NYSE Dow Jones finished today at:

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 282.01 points or ▲ 1.78% on Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,167.23 ▲ 282.01 ▲ 1.78%
Nasdaq____ 4,567.67 ▲ 49.18 ▲ 1.09%
S&P_500___ 1,903.63 ▲ 26.55 ▲ 1.41%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.78 ▼ -0.02 ▼ -0.75%

NYSE Volume 4,297,086,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,944,020,880

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 5,911.46 ▲ 34.46 ▲ 0.59%
DAX_____ 9,822.75 ▲ 86.60 ▲ 0.89%
CAC_40__ 4,356.81 ▲ 45.48 ▲ 1.05%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,057.10 ▲ 87.50 ▲ 1.76% HOLIDAY
Shanghai_Comp 2,749.79 ▼ -188.73 ▼ -6.42%
Taiwan_Weight 7,828.67 ▼ -65.48 ▼ -0.83%
Nikkei_225___ 16,708.90 ▼ -402.01 ▼ -2.35%
Hang_Seng.__ 18,860.80 ▼ -479.34 ▼ -2.48%
Strait_Times.__ 2,546.49 ▼ -36.15 ▼ -1.40%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,142.15 ▼ -33.09 ▼ -0.54%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stocks-rise-oil-prices-consumer-154438336.html

Stock rise, driven by a turn higher in crude oil prices

Oil prices are changing course again and climbing, boosting energy stocks
Associated Press By Marley Jay, AP Markets Writer


NEW YORK (AP) -- U.S. stocks jumped Tuesday as the price of oil made another abrupt reversal, this time rising almost 4 percent after falling sharply the day before.

Energy stocks climbed along with the price of oil, and Chevron and Exxon Mobil made major gains. Strong fourth-quarter results from beleaguered wireless provider Sprint gave telecom stocks a boost. Quarterly earnings also sent several stocks higher, including Post-it Notes maker 3M, Procter & Gamble, which makes Crest toothpaste, and luxury handbag maker Coach.

The Dow Jones industrial average jumped 282.01 points, or 1.8 percent, to 16,167.23. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 26.55 points, or 1.4 percent, to 1,903.63. The Nasdaq composite index added 49.18 points, or 1.1 percent, to 4,567.67.

Energy stocks gained ground as the price of U.S. crude rose $1.10, or 3.7 percent, to close at $31.45 a barrel in New York. It fell almost 6 percent Monday. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, rose $1.30, or 4.3 percent, to $31.80 a barrel in London. Despite the rebound, U.S. crude is down almost 18 percent this month.

Exxon Mobil picked up $2.72, or 3.7 percent, $76.70 and Chevron rose $3.23, or 4 percent, to $84.12.

Quarterly earnings contributed to many of the biggest moves of the day. Procter & Gamble reported a larger profit in the fourth quarter as it raised prices and cut costs. The maker of Pantene shampoo, Crest toothpaste and Charmin toilet paper added $1.96, or 2.6 percent, to $78.81.

Coach reported a greater profit than analysts had expected, and its stock rose $2.98, or 9.8 percent, to $33.33. Even with that big gain, however, it's down 10 percent over the last 12 months.

3M, which makes industrial coatings and ceramics, reported a greater profit and more revenue than analysts expected. It rose $7.21, or 5.2 percent, to $144.78.

The Dow had its best day since early December. Many of the companies making the biggest gains, including Exxon, Chevron and 3M, are Dow components. The Nasdaq made smaller gains because tech stocks didn't rise as much as the broader market.

Huntington Bancshares agreed to buy competitor FirstMerit Corp for $3.4 billion. The deal would create the largest bank in Ohio, and the companies would have about $100 billion in combined assets. FirstMerit added $2.82, or 18.3 percent, to $18.19 and Huntington lost 75 cents, or 8.5 percent, to $8.50.

Sprint, the fourth-largest wireless provider in the U.S., posted a smaller loss in its third quarter and said its aggressive promotions lured in more users. The company raised its outlook for the year.

Sprint's stock rose 47 cents, or 18.7 percent, to $2.99. The stock, which hit an all-time low last Wednesday, has been on a wild ride the last few days, jumping almost 15 percent Friday and then falling 12 percent Monday, when Sprint said it had cut about 2,500 jobs since last fall, or 8 percent of its staff.

Other telecom stocks also jumped Tuesday. Verizon Communications gained $1.22, or 2.6 percent, to $48.25.

While the market made broad gains and undid most of Monday's losses, it's still down substantially this year and there are signs investors have big worries about the global economy.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note slipped to 2 percent from 2.01 percent and the yield on the two-year Treasury note dipped to 0.84 percent from 0.86 percent. In the last week the yields on those two bonds have gotten closer than they've been since June 2008, a sign that investors are concerned about economic growth.

"Fear is the biggest driver," said Guy LeBas, chief fixed income strategist for Janney Capital. LeBas said investors are also anticipating weaker inflation and think the Federal Reserve will be more cautious about raising interest rates because the market has experienced so much turmoil this month.

U.S. government bonds get more popular with investors when the economy looks dicey because the U.S. government is extremely likely to make good on its debt. Investors are willing to accept lower interest payments when they are concerned about safety.

When yields on longer-term bonds like the 10-year bond fall toward the yield on short-term bonds, it signals that investor expectations for future growth have dimmed.

France's CAC 40 rose 1.1 percent and Germany's DAX picked up 0.9 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 gained 0.6 percent. However Asian markets were hammered by Monday's slide in oil prices, which can signal weak demand. The Shanghai Composite dropped 6.4 percent to finish at 2,749.78, the lowest since December 2014. Japan's Nikkei 225 lost 2.4 percent to 16,708.90.

Gold rose $14.90, or 1.3 percent, to $1,120.20 an ounce and silver gained 31 cents, or 2.2 percent, to $14.564 an ounce. Copper picked up 1.9 cents to $2.158 a pound.

The price of gold has risen 5.8 percent this year. Only 13 stocks in the S&P 500 have made a bigger gain.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline rose 1.7 cents to $1.047 a gallon and heating oil gained 3.2 cents, or 3.5 percent, to 96.8 cents. Natural gas added 2.2 cents to $2.18 per 1,000 cubic feet.

The euro edged up to $1.0844 from $1.0837, and the dollar rose to 118.54 yen from 118.48 late Monday.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -222.77 points or ▼ -1.38% on Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 15,944.46 ▼ -222.77 ▼ -1.38%
Nasdaq____ 4,468.17 ▼ -99.51 ▼ -2.18%
S&P_500___ 1,882.95 ▼ -20.68 ▼ -1.09%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.79 ▲ 0.01 ▲ 0.32%

NYSE Volume 4,702,019,000
Nasdaq Volume 2,072,043,380

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 5,990.37 ▲ 78.91 ▲ 1.33%
DAX_____ 9,880.82 ▲ 58.07 ▲ 0.59%
CAC_40__ 4,380.36 ▲ 23.55 ▲ 0.54%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,000.80 ▼ -56.30 ▼ -1.11%
Shanghai_Comp 2,735.56 ▼ -14.23 ▼ -0.52%
Taiwan_Weight 7,849.83 ▲ 21.16 ▲ 0.27%
Nikkei_225___ 17,163.92 ▲ 455.02 ▲ 2.72%
Hang_Seng.__ 19,052.45 ▲ 191.65 ▲ 1.02%
Strait_Times.__ 2,546.18 ▲ 0.57 ▲ 0.02%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,141.94 ▼ -0.21 ▲ 0.00%

http://www.usnews.com/news/business...-fall-on-weak-forecasts-from-apple-and-boeing

US stocks give up a gain and end sharply lower after the Federal Reserve gives a cautious assessment of the global economy and says US growth has slowed

By MARLEY JAY, AP Markets Writer

NEW YORK (AP) ”” Stocks sank Wednesday after the Federal Reserve gave a cautious assessment of the global economy and said growth in the U.S. has slowed down.

The statement from the Fed smothered a small rally in stocks earlier in the day. In addition to lowering its view of the U.S. economy, the Fed didn't say if it will respond to those and other concerns by slowing down its planned increases in interest rates.

Investors sold tech stocks, already under pressure following a shaky outlook from Apple, as well as consumer stocks like travel booking sites and cruise lines. They bought conservative, dividend-paying stocks like telecommunications companies and utility providers.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 222.77 points, to 1.4 percent, to 15,944.46. A large chunk of that loss belonged to Apple and to Boeing, which gave a disappointing 2016 outlook and suffered its biggest one-day loss in 14 years.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index sank 20.68 points, or 1.1 percent, to 1,882.95. The slump in tech stocks hammered the Nasdaq composite index, which lost 99.51 points, or 2.2 percent, to 4,468.17.

The Federal Reserve said it is watching developments in the world economy and financial markets and how they might affect the U.S. economy. It also said U.S. economic growth had slowed down.

Few expected the Fed to raise interest rates this week because it just raised them last month. Sam Stovall, U.S. equity strategist at S&P Capital IQ, said investors wanted the Fed to say that it won't increase interest rates at its meeting in March, and will raise interest rates after that at a more gradual pace. It didn't do that.

"What the Fed was saying is 'No, March is still on the table,'" he said.

Even if the U.S. economy has slowed, it's been growing steadily for years while other major economies like China, Europe and Japan have struggled. Partly for that reason, the dollar has gotten very strong compared to other global currencies, making U.S. exports more expensive and imports cheaper.

That's one of the big problems facing Apple. Tim Cook, CEO of the world's most valuable publicly traded company, said the dollar is having an "extreme" effect on its sales in almost every country. Apple also said iPhone sales set another record in its latest quarter, but sales growth slowed down. It predicted a revenue decline in the current quarter, something that hasn't happened in 13 years.

The stock gave up $6.57, or 6.6 percent, to $93.42.

The dollar didn't change much after the Fed's announcement. The euro rose to $1.0907 from $1.0853 and the dollar rose to 118.64 yen from 118.46 yen. Further increases in interest rates are likely to make the dollar even stronger compared to other currencies.

The price of crude rose as investors hoped for cuts in fuel production. On Wednesday the head of Russia's state oil pipeline monopoly said talks with OPEC and Saudi Arabia are in the works. Oil prices have plunged over the last year and a half because global supply is outstripping demand, creating a gigantic fuel glut.

Benchmark U.S. crude rose 85 cents, or 2.7 percent, to close at $32.30 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the benchmark for international oils, rose $1.30, or 4.1 percent, to $31.10 a barrel in London. Oil prices also increased about 4 percent on Tuesday.

Since the Fed's last meeting in December, when it raised its benchmark interest rate from record lows, oil prices have plunged, stocks have swung wildly, and investors have become more concerned that China's huge economy, a major driver of global growth, is sputtering.

Aerospace and defense giant Boeing fell after its profit forecast came up short of analysts' projections. The company also said aircraft deliveries will slip this year. Textron, which makes Cessna planes and Bell helicopters, also tumbled after its fourth-quarter profit and sales disappointed investors.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 125.18 points or ▲ 0.79% on Thursday, January 28, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,069.64 ▲ 125.18 ▲ 0.79%
Nasdaq____ 4,506.68 ▲ 38.51 ▲ 0.86%
S&P_500___ 1,893.36 ▲ 10.41 ▲ 0.55%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.79 ▲ 0.00 ▲ 0.04%

NYSE Volume 4,652,180,500
Nasdaq Volume 2,289,637,000

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 5,931.78 ▼ -58.59 ▼ -0.98%
DAX_____ 9,639.59 ▼ -241.23 ▼ -2.44%
CAC_40__ 4,322.16 ▼ -58.20 ▼ -1.33%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,028.10 ▲ 27.30 ▲ 0.55%
Shanghai_Comp 2,655.66 ▼ -79.90 ▼ -2.92%
Taiwan_Weight 7,905.10 ▲ 55.27 ▲ 0.70%
Nikkei_225___ 17,041.45 ▼ -122.47 ▼ -0.71%
Hang_Seng.__ 19,195.83 ▲ 143.38 ▲ 0.75%
Strait_Times.__ 2,559.34 ▲ 13.16 ▲ 0.52%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,149.70 ▲ 7.76 ▲ 0.13%

http://www.usnews.com/news/business...little-changed-in-early-trade-oil-price-rises

US stocks post gains as oil prices send energy companies higher
Associated Press Jan. 28, 2016, at 5:19 p.m
By MARLEY JAY, AP Markets Writer

NEW YORK (AP) ”” U.S. stocks rose Thursday as the price of oil climbed for the third day in a row on hopes that major oil exporters would cut production. Tech stocks traded higher, led by Facebook and PayPal, while drugmakers fell.

Facebook made its biggest leap in two and a half years after it said its profit more than doubled in the fourth quarter. The social network finished 2015 with almost 1.6 billion users. Sports apparel maker Under Armour also surged. Energy prices and companies rose after the Kremlin said it is discussing the state of the oil markets with Saudi Arabia and OPEC. Investors hope that talks between two of the three biggest oil producers in the world could lead to production cuts that would begin to alleviate a global supply glut.

The Dow Jones industrial average climbed 125.18 points, or 0.8 percent, to 16,069.64. The Standard & Poor's 500 index picked up 10.41 points, or 0.6 percent, to 1,893.36. The Nasdaq composite index rose 38.51 points, or 0.9 percent, to 4,506.68.

Stocks switched between small gains and losses throughout the morning. In the afternoon they gradually traded higher, but never went as high as they did at the very beginning of the day.

U.S. crude rose 92 cents, or 2.8 percent, to $33.22 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, gained 79 cents, or 2.4 percent, to $33.89.

The price of U.S. oil has climbed 9.5 percent over the last three days as investors hope production will be reduced, which would strengthen the fuel's price.

Oil prices have been on a long, steep slide since 2014 as world stockpiles hit extremely high levels and investors feared demand would get weaker. Last Wednesday U.S. oil closed at a 12-year low of $26.55 a barrel.

Oil and natural gas producer Devon Energy rose $2.30, or 9.4 percent, to $26.79. Oil company Hess, which rose almost 6 percent Wednesday after it said it will cut more spending, picked up another $3.49, or 9.5 percent, to $40.34.

