
Associated Press By Ken Sweet, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks posted moderate gains in a quiet trading day Monday, recovering part of their losses sustained late last week. Energy stocks continued to be a drag on the market, as the price of oil fell once again.

The Dow Jones industrial average added 123.07 points, or 0.7 percent, to 17,251.62. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 15.60 points, or 0.8 percent, to 2,021.15 and the Nasdaq composite rose 45.84 points, or 0.9 percent, to 4,968.92.

Investors are still working through the market impact of the Federal Reserve's decision last week to raise interest rates for the first time in nearly a decade. Markets rose in response to the Fed finally ending the uncertainty around its decision last Wednesday, but then fell sharply later in the week when traders sold shares to book profits. The Dow dropped 2.1 percent Friday.

Monday's buying was partly a recovery from last week's drop, a common response to a sharp sell-off.

Crude oil continued to decline, however, nearing levels not seen since the financial crisis. Crude oil fell 25 cents, or 0.7 percent, to $35.81 a barrel. Brent crude, which is used to price international oils, was down 53 cents, or 1.4 percent, to $36.35 a barrel.

Energy stocks struggled as a result, making it the worst performing sector in the S&P 500. Newfield Exploration fell $1.19, or 4 percent, to $30.41. ConocoPhillips fell 83 cents, or 2 percent, to $45.10.

Trading volume tends to decrease on Wall Street during the last two weeks of the year, as many investors begin to close their books and go away for the holidays. Markets are closed for the next two Fridays for holidays, and trading closes early on Thursday for Christmas Eve. There is also little in the way of market-moving economic data or company news expected.

"Today's calendar is relatively light, and with liquidity getting thinner over the course of the week, the potential for exaggerated moves is very real," said Chris Beauchamp, senior market analyst at IG. "The default direction is still likely to be up, given past performance."

In other energy trading, heating oil fell a penny to $1.13 a gallon, wholesale gasoline fell five cents to $1.22 a gallon and natural gas jumped 14 cents to $1.91 per 1,000 cubic feet.

The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note fell to 2.19 percent from 2.21 percent on Friday. The dollar fell against the euro to $1.09 while the dollar was mostly unchanged against the yen at $121.19.

In metals, gold rose $15.60 to $1,080.60 a troy ounce, silver rose 22 cents to $14.31 a troy ounce and copper rose three cents to $2.14 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 165.65 points or ▲ 0.96% on Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,417.27 ▲ 165.65 ▲ 0.96%
Nasdaq____ 5,001.11 ▲ 32.19 ▲ 0.65%
S&P_500___ 2,038.97 ▲ 17.82 ▲ 0.88%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.96 ▲ 0.04 ▲ 1.30%

NYSE Volume 3,462,061,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,519,035,500

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,083.10 ▲ 48.26 ▲ 0.80%
DAX_____ 10,488.75 ▼ -9.02 ▼ -0.09%
CAC_40__ 4,567.60 ▲ 2.43 ▲ 0.05%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,167.70 ▲ 9.90 ▲ 0.19%
Shanghai_Comp 3,651.77 ▲ 9.30 ▲ 0.26%
Taiwan_Weight 8,292.74 ▲ 10.57 ▲ 0.13%
Nikkei_225___ 18,886.70 ▼ -29.32 ▼ -0.16%
Hang_Seng.__ 21,830.02 ▲ 38.34 ▲ 0.18%
Strait_Times.__ 2,848.59 ▲ 3.04 ▲ 0.11%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,147.97 ▲ 27.15 ▲ 0.44%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-slightly-higher-price-151716555.html#

US stocks move higher as the price of crude oil stabilizes
Associated Press By KEN SWEET

NEW YORK (AP) ”” Stocks rose for a second day on Tuesday, helped by a stabilization in crude oil prices. Chipotle Mexican Grill fell on more worries about the safety of its food.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 165.65 points, or 1 percent, to 17,417.27. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 17.82 points, or 0.9 percent, to 2,038.97 and the Nasdaq composite rose 32.19 points, or 0.7 percent, to 5,001.11.

It was another light day of trading. Many investors have closed their portfolios for the year or are on vacation for the Christmas and New Year's holidays. However, a modest recovery in oil prices did help lift energy and materials stocks.

"Investors are either done for the year or are setting up their portfolios for 2016, buying this year's winners or doing reallocation to their portfolios," said J.J. Kinahan, chief strategist at TD Ameritrade.

Chipotle Mexican Grill fell $27.40, or 5 percent, to $494.61 after the fast food chain disclosed additional cases of E. coli had occurred at its restaurants.

