NYSE Dow Jones finished today at:

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 53.21 points or ▲ 0.32% on Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,484.99 ▲ 53.21 ▲ 0.32%
Nasdaq____ 4,542.61 ▲ 39.02 ▲ 0.87%
S&P_500___ 1,929.80 ▲ 8.53 ▲ 0.44%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.60 ▲ 0.00 ▲ 0.00%

NYSE Volume 4,263,738,500
Nasdaq Volume 2,034,839,380

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 5,867.18 ▼ -95.13 ▼ -1.60%
DAX_____ 9,167.80 ▼ -248.97 ▼ -2.64%
CAC_40__ 4,155.34 ▼ -83.08 ▼ -1.96%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 4,943.30 ▼ -95.80 ▼ -1.90%
Shanghai_Comp 2,928.90 ▲ 25.56 ▲ 0.88%
Taiwan_Weight 8,282.86 ▼ -51.78 ▼ -0.62%
Nikkei_225___ 15,915.79 ▼ -136.26 ▼ -0.85%
Hang_Seng.__ 19,192.45 ▼ -222.33 ▼ -1.15%
Strait_Times.__ 2,619.96 ▼ -52.11 ▼ -1.95%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,230.37 ▲ 54.70 ▲ 0.89%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stocks-open-lower-weak-oil-prices-push-energy-151522931.html#

Stocks erase an early loss and manage modest gains

The stock market recovered from an early loss and managed a modest gain after the price of crude oil turned higher
Associated Press By Ken Sweet, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- The stock market reversed steep declines and ended slightly higher on Wednesday, thanks in part to a pickup in the price of crude oil.

Indexes continue to be weighed down by bank stocks, which remain under pressure due to economic unease and worries about the amount of loans on their books to struggling oil and gas companies.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 53.21 points, or 0.3 percent, to 16,484.99. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 8.53 points, or 0.4 percent, to 1,929.80 and the Nasdaq composite rose 39.02 points, or 0.9 percent, to 4,542.61.

Stocks had been dramatically lower earlier in the day, with the Dow down as much as 265 points. However as oil prices recovered through the day, so did energy stocks and the broader market. After being down nearly 4 percent earlier, oil closed up 28 cents, or 1 percent, to $32.15 a barrel. The energy component of the S&P 500, which had been down roughly 2 percent, closed up 1 percent.

"As goes oil, so goes everything," said Ian Winer, co-head of equities trading at Wedbush Securities.

The market's only place of weakness by the end of trading was the financial sector. Bank stocks had some of the biggest losses, and the financial services component of the S&P 500 lost 0.8 percent.

Despite substantial gains in recent days, many investors remain hesitant to commit more money to the market and don't need much reason to sell, analysts say. Bank stocks are often a proxy for how well an economy is expected to do, since loans can sour during an economic slowdown. While oil rose on Tuesday, the pressure on the commodity prices seems to be ever downward.

While oil rose 1 percent Wednesday, crude fell 4 percent the day before after Saudi Arabia's oil minister, Ali Al-Naimi, told a meeting of energy leaders in Houston that production cuts aimed at supporting falling crude prices won't work. He said that the market should instead let some operators go out of business.

"Fundamentally, there's nothing that shows the U.S. economy is faltering here. But people continue to be worried about low commodity prices and there is general unease that has lingered from how the markets started this year," said David Kelly, chief investment strategist at J.P. Morgan Funds.

Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note edged rose to 1.75 percent from 1.72 percent.

In other energy trading, heating oil rose 3.7 cents, or 3.6 percent, to $1.059 a gallon, wholesale gasoline futures rose 4.4 cents, or 4.6 percent, to $1.01 a gallon and natural gas fell 0.4 cents, or 0.2 percent, to $1.778 per thousand cubic feet. Brent crude oil, which is used to price oil internationally, rose $1.14, or 3.4 percent, to $34.10 a barrel in London.

In metals trading, gold closed up $16.50, or 1.3 percent, to $1,239.10 an ounce, silver rose 5.2 cents, or 0.3 percent, to $15.33 an ounce and high-grade copper futures fell 0.8 cents, or 0.4 percent, to $2.101 a pound.

The dollar rose to 112.05 yen from 111.97 yen in the previous day's trading. The euro was mostly unchanged unchanged at $1.1011.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 212.3 points or ▲ 1.29% on Thursday, February 25, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,697.29 ▲ 212.30 ▲ 1.29%
Nasdaq____ 4,582.21 ▲ 39.60 ▲ 0.87%
S&P_500___ 1,951.70 ▲ 21.90 ▲ 1.13%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.57 ▼ -0.02 ▼ -0.89%

NYSE Volume 4,070,931,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,777,862,000

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,012.81 ▲ 145.63 ▲ 2.48%
DAX_____ 9,331.48 ▲ 163.68 ▲ 1.79%
CAC_40__ 4,248.45 ▲ 93.11 ▲ 2.24%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 4,944.70 ▲ 1.40 ▲ 0.03%
Shanghai_Comp 2,741.25 ▼ -187.65 ▼ -6.41%
Taiwan_Weight 8,365.86 ▲ 83.00 ▲ 1.00%
Nikkei_225___ 16,140.34 ▲ 224.55 ▲ 1.41%
Hang_Seng.__ 18,888.75 ▼ -303.70 ▼ -1.58%
Strait_Times.__ 2,603.40 ▼ -16.56 ▼ -0.63%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,225.28 ▼ -5.09 ▼ -0.08%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-little-changed-early-trading-151855418.html

US stocks post solid gain on rising oil prices

Late day rally pushes stocks solidly higher Thursday, helped by a recovery in the price of oil and bank stocks, which have been hit hard this year
Associated Press By Ken Sweet, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- A late-day surge pushed U.S. stocks sharply higher Thursday, propelled by a recovery in energy companies and bank stocks, which have been hit hard this year.