Facebook surged after reporting that its profit more than doubled in the fourth quarter. The social networking site gained another 46 million users, giving it 1.59 billion around the world. The stock rose $14.66, or 15.6 percent, to $109.11, its best day since July 2013.

Facebook's results lifted the four big-name "FANG" stocks: Facebook, e-commerce giant Amazon, streaming video company Netflix and search engine operator Google. Amazon advanced almost 9, while Google's parent company, Alphabet, and Netflix both rose about 4 percent.

"Since Facebook killed it yesterday, the others are enjoying a rally," said Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter. "Facebook use is completely independent of Amazon use, but investors blindly bid up all of them when one does well."

However Amazon reported disappointing fourth-quarter results after the market closed, and its shares tumbled 14 percent in aftermarket trading.

E-commerce site eBay took its worst one-day loss in seven years after its guidance for the current quarter and the year disappointed investors. The stock lost $3.29, or 12.5 percent, to $23.13. EBay's former payment unit PayPal reported strong results and added $2.65, or 8.4 percent, to $34.24. That was the best result for PayPal since the company was spun off from eBay in July.

"While it is safe to say Amazon won this holiday season, eBay clearly lost," said Wedbush analyst Gil Luria.

Sports apparel maker Under Armour reported a larger-than-expected profit and better revenue than analysts had forecast. The company said shoe revenue almost doubled on strong sales of Stephan Curry basketball sneakers. Its stock climbed $15.49, or 22.1 percent, to $84.07, for its biggest one-day gain in two years.

Drug stocks tumbled, and the biggest losses went to companies that make complex, costly drugs. Cancer drug maker Celgene lost $5.10, or 5 percent, to $97.21 after its 2016 estimates disappointed investors.

The Massachusetts attorney general's office said Wednesday it is investigating whether the high price of a new hepatitis C drug from another biotech firm, Gilead Sciences, violates state law. Gilead fell $2.10, or 2.3 percent, to $87.53.

Biotech stocks have fallen in recent months as controversy over drug prices has increased. The Nasdaq biotech index fell 3.5 percent Thursday. That index hit a record high in July and has lost about a third of its value since then.

Abbott Laboratories lost $3.76, or 9.3 percent, to $36.71 after the maker of infant formula, medical devices and drugs posted quarterly profits that disappointed investors.

Quarterly earnings aided or pressured a wide variety of stocks. Construction and mining equipment maker Caterpillar reported better-than-expected results even though the company is struggling with lower commodity prices and a weakening global economy. It rose $2.76, or 4.7 percent, to $61.08.

Computer network equipment maker Juniper Networks tumbled after releasing disappointing forecasts for the current quarter. The company also said its chief financial officer was leaving. The stock lost $4.08, or 15.4 percent, to $22.46.

Overseas markets struggled after the Federal Reserve made cautious comments about the state of the global markets and growth in the U.S. Germany's DAX fell 2.4 percent and France's CAC-40 gave up 1.3 percent. The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares lost 1 percent. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index gave up early gains to end 0.7 percent lower.

The price of gold declined 20 cents to $1,115.60 an ounce. Silver fell 22.7 cents, or 1.6 percent, to $14.232 an ounce. Copper lost 1.3 cents to $2.052 a pound.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline rose 3.3 cents to $1.079 a gallon. Heating oil rose 0.6 cents to $1.031 a gallon. Natural gas rose 2.5 cents to $2.182 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note sipped to 1.98 percent from 2 percent. The euro rose to $1.0955 from $1.0907. The dollar rose to 118.78 yen from 118.64 yen.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 396.66 points or ▲ 2.47% on Friday, January 29, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,466.30 ▲ 396.66 ▲ 2.47%
Nasdaq____ 4,613.95 ▲ 107.28 ▲ 2.38%
S&P_500___ 1,940.24 ▲ 46.88 ▲ 2.48%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.76 ▼ -0.03 ▼ -1.18%

NYSE Volume 5,344,816,500
Nasdaq Volume 2,538,779,750

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,083.79 ▲ 152.01 ▲ 2.56%
DAX_____ 9,798.11 ▲ 158.52 ▲ 1.64%
CAC_40__ 4,417.02 ▲ 94.86 ▲ 2.19%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,056.60 ▲ 28.50 ▲ 0.57%
Shanghai_Comp 2,737.60 ▲ 81.94 ▲ 3.09%
Taiwan_Weight 8,080.60 ▲ 175.50 ▲ 2.22%
Nikkei_225___ 17,518.30 ▲ 476.85 ▲ 2.80%
Hang_Seng.__ 19,683.11 ▲ 487.28 ▲ 2.54%
Strait_Times.__ 2,629.11 ▲ 66.66 ▲ 2.60%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,170.22 ▲ 20.52 ▲ 0.33%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-rise-japan-stimulus-155020098.html

US stocks soar to finish tough month as tech stocks climb

US stocks soar as Microsoft leads tech stocks higher
Associated Press By Marley Jay, AP Markets Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks soared on the last trading day of January, with Microsoft, Visa and other tech stocks making the biggest gains in a broad market rally.

Indexes rose throughout the day and finished with their biggest gains in about five months. Asian stocks jumped after the Bank of Japan moved to stimulate the economy, and European markets also rose. In the U.S, tech stocks climbed following strong fourth-quarter results from Microsoft and Visa. Materials companies and banks also made large gains, and the price of oil rose for the fourth day in a row.

The U.S. government said Friday that the economy slowed in the fourth quarter, a possibility that had worried investors. But its estimate of the country's gross domestic product was about equal to analysts' forecasts and didn't hurt stocks.

The Dow Jones industrial average surged 396.66 points, or 2.5 percent, to 16,466.30. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 46.88 points, or 2.5 percent, to 1,940.24, as more than 480 of its component stocks rose. The Nasdaq composite index jumped 107.28 points, or 2.4 percent, to 4,613.95.

Stocks made some big gains in the last two weeks, but still finished January with hefty losses.

Microsoft added $3.04, or 5.8 percent, to $55.09 after its fourth-quarter profit and revenue beat expectations. The tech giant posted strong results from its cloud computing business and the unit that sells PC software and Surface tablets and Xbox game consoles.

Visa and MasterCard both rose after reporting solid results. Visa climbed $5.16, or 7.4 percent, to $74.49 and MasterCard picked up $5.60, or 6.7 percent, to $89.03.

E-commerce company Amazon took its largest one-day slide in more than a year. Amazon's quarterly profit more than doubled, but it still fell short of Wall Street's forecasts because of increased costs. Some of those related to its Fulfillment by Amazon service, which handles shipping for sellers and makes them eligible for Amazon Prime shipping. The stock lost $48.35, or 7.6 percent, to $587.

Honeywell advanced $5.23, or 5.3 percent, to $103.20 following its fourth-quarter report, and General Electric added 89 cents, or 3.2 percent, to $29.10.

Xerox said it will split into two publicly traded companies after pressure from activist investor Carl Icahn. Its stock gained 52 cents, or 5.6 percent, to $9.75.

The Commerce Department said U.S. gross domestic product grew only 0.7 percent over the last three months of 2015, while analyst expected 0.8 percent. The agency said consumers spent less, businesses invested less, and exports were down because of global instability.

The U.S. economy has been expanding for six and a half years, but on Wednesday the Federal Reserve cautioned that the U.S. economy is slowing down. The Fed also expressed concerns about global growth. Stocks tumbled after the Fed released its assessment.

Crude oil prices kept rising. Benchmark U.S. oil added 40 cents, or 1.2 percent, to $33.62 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, gained 85 cents, or 2.5 percent, to $34.74. Oil prices have increased for four days in a row as investors hope for cuts in global production.

U.S. government bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 1.93 percent from 1.98 percent. European bond yields also sank. The euro weakened to $1.0829 from $1.0955.

Consol Energy jumped $1.19, or 18 percent, to $7.94 following its fourth-quarter report and another increase in the price of natural gas.

Electronic Arts traded lower. Its profit and revenue forecasts fell a bit short of Wall Street estimates. The video game maker said sales of its "Star Wars: Battlefront" game were strong, but analysts said investors were disappointed with the number of downloads, which are more profitable than sales of physical games.

The stock gave up $5.25, or 7.5 percent, to $64.55. That was its largest daily loss in almost three years.

January was a tough month for the market, and the beginning of the year was the worst in the history of the Dow average and the S&P 500 index. Both fell into a correction, or a drop of at least 10 percent from a recent peak.

The small-cap Russell 2000 index entered a bear market, which means a 20 percent slide.

The Dow and S&P 500 both fell more than 5 percent in January, while the Nasdaq lost almost 8 percent. For each index, that was the largest drop in a single month in years. The Russell finished January down almost 9 percent.

Google's parent, Alphabet, might soon overtake Apple as the world's most valuable publicly traded company. Alphabet has surged over the last year while Apple has struggled. Both companies are valued at more than $500 billion, and Apple is currently about $16 billion above Alphabet.

On Friday the Bank of Japan said it will charge money to banks that leave large amounts of cash parked at the central bank. The policy is intended to encourage commercial banks to lend more money. That could stimulate investment and growth in Japan's struggling economy.

Japanese bonds and fell the dollar got stronger compared to the yen. Friday afternoon the dollar traded at 121.10 yen, a huge move for the currency, which traded at 118.78 yen late Thursday.

Luke Bartholomew, investment manager at Aberdeen Capital Management, said the move by Japan's central bank is a change of course for the bank and for its governor, Haruhiko Kuroda.

"The surprise is they're going to negative rates a little more than a week after Kuroda explicitly said they had no intention of doing so," Bartholomew said. He said the Bank of Japan will need to do more to strengthen Japan's economy.

Japan's Nikkei 225 jumped 2.8 percent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 2.5 percent. The Shanghai Composite in mainland China rose 3.1 percent. European indexes also rose. Germany's DAX climbed 1.6 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 added 2.6 percent and France's CAC 40 advanced 2.2 percent.

Wholesale gasoline picked up 2.4 cents, or 2.2 percent, to $1.103 a gallon. Heating oil added 2.4 cents, or 2.3 percent, to $1.055 a gallon. Natural gas rose 11.6 cents, or 5.3 percent, to $2.298 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Metals prices didn't change much. Gold rose 80 cents to $1,116.40 an ounce and silver gained 1.1 cents to $14.243 an ounce. Copper added 1.6 cents to $2.067 a pound.

8002

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -17.12 points or ▼ -0.10% on Monday, February 1, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,449.18 ▼ -17.12 ▼ -0.10%
Nasdaq____ 4,620.37 ▲ 6.41 ▲ 0.14%
S&P_500___ 1,939.38 ▼ -0.86 ▼ -0.04%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.78 ▲ 0.02 ▲ 0.83%

NYSE Volume 4,255,433,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,935,996,380

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,060.10 ▼ -23.69 ▼ -0.39%
DAX_____ 9,757.88 ▼ -40.23 ▼ -0.41%
CAC_40__ 4,392.33 ▼ -24.69 ▼ -0.56%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,094.30 ▲ 37.70 ▲ 0.75%
Shanghai_Comp 2,688.85 ▼ -48.75 ▼ -1.78%
Taiwan_Weight 8,156.96 ▲ 11.75 ▲ 0.14%
Nikkei_225___ 17,865.23 ▲ 346.93 ▲ 1.98%
Hang_Seng.__ 19,595.50 ▼ -87.61 ▼ -0.45%
Strait_Times.__ 2,602.41 ▼ -26.70 ▼ -1.02%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,174.49 ▲ 4.27 ▲ 0.07%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/oil-gas-companies-lead-early-decline-stocks-151746476.html

US stocks edge mostly lower as energy prices plunge again
Associated Press By KEN SWEET

NEW YORK (AP) ”” The stock market was able to recover from steep losses to close slightly lower on Monday as investors looked past another steep drop in the price of oil and renewed concerns about economic growth in China and the U.S. Oil and gas companies remained in the red.

The fact that utility and other high-dividend stocks were among the better performers should be seen as a sign that investors still don't have much conviction behind last week's gains and Monday's recovery, traders said.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 17.12 points, or 0.1 percent, to 16,449.18 after being down roughly 150 points earlier in the day. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 0.86 points, less than 0.1 percent, to 1,939.38 and the Nasdaq composite rose 6.41 points, or 0.1 percent, to 4,620.37.

Stocks had been lower most of the day after separate reports showed manufacturing slowing last month in both the U.S. and China. The reports initially caused a sell-off in commodities, notably energy and industrial metals like copper. The price of U.S. benchmark oil plunged $2, or 5.9 percent, to $31.62 a barrel in New York. Natural gas also fell about 6 percent.

But as the trading day drew to a close, investors began to buy up utilities and other dividend-paying stocks. The Dow Jones utility index, a collection of 15 utility companies, rose nearly 1 percent on Monday. Telecommunications stocks, another traditional dividend play, posted the second-biggest gains in the S&P 500.

J.J. Kinahan, chief strategist at TD Ameritrade, said part of the reason dividend stocks did better than the rest of the market was speculation that the Federal Reserve, faced with a more uncertain economic environment, would likely not raise interest rates as fast as investors had thought at the beginning of the year.

Dividend stocks perform poorly in a rising interest rate environment, because the value of the yield on dividend stocks gets worn away as yields rise on bonds and other dividend-paying investments.

"We're looking at probably only two (interest rate) raises this year instead of four, and that makes dividend stocks look relatively attractive again," Kinahan said.

Energy stocks, not surprisingly, were the biggest losers on Monday, following the price of oil lower. The energy component of the S&P 500 fell nearly 2 percent, versus the nearly flat performance of the broader market.

Southwestern Energy declined 39 cents, or 4.4 percent, to $8.50, Transocean dropped 63 cents, or 6 percent, to $9.79 and Chesapeake Energy fell 18 cents, or 5 percent, to $3.21.

In other company news, Alere jumped $16.91, or 46 percent, to $54.11 after Abbott Laboratories announced it was purchasing the health care company, which is focused on diagnostics, for $5.8 billion. Abbott Labs shares rose 60 cents, or 2 percent, to $38.45.

U.S. government bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.95 percent. The dollar fell to 121.02 yen from 121.10 yen on Friday. The euro strengthened to $1.0893 from $1.0829.