U.S. crude oil futures closed up 33 cents to $36.14 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, which is used to price international oils, was down 24 cents to $36.11 a barrel in London. Energy stocks were among the bigger gainers Tuesday, with the energy sector of the S&P 500 index up 1.2 percent. Mining and materials stocks were also up.

Diamond Offshore rose $1.13, or 5.6 percent, to $21.43. Drilling rig operator Transocean rose 43 cents, or 4 percent, to $12.55.

Markets are searching for direction as the flow of economic data slows dramatically until after the New Year. Investors have already had plenty of time to digest this month's major decisions by the Federal Reserve to raise rates and by the European Central Bank to increase its stimulus efforts.

Most investors expect stocks and bonds to trade in a narrow range until January.

"We need a catalyst, and look to the week of the employment report to be that catalyst, but that is still two weeks away," John Briggs, head of American fixed income strategy at RBS, wrote in a note to investors.

In other energy trading, heating oil fell 1.3 cents to $1.088 a gallon, wholesale gasoline fell 3.5 cents to $1.175 a gallon and natural gas fell 1.3 cents to $1.888 per thousand cubic feet.

The euro rose to $1.0952 from $1.0926 a day earlier. The dollar was unchanged against the Japanese yen at 121.04. The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note rose to 2.24 percent from 2.19 percent the day before.

In metals trading, gold fell $6.50 to $1,074.10 a troy ounce, silver was unchanged at $14.31 an ounce and copper fell three cents to $2.109 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

MERRY XMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 185.34 points or ▲ 1.06% on Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,602.61 ▲ 185.34 ▲ 1.06%
Nasdaq____ 5,045.93 ▲ 44.82 ▲ 0.90%
S&P_500___ 2,064.29 ▲ 25.32 ▲ 1.24%
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.00 ▲ 0.03 ▲ 1.15%

NYSE Volume 3,421,366,500
Nasdaq Volume 1,552,371,380

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,240.98 ▲ 157.88 ▲ 2.60%
DAX_____ 10,727.64 ▲ 238.89 ▲ 2.28%
CAC_40__ 4,674.53 ▲ 106.93 ▲ 2.34%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,193.50 ▲ 25.80 ▲ 0.50%
Shanghai_Comp 3,636.09 ▼ -15.68 ▼ -0.43%
Taiwan_Weight 8,315.70 ▲ 22.96 ▲ 0.28%
Nikkei_225___ 18,886.70 ▼ -29.32 ▼ -0.16%
Hang_Seng.__ 22,040.59 ▲ 210.57 ▲ 0.96%
Strait_Times.__ 2,863.65 ▲ 10.68 ▲ 0.37%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,195.34 ▲ 47.37 ▲ 0.77%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/energy-stocks-lead-early-market-gain-oil-price-152504332--finance.html

Energy stocks lead a market gain as oil price climbs
Associated Press By KEN SWEET

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks advanced for a third straight day on Wednesday, once again helped by higher oil prices, which lifted shares in oil and gas companies.

Trading was light as Wall Street and the rest of the country heads into Christmas and the New Year. U.S. markets will be open for only a half day on Thursday.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 185.34 points, or 1.1 percent, to 17,602.61. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 25.32 points, or 1.2 percent, to 2,064.29 and the Nasdaq composite rose 44.82 points, or 0.9 percent, to 5,045.93.

With the gains in the last three days, U.S. markets have recovered most of the losses incurred late last week. The S&P 500 is back in the black for 2015, albeit slightly.

Investors took their cues from the energy markets once again. Oil prices rose for a third day, bouncing back from lows hit earlier in the week, which helped lift the battered energy sector. U.S. crude futures jumped $1.36, or 3.8 percent, to $37.50 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, which is used to price international oils, added $1.25, or 3.5 percent, to $37.36 a barrel in London.

"The market lately has been ruled pretty clearly by oil in particular, and more broadly, commodity prices. Now we seem to have some stability in oil, copper and other metals that's helping the market," said Scott Wren, senior global equity strategist at the Wells Fargo Investment Institute.

Oil and gas prices rose sharply, easily beating out other sectors in the market. Among individual stocks, Murphy Oil rose $1.31, or 6 percent, to $23.62, ConocoPhillips rose $2.75, or 6 percent as well, to $49.03 and Halliburton added $1.43, or 4.2 percent, to $35.45. Overall, the S&P 500 energy sector is up 5.6 percent this week alone. For the year it's still down 21 percent, the most in the S&P 500.

In other trading, Nike fell $3.14, or 2.4 percent, to $128.71, after the company reported revenue that fell short of analysts' forecasts. Nike is still the biggest winner in the Dow average this year with a gain of 34 percent.

U.S. government bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.26 percent. The dollar slipped to 120.88 yen from 121.04 yen a day earlier. The euro edged lower to $1.0912 from $1.0952.