Investors were also encouraged by positive economic data, including improved orders for long-lasting goods that served as a sign that businesses were buying equipment and investing in their operations.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 212.30 points, or 1.3 percent, to close at 16,697.29. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 21.90 points, or 1.1 percent, to close at 1,951.70 and the Nasdaq composite rose 39.60 points, or 0.9 percent, to close at 4,582.20.

Stocks had been flat to slightly higher most of the day but added to their gains in the last hour of trading. The market ”” as it has done for weeks now ”” largely tracked the price of oil. U.S. crude oil closed up 92 cents, or nearly 3 percent, to $33.07 a barrel while Brent crude, the global benchmark, rose 88 cents, or 2.6 percent, to $35.29 a barrel.

"Oil and the stock market are going to keep moving in tandem like this until oil prices stabilize," said Jeremy Zirin, chief equity strategist at UBS Wealth Management.

Bank stocks got a reprieve Thursday after several weeks of downward pressure. The financials sector was the biggest gainer in the S&P 500. Morgan Stanley rose 4 percent, Goldman Sachs rose 2 percent, while the big retail banks Bank of America, U.S. Bancorp and Citigroup were up more than 1 percent each.

Bank stocks have been hit hard this year on expectations that the Federal Reserve will now be reluctant to raise interest rates, which boost bank profits, and that low oil prices will continue to cause banks to write off energy loans.

"The fears about the banks are entirely about profitability. Investors were expecting the Fed to raise rates three to four times this year, now we are looking at maybe one interest rate hike," Zirin said.

Orders to U.S. companies for long-lasting manufactured goods rose in January at the strongest pace in 10 months, the government said Thursday. A key category that tracks business investment surged by the largest amount in 19 months. The bigger-than-expected gains could be a sign of better days ahead for the nation's beleaguered manufacturers.

The biggest gainer in the S&P 500 Thursday was Salesforce.com, which jumped $6.90, or 11 percent, to $69.42 after the company issued an upbeat outlook for the year. Investors had been worried about the results of Salesforce after a competitor, Tableau, issued a dismal outlook earlier this month that caused its shares to drop nearly 50 percent, dragging down its competitors.

Both U.S. and European markets fared well despite a sharp drop in Chinese stocks overnight. The Shanghai composite fell 6.4 percent on renewed concerns about the country's manufacturing sector and market liquidity.

Bond prices rose, with the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note falling to 1.71 percent from 1.75 percent on Wednesday.

In other energy trading, heating oil rose 1 cent, or 1 percent, to $1.07 a gallon, wholesale gasoline rose 4.6 cents, or 4.5 percent, to $1.056 a gallon and natural gas fell 6.7 cents, or 4 percent, to $1.711 per 1,000 cubic feet.

In metals, gold fell 30 cents to $1,238.80 an ounce and silver fell 13 cents to $15.20 an ounce. High-quality copper fell 2.8 cents to $2.073 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

My apologies for being late posting; I was away driving my new race red RHD Mustang V8 Coupe

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -57.32 points or ▼ -0.34% on Saturday, February 27, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,639.97 ▼ -57.32 ▼ -0.34%
Nasdaq____ 4,590.47 ▲ 8.27 ▲ 0.18%
S&P_500___ 1,948.05 ▼ -3.65 ▼ -0.19%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.64 ▲ 0.06 ▲ 2.41%

NYSE Volume 4,330,037,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,826,217,120

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,096.01 ▲ 83.20 ▲ 1.38%
DAX_____ 9,513.30 ▲ 181.82 ▲ 1.95%
CAC_40__ 4,314.57 ▲ 66.12 ▲ 1.56%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 4,945.10 ▲ 0.40 ▲ 0.01%
Shanghai_Comp 2,767.21 ▲ 25.96 ▲ 0.95%
Taiwan_Weight 8,411.16 ▲ 45.30 ▲ 0.54%
Nikkei_225___ 16,188.41 ▲ 48.07 ▲ 0.30%
Hang_Seng.__ 19,364.15 ▲ 475.40 ▲ 2.52%
Strait_Times.__ 2,649.38 ▲ 45.98 ▲ 1.77%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,224.98 ▼ -0.30 ▲ 0.00%

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

Stocks end strong week on flat note

US stocks failed to follow global shares higher on Friday, but still held onto strong gains for the week
Associated Press By Ken Sweet, AP Business Writer
February 26, 2016 6:01 PM

NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks ended a strong week on a flat note as lower oil prices and utility stocks offset encouraging economic news.

Still, the market ended Friday with a second straight weekly gain.

The Dow Jones industrial average closed down 57.32 points, or 0.3 percent, to 16,639.97. The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 3.65 points, or 0.2 percent, to 1,948.05 and the Nasdaq composite added 8.27 points, or 0.2 percent, to 4,590.47.

All three indexes finished the week up by 1.5 percent or more. Oil, despite Friday's decline, was up 3.6 percent for the week.

On Friday the market was buoyed early by a strong rally in overseas stocks triggered by word from China that it would not devalue its currency to make its imports more competitive.

Also, the Commerce Department said U.S. gross domestic product, the broadest measure of economic health, grew at an annual rate of 1 percent in the fourth quarter, an improvement from the first estimate of 0.7 percent. Economists were expecting a reading of 0.4 percent growth.

"We are finally seeing some stabilization in the economic data — durable goods numbers, retail sales, and this second reading on GDP — that will hopefully end this debate on whether the U.S. economy is heading toward recession," said Quincy Krosby, a market strategist with Prudential Financial.

Voya Market Strategists Douglas Cote and Karyn Cavanaugh, in a note to investors, said the GDP data could increase the likelihood of an interest rate increase at the Federal Reserve's meeting in March.

But the stronger economic news kicked interest rates up sharply. That in turn hit relatively safe investments like government bonds and stocks that are attractive for their dividends, like utilities and consumer staples, hard.

Coca-Cola was the biggest decliner in the Dow, slipping 2.3 percent, followed by Wal-Mart and IBM. All three stocks have a dividend yield of 3 percent or more.