Prices for precious and industrial metals closed mixed. Gold rose $11.50 to $1,127.90 an ounce, silver gained 10 cents to $14.34 an ounce and copper slipped a penny to $2.06 a pound.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline lost 4.9 cents to $$1.083 a gallon, heating oil fell 4.2 cents to $1.037 a gallon and natural gas plunged 14.6 cents to $2.152 per 1,000 cubic feet. In London, Brent crude fell $1.75 to $34.24 a barrel.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -295.64 points or ▼ -1.80% on Tuesday, February 2, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,153.54 ▼ -295.64 ▼ -1.80%
Nasdaq____ 4,516.95 ▼ -103.42 ▼ -2.24%
S&P_500___ 1,903.03 ▼ -36.35 ▼ -1.87%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.68 ▼ -0.10 ▼ -3.67%

NYSE Volume 4,401,433,500
Nasdaq Volume 2,120,597,000

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 5,922.01 ▼ -138.09 ▼ -2.28%
DAX_____ 9,581.04 ▼ -176.84 ▼ -1.81%
CAC_40__ 4,283.99 ▼ -108.34 ▼ -2.47%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,044.00 ▼ -50.30 ▼ -0.99%
Shanghai_Comp 2,749.57 ▲ 60.72 ▲ 2.26%
Taiwan_Weight 8,131.24 ▼ -25.72 ▼ -0.32%
Nikkei_225___ 17,750.68 ▼ -114.55 ▼ -0.64%
Hang_Seng.__ 19,446.84 ▼ -148.66 ▼ -0.76%
Strait_Times.__ 2,579.23 ▼ -23.18 ▼ -0.89%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,180.08 ▲ 5.59 ▲ 0.09%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/energy-sector-leads-another-decline-stocks-oil-falls-151616114.html#

Stocks sink, weighed down by another drop in price of oil
Associated Press By KEN SWEET

NEW YORK (AP) -- Another steep drop in the price of oil weighed on global markets Tuesday. Investors remained deeply concerned about the global economy following this week's disappointing Chinese and U.S. manufacturing data.

Energy stocks fell as oil giants Exxon Mobil and Chevron reported their worst quarterly results in more than a decade. In the technology sector, Google's parent company, Alphabet, overtook Apple as the world's most valuable publicly traded company.

The Dow Jones industrial average lost 295.64 points, or 1.8 percent, to 16,153.54. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 36.35 points, or 1.9 percent, 1,903.03 and the Nasdaq composite fell 103.42 points, or 2.2 percent, to 4,516.95.

It's a busy week on the economic data front, particularly in the U.S., where the week ends with monthly payroll figures. So far, the numbers haven't impressed. On Monday, the Institute for Supply Management said its gauge of factory activity pointed to a contraction while China's official survey found that manufacturing fell to its lowest level in more than three years.

Those reports have weighed heavily on the market, and have put investors back in a selling mood after a brief reprieve last week. U.S. government bond prices rose as investors sought safety. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 1.86 percent from 1.95 percent late Monday.

"The fear trade is alive and well and experiencing a resurgence. It's all about focusing on defensive plays right now," said Kristina Hooper, head of U.S. investment strategies for Allianz Global Investors.

The weak manufacturing reports weighed heavily on oil prices, and the selling pressure continued on Tuesday. Benchmark U.S. oil slumped $1.74, or 5.5 percent, to close at $29.88 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, a day after it plunged nearly 6 percent. Brent crude lost $1.52, or 4.4 percent, to $32.72 a barrel in London.

Energy companies, as has been the case for several weeks, followed oil prices lower. Exxon Mobil fell $1.70, or 2.2 percent, to $74.59 and Chevron fell $4.05, or 4.7 percent, to $81.24.

"Hope is extinguished for now, as the now two-day fall in crude has regained the market's focus," wrote John Briggs, head of Americas fixed income strategy at RBS, in a note to investors.

Chevron and Exxon, once the two world's largest publicly traded companies, are showing signs of stress because of the plunge in oil prices. Exxon reported its lowest profit since 2002 and also announced it was curtailing its stock buyback program. Chevron posted its first quarterly loss since 2002.

Bank stocks fell on worries that oil prices will cause more energy loans to go bad, and that the slowing economy might impact their bottom line. There's also concern that the slowing economy might put the brakes on the Federal Reserve's plans to raise interest rates, which ultimately help banks make more money by raising borrowing rates on loans.

JPMorgan Chase lost $1.83, or 3.1 percent, to $57.03, Bank of America dropped 73 cents, or 5.2 percent, to $13.23 and Citigroup fell $2.06, or 5 percent, to $40.42.

"This is a market that's not going anywhere fast. Weak China, weak oil is still with us and will be with us for a while. The market needs time to work through this, and until then, we will see more volatility, particularly because of China," said Anatasia Amoroso, a global market strategist at JPMorgan Asset Management.

In other company news, Alphabet, the recently formed parent company of Google, rose $12.65, or 1.7 percent, to $764.65 after the company's results handily beat analysts' forecasts late Monday. With Tuesday's gains, Alphabet is now the largest publicly traded company by market value, overtaking Apple.

The dollar fell to 120.04 yen from 120.12 yen. The euro strengthened to $1.0917 from $1.0895.

In other energy trading, heating oil fell 2.6 cents to $1.011 a gallon, wholesale gasoline fell 8.2 cents to $1.001 a gallon, and natural gas fell to 12.7 cents, or 6 percent, to $2.025 per thousand cubic feet.

In metals, gold fell 60 cents to $1,127.30 an ounce, silver fell five cents to $14.29 an ounce and copper was flat at $2.025 per pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 183.12 points or ▲ 1.13% on Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,336.66 ▲ 183.12 ▲ 1.13%
Nasdaq____ 4,504.24 ▼ -12.71 ▼ -0.28%
S&P_500___ 1,912.53 ▲ 9.50 ▲ 0.50%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.70 ▲ 0.03 ▲ 0.97%

NYSE Volume 5,139,570,000
Nasdaq Volume 2,388,576,250

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 5,837.14 ▼ -84.87 ▼ -1.43%
DAX_____ 9,434.82 ▼ -146.22 ▼ -1.53%
CAC_40__ 4,226.96 ▼ -57.03 ▼ -1.33%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 4,930.80 ▼ -113.20 ▼ -2.24%
Shanghai_Comp 2,739.25 ▼ -10.32 ▼ -0.38%
Taiwan_Weight 8,063.00 ▼ -68.24 ▼ -0.84%
Nikkei_225___ 17,191.25 ▼ -559.43 ▼ -3.15%
Hang_Seng.__ 18,991.59 ▼ -455.25 ▼ -2.34%
Strait_Times.__ 2,550.74 ▼ -28.49 ▼ -1.10%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,133.38 ▼ -46.70 ▼ -0.76%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-early-gain-move-151259504.html

US stocks stage a late turnaround, led by the energy sector

US stocks close mostly higher after a surge in the price of crude oil gave some relief to the beaten-down energy sector
Associated Press By Ken Sweet, AP Business Writer
NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks staged a rapid comeback in late-afternoon trading to close solidly higher Wednesday, helped by a surge in the price of oil and a decline in the U.S. dollar.

Chipotle Mexican Grill fell as the company said a federal investigation into its E. coli outbreak had widened, and Yahoo sank as the troubled Internet company announced layoffs and plans to sell businesses.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 183.12 points, or 1.1 percent, to 16,336.66. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 9.50 points, or 0.5 percent, to 1,912.53 and the Nasdaq composite fell 12.71 points, or 0.3 percent, to 4,504.24.

It was a day of major swings. The Dow had been down nearly 200 points earlier. Major industries that were deep in the red, like energy and financials, were able to recover almost all the ground they lost. In the red most of the day, energy stocks ended up nearly 4 percent.

The gains can be largely attributed to a decline in the value of dollar against the major other currencies. The U.S. dollar index, which tracks the dollar against other major currencies, fell 1.7 percent, a large move for the foreign exchange market. Nearly all that decline happened in the last two hours of trading.

Many U.S. companies have been complaining that the appreciation of the dollar was eroding their earnings by making U.S. exports less profitable.

A weaker dollar also tends to send commodity prices higher. That was a relief to investors as well since a plunge in the price of crude oil has been decimating profits at energy companies.

"An unusually weak U.S. dollar provided a key impetus to today's rally," Jim Ritterbusch, an oil analyst with Ritterbusch and Associates, wrote in a note to investors.

The price of U.S. crude oil jumped $2.40, or 8 percent, to close at $32.28 a barrel, which helped lift up energy stocks.

Despite the gains on Wednesday, investors remain skeptical of this market. They are still putting money into traditional safe-havens: stocks that pay high dividends, U.S. government bonds, and precious metals.

The Dow Jones utility index, a basket of 15 utility companies, rose 1.3 percent. That index is up more than 8 percent this year. Utilities and other companies that pay large dividends are popular at times of uncertainty because they provide a regular return and are large, mature businesses that tend to stand up well during economic downturns.

Some traders are taking that a step further.

"I've been telling clients to be in all cash," said Ian Winer, co-head of equities trading at Wedbush Securities. "There's too much credit risk out there, S&P 500 earnings could be down this year and it seems an increasing possibility that the U.S. could be in a recession in 2017."

In other company news, Yahoo slumped $1.38, or 4.7 percent, to $27.68 after the company announced late Tuesday it would cut 1,700 jobs and sell some of the company's struggling businesses.

Chipotle fell $13.90, or 3 percent, to $461.74 after the company said the E. coli outbreak at its stores hurt sales more than anticipated. Chipotle also disclosed it was now under investigation by Federal regulators over the outbreak.

In individual currencies, the euro rose against the dollar to $1.1101, the dollar fell against the Japanese yen to 117.85 yen, and the dollar fell against the British pound to $1.4598.

In other energy commodities, heating oil jumped 6.8 cents to $1.0786 a gallon, wholesale gasoline rose 1.3 cents to $1.014 a gallon, and natural gas rose 1.3 cents to $2.038 per thousand cubic feet.

In metals, gold rose $14.00, or 1.2 percent, to $1,141.30 an ounce, silver jumped 45 cents, or 3 percent, to $14.73 an ounce and copper rose four cents, or 2 percent, to $2.095 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 79.92 points or ▲ 0.49% on Thursday, February 4, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,416.58 ▲ 79.92 ▲ 0.49%
Nasdaq____ 4,509.56 ▲ 5.32 ▲ 0.12%
S&P_500___ 1,915.45 ▲ 2.92 ▲ 0.15%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.70 ▲ 0.00 ▼ -0.18%

NYSE Volume 5,122,328,000
Nasdaq Volume 2,142,139,750

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 5,898.76 ▲ 61.62 ▲ 1.06%
DAX_____ 9,393.36 ▼ -41.46 ▼ -0.44%
CAC_40__ 4,228.53 ▼ -55.46 ▼ -1.29%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,029.30 ▲ 98.50 ▲ 2.00%
Shanghai_Comp 2,781.02 ▲ 41.78 ▲ 1.53%
Taiwan_Weight 8,063.00 ▼ -68.24 ▼ -0.84%
Nikkei_225___ 17,044.99 ▼ -146.26 ▼ -0.85%
Hang_Seng.__ 19,183.09 ▲ 191.50 ▲ 1.01%
Strait_Times.__ 2,558.49 ▲ 7.75 ▲ 0.30%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,137.71 ▲ 4.33 ▲ 0.07%

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/us-stocks-move-higher-early-trading-crude-oil-36711982

US stocks end modestly higher after a day of wavering

KEN SWEET, The Associated Press
Posted: Thursday, February 4, 2016, 4:31 PM

U.S. stocks posted modest gains Thursday as investors await Friday's closely watched jobs report, which could offer insight about the U.S. economy and help determine whether the Federal Reserve raises interest rates again next month.

Many believe the likelihood of another rate increase in March has faded because of recent signs of weakness in the global economy. That has sent the dollar lower against other currencies, a welcome change for U.S. exporters whose overseas sales have been hurt by the appreciation of the dollar over the last year and a half.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 79.92 points, or 0.5 percent, to 16,416.58. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 2.92 points, or 0.2 percent, to 1,915.45 and the Nasdaq composite rose 5.32 points, or 0.1 percent, to 4,509.56.

Stocks oscillated between gains and losses the whole day, and got some traction in the last couple hours of trading. Industrial and materials companies were among the biggest gainers, helped by a weaker dollar.

Investors are getting ready for Friday's payroll numbers. Economists surveyed by FactSet forecast that U.S. employers created 200,000 jobs in January and the unemployment rate held steady at 5 percent.

Over the past couple of weeks, investors have scaled back expectations that the Fed will continue raising interest rates amid signs that the global slowdown in growth is beginning to hurt the U.S. economy.

On Wednesday, a private survey found that the U.S. service sector grew in January at the slowest rate in nearly two years. Fed fund futures, a security that allows investors to bet on which way the Fed will move interest rates, are indicating that the next best chance the Fed will raise rates is not until early 2017.

"The market is starting to price in a small chance of recession, not some realistic chance, but enough of a chance to give investors pause and reposition," said Khoa Le, who co-heads a derivatives trading desk at Credit Suisse.

Diminished expectations of a March Fed rate hike have continued to weaken the dollar. The euro rose 0.9 percent to a three-month high of $1.1208 while the dollar fell 1.1 percent against the Japanese yen to 116.79 yen.

Le said the large move in the dollar in recent days is partially related to a great unwinding of positions by both large investors and companies who might hold significant amounts of cash overseas.

Many investors were "buying into this thesis of a strong dollar," Le said. "Now that the Fed is less likely to raise rates, we are seeing clients reposition."

U.S. government bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 1.85 percent from 1.89 percent.

In other company news, mobile video camera maker GoPro plunged 93 cents, or 9 percent, to $9.78 after the company reported a wider-than-expected fourth quarter loss. GoPro shares are down 46 percent in 2016.

Viacom rose $1.11, or 2 percent, to $48.68 after the company announced that its 92-year-old majority shareholder, Sumner Redstone, was stepping down as CEO to be replaced by CBS CEO Les Moonves.