In other energy commodities, heating oil rose 3.2 cents to $1.119 a gallon, wholesale gasoline rose 6.7 cents, or 6 percent, to $1.241 a gallon and natural gas rose 9.5 cents, or 5 percent, to $1.983 per thousand cubic feet.

Precious and industrial metals prices ended mixed. Gold fell $5.80 to $1,068.30 an ounce, silver slipped 3 cents to $14.29 an ounce and copper edged up two cents to $2.12 a pound.

==========================================================================
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/2015-market-winners-losers-tech-191516725.html

2015 market winners, losers: Tech soars, old guard stumbles

Netflix and Amazon are 2015's biggest gainers, energy companies crowd list of biggest losers
Associated Press By Marley Jay, AP Markets Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- In a flat year overall for stocks, there was still plenty of excitement to be enjoyed — or endured — by 2015's biggest winners and losers.

It was a year to make old guard companies shudder.

New media companies like Netflix, which rose 142 percent to notch the biggest gain in the S&P 500, became more valuable than established media companies like CBS. Amazon eviscerated traditional retailers like Macy's and Walmart. And energy and materials companies were flattened by weak demand at a time of abundant supplies. The biggest loser was Chesapeake Energy, down almost 80 percent in 2015.

The Dow Jones industrial average, dominated by long-established companies in traditional industries, is down 1.2 percent for the year through Wednesday. The Nasdaq composite, with its heavy concentration of technology companies, is up a respectable 6.5 percent.

Here are the stories behind some of the stock markets biggest winners and losers for 2015.

ANOTHER STAR TURN FOR NETFLIX
Netflix has enjoyed top billing before: it was the biggest gainer in the S&P 500 in 2010 and 2013, and it more than tripled in value both years.

But another big year in 2015 pushed the company's value past established media rivals like CBS and made it about the same as Time Warner. The streaming entertainment service had 69 million subscribers at the end of the third quarter, and almost a quarter of those signed up in the last year. Netflix also continued to win fans for shows like "Orange is the New Black" and "Narcos." The company says its service will be available in 200 countries by the end of the year.

AMAZONIAN PROPORTIONS
E-commerce giant Amazon celebrated its 20th anniversary with results that sent investors into a buying frenzy. Amazon was the second biggest gainer in the S&P 500 for the year, up 114 percent through Wednesday. The company is on track to report more than $100 billion in revenue in 2015 and it has started to turn in higher profits more frequently despite a loss in the first quarter.

Its stock surge pushed the company's market value past that of longtime competitor Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart stock fell 29 percent in 2015, which made this Wal-Mart's worst year since 1974, when it had fewer than 100 stores. Wal-Mart was the Dow's biggest loser.

"This year seemed to mark an inflection point for Amazon," wrote Christine Short, an analyst at Estimize, who said Amazon was "almost solely responsible for the downfall of big box giant Wal-Mart."

Macy's and Staples also were among the 20 biggest losers as fewer shoppers trekked to stores and bought more goods online instead.

Amazon is now in a battle with the other high-flying stock of 2015: Amazon and Netflix are rivals in creating original entertainment for subscribers. This year the two snagged almost 50 Primetime Emmy nominations between them. Netflix shows received far more nominations but Amazon's shows won five Emmys to Netflix's four.

WARCRAFT GETS A CANDY CRUSH
The third biggest gainer in the S&P 500 was Activision Blizzard, the video game maker behind "Call of Duty" and "World of Warcraft." It rose 93 percent as it moved to expand into the sweeter side of games. In November the company agreed to buy King Entertainment, the maker of the smartphone hit "Candy Crush Saga," to strengthen its mobile games business. It is also working on a "World of Warcraft" movie and a TV show adapted from its kid-focused "Skylanders" game.

The rest of the top ten winners in the index were a mix of companies representing several industries, including the video graphics chip maker NVIDIA, the payments processor Total System Services, the website domain name company VeriSign, and Spam maker Hormel Foods. First Solar also made the top 10, getting a major boost when Congress extended tax breaks for solar installations in December.

THE BIGGEST LOSERS
Six of the 10 biggest losers in the S&P 500 were energy companies, led by Chesapeake Energy, Southwestern Energy and Consol Energy. All three are dependent on the price of natural gas and all fell between 75 percent and 80 percent this year. Nine energy companies in the index lost at least half their value.

A big reason: Mother Nature. An extraordinarily warm fall and early winter in the U.S. is slashing demand for heating, and half the nation uses natural gas to heat their homes. Natural gas supplies were already high coming into the winter. That combined with low demand pushed natural gas prices to their lowest levels since 1999 in mid-December.