The Dow Jones utility index, a basket of 15 utility companies, fell nearly 3 percent, and the sector was the biggest loser in the S&P 500. Utility stocks tend to do better at times of low interest rates or economic uncertainty because their business is relatively stable and they pay a high dividend.

Government bond prices fell, pushing the yield on the 10-year Treasury note up to 1.76 percent from 1.72 percent the day before. Gold prices also fell, closing down $18.40 to $1,220.40 an ounce.

Oil was unable to hold gains it had early in the day, and closed down 29 cents, or 1 percent, to $32.78 a barrel. Brent crude, the global benchmark, fell 19 cents to close at $35.10. In other energy commodities, heating oil fell 1.9 cents to $1.051 a gallon. Wholesale gasoline futures fell 3.9 cents to $1.017 a gallon and natural gas rose 0.6 cents to $1.791 per 1,000 cubic feet.

In other metals, silver fell 49 cents to $14.71 an ounce and high-grade copper rose 5 cents to $2.125 a pound.

0926

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -123.47 points or ▼ -0.74% on Monday, February 29, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,516.50 ▼ -123.47 ▼ -0.74%
Nasdaq____ 4,557.95 ▼ -32.52 ▼ -0.71%
S&P_500___ 1,932.23 ▼ -15.82 ▼ -0.81%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.62 ▼ -0.02 ▼ -0.80%

NYSE Volume 4,426,106,500
Nasdaq Volume 2,186,858,500

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,097.09 ▲ 84.28 ▲ 1.40%
DAX_____ 9,495.40 ▼ -17.90 ▼ -0.19%
CAC_40__ 4,353.55 ▲ 38.98 ▲ 0.90%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 4,947.90 ▲ 2.80 ▲ 0.06%
Shanghai_Comp 2,687.98 ▼ -79.23 ▼ -2.86%
Taiwan_Weight 8,411.16 ▲ 45.30 ▲ 0.54%
Nikkei_225___ 16,026.76 ▼ -161.65 ▼ -1.00%
Hang_Seng.__ 19,111.93 ▼ -252.22 ▼ -1.30%
Strait_Times.__ 2,666.51 ▲ 17.13 ▲ 0.65%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,230.87 ▲ 5.89 ▲ 0.09%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-markets-start-week-neutral-154932851.html

Late selling leaves stocks down for third straight month

Late-day selling pushed US stocks to a loss for the day and erased nearly all of the market's gains for the month
Associated Press By Marley Jay, AP Markets Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Late-day selling sent U.S. stocks to a loss Monday and erased nearly all of the market's gains for the month. Weak earnings for drug companies pushed health care stocks lower, and energy shares fell as natural gas plunged.

Investors lost enthusiasm for stocks after two straight weekly gains. Health care stocks fell furthest as drugmakers Endo International, Mylan and Mallinckrodt all slumped. Oil prices rose, but natural gas hit a 17-year low. Banks lost ground, partly because investors are worried about potential losses on loans to energy companies.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 123.47 points, or 0.7 percent, to 16,516.50. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 15.82 points, or 0.8 percent, to 1,932.23. The Nasdaq composite index fell 32.52 points, or 0.7 percent, to 4,557.95.

Monday's loss pushed the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq to a loss for February, their third monthly loss in a row. The Dow eked out a gain of 0.3 percent for its first positive month since November.

John Manley, chief equity strategist for Wells Fargo Fund Management, said investors are nervous. "A lot of investors have fantastic profits from three or four years (of gains) and they also have terrible memories from seven or eight years ago," he said. "Why not sell first and ask questions later?"

The drug and medical device company Endo lost $11.13, or 21 percent, to $41.81 after the company said it will wind down its Astora women's health business and set aside $834 million to cover costs from possible product liability lawsuits over vaginal mesh implants, which have been linked to thousands of injuries.

Valeant Pharmaceuticals slid after the company withdrew its financial forecasts. The stock gave up $14.85, or 18.4 percent, to $65.80. Mallinckrodt declined $4.21, or 6.1 percent, to $65.03.

With stocks on shaky ground, precious metals prices improved. The price of gold has climbed nearly 11 percent this month. Gold is seen as a safe investment when the market gets rough, and Steven Dunn, the head of ETF Securities' U.S. division, said investors are now more worried about the global markets than they have been in several years.

"When there is turmoil in the world, people do come back to gold as sort of that safe port," he said.

The price of gold rose 1 percent Monday to $1,234.40 an ounce. Over the last two weeks gold has traded near it highest price in a year.

Benchmark U.S. crude oil rose 97 cents, or 3 percent, to $33.75 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, the global benchmark, gained 87 cents, or 2.5 percent, to $35.97 a barrel in London.

Natural gas prices skidded 4 percent to $1.71 per 1,000 cubic feet, its lowest level since March of 1999. In a research note, Commodity Weather Group said it expects a "super warm pattern" to start in about a week. That will lead to less demand for heat as the winter comes to a close.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline rose 3 cents to $1.05 a gallon and heating oil rose 2 cents to $1.08 a gallon.

Global stocks were mixed.

Policymakers at a weekend meeting of the Group of 20 rich and developing countries promised to use "all tools" at their disposal to bolster weak global growth, but they didn't announce any specific moves. Some relief emerged with the news that China's monetary authorities had cut the amount of deposits that banks have to keep in reserve at the central bank. That should free up cash for banks to lend. The government also guided the yuan lower.

Germany's DAX slipped 0.2 percent, while the FTSE 100 index of British shares remained unchanged. The CAC-40 in France rose 0.9 percent. The yen's strength weighed on Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225, which fell 1 percent. The Shanghai Composite Index tumbled 2.9 percent after the yuan's decline.

Stock markets in Europe were helped somewhat by news that inflation across the eurozone turned negative in February as consumer prices fell. The euro fell because traders expect further monetary stimulus from the European Central Bank at its meeting on March 10.

In other metals trading, silver prices edged up 21 cents to $14.90 an ounce. Copper rose 1 cent to $2.13 a pound.