It was a usually quiet day for energy commodities, which for several days had experienced wild swings. Benchmark U.S. crude edged down 56 cents to $31.72 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract jumped 8 percent on Wednesday in New York. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oil prices, fell 58 cents to $34.46 a barrel in London.

Other energy commodities were mixed. Heating oil rose less than a penny to $1.081 a gallon, wholesale gasoline rose 1.5 cents to $1.0284 a gallon and natural gas fell 6.6 cents to $1.972 per thousand cubic feet.

In metals, gold rose $16.30 to $1,157.60 an ounce, silver rose 11.6 cents to $14.85 an ounce and copper rose 3.7 cents to $2.1315 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -211.61 points or ▼ -1.29% on Friday, February 5, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,204.97 ▼ -211.61 ▼ -1.29%
Nasdaq____ 4,363.14 ▼ -146.42 ▼ -3.25%
S&P_500___ 1,880.05 ▼ -35.40 ▼ -1.85%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.68 ▼ -0.02 ▼ -0.67%

NYSE Volume 4,873,998,000
Nasdaq Volume 2,416,542,750

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 5,848.06 ▼ -50.70 ▼ -0.86%
DAX_____ 9,286.23 ▼ -107.13 ▼ -1.14%
CAC_40__ 4,200.67 ▼ -27.86 ▼ -0.66%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,025.60 ▼ -3.70 ▼ -0.07%
Shanghai_Comp 2,763.49 ▼ -17.53 ▼ -0.63%
Taiwan_Weight 8,063.00 ▼ -68.24 ▼ -0.84%
Nikkei_225___ 16,819.59 ▼ -225.40 ▼ -1.32%
Hang_Seng.__ 19,288.17 ▲ 105.08 ▲ 0.55%
Strait_Times.__ 2,623.21 ▲ 64.72 ▲ 2.53%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,153.80 ▲ 16.09 ▲ 0.26%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stocks-edge-lower-early-trading-151520006.html

Stocks lose more ground as jobs report disappoints

Stocks finish another down week sharply lower on worries that the risk of a recession in the US, while still low, is growing
Associated Press By Ken Sweet, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks posted steep losses Friday, ending the week with broad declines, as investors fretted over a report showing that U.S. job creation slowed last month.

Technology stocks fell especially hard, and shares of LinkedIn had their worst day in history.

Energy and consumer discretionary stocks fell as oil prices declined and investors continued to worry that the risk of the U.S. economy slipping into recession, while low, is growing.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 211.75 points, or 1.3 percent, to 16,204.83. The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 35.43 points, or 1.9 percent, to 1,880.02 and the Nasdaq composite dropped 146.41 points, or 3.3 percent, to 4,363.14.

Stocks were mostly lower throughout day, but losses accelerated as the end of trading approached. With Friday's losses, the Dow was down 1.6 percent for the week, the S&P 500 fell 3.1 percent and Nasdaq lost 5.4 percent.

Investors were discouraged by a report that showed U.S. employers added 151,000 jobs last month, a sharp deceleration from recent months as companies shed education, transportation and temporary workers. That was below economists' forecasts of 185,000 new jobs, according to data from FactSet.

The report included some positive signs, however. The unemployment rate fell to 4.9 percent from 5 percent, the lowest level since February 2008. Average wages jumped 2.5 percent over the past year to $25.39 an hour, evidence that the past years of job growth are helping to generate larger pay raises.

"It's a rather difficult report to interpret. It confirms there has been some deceleration in the U.S. economy. We're not falling off the cliff, but it clearly shows the U.S. economy is not immune to the global slowdown," said Russ Koesterich, global market strategist with asset manager BlackRock.

The jobs report, while less than what economists were looking for, still showed that the U.S. economy is growing, albeit slowly. The report caused the dollar to strengthen against other currencies, reversing some of the last two days of declines.

The report also raised a new worry about Federal Reserve interest rate policy. Investors had been betting in recent weeks that a slowing U.S. economy might prompt the Federal Reserve to delay plans to raise interest rates. But the Fed could see the data showing the growth in hourly wages as an early sign of inflation, which in turn might cause them to keep raising rates even in a slowing economy, Koesterich said.

"You have the possibility of soft growth and monetary tightening, and that's not a great place to be as an investor," he said.

Technology stocks were hit hard by disappointing results from professional social network company LinkedIn and data analysis company Tableau Software. LinkedIn shares dropped $83.90, or 44 percent, to $108.38, its worst single-day performance in the company's history. The company provided a weak outlook for 2016 and announced it was winding down an advertising platform that was supposed to be a new venture.

Tableau Software plunged $40.40, or 49 percent, to $41.33 after the data analytics company reported a wider-than-expected loss and its software license revenue missed analysts' predictions. Tableau's dismal results spread to other software companies, like Salesforce.com, which fell 13 percent, and Adobe Systems, which fell 8 percent.

U.S. government bond prices were mostly unchanged. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note remained at 1.84 percent.

The dollar rose to 116.89 yen from 116.71 yen. The euro fell to $1.1164 from $1.1214, inching back from its highest level in more than three months.

In the energy markets, U.S. crude fell 83 cents to $30.89 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, the international benchmark, fell 40 cents to $34.06 a barrel in London. Heating oil fell 2 cents to $1.059 a gallon, wholesale gasoline fell 3.6 cents to 99.27 cents and natural gas rose 9 cents to $2.063 per thousand cubic feet.

In precious and industrial metals trading, gold edged up 20 cents to $1,157.70 an ounce, silver fell 7 cents to $14.78 an ounce and copper fell 3 cents to $2.10 a pound.

8522

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

In Asia, many markets were closed for the Lunar New Year holidays.

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -177.92 points or ▼ -1.10% on Monday, February 8, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,027.05 ▼ -177.92 ▼ -1.10%
Nasdaq____ 4,283.75 ▼ -79.39 ▼ -1.82%
S&P_500___ 1,853.44 ▼ -26.61 ▼ -1.42%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.56 ▼ -0.12 ▼ -4.55%

NYSE Volume 5,554,716,000
Nasdaq Volume 2,607,770,500

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 5,689.36 ▼ -158.70 ▼ -2.71%
DAX_____ 8,979.36 ▼ -306.87 ▼ -3.30%
CAC_40__ 4,066.31 ▼ -134.36 ▼ -3.20%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,022.10 ▼ -3.50 ▼ -0.07%
Shanghai_Comp 2,763.49 ▼ -17.53 ▼ -0.63% CLOSED HOLIDAY
Taiwan_Weight 8,063.00 ▼ -68.24 ▼ -0.84% CLOSED HOLIDAY
Nikkei_225___ 17,004.30 ▲ 184.71 ▲ 1.10%
Hang_Seng.__ 19,288.17 ▲ 105.08 ▲ 0.55% CLOSED HOLIDAY
Strait_Times.__ 2,623.21 ▲ 64.72 ▲ 2.53% CLOSED HOLIDAY
NZX_50_Index_ 6,153.80 ▲ 16.09 ▲ 0.26%

Stocks Fall Sharply as Banks, Tech Sector Take a Beating
By Alex Veiga, AP business writer

Wall Street rode another wave of selling Monday that sent U.S. stocks sharply lower, before a late-afternoon pullback stemmed some of the losses.

Investors unloaded materials, financials and other stocks, briefly knocking the Dow Jones industrial average down more than 400 points.

Technology shares, which soared last year, were targeted for especially aggressive selling, bringing the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index down almost 20 percent from its record high last year.

The losses left major market indexes down for the second day in a row, extending what has been a dismal beginning of 2016 for the stock market, its worst start to a year on record.

European markets also fell sharply, with the worst losses coming in weaker economies such as Greece, Spain, and Italy. Traditional safe harbor investments like gold and U.S. government bonds were among the few bright spots in a market awash in red.

"Traders are worried that the financial market weakness that we're experiencing is going to lead to weakness in the real economy," said Jim McDonald, chief investment strategist at Northern Trust.

The Dow fell 177.92 points, or 1.1 percent, to 16,027.05. The Standard & Poor's 500 lost 26.61 points, or 1.4 percent, to 1,853.44. The Nasdaq composite dropped 79.39 points, or 1.8 percent, to 4,283.75. The index is within 110 points of being in what Wall Street considers a bear market, or a 20 percent drop from its high.

For the year, the Dow is now down 8 percent, while the S&P 500 is down 9.3 percent. The Nasdaq has lost 14.5 percent this year.

The stock market has been in a slump for much of this year after a lackluster 2015. Several factors have kept investors in a selling mood, including falling crude oil prices, the impact of a stronger dollar on U.S. company earnings, and heightened concern that economic growth is slowing in China and elsewhere.

Fears of a global economic downturn are now heightening concerns that the U.S. economy could slide into a recession later this year.

The market anxiety helped push bond prices higher, pulling down the yield on the 10-year Treasury note to 1.75 percent from 1.84 percent late Friday, a large move.

Investors looking for some positive outlooks for 2016 aren't finding much in the latest wave of company earnings, either.

Many of the companies that have reported quarterly results in recent weeks also gave weak earnings outlooks for this year, noted Bill Northey, chief investment officer at the Private Client Group at U.S. Bank.

"In fact, we're now looking at growth estimates that are sub-5 percent for 2016, which is down rather materially from where we came into fourth-quarter earnings season," Northey said.

Benchmark U.S. crude oil fell $1.20, or 3.9 percent, to close at $29.69 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, dropped $1.18, or 3.5 percent, to close at $32.88 a barrel in London.

The prolonged slump in oil prices has investors worried that companies that drill for crude may not be able to pay back their loans.

Speculation that Chesapeake Energy might be preparing to file for bankruptcy protection helped push its stock price down 33 percent on Monday, making it one of the worst performers in the S&P 500 index.

In response, the company issued a statement around midday saying it "currently has no plans to pursue bankruptcy." The stock closed down $1.02 to $2.04 in heavy trading.

Traders also sold fellow driller Williams Cos., which lost $5.96, or 34.8 percent, to $11.16.

Despite the latest drop in crude oil prices, the S&P 500 index's energy sector ended slightly higher. The other nine sectors declined, with materials stocks shedding the most, 2.7 percent.

Financials stocks also slumped, falling 2.6 percent.

Given the jitters over a possible global economic slowdown, investors are betting that the Federal Reserve will be less aggressive about raising its key interest rate further this year. Going into 2016, many on Wall Street were projecting as many as four rate hikes by the Fed this year. Higher interest rates benefit banks, which make money from interest on credit cards and other loans.

Goldman Sachs Group was one of the biggest decliners in the Dow, sliding $7.22, or 4.6 percent, to $149.25. Bank of America shed 68 cents, or 5.3 percent, to $12.27.

Credit Suisse Group AG fell 4 percent on news that the bank's new CEO has asked for his bonus to be cut following a report of a huge fourth-quarter loss and plans for 4,000 job cuts. The stock fell 54 cents to $14.44.

Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen is scheduled to deliver a policy update to Congress later this week.

"What the market wants to see is the Fed realizing that there's no way on Earth they can raise rates three to four times in the next 12 months," McDonald said.

Monday's market slump followed a wave of selling in Europe that was concentrated in the more financially shaky countries. The stock index in Spain was off roughly 4 percent, while Italy's lost about 5 percent. Greece's index sank about 8 percent.

The larger stock markets didn't fare much better.

Germany's DAX fell 3.3 percent, while France's CAC 40 dropped 3.2 percent. The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares slid 2.7 percent.

In Asia, many markets were closed for the Lunar New Year holidays. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 1.1 percent, while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 was flat.

Precious metals prices rose sharply as traders took cover from the turbulence in the stock market.

Gold jumped $40.20, or 3.5 percent, to $1,197.90 an ounce and silver climbed 64.8 cents, or 4.4 percent, to $15.43 an ounce. Copper, an industrial metal that will often rise and fall along with investor's optimism about the global economy, slipped 1.3 cents to $2.09 a pound.

In other energy trading in New York, wholesale gasoline fell 3.7 cents, or 3.7 percent, to 95.61 cents a gallon and home heating oil fell 1.3 cents to $1.046 a gallon. Natural gas rose 7.7 cents, or 3.7 percent, to $2.14 per 1,000 cubic feet.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

In Asia, many markets were closed for the Lunar New Year holidays.

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -12.67 points or ▼ -0.08% on Tuesday, February 9, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,014.38 ▼ -12.67 ▼ -0.08%
Nasdaq____ 4,268.76 ▼ -14.99 ▼ -0.35%
S&P_500___ 1,852.21 ▼ -1.23 ▼ -0.07%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.55 ▼ -0.01 ▼ -0.20%

NYSE Volume 4,987,392,500
Nasdaq Volume 2,349,325,250

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 5,632.19 ▼ -57.17 ▼ -1.00%
DAX_____ 8,879.40 ▼ -99.96 ▼ -1.11%
CAC_40__ 3,997.54 ▼ -68.77 ▼ -1.69%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 4,882.60 ▼ -139.50 ▼ -2.78%
Shanghai_Comp 2,763.49 ▼ -17.53 ▼ -0.63% CLOSED HOLIDAY
Taiwan_Weight 8,063.00 ▼ -68.24 ▼ -0.84% CLOSED HOLIDAY
Nikkei_225___ 16,085.44 ▼ -918.86 ▼ -5.40%
Hang_Seng.__ 19,288.17 ▲ 105.08 ▲ 0.55% CLOSED HOLIDAY
Strait_Times.__ 2,623.21 ▲ 64.72 ▲ 2.53% CLOSED HOLIDAY
NZX_50_Index_ 6,071.32 ▼ -82.48 ▼ -1.34%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stock...-japans-nikkei-slumps-153316229--finance.html

US stocks end a bumpy day slightly lower
Associated Press By ALEX VEIGA

U.S. stocks extended their three-day losing streak Tuesday, closing slightly lower after spending most of the day wavering between gains and losses.

Energy companies led the decline as the price of U.S. crude oil sank nearly 6 percent. It's now at about $28 a barrel. The market's bumpy ride followed a slide in European stock indexes and steep losses in Japan, reflecting mounting investor anxiety that the global economy is slowing.