The rout in crude oil prices that began in mid-2014 deepened in 2015, pulling down the value of oil company shares and the performance of the overall stock market.

All this pain for energy companies is good for consumers, who are now enjoying low prices for gasoline and shrinking heating bills.

There were four non-energy losers in the S&P's bottom 10.

— Mining company Freeport-McMoRan fell 68 percent, hurt by slowing economic growth in China that reduced demand for raw materials.

— Watchmaker Fossil Group lost nearly two-thirds of its value as fitness trackers grew more popular and the Apple Watch was launched.

— Chipmaker Micron Technology fell 59 percent as consumers continued to turn away from personal computers.

— Casino operator Wynn Resorts fell 54 percent because a corruption crackdown in China has dampened the enthusiasm of high-rolling gamblers in Macau, an important location for Wynn.

 

[Joe Blow]

MERRY XMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL

Merry Christmas bigdog! I hope you and your loved ones enjoy a relaxing Christmas break.

Thank you again for providing the ASF community with your daily U.S. market updates. Your efforts are sincerely appreciated.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -50.44 points or ▼ -0.29% on Thursday, December 24, 2015
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,552.17 ▼ -50.44 ▼ -0.29%
Nasdaq____ 5,048.49 ▲ 2.56 ▲ 0.05%
S&P_500___ 2,060.99 ▼ -3.30 ▼ -0.16%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.96 ▼ -0.03 ▼ -1.13%

NYSE Volume 1,402,775,000
Nasdaq Volume 695,613,440

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,254.64 ▲ 13.66 ▲ 0.22%
DAX_____ 10,727.64 ▲ 238.89 ▲ 2.28%
CAC_40__ 4,663.18 ▼ -11.35 ▼ -0.24%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,256.10 ▲ 62.60 ▲ 1.21%
Shanghai_Comp 3,612.49 ▼ -23.60 ▼ -0.65%
Taiwan_Weight 8,324.36 ▲ 8.66 ▲ 0.10%
Nikkei_225___ 18,789.69 ▼ -97.01 ▼ -0.51%
Hang_Seng.__ 22,138.13 ▲ 97.54 ▲ 0.44%
Strait_Times.__ 2,877.62 ▲ 13.97 ▲ 0.49%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,225.53 ▲ 30.19 ▲ 0.49%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-waver-thin-trading-150321278.html

US stocks drift to a mixed close in quiet pre-holiday trade

US stocks end little changed in a quiet, holiday-shortened trading day
Associated Press By Ken Sweet, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks closed slightly lower in extremely light trading Thursday as investors remained on the sidelines ahead of Christmas. The price of crude oil continued to recover.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 50.44 points, or 0.3 percent, to 17,552.17. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 3.30 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,060.99 and the Nasdaq composite rose 2.56 points, less than 0.1 percent, to 5,048.49.

Christmas Eve is almost always the quietest trading day of the year, and this year was no exception. Roughly 1.4 billion shares changed hands on the New York Stock Exchange, a third of what's typical and the lowest volume since Christmas Eve 2013.

U.S. and European markets will remain closed Friday in observance of Christmas.

While stocks were slightly lower Thursday, U.S. markets had a solid week. The S&P 500 rose nearly 3 percent and is back into positive territory for the year, albeit barely. It is not uncommon for stocks to rally into the end of the year, as investors close their books and reposition themselves for the next year.

"The Santa Claus rally got an early start," said Quincy Krosby, a market strategist with Prudential Financial, referring to the gains that historically happen between Christmas and New Year's Day. "If we can hold onto this, we will be setting up for a good January."

Oil prices continued to recover from lows earlier in the week. U.S. crude futures gained 60 cents to close at $38.10 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, which is used to price international oils, rose 53 cents to close at $37.89 a barrel in London.

Energy stocks didn't benefit from oil's climb. The energy component of the S&P 500 index fell 0.9 percent, the most of the 10 industry sectors in the S&P 500 index.

In other company news, bond insurer MBIA rose 51 cents, or 8 percent, to $6.75 after Puerto Rico's struggling electric power company reached a deal with its creditors. MBIA insured the bonds issued by the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority.

The dollar edged lower to 120.28 yen from 120.88 yen a day earlier. The euro rose slightly to $1.0964 from $1.0912.

Bond prices rose slightly. The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note fell to 2.24 percent from 2.25 percent a day earlier.

In other energy markets, heating oil fell 1.8 cents to close at $1.101 a gallon, wholesale gasoline rose 2.3 cents to $1.264 a gallon and natural gas rose 4.6 cents to $2.029 per 1,000 cubic feet.

In the metals markets, gold rose $7.60 to $1,075.90 an ounce, silver rose nine cents to $14.38 an ounce and copper was unchanged at $2.12 a pound.

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