Bond prices rose and the yield on the 10-year Treasury note slipped to 1.75 percent from 1.76 percent. The euro fell to $1.0875 from $1.0928 and the dollar fell to 112.95 yen from 113.90 yen.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 348.58 points or ▲ 2.11% on Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,865.08 ▲ 348.58 ▲ 2.11%
Nasdaq____ 4,689.60 ▲ 131.65 ▲ 2.89%
S&P_500___ 1,978.35 ▲ 46.12 ▲ 2.39%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.70 ▲ 0.09 ▲ 3.37%

NYSE Volume 4,774,834,000
Nasdaq Volume 2,216,613,000

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,152.88 ▲ 55.79 ▲ 0.92%
DAX_____ 9,717.16 ▲ 221.76 ▲ 2.34%
CAC_40__ 4,406.84 ▲ 53.29 ▲ 1.22%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 4,989.60 ▲ 41.70 ▲ 0.84%
Shanghai_Comp 2,733.17 ▲ 45.19 ▲ 1.68%
Taiwan_Weight 8,485.69 ▲ 74.53 ▲ 0.89%
Nikkei_225___ 16,085.51 ▲ 58.75 ▲ 0.37%
Hang_Seng.__ 19,407.46 ▲ 295.53 ▲ 1.55%
Strait_Times.__ 2,682.39 ▲ 15.88 ▲ 0.60%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,280.90 ▲ 50.03 ▲ 0.80%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/banks-bounce-back-leading-us-stocks-higher-early-153348888.html

Stocks snap higher following encouraging signs on US economy

Stocks post their biggest gains in more than a month following more encouraging signs of growth in the US economy
Associated Press By Marley Jay, AP Markets Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks roared to their best day in more than a month Tuesday as investors hit the "buy" button following some encouraging signs of strength in the U.S. economy. Construction spending reached its highest level in eight years in January. Banks, the worst-performing sector of the market so far this year, led the way higher.

Stocks jumped at 10 a.m., when the Commerce Department reported that construction spending continued to rise in January. At the same time, a survey showed some signs of life in the beaten-down manufacturing sector. Those were good signs for the U.S. economy.

Banks rose the most, but big names in consumer and tech stocks also climbed, as did oil prices.

The Dow Jones industrial average jumped 348.58 points, or 2.1 percent, to 16,865.08. The Standard & Poor's 500 index surged 46.12 points, or 2.4 percent, to 1,978.35. That was the biggest gain for the S&P 500, a widely used benchmark, since late January.

The Nasdaq composite index, which is heavily weighted with technology companies, made its biggest gain since August, adding 131.65 points, or 2.9 percent, to 4,689.60.

Stocks have stumbled this year as investors feared for the health of the U.S. economy at the same time that China, Europe, and Japan are slowing or struggling. Tuesday's report showed construction spending rose by the most in eight months. A manufacturing index had its best reading in six months, though activity is still declining.

Bank of America picked up 67 cents, or 5.4 percent, to $13.19 and JPMorgan Chase gained $2.90, or 5.2 percent, to $59.20, leading financial stocks higher. The S&P 500's financial component has slumped about 9 percent this year, worse than any other industry, as investors worry about loans banks have made to energy companies and low interest rates.

In recent months the strong dollar has hurt tech stocks, which do a lot of business outside the U.S., because it makes their products more expensive overseas and cuts into their revenue. Those stocks climbed Tuesday, with the biggest gains going to familiar names. Apple gained $3.84, or 4 percent, to $100.53. It had been more than a month since Apple stock closed above $100. Alphabet, the parent of Google, rose $24.95, or 3.5 percent, to $742.17. Microsoft picked up $1.70, or 3.3 percent, to $52.58 and Facebook stock added $2.90, or 2.7 percent, to $109.82.

Karyn Cavanaugh, senior markets strategist for Voya Investment Management, said investors abandoned tech and bank stocks as the market slumped in January and February.

"They've just been beaten with a stick this year," she said. "Earnings have not been that bad and the companies' financials are not that bad."

Cavanaugh said investors are pleased with the construction and manufacturing reports, and relieved that the dollar and oil prices seem to have stabilized.

Agribusiness giant Monsanto gained $2.50, or 2.8 percent, to $92.49 and chemical maker DuPont rose $2.07, or 3.4 percent, to $62.94. Among consumer stocks, Amazon rose $26.52, or 4.8 percent, to $579.04 and Netflix gained $4.89, or 5.2 percent, to $98.30.

Most automakers reported big gains in their February U.S. sales. Ford climbed 58 cents, or 4.6 percent, to $13.09 after its sales rose almost 20 percent, a better gain than analysts expected. Honda, Fiat Chrysler and Nissan also reported big improvements. GM's sales fell as it tries to shift its business away from rental sales, but its stock gained 57 cents, or 1.9 percent, to $30.01.

Auto parts supplier BorgWarner rose $1.48, or 4.6 percent, to $34.16, and navigation device maker Garmin added 93 cents, or 2.3 percent, to $41.44.

Hertz climbed after the company said it cut costs and improved the management of its rental fleet. The stock, which has been trading at its lowest since 2009, jumped $1.04, or 12.2 percent, to $9.54.

Clothing, handbag and accessories maker Kate Spade gained $2.17, or 10.9 percent, to $21.99 after it gave a strong profit forecast for 2016. Human resources software company Workday reported a smaller loss and better-than-expected sales. The stock rose $11.29, or 18.7 percent, to $71.74.

Medical device maker Medtronic gave up $3.21, or 4.1 percent, to $74.18 after its sales fell short of analysts' projections.

Industrial conglomerate Honeywell said it's giving up on its effort to buy rival United Technologies. It had offered to buy United Technologies for $108 per share, or about $90 billion, and Honeywell said its target wasn't willing to negotiate a deal. United Technologies, which was one of the best Dow performers in February, slumped $1.57, or 1.6 percent, to $95.05. Honeywell rebounded $4.52, or 4.5 percent, to $105.87.