"The market continues to price in worst-case scenarios, a recessionary China and an energy sector that's looking basically like it should go bankrupt at this level," said Jeff Carbone, managing director of Cornerstone Financial Partners.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 12.67 points, or 0.1 percent, to 16,014.38. The Standard & Poor's 500 slipped 1.23 points, or 0.1 percent, to 1,852.21. The Nasdaq composite lost 14.99 points, or 0.4 percent, to 4,268.76.

The latest losses pulled the three indexes further down for the year. The Dow is off 8.1 percent, while the S&P 500 index is down 9.4 percent. The Nasdaq is off 14.8 percent.

Stock markets have endured a torrid start to the year as investors have fretted over a number of issues, including the fall in the price of oil to multi-year lows, a slowdown in China and whether many parts of the global economy will fall into recession and suffer a debilitating period of deflation, or falling prices.

The market veered lower early on Tuesday following wave of selling in Europe and Japan, where the Nikkei index closed 5.4 percent lower. The interest rate on the country's benchmark bond also dropped into negative territory for the first time.

Major U.S. stock indexes rebounded early on as oil prices briefly rose, but the rally didn't last. A late-afternoon rebound also failed to hold as oil prices closed lower for the second day in a row.

"The market's correlation to oil has not subsided at this time," said Carbone. "There seems to be no end in sight."

Benchmark U.S. crude oil dropped $1.75, or 5.6 percent, to close at $27.94 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, fell $2.56, or 7.8 percent, to close at $30.32 a barrel in London.

All told, the S&P 500 index's energy sector companies lost 2.5 percent, the worst performer in the index.

Consol Energy lost $1.02, or 11.9 percent, to $7.53, while Southwestern Energy fell 97 cents, or 10.4 percent, to $8.37. Murphy Oil slid $1.37, or 7.1 percent, to $17.86.

The International Energy Agency, which advises countries on energy policy, said oil prices will continue to come under pressure as supply is set to outpace demand this year.

Investors also had their sights on the latest batch of company earnings news.

Entertainment conglomerate Viacom plunged 21.5 percent after missing revenue estimates for the fifth quarter in a row. The stock fell $8.99 to $32.86.

Bristow Group tumbled 20.2 percent after the helicopter services company reported better-than-expected fiscal third-quarter profit, but revenue fell short of forecasts. The stock lost $3.73 to $14.75.

Some companies fared much better.

Martin Marietta Materials vaulted 9.4 percent after the construction materials company reported a sharp increase in earnings. The stock climbed $11.03 to $128.88. The gains helped lift the materials sector overall, which notched the biggest gain in the S&P 500 index.

Traders were also looking ahead to the beginning on Wednesday of two days of testimony before Congress by Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen.

Yellen is scheduled to outline the central bank's outlook on the economy. Traders will be watching for hints about when the Fed will make its next move to raise its key interest rate. Most analysts and investors think the Fed will raise rates fewer than four times this year, if at all.

"The market is looking at growth slowing globally and perhaps slowing more in the U.S. and wondering how the Federal Reserve could rationalize four rate hikes or even three rate hikes," Quincy Krosby, market strategist for Prudential Financial. "That has been a major worry for markets and that's the reason tomorrow is so important."

In overseas action, the FTSE 100 index of leading British shares lost 1 percent, while Germany's DAX fell 1.1 percent. The CAC-40 in France dropped 1.7 percent.

Precious metals prices were mixed. Gold rose 70 cents, or 0.1 percent, to $1,198.60 an ounce and silver inched up 2 cents, or 0.1 percent, to $15.44 an ounce. Copper, an industrial metal that will often rise and fall along with investor's optimism about the global economy, fell 5 cents, or 2.4 percent, to $2.04 a pound.

Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 1.73 percent from 1.75 percent late Monday. The dollar was down at 115.12 yen from 115.58 yen. As recently as the end of January, the dollar was trading above 121 yen. The euro up $1.1296 from $1.1186.

In other energy trading in New York, wholesale gasoline fell 6 cents, or 6 percent, to 90 cents a gallon and home heating oil fell 7 cents to 97 cents a gallon. Natural gas fell 4 cents, or 2 percent, to $2.10 per 1,000 cubic feet.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

In Asia, some markets were stilled closed for the Lunar New Year holidays.

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -99.64 points or ▼ -0.62% on Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 15,914.74 ▼ -99.64 ▼ -0.62%
Nasdaq____ 4,283.59 ▲ 14.83 ▲ 0.35%
S&P_500___ 1,851.86 ▼ -0.35 ▼ -0.02%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.53 ▼ -0.03 ▼ -1.02%

NYSE Volume 4,358,875,500
Nasdaq Volume 2,385,420,000

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 5,672.30 ▲ 40.11 ▲ 0.71%
DAX_____ 9,017.29 ▲ 137.89 ▲ 1.55%
CAC_40__ 4,061.20 ▲ 63.66 ▲ 1.59%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 4,826.50 ▼ -56.10 ▼ -1.15%
Shanghai_Comp 2,763.49 ▼ -17.53 ▼ -0.63% CLOSED HOLIDAY
Taiwan_Weight 8,063.00 ▼ -68.24 ▼ -0.84% CLOSED HOLIDAY
Nikkei_225___ 15,713.39 ▼ -372.05 ▼ -2.31%
Hang_Seng.__ 19,288.17 ▲ 105.08 ▲ 0.55% CLOSED HOLIDAY
Strait_Times.__ 2,582.10 ▼ -41.11 ▼ -1.57%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,019.49 ▼ -51.83 ▼ -0.85%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-open-higher-feds-152238757.html

US stocks edge higher as Fed's Yellen signals caution
Associated Press By Alex Veiga, AP Business Writer

The Federal Reserve's latest signals on interest rates gave U.S. stocks a lift for much of Wednesday, but the rally didn't last.

A sell-off in the final minutes of trading knocked the Dow Jones industrial average and the Standard & Poor's 500 index slightly into the red. The slide extended a three-day losing streak for the two indexes. Only the Nasdaq composite held its course, carving out a slight gain.

Materials and energy stocks were among the biggest decliners as U.S. crude oil prices declined again.

Investors were mostly focused on Fed Chair Janet Yellen's remarks on the economy and interest rates as she delivered her semiannual report to Congress.

The market has been anxious about the possibility of interest rate hikes at a time when the global economy is showing signs of slowing. But Yellen's remarks addressed investors' concerns, said Erik Davidson, chief investment officer for Wells Fargo Private Bank.

"The markets have gotten the message that the Fed is not on autopilot," Davidson said. "If they'd gotten the sense that the Fed was on autopilot and was predestined to a certain number of rate hikes in 2016, that would have been troublesome."

The Dow fell 99.64 points, or 0.6 percent, to 15,914.74. The average is now down 8.7 percent this year. The S&P 500 index slipped 0.35 point, or 0.02 percent, to 1,851.86. The index is off 9.4 percent this year.

The Nasdaq added 14.83 points, or 0.4 percent, to 4,283.59. The gain helped trim the Nasdaq's losses for the year, which stand at 14.5 percent.

Investors appeared to be in a buying mood early in the day in anticipation of Yellen's testimony. That sent stocks higher early on and sustained them until the last-minute slide as oil prices closed lower.

Benchmark U.S. crude fell 49 cents, or 1.8 percent, to close at $27.45 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, rose 52 cents, or 1.7 percent, to close at $30.84 a barrel in London.

Yellen offered no major surprises in prepared remarks released before the start of her two-day Congressional testimony. She reiterated the Fed's confidence that the U.S. economy was on track for stronger growth and a rebound in inflation.

At the same time, she cautioned that global weakness and falling financial markets could depress the U.S. economy's growth. That would, in turn, slow the pace of Fed interest rate hikes, she said.

Yellen also made clear that the central bank won't likely find it necessary to cut rates after having raised them from record lows in December.

Since the Fed decided to raise its key interest rate from a record low in December, the U.S. economy has hit some turbulence and markets have become volatile. Traders are increasingly worried about a number of issues, including the fall in the price of oil to multi-year lows, a slowdown in China and whether many parts of the global economy will fall into recession and suffer a debilitating period of deflation, or falling prices.

A delay or slower rollout of interest rate increases by the Fed is seen as good for the market, as higher interest rates can be detrimental to stocks, Davidson said.

"Higher interest rates can be detrimental to equities, although we're of the view that we're not at risk of higher interest rates in the short term," Davidson said.

All told, eight of the 10 sectors in the S&P 500 index declined, with materials and energy stocks posting the biggest drops. Health care and technology stocks bucked the downward trend.

Akamai Technologies notched the biggest increase in the S&P 500 index, surging 21.2 percent. It added $8.39 to $47.96. Assurant fell the most. The stock lost $10.26, or 13.4 percent, to $66.23.

Several big media companies slumped.

Disney dropped 3.8 percent a day after it reported that its ESPN network has hit a soft patch. The stock was the biggest decliner in the Dow, sliding $3.47 to $88.85. Time Warner was down 5 percent after its revenue fell short of forecasts. Time Warner shed $3.14 to $60.07.

In Europe, Germany's DAX added 1.6 percent, while France's CAC 40 rose 1.6 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 gained 0.7 percent. In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 sank 2.3 percent and is down about 11 percent in the past month. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 shed 1.2 percent. Markets were closed in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and South Korea for Lunar New Year holidays. Hong Kong and Korea reopen on Thursday and China and Taiwan resume trading on Monday.

Precious metals prices closed lower. Gold fell $4, or 0.3 percent, to $1,194.60 an ounce and silver slid 17 cents, or 1.1 percent, to $15.28 an ounce. Copper, an industrial metal that will often rise and fall along with investor's optimism about the global economy, fell 1 cent, or 0.6 percent, to $2.03 a pound.

Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury slipped to 1.67 percent from 1.73 percent late Tuesday. The dollar fell to 113.68 yen from 115.01 yen, while the euro rose to $1.1277 from $1.1287 the day before.

In other energy trading in New York, wholesale gasoline rose 4 cents, or 4.9 percent, to 94 cents a gallon and home heating oil was flat at 97 cents a gallon. Natural gas fell 5 cents, or 2.5 percent, to $2.05 per 1,000 cubic feet.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -254.56 points or ▼ -1.60% on Thursday, February 11, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 15,660.18 ▼ -254.56 ▼ -1.60%
Nasdaq____ 4,266.84 ▼ -16.76 ▼ -0.39%
S&P_500___ 1,829.08 ▼ -22.78 ▼ -1.23%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.50 ▼ -0.02 ▼ -0.99%

NYSE Volume 5,419,096,000
Nasdaq Volume 2,725,197,750

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 5,536.97 ▼ -135.33 ▼ -2.39%
DAX_____ 8,752.87 ▼ -264.42 ▼ -2.93%
CAC_40__ 3,896.71 ▼ -164.49 ▼ -4.05%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 4,870.90 ▲ 44.40 ▲ 0.92%
Shanghai_Comp 2,763.49 ▼ -17.53 ▼ -0.63% CLOSED HOLIDAY
Taiwan_Weight 8,063.00 ▼ -68.24 ▼ -0.84% CLOSED HOLIDAY
Nikkei_225___ 15,713.39 ▼ -372.05 ▼ -2.31% CLOSED HOLIDAY
Hang_Seng.__ 18,545.80 ▼ -742.37 ▼ -3.85%
Strait_Times.__ 2,538.28 ▼ -43.82 ▼ -1.70%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,987.02 ▼ -32.47 ▼ -0.54%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-markets-dive-amid-global-152209252.html#

US stocks slide further on global economic worries

US stocks fell again on concerns about global economic weakness, but they recovered somewhat from much sharper losses earlier in the day
Associated Press By Alex Veiga, AP Business Writer

Jitters over the global economy and a steep drop in crude oil knocked U.S. stocks lower for the fourth day in a row Thursday.

The drop in the U.S. followed large losses all around the world, and left all three major U.S. indexes down at least 10 percent since the beginning of the year.

The latest slump reflected heightened concerns that global economic growth is slowing, even as Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen reiterated her confidence in the U.S. economy in testimony to congress Thursday.

"A lot of people are having trouble assessing the true value of stocks," said J.J. Kinahan, TD Ameritrade's chief strategist. "What it says to me is we're going to continue with volatility."

Financial companies were among the biggest decliners amid growing anxiety that interest rates in the U.S. and elsewhere would remain low and sap bank profits. The price of oil tumbled to $26.21, its lowest level since May 2003. Investors fled to the traditional havens of bonds and precious metals. Gold jumped 4.5 percent.

While stocks ended lower, they recovered somewhat from far steeper losses earlier in the day. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 254.56 points, or 1.6 percent, to 15,660.18. The average had been down as much as 411 points.

The Standard & Poor's 500 lost 22.78 points, or 1.2 percent, to 1,829.08. The Nasdaq composite fell 16.76 points, or 0.4 percent, to 4,266.84.

Investors have become increasingly worried that the mounting market turmoil could put a brake on the global economy at a time it is already struggling with a litany of issues, including China's slowdown, low inflation and plunging energy markets.

Yellen, in her second day of testimony before U.S. lawmakers Thursday, acknowledged that global economic pressures pose risks to the U.S. economy, but said it's too early to tell whether those risks are severe enough to alter the central bank's interest-rate policies.

That failed to reassure investors hoping the Fed would signal that rate hikes are off the table for this year, said Katie Nixon, chief investment officer at Northern Trust Wealth Management.

"The market is disappointed in that and looking for more direct comment on perhaps pushing out rate increases," Nixon said. "She had the opportunity to do that, so that's obviously feeding into market anxiety."

All 10 sectors in the S&P 500 index closed lower. Financial stocks fell the most, down 3 percent.

Citigroup fell $2.43, or 6.5 percent, to $34.98, while Bank of America shed 82 cents, or 6.8 percent, to $11.16. JPMorgan slid $2.45, or 4.4 percent, to $53.07.

Benchmark U.S. crude oil fell for the sixth day in a row, sliding $1.24, or 4.5 percent, to $26.21 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, dropped 78 cents, or 2.5 percent, to $30.06 a barrel in London. Natural gas fell 5 cents, or 2.5 percent, to $1.99 per 1,000 cubic feet.

The drop in oil and natural gas prices sent shares in several energy companies lower. Southwestern Energy lost 43 cents, or 5 percent, to $8.15, while NRG Energy shed $1.11, or 10.4 percent, to $9.59.

Boeing plunged 6.8 percent following a report that the Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating the aircraft manufacturer over accounting practices. The stock was the worst-performer in the Dow, losing $7.92 to $108.44.

Traders bid up shares in TripAdvisor after the travel website operator's fourth-quarter profit and revenue topped estimates. The stock gained $6.72, or 12.4 percent, to $61.07 and was the best performing stock in the S&P 500.

Tesla Motors climbed 4.7 percent after the electric car maker said its lower-priced Model 3 sedan is on schedule for 2017 release. The stock added $6.80 to $150.47.

In Europe, Germany's DAX dropped 2.9 percent, while France's CAC 40 slid 4.1 percent, dragged down by a 13 percent drop in the shares of bank Societe Generale, which warned about its profits. Britain's FTSE 100 shed 2.4 percent.

In Asia, some indexes reopened after a holiday and caught up with several days of market turmoil. Hong Kong's Hang Seng dived 3.9 percent after opening as much as 5 percent lower. South Korea's Kospi staged its biggest daily drop in nearly four years, down 2.9 percent. China and Taiwan will reopen on Monday. Japan was closed Thursday for a separate public holiday.

Bond prices rose, driving the yield on the 10-year Treasury down to 1.66 percent from 1.71 percent late Wednesday.

Gold surged $53, or 4.5 percent, to $1,247.80 an ounce, while silver climbed 51 cents, or 3.4 percent, to $15.79 an ounce. Copper, an industrial metal that will often rise and fall along with investor's optimism about the global economy, fell 2 cents, or 1 percent, to $2.01 a pound.

In other energy trading in New York, wholesale gasoline was little changed at 94 cents a gallon and home heating oil was flat at 98 cents a gallon.

The dollar took a dive as investors adjusted their expectations for fewer interest rate increases in the U.S. It fell to 112.27 yen from 113.68 yen. It also fell against the euro, which was up to $1.1330 from $1.1277.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

Markets in China and Taiwan were closed all week for Lunar New Year holidays and will reopen on Monday.

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 313.66 points or ▲ 2.00% on Friday, February 12, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 15,973.84 ▲ 313.66 ▲ 2.00%
Nasdaq____ 4,337.51 ▲ 70.67 ▲ 1.66%
S&P_500___ 1,864.78 ▲ 35.70 ▲ 1.95%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.61 ▲ 0.10 ▲ 4.03%

NYSE Volume 4,635,477,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,919,227,380

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 5,707.60 ▲ 170.63 ▲ 3.08%
DAX_____ 8,967.51 ▲ 214.64 ▲ 2.45%
CAC_40__ 3,995.06 ▲ 98.35 ▲ 2.52%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 4,816.60 ▼ -54.30 ▼ -1.11%
Shanghai_Comp 2,763.49 ▼ -17.53 ▼ -0.63% CLOSED HOLIDAY
Taiwan_Weight 8,063.00 ▼ -68.24 ▼ -0.84% CLOSED HOLIDAY
Nikkei_225___ 14,952.61 ▼ -760.78 ▼ -4.84%
Hang_Seng.__ 18,319.58 ▼ -226.22 ▼ -1.22%
Strait_Times.__ 2,539.95 ▲ 1.67 ▲ 0.07%
NZX_50_Index_ 5,933.96 ▼ -53.06 ▼ -0.89%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-open-higher-oil-153206416.html

US stocks end a down week on an up note

A rebound in bank shares and energy companies lifts US shares after 5 straight down days
Associated Press By Alex Veiga, AP Business Writer

U.S. stocks ended a down week on a high note Friday, snapping a five-day losing streak on the strength of energy and financial companies.

A sharp rebound in oil prices and an encouraging report on retail sales helped lift the stock market to its first gain since late last week.

Despite the rally, the major U.S. stocks indexes ended the week down about 1 percent and they remain down more than 8 percent for the year.

"It's a relief to see after several very ugly days in a row, but I wouldn't hang my hat on it and say the worst is over," said Rob Eschweiler, global investment specialist at J.P. Morgan.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 313.66 points, or 2 percent, to 15,973.84. The Standard & Poor's 500 gained 35.70 points, or 2 percent, to 1,864.78. The Nasdaq composite added 70.67 points, or 1.7 percent, to 4,337.51.

Global stocks have been in a slump since the beginning of the year on concerns that growth in China, which has been the engine of the global economy in recent years, is slowing far faster than expected. Plunging oil prices and low inflation have added to the market's jitters that the global economy is sputtering.

Those worries also helped drive the stock market lower in recent days, and continued to batter stocks in Asia. Japan's main stock index lost nearly 5 percent Friday. But the downbeat trend in the U.S. snapped as investors were encouraged by retail sales and a rally in European stocks.

A surge in oil prices helped put investors in a buying mood early on. A day after sinking to its lowest level since May 2003, benchmark U.S. crude climbed $3.23, or 12.3 percent, to close at $29.44 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, gained $3.30, or 11 percent, to $33.36 a barrel in London.

The oil rebound sent the S&P 500's energy companies 2.6 percent higher. Marathon Oil was the best performer in the sector, rising 48 cents, or 6.8 percent, to $7.49.

"Oil, which has been one of the most fickle, most volatile series that everybody's watching, is having a nice day," said Tim Dreiling, regional investment director for The Private Client Reserve of U.S. Bank. "Europe is continuing to look good. And it looked like (the market) was oversold."

Financial shares led the market's advance. The sector is the worst performing part of the market this year because investors expect that low interest rates around the world will sap bank profits, but it rallied 4 percent Friday.

JP Morgan Chase climbed $4.42, or 8.3 percent, to $57.49, while Citigroup added $2.56, or 7.3 percent, to $37.54. Bank of America rose 79 cents, or 7.1 percent, to $11.95. Meanwhile, Deutsche Bank AG surged 12.1 percent after the bank offered to buy back more than $5 billion in bonds in a display of financial strength. The stock gained $1.87 to $17.38.

Traders also welcomed a report from the Commerce Department indicating a modest gain in retail sales last month. The data, which came in ahead of expectations, suggested that consumers kept shopping despite sharp drops in stock prices.

The positive sales report and recent jobs data showing a pickup in wage growth suggest the economy is holding up better than Wall Street thinks, Eschweiler said.

"It solidifies our view that the markets are pricing in a significantly higher probability of recession than what we think the fundamentals currently dictate," he said.

Encouraging quarterly results from some companies also helped lift the market.

Wynn Resorts surged 15.8 percent after the casino operator reported better-than-expected quarterly results Thursday. The stock gained $9.45 to $69.14.

Groupon vaulted 29 percent after the online daily deal service's latest quarterly profit and revenue topped Wall Street estimates. The stock added 65 cents to $2.89.

Some companies didn't fare as well, however.

Activision Blizzard slid 7.9 percent after the video game company' reported weaker-than-anticipated quarterly revenue Thursday. The stock was one of the biggest decliners in the S&P 500 index, losing $2.40 to $28.12.

Pandora Media slumped 12 percent after the Internet radio company's fourth-quarter profit fell short of estimates and the company didn't comment on rumors that it's looking to sell itself. The stock lost $1.09 to $8.

In Europe, Germany's DAX was up 2.5 percent, while France's CAC 40 was up 2.5 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 rose 3.1 percent.

In Asia, Japan's main stock index fell sharply, leading other Asian markets lower. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 plunged 4.8 percent after earlier sinking as much as 5.3 percent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 1.2 percent. South Korea's Kospi gave up 1.4 percent and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 fell 1.2 percent. Shares in New Zealand and Southeast Asia also fell. Markets in China and Taiwan were closed all week for Lunar New Year holidays and will reopen on Monday.

A day after surging 4.5 percent, gold fell $8.40, or 0.7 percent, to $1,239.40 an ounce. Silver was flat at $15.79 an ounce. Copper, an industrial metal that will often rise and fall along with investor's optimism about the global economy, rose 2 cents, or 1.1 percent, to $2.03 a pound.

In other energy trading in New York, wholesale gasoline jumped 10 cents, or 10.8 percent, to close at $1.04 a gallon, while home heating oil climbed 9 cents, or 9.2 percent, to close at $1.07 a gallon. Natural gas fell 3 cents, or 1.4 percent, to $1.97 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 1.74 percent from 1.66 percent late Thursday.

In currency markets, the dollar rose to 113.26 yen from 112.27, while the euro fell to $1.1255 from $1.1330.

9087

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE was closed for Washington's Birthday Monday February 15

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 313.66 points or ▲ 2.00% on Friday, February 12, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 15,973.84 ▲ 313.66 ▲ 2.00% CLOSED FOR HOLIDAY
Nasdaq____ 4,337.51 ▲ 70.67 ▲ 1.66% CLOSED FOR HOLIDAY
S&P_500___ 1,864.78 ▲ 35.70 ▲ 1.95% CLOSED FOR HOLIDAY
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.61 ▲ 0.10 ▲ 4.03% CLOSED FOR HOLIDAY

NYSE Volume 4,669,264,500
Nasdaq Volume 1,873,037,880

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 5,824.28 ▲ 116.68 ▲ 2.04%
DAX_____ 9,206.84 ▲ 239.33 ▲ 2.67%
CAC_40__ 4,115.25 ▲ 120.19 ▲ 3.01%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 4,893.40 ▲ 76.80 ▲ 1.59%
Shanghai_Comp 2,746.20 ▼ -17.30 ▼ -0.63%
Taiwan_Weight 8,066.51 ▲ 3.51 ▲ 0.04%
Nikkei_225___ 16,022.58 ▲ 1,069.97 ▲ 7.16%
Hang_Seng.__ 18,918.14 ▲ 598.56 ▲ 3.27%
Strait_Times.__ 2,607.90 ▲ 67.95 ▲ 2.68%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,034.28 ▲ 100.32 ▲ 1.69%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/japan-stocks-zoom-poor-growth-051954062.html

World stocks rally after Japan's Nikkei jumps 7.2 percent

Japanese stocks rocketed Monday, leading a global market rally after dismal growth data raised hopes of extra stimulus for the world's third-biggest economy

By Kelvin Chan, AP Business Writer

HONG KONG (AP) -- World stocks rallied on Monday, led by a jump in Japan's main index, amid hopes for more stimulus from central banks in Europe and Japan.

Will Wall Street closed for Presidents' Day, Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 soared 7.2 percent to close at 16,022.58, rebounding from last week's slump to post its second biggest one-day gain in three years.

That led to big gains in Europe, where Britain's FTSE 100 closed 2 percent higher at 5,824.28 and Germany's DAX gained 2.7 percent to 9,206.84. France's CAC 40 rose 3 percent to close at 4,115.25.

Stocks began rallying after government data showed Japan's economy shrank 1.4 percent on an annualized basis last quarter because of weak consumer demand and slower exports. It's a setback for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's economic revival program, which aims to stoke inflation through massive monetary easing. However, the report also gives the government more reason to open the stimulus taps wider to restore growth, economists said.

"Together with the recent slump in the Nikkei and the appreciation of the yen, the case for additional easing remains compelling," said Marcel Thieliant of Capital Economics. He predicted the Bank of Japan will step up bond purchases and push interest rates that are already in negative territory even lower.

Investor sentiment was also bolstered by comments from China's central bank chief playing down the likelihood of a one-off devaluation of the yuan.

People's Bank of China Governor Zhou Xiaochuan signaled in a Caixin magazine interview published over the weekend that there was no basis for further depreciation of China's currency, providing relief for the country's exporting neighbors worried that a weakening yuan would hurt their competitiveness.

Later in the day, stocks were nudged higher and the euro fell sharply after the European Central Bank reiterated that more stimulus would be considered at the next policy meeting in March.

The euro was down 1 percent at $1.1138 after ECB chief Mario Draghi said Monday there were "a variety of instruments" the ECB could employ if it decided more stimulus is needed. It could pump more money into the economy or cuts rates further, something that would weigh on the value of the euro.

U.S. futures, meanwhile, rose. Dow futures up 1.2 percent and those for the S&P 500 up 1.3 percent.

Elsewhere, South Korea's Kospi climbed 1.5 percent to 1,862.20 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng was up 3.3 percent to 18,918.14. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose 1.6 percent to 4,843.50. Taiwan's benchmark was flat while markets in Southeast Asia gained.

The Shanghai Composite Index in mainland China, though, lost 0.6 percent to finish at 2,746.20 after reopening following the Lunar New Year holiday.

Chinese shares were also weighed down by the latest monthly trade figures. Exports fell 11 percent while imports slid by nearly a fifth, according to customs data, highlighting persistent weakness in the world's second biggest economy.

Economists, however, were reserving final analysis until figures for February are out because the timing of the Lunar New Year holiday distorts China's economic data at the beginning of the year.

In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude oil futures rose 29 cents to $29.73 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract climbed $3.23 on Friday. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, gained 5 cents to $34.04 a barrel in London

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 222.57 points or ▲ 1.39% on Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,196.41 ▲ 222.57 ▲ 1.39%
Nasdaq____ 4,435.96 ▲ 98.44 ▲ 2.27%
S&P_500___ 1,895.58 ▲ 30.80 ▲ 1.65%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.64 ▲ 0.04 ▲ 1.42%

NYSE Volume 4,544,305,000
Nasdaq Volume 2,066,166,250

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 5,862.17 ▲ 37.89 ▲ 0.65%
DAX_____ 9,135.11 ▼ -71.73 ▼ -0.78%
CAC_40__ 4,110.66 ▼ -4.59 ▼ -0.11%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 4,961.60 ▲ 68.20 ▲ 1.39%
Shanghai_Comp 2,836.57 ▲ 90.37 ▲ 3.29%
Taiwan_Weight 8,212.07 ▲ 145.56 ▲ 1.80%
Nikkei_225___ 16,054.43 ▲ 31.85 ▲ 0.20%
Hang_Seng.__ 19,122.08 ▲ 203.94 ▲ 1.08%
Strait_Times.__ 2,644.58 ▲ 36.68 ▲ 1.41%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,075.37 ▲ 41.09 ▲ 0.68%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-rising-second-day-154255310.html#

US stocks rise for the second day in a row in broad rally
Associated Press By MARLEY JAY

NEW YORK (AP) ”” Stocks closed broadly higher as the market notched its second sizable gain in a row. Retail and industrial stocks made the biggest gains as they were lifted by company earnings, some good news from China's economy, and hope that Japan's struggling economy will get another boost.