Oil prices also moved higher. U.S. crude rose 65 cents, or 1.9 percent, to $34.40 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the benchmark for international oils, rose 24 cents to $36.81 a barrel in London. Natural gas, which closed at a 17-year low on Monday, climbed 3 cents to $1.74 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Overseas markets rose after China's move to support bank lending helped offset concern over a drop in manufacturing in the world's second-largest economy. Germany's DAX climbed 2.3 percent and France's CAC-40 added 1.2 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.9 percent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 1.5 percent. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 added 0.4 percent.

The euro fell to $1.0868 from $1.0884 late Monday and the dollar rose to 114.05 yen from 112.82 yen.

The price of gold slipped $3.60 to $1,230.80 an ounce and silver decreased 16 cents to $14.76 an ounce. Copper gained 1 cent to $2.15 a pound.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline fell 2 cents to $1.31 a gallon. Heating oil rose less than 1 cent to $1.10 a gallon.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 34.24 points or ▲ 0.20% on Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,899.32 ▲ 34.24 ▲ 0.20%
Nasdaq____ 4,703.42 ▲ 13.83 ▲ 0.29%
S&P_500___ 1,986.45 ▲ 8.10 ▲ 0.41%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.69 ▼ -0.01 ▼ -0.41%

NYSE Volume 4,620,223,500
Nasdaq Volume 2,149,773,500

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,147.06 ▼ -5.82 ▼ -0.09%
DAX_____ 9,776.62 ▲ 59.46 ▲ 0.61%
CAC_40__ 4,424.89 ▲ 18.05 ▲ 0.41%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,083.50 ▲ 93.90 ▲ 1.88%
Shanghai_Comp 2,849.68 ▲ 116.51 ▲ 4.26%
Taiwan_Weight 8,544.05 ▲ 58.36 ▲ 0.69%
Nikkei_225___ 16,746.55 ▲ 661.04 ▲ 4.11%
Hang_Seng.__ 20,003.49 ▲ 596.03 ▲ 3.07%
Strait_Times.__ 2,726.96 ▲ 44.57 ▲ 1.66%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,313.07 ▲ 32.17 ▲ 0.51%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stocks-edge-lower-early-trading-154047659.html

NEW YORK (AP) ”” U.S. stocks are closing modestly higher, led by gains in energy companies as investors hope that the worst may soon be over for the battered sector.

Exxon Mobil led the Dow Jones industrial average higher with a gain of 2 percent. Other energy companies also rose.

Investors were encouraged by another gain in the price of oil, its seventh rise in the last eight days.

Agribusiness giant Monsanto dropped 8 percent after cutting its outlook, and spirits maker Brown-Forman, whose brands include Jack Daniels, fell 2 percent after lowering its guidance.

The Dow Jones industrial average edged up 34 points, or 0.2 percent, to 16,899.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index added eight points, or 0.4 percent, to 1,986. The Nasdaq composite climbed 13 points, or 0.3 percent, to 4,703

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 34.24 points or ▲ 0.20% on Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,899.32 ▲ 34.24 ▲ 0.20%
Nasdaq____ 4,703.42 ▲ 13.83 ▲ 0.29%
S&P_500___ 1,986.45 ▲ 8.10 ▲ 0.41%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.69 ▼ -0.01 ▼ -0.41%

NYSE Volume 4,620,223,500
Nasdaq Volume 2,149,773,500

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,147.06 ▼ -5.82 ▼ -0.09%
DAX_____ 9,776.62 ▲ 59.46 ▲ 0.61%
CAC_40__ 4,424.89 ▲ 18.05 ▲ 0.41%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,083.50 ▲ 93.90 ▲ 1.88%
Shanghai_Comp 2,849.68 ▲ 116.51 ▲ 4.26%
Taiwan_Weight 8,544.05 ▲ 58.36 ▲ 0.69%
Nikkei_225___ 16,746.55 ▲ 661.04 ▲ 4.11%
Hang_Seng.__ 20,003.49 ▲ 596.03 ▲ 3.07%
Strait_Times.__ 2,726.96 ▲ 44.57 ▲ 1.66%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,313.07 ▲ 32.17 ▲ 0.51%

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/stocks-edge-lower-early-trading-day-big-gain-37338650

Stocks Made Small Gains as Energy Companies Surge

By marley jay, ap markets writer
NEW YORK ”” Mar 2, 2016, 5:06 PM ET

Stocks eked out tiny gains Wednesday as oil prices continued to recover and investors hoped the worst is over for the beleaguered energy industry. Telecommunications companies, which have climbed as the rest of the market has struggled this year, also rose.

Indexes wavered between tiny gains and losses for most of the day, then climbed steadily in the last 90 minutes of trading. Oil prices increased for the seventh time in eight days, an encouraging sign after many months of sharp declines. After Tuesday's big gains, the market is the highest it's been since the first week of the year.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 34.24 points, or 0.2 percent, to 16,899.32. The Standard & Poor's 500 index gained 8.10 points, or 0.4 percent, to 1,986.45. The Nasdaq composite index added 13.83 points, or 0.3 percent, to 4,703.42.

The price of oil has been plunging for almost two years, from over $100 a barrel in mid-2014 to $26 a barrel last month. That decimated profits at energy companies and hurt banks that lent money to them. Oil has staged a modest recovery over the last couple of weeks.

Benchmark U.S. crude rose 26 cents to close at $34.66 a barrel in New York, its highest closing price since Jan. 5. Brent crude gained 12 cents to $36.93 a barrel in London.

Energy stocks did the best in the market. Murphy Oil climbed $2.08, or 12.1 percent, to $19.30, and Marathon Oil picked up $1.14, or 14.3 percent, to $9.10. Telecom stocks also rose, with Verizon Communications up 66 cents to $52.12. Verizon and AT&T are trading at their highest prices in more than a year.

Agribusiness giant Monsanto took its biggest one-day loss in five years after it slashed its annual profit forecast. The company cited the strong dollar, competition from lower-cost generic products, and reduced spending from farmers because of lower crop prices. The stock tumbled $7.19, or 7.8 percent, to $85.30.