Indexes were higher all day and almost matched the big gains they made on Friday. Strong quarterly results gave some company stocks a boost and investors worried a bit less about China and Japan.

For a change, stocks traded higher even though the price of oil slumped. Investors were skeptical that OPEC nations will sign off on a deal to freeze production, so U.S. crude sank after a big rally on Friday.

The Dow Jones industrial average added 222.57 points, or 1.4 percent, to 16,196.41. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 30.80 points, or 1.7 percent, to 1,895.58. The Nasdaq composite climbed 98.44 points, or 2.3 percent, to 4,435.96.

The S&P 500 had climbed 2 percent on Friday. It had been two months since the S&P 500 rose at least 1 percent for two consecutive days. The U.S. market was closed Monday for the Presidents Day holiday.

ADT surged after the home security company accepted an offer from investment company Apollo Global Management worth $42 per share, or $6.94 billion. Its stock rose $12.77, or 47.5 percent, to $39.64. Apollo Global added 72 cents, or 5.4 percent, to $14.12.

Amazon rose $14.02, or 2.8 percent, to $521.10. Home Depot rose $3.11, or 2.7 percent, to $119.43 and competitor Lowe's gained $2.56, or 3.9 percent, to $67.43.

Hormel, the maker of Spam and Dinty Moore stew among other foods, had its best day in almost seven years after the company posted a stronger-than-expected quarterly profit and raised its forecast for the year. Its stock climbed $2.94, or 7.1 percent, to $44.44. It's up 60 percent over the last year.

Restaurant Brands, the parent company of Burger King and Tim Hortons, jumped $1.81, or 5.7 percent, to $33.82 after the company said an important sales measurement rose at both of its chains in the fourth quarter.

Hospital stocks tumbled after Community Health Systems said admissions decreased in the fourth quarter. That's partly because it had more patients last year with respiratory illnesses and the flu. The company took a loss as it absorbed impairment charges and set aside more money to cover unpaid bills.

The stock plunged $4.12, or 22.1 percent, to $14.56.

It's been a bad couple of weeks for company earnings. Three-fourths of the companies listed on the S&P 500 have reported their quarterly results, and earnings are expected to fall almost 5 percent compared with a year ago, according to S&P Capital IQ. That's mostly because of plunging oil prices, which are pummeling energy company profits.

Analyst Lindsey Bell of S&P Global Markets Intelligence says that we're in the middle of a cycle that will see S&P 500 profits fall for four quarters in a row, but the market is focused on other issues, including concerns about the health of China's economy and central bank policy.

"You don't hear a lot of people talking about how we're going to have a nearly five-percent decline in earnings," she said.

Bell says earnings will start growing again later this year because companies have lowered the bar. Still, analysts are swiftly lowering their estimates for 2016. She says analysts now expect earnings growth of 2.9 percent, down from 7.4 percent at the start of 2016.

Daily deals site Groupon notched a large gain for the second day in a row. The stock rose $1.19, or 41.2 percent, to $4.08 after Chinese e-commerce site Alibaba disclosed it had taken a 5.6 percent stake in the company. Groupon stock jumped 29 percent Friday after the company reported its fourth-quarter results, but the stock is still in a big slump over the last year.

Tuesday started with gains for Asian stocks. China's central bank guided the yuan higher, pushing the currency close to its highest level of the year. That's a positive sign for the Chinese economy. Along with many other factors, weakness in the yuan this year has caused investors to worry about the health of the Chinese economy. China's official news agency also said new yuan loans climbed in January.

In Japan, a report showed the economy was weaker than expected, but that still gave stocks a boost because investors hope it will convince the Bank of Japan to take further steps to stimulate the economy.

Japan's Nikkei added 0.2 percent after soaring 7.2 percent the day before, its biggest daily gain since September. Hong Kong's Hang Seng advanced 1.1 percent.

Stocks in Europe mostly fell. Germany's DAX lost 0.8 percent and France's CAC 40 slipped 0.1 percent. However Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.7 percent.

Russia and Saudi Arabia said Tuesday they had reached a deal to freeze their oil output, but the deal won't take effect unless other OPEC nations also agree to it. Analysts say Iran probably won't sign on because it wants to increase production following its period of sanctions.

U.S. crude lost 40 cents, or 1.4 percent, to $29.04 a barrel in New York. It jumped 12 percent Friday, its biggest gain in years.

Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, gave up $1.21, or 3.6 percent, to $32.18 a barrel in London.

Wholesale gasoline fell 7.2 cents, or 6.9 percent, to 97.1 cents a gallon. Heating oil fell 4.2 cents, or 4 percent, to $1.027 a gallon. Natural gas slid 6.3 cents, or 3.2 percent, to $1.903 per 1,000 cubic feet.

The prices of gold and silver have climbed this year as investors look for safety in a turbulent market. With the stock market bouncing back on Tuesday, the price of gold sank $31.20, or 2.5 percent, to $1,208.20 an ounce, and silver fell 45.6 cents, or 2.9 percent, to $15.334 an ounce. Copper rose 2.2 cents to $2.051 a pound.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.78 percent from 1.75 percent Friday. The dollar rose to 113.88 yen from 113.26 yen. The euro slipped to $1.114 from $1.126.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 257.42 points or ▲ 1.59% on Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,453.83 ▲ 257.42 ▲ 1.59%
Nasdaq____ 4,534.06 ▲ 98.11 ▲ 2.21%
S&P_500___ 1,926.82 ▲ 31.24 ▲ 1.65%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.69 ▲ 0.04 ▲ 1.67%

NYSE Volume 4,939,777,500
Nasdaq Volume 2,339,105,500

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,030.32 ▲ 168.15 ▲ 2.87%
DAX_____ 9,377.21 ▲ 242.10 ▲ 2.65%
CAC_40__ 4,233.47 ▲ 122.81 ▲ 2.99%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 4,938.40 ▼ -23.20 ▼ -0.47%
Shanghai_Comp 2,867.34 ▲ 30.77 ▲ 1.08%
Taiwan_Weight 8,214.25 ▲ 2.18 ▲ 0.03%
Nikkei_225___ 15,836.36 ▼ -218.07 ▼ -1.36%
Hang_Seng.__ 18,924.57 ▼ -197.51 ▼ -1.03%
Strait_Times.__ 2,613.79 ▼ -30.79 ▼ -1.16%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,085.57 ▲ 10.20 ▲ 0.17%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stocks-rising-again-higher-oil-153737416.html

Stocks leap for a 3rd day, driven by gains in oil and tech
Associated Press By MARLEY JAY

NEW YORK (AP) ”” Stocks climbed Wednesday as investors clung to hope for an international deal to stem a global glut in crude oil with production cutbacks. That sent the price of oil sharply higher, as well as the stocks of major energy companies like Chevron. Tech stocks also rose, led by Microsoft and Facebook.

The gains capped a three-day rally, the longest so far in 2016, that has wiped out about half of the market's losses since the beginning of the year. The Standard & Poor's 500 index hit its lowest point of the year last Thursday, and has risen about 5 percent since then.

Priceline, Fossil, and Garmin rose after reporting robust earnings.

The Dow Jones industrial average gained 257.42 points, or 1.6 percent, to 16,453.83. The S&P 500 rose 31.24 points, or 1.7 percent, to 1,926.82. The Nasdaq composite index jumped 98.11 points, or 2.2 percent, to 4,534.06.

The price of oil recovered as investors again hoped for an international deal that will cap or cut production. Several OPEC nations are in talks about freezing production at January's levels, but that deal requires all of OPEC's members to agree, and Iran said Wednesday that it won't stop increasing its exports. Still, investors appeared to be encouraged that the countries are talking.

The price of U.S. crude jumped $1.62, or 5.6 percent, to $30.66 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, rose $2.32, or 7.2 percent, to $34.50 a barrel in London.

U.S. crude soared Friday on anticipation of a deal, but even with the recent gains, it's still down 17 percent this year.

Energy stocks climbed along with the price of oil. Chevron rose $3.50, or 4.1 percent, to $88.31 and Hess picked up $2.63, or 6.4 percent, to $43.47. Tech stocks made big gains, led by Microsoft, which added $1.33, or 2.6 percent, to $52.42, and Facebook, which rose $3.59, or 3.5 percent, to $105.20.

Oil and natural gas company Devon Energy missed out on those gains after saying it will eliminate 20 percent of its staff in the first quarter and slash its spending and its quarterly dividend in response to the diminished price of oil.

The stock lost 93 cents, or 4.4 percent, to $20.33. It's down 69 percent over the last year.

For almost six months, stocks have surged and dropped repeatedly as investors worry about issues like the health of China's economy, the Federal Reserve's plans on interest rates, and plunging oil prices. Sameer Samana, global quantitative strategist for Wells Fargo Investment Institute, said the ride isn't over yet.

"None of those issues have gone away," Samana said. "You'll continue to see that kind of pattern."

Samana said U.S. companies, and large stocks in particular, are doing pretty well and that investors will eventually start paying more attention to their performance. But he said it's possible that volatility in financial markets will start to affect the broader economy, cutting into consumer spending and prompting businesses to cut jobs.

While corporate earnings have been shaky, companies that surpassed analysts' expectations were rewarded on Wednesday. Online travel company Priceline climbed after its profit and revenue beat estimates. The stock gained $124.88, or 11.2 percent, to $1,235.56. Expedia rose 5 percent and TripAdvisor 3 added percent. Expedia and TripAdvisor posted strong results last week.

Personal navigation device maker Garmin rose $5.83, or 16.5 percent, to $41.06 after its fourth-quarter profit topped Wall Street estimates.

Watch and accessories maker Fossil posted strong results, and its annual profit guidance also pleased investors. The stock added $9.84, or 28.6 percent, to $44.30. Fossil was one of the worst-performing stocks in the S&P 500 last year. It lost almost two-thirds of its value as fitness trackers became more popular and the Apple Watch was launched.

Pipeline company Kinder Morgan jumped 10 percent on the rise in oil prices and from the news that Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway has taken a 1.2 percent stake in the company. The stock advanced $1.56 and closed at $17.18.

U.S. factories cranked out more cars, furniture and food in January. The Federal Reserve said factory output rose 0.5 percent, the biggest increase since July. Output had fallen in four of the previous five months, and the data suggests U.S. manufacturing may be recovering after struggling last year. While the strong dollar and weak overseas growth have cut into exports and corporate profits, Americans are spending at a solid pace.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline rose 3.3 cents to $1 a gallon. Heating oil rose 6.1 cents, or 5.9 percent, to $1.088 a gallon. Natural gas added 3.9 cents, or 2 percent, to $1.942 per 1,000 cubic feet.

The price of gold rose $3.20 to $1,211.40 an ounce and silver inched up 4.3 cents to $15.377 an ounce. Copper added 2.5 cents to $2.076 a pound.

European stocks also rallied. Germany's DAX rose 2.7 percent and France's CAC 40 gained 3 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 picked up 2.9 percent. Asian stocks slumped, however. Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 1.4 percent as investors shrugged off data showing strong machinery orders in January. Hong Kong's Hang Seng dropped 1 percent while the Shanghai Composite rose 1.1 percent.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note jumped to 1.82 percent from 1.78 percent. The dollar slipped to 113.77 yen from 113.88 yen. The euro slipped to $1.1139 from $1.1144.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -40.4 points or ▼ -0.25% on Thursday, February 18, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,413.43 ▼ -40.40 ▼ -0.25%
Nasdaq____ 4,487.54 ▼ -46.53 ▼ -1.03%
S&P_500___ 1,917.83 ▼ -8.99 ▼ -0.47%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.63 ▼ -0.05 ▼ -2.01%

NYSE Volume 4,390,492,000
Nasdaq Volume 2,191,539,750

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 5,971.95 ▼ -58.37 ▼ -0.97%
DAX_____ 9,463.64 ▲ 86.43 ▲ 0.92%
CAC_40__ 4,239.76 ▲ 6.29 ▲ 0.15%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,047.10 ▲ 108.70 ▲ 2.20%
Shanghai_Comp 2,862.89 ▼ -4.45 ▼ -0.16%
Taiwan_Weight 8,314.67 ▲ 100.42 ▲ 1.22%
Nikkei_225___ 16,196.80 ▲ 360.44 ▲ 2.28%
Hang_Seng.__ 19,363.08 ▲ 438.51 ▲ 2.32%
Strait_Times.__ 2,657.57 ▲ 43.78 ▲ 1.67%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,111.09 ▲ 25.52 ▲ 0.42%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-slip-wal-mart-154834426.html

Stocks slip as 3-day rally ends; Wal-Mart sinks retailers
Associated Press By MARLEY JAY

NEW YORK (AP) - Stocks slipped Thursday as a three-day rally ran out of steam. A surge in oil prices also slowed down, and consumer stocks fell after Wal-Mart reported disappointing sales and cut its projections for the year.

The losses were small but spread across many industries. Energy stocks fell the most, followed by banks. Those stocks had made big gains over the last three days as the market rallied. Wal-Mart's weak results put pressure on other retailers as well as supermarket chains.

The Dow Jones industrial average gave up 40.40 points, or 0.3 percent, to 16,413.43. The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 8.99 points, or 0.5 percent, to 1,917.83. The Nasdaq composite index slid 46.53 points, or 1 percent, to 4,487.54.

Wal-Mart's profit fell compared to last year and its sales were weaker than analysts expected. The retailer now says its net sales this year will be about the same as in 2015. It's struggling with competition from online giant Amazon and other retailers and is also paying its employees more, which has reduced its profits. In January the company said it would close 269 stores.

On Thursday the stock lost $1.99, or 3 percent, to $64.12. It's down 26 percent over the last year.

Wal-Mart is the first major retailer to report its quarterly results. Competitors including Target, JC Penney and Macy's will follow next week. Retail consultant Walter Loeb said he thinks most of those competitors will also report disappointing results.

"There are many, many retailers who have not been proactive in keeping their expenses in check," he said, adding that weakening sales growth makes that a bigger problem. Loeb said consumers are spending cautiously because they are worried about job security and aren't sure if the U.S. economy will keep growing.

J.C. Penney lost 20 cents, or 2.6 percent, to $7.63 and Costco fell $2.26, or 1.5 percent, to $148.65. Wal-Mart's struggles also affected supermarkets, as the company noted that meat and dairy prices are down. Kroger fell $1.35, or 3.5 percent, to $38.06.

Oil prices fluctuated after a big rally over the last few days. Investors are hoping that a round of international talks will lead to a deal that addresses a glut in oil production, but the U.S. government reported that energy stockpiles are still growing.

U.S. crude added 11 cents to close at $30.77 a barrel in New York. The price of U.S. oil has climbed 17 percent over the last week. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, lost 22 cents to close at $34.28 a barrel in London.

With oil prices trading around 13-year lows, at least six OPEC nations have backed a plan that would stop oil production from increasing any further. That would help address a giant supply glut. Iran, which has not agreed to the deal and has said it wants to keep increasing its production, said it supports any measure to raise oil prices.

Investors saw that as a good sign, but the deal won't go into effect unless all 13 OPEC members agree to it. Meanwhile, stockpiles keep growing. According to an Energy Information Administration report, oil inventories grew by 2.1 million barrels and gasoline stockpiles increased by 3 million barrels.

Independent analyst Jim Ritterbusch said people are driving a bit more because the price of gas has plunged, but it's not a big change, so it's not helping improve prices.

"It looks like gasoline demand is still soft," he said. "You can only buy and sell so many SUVs."

While oil companies have shut down hundreds of oil drilling rigs, it will be months before oil production really slows down because drilling operations have become much more efficient, Ritterbusch said.

The S&P 500 jumped more than 5 percent over the past three days, with banks and consumer stocks making the biggest gains. That rally erased about half of the index's losses since the beginning of the year.

Financial stocks had made the largest gains during the three-day rally, as the S&P 500's financial stock index jumped more than 7 percent over the three days ending on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase retreated 96 cents, or 1.6 percent, to $57.81 and Bank of America fell 32 cents, or 2.5 percent, to $12.24.

IBM climbed after the company said it will buy Truven Health analytics for $2.6 billion, expanding the health care capabilities of its Watson computing system. IBM rose $6.35, or 5 percent, to $132.45, by far the largest gain in the Dow average.

Logistics company Ingram Micro surged $6.69, or 22.6 percent, to $36.34 after it agreed to be bought by Chinese shipping company Tianjin Tianhai. The deal values Ingram at about $6 billion, or $38.90 per share.

With the broader market slumping, investors returned again to the safe havens of telecom and utilities stocks. Those were the only S&P 500 sectors that traded higher, and they're also the only sectors that have made big gains in 2016.

European markets were mixed. Germany's DAX rose 0.9 percent and France's CAC 40 inched up 0.2 percent, but Britain's FTSE 100 slipped 1 percent. Asian stock markets rose. Japan's Nikkei 225 jumped 2.3 percent and South Korea's Kospi rose 1.3 percent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng surged 2.3 percent.

In metals trading, gold rose $14.90, or 1.2 percent, to $1,226.30 an ounce and silver added 5.5 cents to $15.432 an ounce. Copper inched down to $2.074 a pound.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 1.74 percent from 1.82 percent. The euro fell to $1.1099 from $1.1139. The dollar slid to 113.58 yen from 113.77 yen.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline fell 3.1 cents to 97.2 cents a gallon. Heating oil declined 0.9 cents to $1.079 a gallon. Natural gas slipped 9 cents, or 4.6 percent, to $1.852 per 1,000 cubic feet.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -21.44 points or ▼ -0.13% on Friday, February 19, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,391.99 ▼ -21.44 ▼ -0.13%
Nasdaq____ 4,504.43 ▲ 16.89 ▲ 0.38%
S&P_500___ 1,917.78 ▼ -0.05 ▲ 0.00%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.61 ▼ -0.03 ▼ -1.03%

NYSE Volume 4,119,230,750
Nasdaq Volume 2,101,844,750

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 5,950.23 ▼ -21.72 ▼ -0.36%
DAX_____ 9,388.05 ▼ -75.59 ▼ -0.80%
CAC_40__ 4,223.04 ▼ -16.72 ▼ -0.39%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,008.30 ▼ -38.80 ▼ -0.77%
Shanghai_Comp 2,860.02 ▼ -2.87 ▼ -0.10%
Taiwan_Weight 8,325.04 ▲ 10.37 ▲ 0.12%
Nikkei_225___ 15,967.17 ▼ -229.63 ▼ -1.42%
Hang_Seng.__ 19,285.50 ▼ -77.58 ▼ -0.40%
Strait_Times.__ 2,656.87 ▼ -0.70 ▼ -0.03%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,141.71 ▲ 30.62 ▲ 0.50%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/global-stock-markets-oil-price-144333117.html
Stocks edge lower again, but wrap up best week of the year
By MARLEY JAY
The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) ”” U.S. stocks inched lower Friday as the price of oil slipped and investors worried again about the health of the global economy. Chemicals companies fell the most. Despite the loss, the market still had its best week of the year.

Stocks declined as the price of oil slipped 4 percent, giving back some of its gains from the last week, and agricultural equipment giant Deere cut its sales projections. That helped touch off a wider slump that hurt chemicals, materials and mining companies. Consumer stocks like home improvement retailers and travel companies rose after the government said consumer prices are rising, a sign the U.S. economy is in good shape.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 21.44 points, or 0.1 percent, to 16,391.99. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index dipped 0.05 points to 1,917.78. The Nasdaq composite index rose 16.89 points, or 0.4 percent, to 4,504.43.

Stocks made big gains Tuesday and Wednesday. Then the rally stalled and indexes took small losses over the last two days. Still, the Nasdaq, which is still down 10 percent this year, logged its biggest weekly gain since July and the S&P 500 had its best week in two months.

Benchmark U.S. crude fell $1.13, or 3.7 percent, to $29.64 a barrel in New York. It climbed 17 percent over the previous week. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, slid $1.27, or 3.7 percent, to $33.01.

That sent oil and gas stocks tumbling. Southwestern Energy dropped $1.40, or 16.5 percent, to $7.09 and Murphy Oil fell $1.24, or 7.3 percent, to $15.76.

Agricultural equipment company Deere lowered its sales forecast for the year as sales of farm and construction remain weak. That canceled out first-quarter results that were better than analysts expected. Deere lost $3.33, or 4.1 percent, to $77. Elsewhere, chemicals maker LyondellBassell Industries dipped $2.06, or 2.6 percent, to $78.14 and agricultural chemicals maker Monsanto fell $1.40, or 1.6 percent, to $88.52.

The government reported that consumer goods prices are still rising, and consumer stocks traded higher. Online retailer Amazon gained $9.90, or 1.9 percent, to $534.90, while home improvement retailer Home Depot added $1.72, or 1.4 percent, to $121.69 and online travel company Priceline rose $31.79, or 2.5 percent, to $1,283.74.

The Labor Department said prices for consumer goods have risen 1.4 percent over the last year, a sign that the pace of inflation is picking up and the economy is improving. The combination of a strong dollar and cheaper oil has suppressed inflation across much of the economy, but prices of other goods have been rising.

Michael Scanlon, managing director and portfolio manager for John Hancock Asset Management, said consumers are still spending plenty of money on cars, homes and travel. He thinks that spending is going to grow.

“People feel more stable in their jobs with increasing wages (and) home prices continue to rise,” he said.

Gas prices are also very low, and while consumers have mostly put their gas savings in the bank instead of spending it, Scanlon thinks that’s going to change. Gas prices have stayed low for more than a year, and he thinks shoppers will start to trust that pump prices are going to stay low.

For the moment, retailers are continuing to struggle. Department store operator Nordstrom disappointed Wall Street with its holiday-season results. The company said its sales were weaker than it expected and its profits were hurt because it had to match discounts offered by competitors.

Nordstrom gave up $3.55, or 6.7 percent, to $49.17 while Macy’s fell 90 cents, or 2.2 percent, to $40.23 and JC Penney lost 31 cents, or 4.1 percent, to $7.32. Retail stocks also stumbled Thursday after Wal-Mart reported weak quarterly sales and cut its forecasts for the year. Several other major retailers will report their quarterly results next week.

Department stores have struggled since they disclosed weak third-quarter results in November. Nordstrom is down 23 percent since its previous report a little more than three months ago.

Chipmaking equipment company Applied Materials climbed after it reported stronger-than-expected profit and sales. Its stock gained $1.21, or 7 percent, to $18.38. That was its biggest increase in almost two years.

Yahoo rose 62 cents, or 2 percent, to $30.04 after the Internet company said it has created a committee of independent directors and hired advisers as part of an effort to redefine itself. Big shareholders are pushing Yahoo to sell its main Internet business. The company eliminated 15 percent of its staff earlier this month.

European stocks fell as the leaders of Britain and the rest of the 28-country European Union entered a second day of talks on how to reform the country’s membership in the bloc. The talks are stalled over a series of issues, including immigration rights.

Germany’s DAX fell 0.8 percent, while France’s CAC 40 and Britain’s FTSE 100 both declined 0.4 percent. Asian stocks were mixed, as Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 lost 1.4 percent and South Korea’s Kospi added 0.4 percent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 0.4 percent and the Shanghai Composite in mainland China inched down 0.1 percent.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline fell 1.3 cents to 95.9 cents a gallon. Heating oil lost 5.4 cents, or 5 percent, to $1.026 a gallon. Natural gas slid 4.8 cents, or 2.6 percent, to $1.804 per 1,000 cubic feet.

The price of gold increased $4.50 to $1,230.80 an ounce and silver fell 5.9 cents to $15.373 an ounce. Copper held steady at $2.068 a pound.

Bond prices ticked lower. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.76 percent from 1.74 percent. The euro rose to $1.1135 from $1.1094 Thursday. The dollar fell to 112.56 yen from 113.57 yen.

0023

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -188.88 points or ▼ -1.14% on Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,431.78 ▼ -188.88 ▼ -1.14%
Nasdaq____ 4,503.58 ▼ -67.02 ▼ -1.47%
S&P_500___ 1,921.27 ▼ -24.23 ▼ -1.25%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.60 ▼ -0.02 ▼ -0.84%

NYSE Volume 3,829,548,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,841,024,750

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 5,962.31 ▼ -75.42 ▼ -1.25%
DAX_____ 9,416.77 ▼ -156.82 ▼ -1.64%
CAC_40__ 4,238.42 ▼ -60.28 ▼ -1.40%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,039.10 ▼ -17.50 ▼ -0.35%
Shanghai_Comp 2,903.33 ▼ -23.84 ▼ -0.81%
Taiwan_Weight 8,334.64 ▲ 7.96 ▲ 0.10%
Nikkei_225___ 16,052.05 ▼ -59.00 ▼ -0.37%
Hang_Seng.__ 19,414.78 ▼ -49.31 ▼ -0.25%
Strait_Times.__ 2,672.07 ▲ 11.42 ▲ 0.43%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,175.67 ▲ 36.21 ▲ 0.59%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stocks-open-slightly-lower-wall-street-151853249.html

Stocks end lower on Wall Street as commodities prices fall

Stocks fall broadly as commodity prices retreat
Associated Press By Ken Sweet, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks fell broadly on Tuesday as commodity prices retreated. Crude oil sank more than 4 percent. Investors remained worried about growth in China as the country cut the value of its currency against the dollar yet again.

Investors were also discouraged by a report showing that consumer confidence fell to its lowest level in seven months.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 188.88 points, or 1.1 percent, to 16,431.78. The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 24.23 points, or 1.3 percent, to 1,921.27 and the Nasdaq composite fell 67.02 points, or 1.5 percent, to 4,503.58.

As has happened multiple times this year, stocks fell in tandem with energy prices.

Saudi Arabia's oil minister said Tuesday that production cuts to boost oil prices won't work, and said the world's oil market should be allowed to work even if that forces some operators out of business. He also said he expects oil prices to remain low for some time.

Crude oil fell $1.52, or 4.6 percent, to $31.87 a barrel while Brent crude, which is used to price oils internationally, fell $1.42, or 4.1 percent, to $33.27 a barrel in London.

Energy stocks fell far more than the rest of the market, with the energy component of the S&P 500 dropping 3.2 percent.

It's not uncommon to see stocks give up some of their gains after a strong multi-day like the one that happened last week, but traders say the mood in the market is still cautious. They note that trading volume has been far lighter on days the market has risen and heavier on days it has fallen. That suggests there is more interest among investors in getting out of stocks than there is in getting in to them.

"We aren't seeing the buying interest that you would usually see in a major upward swing in the markets," said Ryan Larson, head of U.S. equity trading at RBC Global Asset Management. "Although we have come off the bottom, it's still quite volatile out there."

Investors were also still watching developments out of China, where the People's Bank of China announced it had cut its daily rate between the yuan and the dollar more than expected. The weakening yuan was a major cause of market turmoil in August 2015 as investors worried that it signaled a slowdown in China's economy.

Here in the U.S., a report from the Conference Board showed U.S. consumer confidence fell to 92.2 in February, down sharply from a reading of 97.8 in January and the lowest level since July. Consumers expressed worries about deteriorating business conditions and turbulence in the financial markets for their drop in confidence.

Among individual companies, Fitbit, a maker of wearable fitness trackers, fell $3.44, or 21 percent, to $13.08 after the company issued a weak forecast for 2016.

Dow member United Technologies lost 77 cents, or 1 percent, to $91.60 after the company rejected a merger offer from Honeywell.

U.S. government bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note edged down to 1.72 percent from 1.75 percent a day earlier. The dollar fell to 112.06 yen from 112.83 yen while the euro weakened to $1.1009 from $1.1026.

In other energy prices, heating oil fell 3.3 cents to $1.022 a gallon, wholesale gasoline fell 3.4 cents to 96.6 cents and natural gas fell 3.9 cents to $1.782 per thousand cubic feet.

Precious and industrial metals futures ended mixed. Gold rose $12.50 to $1,222.60 an ounce, silver rose six cents to $15.24 an ounce and copper slipped a penny to $2.11 a pound.