The news pressured other materials companies including fertilizer maker CF Industries, which fell $1.51, or 4.2 percent, to $34.74.

Spirits maker Brown-Forman, whose brands include Jack Daniels and Korbel, also lowered its profit estimates because of the strong dollar. The company makes 60 percent of its sales overseas. It's also being affected by cutbacks in spending by travelers and weak economies in some emerging markets. Its stock fell $1.47 to $96.19.

A strong dollar hurts U.S. companies in a couple of ways when they do business overseas: it makes their products more expensive compared to locally-produced goods, and it reduces their revenue when it's translated back into dollars.

Katie Nixon, chief investment officer of wealth management for Northern Trust, said that matters because economic growth is so slow right now. Still, she said it's not a big problem for the U.S. economy as a whole, which relies more on services than sales of goods.

"The strong dollar is much more of an issue for the S&P 500 than it is for the U.S. economy," she said.

ADP, a payroll processing company, delivered another positive sign for the economy when it said private U.S. businesses added a healthy 214,000 jobs last month. That followed upbeat reports on construction and manufacturing on Tuesday. The federal government will release its jobs report on Friday.

Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.84 percent from 1.82 percent a day earlier. Bond yields also climbed on Tuesday.

"The Treasury yield is increasing because the economy is better than people had feared and investors feel that the Fed is going to hike rates," Nixon said.

Bond yields are still relatively low. That has helped telecommunications and utility stocks, which are seen as similar to bonds: they are less-volatile stocks that tend to pay high dividends. Investors have favored them in recent months as the rest of the market turned turbulent. They are the two best performing sectors in the market so far this year.

Sporting goods retailer Big 5 Sporting Goods fell $1.38, or 10.4 percent, to $11.91 as it offered a weak profit forecast, and competing retailer Sports Authority said it will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and close almost a third of its stores.

Digital health and wellness company Everyday Health leapt 89 cents, or 19.1 percent, to $5.55 following a strong quarterly report. Teen retailer Abercrombie & Fitch rose $1.27, or 4.4 percent, to $30.41 after it said its Hollister business did particularly well in the latest quarter.

Germany's DAX rose 0.6 percent and France's CAC rose 0.4 percent. The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares dipped 0.1 percent after asset manager BlackRock warned that if the U.K. votes to leave European Union, the economy will be "economically worse off."

A weak yen added to investor optimism, sending Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 up 4.1 percent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 3.1 percent.

The price of gold rose $11 to $1,241.80 an ounce. Silver rose 27 cents to $15.02 an ounce. Copper rose 4 cents to $2.18 a pound.

In other energy trading, the price of natural gas fell 6 cents to close at $1.68 per 1,000 cubic feet. Natural gas is at its lowest price in 17 years. Wholesale gasoline rose 1 cent to $1.31 a gallon. Heating oil rose 1 cent to $1.11 a gallon.

The euro was unchanged at $1.0868 and the dollar fell to 113.45 yen after climbing to 114.05 yen Tuesday.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 44.58 points or ▲ 0.26% on Thursday, March 3, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,943.90 ▲ 44.58 ▲ 0.26%
Nasdaq____ 4,707.42 ▲ 4.00 ▲ 0.09%
S&P_500___ 1,993.40 ▲ 6.95 ▲ 0.35%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.66 ▼ -0.03 ▼ -1.19%

NYSE Volume 5,032,662,500
Nasdaq Volume 2,437,464,250

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,130.46 ▼ -16.60 ▼ -0.27%
DAX_____ 9,751.92 ▼ -24.70 ▼ -0.25%
CAC_40__ 4,416.08 ▼ -8.81 ▼ -0.20%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,142.20 ▲ 58.70 ▲ 1.15%
Shanghai_Comp 2,859.76 ▲ 10.08 ▲ 0.35%
Taiwan_Weight 8,611.79 ▲ 67.74 ▲ 0.79%
Nikkei_225___ 16,960.16 ▲ 213.61 ▲ 1.28%
Hang_Seng.__ 19,941.76 ▼ -61.73 ▼ -0.31%
Strait_Times.__ 2,787.62 ▲ 60.66 ▲ 2.22%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,380.86 ▲ 67.79 ▲ 1.07%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-edge-higher-led-211146869.html

US stocks climb again as energy companies keep rising
Associated Press By MARLEY JAY

NEW YORK (AP) ”” Stocks made modest gains on Thursday as the market once again turned higher late in the day. Energy stocks led the way as investors continued to hope that oil prices have stabilized after almost two years of steep declines.

For the second day in a row, stocks opened with small losses and gradually rose during the afternoon. Energy companies surged and are now slightly higher for the year. Industrial companies like Caterpillar and Deere also rose. Drugmakers led a decline in health care stocks.

The Dow Jones industrial average gained 44.58 points, or 0.3 percent, to 16,943.90. The Standard & Poor's 500 index edged up 6.95 points, or 0.4 percent, to 1,993.40. Tech stocks lagged, and the Nasdaq composite index added 4 points, or 0.1 percent, to 4,707.42.

Stocks have eked out small gains over the last two days, aided by steady oil prices and reports showing the U.S. economy is on solid footing. After a big jump on Tuesday, and the market is on target for its third consecutive weekly gain.

The price of U.S. crude wavered between small gains and losses, finally closing down 9 cents at $34.57 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the benchmark for international oils, added 14 cents to $37.07 a barrel in London. The price of U.S. oil has risen more than 30 percent in three weeks, and Brent crude has erased its losses for the year.

ConocoPhillips rose $2.07, or 5.7 percent, to $38.56 and Southwestern Energy jumped $1.13, or 18.2 percent, to $7.34.

Chesapeake Energy continued to skyrocket after the company said it does not expect to be prosecuted or fined as part of a federal investigation into founder and former company head Aubrey McClendon, who left the company in 2013.

Early Wednesday, McClendon was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of rigging gas-lease bids. Later in the day officials announced that McClendon had died in a single-car crash in Oklahoma City.

The stock jumped 23 percent Wednesday and added another 87 cents, or 25.6 percent, to $4.27. The stock tumbled 74 percent in 2015.

J.J. Kinahan, chief market strategist for TD Ameritrade, said that after Tuesday's surge, investors are being patient and looking for good news about the state of the economy. That could come Friday morning, when the government reports its latest employment figures.

Kinahan said investors will be looking for signs of growth in better-paying jobs, possibly in the manufacturing or health care industries, as opposed to restaurants and hotels.

"We know we're not going to be a manufacturing economy again," he said, but investors hope to see some growth in manufacturing jobs instead of losses.

The Commerce Department said orders to U.S. factories grew 1.6 percent in January, the biggest gain in seven months. A category that measures business investment rose by the largest amount in 19 months.

Mining equipment maker Joy Global climbed $2.77, or 20.8 percent, to $16.09 after its first-quarter sales were stronger than expected. 3D printer maker Stratasys rose $3.64, or 17.4 percent, to $24.53. The company's fourth-quarter results were better than expected and it gave a strong forecast for 2016.

Supermarket operator Kroger dropped $2.85, or 7 percent, to $37.80 after investors were disappointed with its quarterly sales and its forecasts.

Losses for biotech drug companies pulled health care stocks lower. Cancer drugmaker Celgene lost $2 to $102.73, and hepatitis C drugmaker Gilead Sciences fell 97 cents to $87.83. Alexion Pharmaceuticals sank $5.74, or 3.8 percent, to $145.85.

The prices of gold, silver, and copper each rose about 1 percent. Gold rose $16.40 to $1,258.20 an ounce and silver closed up 12 cents at $15.15 an ounce. Copper advanced 3 cents to $2.21 a pound. The price of gold has climbed almost 19 percent this year, and silver has risen about 10 percent.

Britain's FTSE 100 and Germany's DAX each fell 0.3 percent. France's CAC 40 declined 0.2 percent. Asian markets closed mostly higher. Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 1.3 percent and South Korea's Kospi gained 0.6 percent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index fell 0.3 percent.

Chinese leaders were expected to lower their growth target during the upcoming gathering of the National People's Congress this week as China seeks more flexibility for structural reforms for the slowing, state-dominated economy. The growth target due to be announced on Saturday is expected to be a range of 6.5 to 7 percent, down from 2015's goal of about 7 percent.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline lost 1 cent to $1.30 a gallon. Heating oil rose 1 cent to $1.12 a gallon. Natural gas, which is trading at 17-year lows, fell 4 cents to $1.64 a gallon.

Bond prices edged higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note dipped to 1.83 percent from 1.84 percent late Wednesday. The euro rose to $1.0950 from $1.0868 and the dollar edged up to 113.52 yen from 113.45 yen.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 62.87 points or ▲ 0.37% on Friday, March 4, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,006.77 ▲ 62.87 ▲ 0.37%
Nasdaq____ 4,717.02 ▲ 9.60 ▲ 0.20%
S&P_500___ 1,999.99 ▲ 6.59 ▲ 0.33%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.70 ▲ 0.04 ▲ 1.62%

NYSE Volume 6,030,584,500
Nasdaq Volume 2,285,879,750

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,199.43 ▲ 68.97 ▲ 1.13%
DAX_____ 9,824.17 ▲ 72.25 ▲ 0.74%
CAC_40__ 4,456.62 ▲ 40.54 ▲ 0.92%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,151.10 ▲ 8.90 ▲ 0.17%
Shanghai_Comp 2,874.15 ▲ 14.39 ▲ 0.50%
Taiwan_Weight 8,643.55 ▲ 31.76 ▲ 0.37%
Nikkei_225___ 17,014.78 ▲ 54.62 ▲ 0.32%
Hang_Seng.__ 20,176.70 ▲ 234.94 ▲ 1.18%
Strait_Times.__ 2,837.00 ▲ 49.38 ▲ 1.77%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,418.13 ▲ 37.27 ▲ 0.58%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-dip-following-jobs-151738845.html#

A modest gain for stocks keeps a 4-day winning streak alive
Associated Press By Marley Jay, AP Markets Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks wobbled to the finish Friday but salvaged a four-day winning streak after the U.S. government said employers added more jobs than expected in February. That was another vote of confidence in the economy. Mining companies made the biggest gains as metals prices climbed.

The jobs report showed that construction, retail and health care companies are still hiring more workers. Energy companies also rose with the recovering price of oil. Stocks fell back from an afternoon peak as investors sold telecommunications companies, which have been the best-performing sector of the market this year.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 62.87 points, or 0.4 percent, to 17,006.77. The Standard & Poor's 500 index gained 6.59 points, or 0.3 percent, to 1,999.99. The Nasdaq composite index edged up 9.60 points, or 0.2 percent, to 4,717.02.

The Labor Department said employers added 242,000 jobs last month. Consumer demand was solid, and the government also said employers hired more people in December and January than it had previously estimated. More people also looked for work.

This week stocks rose after reports on hiring, construction spending and manufacturing suggested that the U.S. economy is doing fairly well. Kate Warne, investment strategist for Edward Jones, said she expects continued job and economic growth for the U.S.

"The worries that we've been hearing recently about the economy sliding into recession aren't warranted," she said. Combined with low inflation rates, she said that's good news for investors.

Metals and energy prices kept climbing on the continued signs of life for the economy. Gold, which is trading at its highest price in a year, rose $12.50, or 1 percent, to $1,270.70 an ounce. Silver jumped 55 cents, or 3.6 percent, to $15.69 an ounce and copper rose 7 cents, or 3 percent, to $2.27 a pound.

The price of U.S. oil jumped $1.35, or 3.9 percent, to $35.92 a barrel. Brent crude, the benchmark for international oils, rose $1.65, or 4.5 percent, to $38.72 a barrel in London.

Oil prices climbed about 10 percent this week and have risen for three weeks in a row, which hadn't happened since May. Brent crude is now higher than it was at the beginning of the year, although U.S. crude is still lower.

Those gains helped copper mining company Freeport-McMoRan gained 63 cents, or 6.9 percent, to $9.74. Aluminum producer Alcoa edged up 10 cents to $9.57.

Energy stocks also kept rising. Drilling rig operators did the best as investors were pleased they keep closing rigs to cut costs. Transocean climbed $1.88, or 17.4 percent, to $12.71. Ensco rose $1.43, or 13.1 percent, to $12.36.

The market has now erased most of its losses after a painful start to the year. But there are signs investors are still worried: investors keep buying utility and telecom stocks, which are considered safe bets when the market is troubled, and the price of gold has surged to its highest levels in more than a year. And while stocks have risen the last three days, the gains were small and came in choppy trading.

Warne said investors still feel uneasy about problems ranging from shaky economies outside the U.S., low oil prices, and uncertainty over when the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates and what effect that will have on the economy.

"I think we're going to continue to see a lot of market volatility," she said.

AMC Theaters, owned by Wanda Group of China, is buying Carmike Cinemas for $1.1 billion. The deal will create the biggest movie theater chain in the world. Earlier this year, Wanda said it would buy Legendary Entertainment, a studio that co-financed movies including "Jurassic World" and "The Dark Knight." Carmike climbed $4.14, or 16.4 percent, to $29.25.

Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.87 percent from 1.84 percent late Thursday.

Michael Fredericks, portfolio manager for BlackRock Multi-Asset Income Fund, noted that bond yields have recovered along with stocks over the last few weeks.

"There was just a huge amount of pessimism" about economic growth, he said. He added that bond yields had fallen because investors were worried about the health of Europe's banks and the possibility the Fed would experiment with negative interest rates in the U.S.

A handful of companies rose and fell as quarterly earnings kept trickling out. Hewlett Packard Enterprise, an information technology products and service company, reported better-than-expected results from its first quarter as a publicly-traded company. Its stock surged $1.84, or 13.5 percent, to $15.44.

Handgun maker Smith & Wesson rose $1.65, or 6.5 percent, to $27.05 after its profit and sales surpassed Wall Street estimates. Smith & Wesson also raised its profit and sales projections for its current fiscal year.

Tax preparer H&R Block tumbled after its quarterly profit and revenue disappointed investors. The company said people are filing their taxes later and refunds are taking longer to process as efforts to fight tax fraud increase. The stock dropped $5.14, or 15.6 percent, to $27.76.

Britain's FTSE 100 gained 1.1 percent and France's CAC 40 rose 0.9 percent. Germany's DAX was up 0.7 percent. Japan's Nikkei 225 index closed 0.3 percent higher and Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 1.2 percent. South Korea's Kospi edged 0.1 percent lower.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline rose 3 cents to $1.33 a gallon. Heating oil climbed 4 cents to $1.16 a gallon. Natural gas picked up 3 cents to $1.67 per 1,000 cubic feet.

The euro rose to $1.0996 from $1.0959 the day before while the dollar rose to 114.21 yen from 113.57 yen.

1596

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 67.18 points or ▲ 0.40% on Monday, March 7, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,073.95 ▲ 67.18 ▲ 0.40%
Nasdaq____ 4,708.25 ▼ -8.77 ▼ -0.19%
S&P_500___ 2,001.76 ▲ 1.77 ▲ 0.09%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.70 ▲ 0.00 ▼ -0.04%

NYSE Volume 4,938,883,500
Nasdaq Volume 2,171,043,000

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,182.40 ▼ -17.03 ▼ -0.27%
DAX_____ 9,778.93 ▼ -45.24 ▼ -0.46%
CAC_40__ 4,442.29 ▼ -14.33 ▼ -0.32%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,204.70 ▲ 53.60 ▲ 1.04%
Shanghai_Comp 2,897.34 ▲ 23.19 ▲ 0.81%
Taiwan_Weight 8,659.55 ▲ 16.00 ▲ 0.19%
Nikkei_225___ 16,911.32 ▼ -103.46 ▼ -0.61%
Hang_Seng.__ 20,159.72 ▼ -16.98 ▼ -0.08%
Strait_Times.__ 2,823.51 ▼ -13.49 ▼ -0.48%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,418.93 ▲ 0.80 ▲ 0.01%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-st...ly-trading-banks-tech-152745607--finance.html

Stock market posts meager gains, led by energy companies
Associated Press By BERNARD CONDON

NEW YORK (AP) ”” Stocks wavered throughout the day but managed to eke out modest gains Monday as oil prices rose.

Investors bought drillers, refiners and other energy companies as the three-week rise in crude continued. Six of 10 industry sectors in the Standard & Poor's 500 rose, helping the index extend its winning streak to fifth day.

The ride up was bumpy, though, and the gains were slight. The S&P 500 gained just 0.09 percent. That was its smallest increase in seven weeks.

"Today's volatility is mostly about a little profit-taking and taking a pause after such a strong advance in recent days," said Jim Paulsen, chief investment strategist at Wells Capital.

The Dow Jones industrial average increased 67.18 points, or 0.4 percent, to 17,073.95. The S&P 500 edged up 1.77 points to 2,001.76. The Nasdaq composite, which is heavily weighted with technology stocks, gave up 8.77 points, or 0.2 percent, to 4,708.25.

Shares of consumer products and technology companies fell. Chipmaker Micron Technology fell 30 cents, or 2.5 percent, to $11.58.

With no big U.S. economic or earnings announcements, news from abroad appeared to drive much of the trading.

The price of iron ore jumped 17 percent on news over the weekend that China plans to run up its deficit to stimulate its economy. China is the world's largest buyer of this raw material for steel, and mining companies soared on the news. Cliffs Natural Resources rose 54 cents to $3.43, a gain of 19 percent.

China also lowered its official growth target this year to 6.5 to 7 percent. The slowdown has been rattling markets, although fears that the trouble could spill over into the U.S. economy have eased in recent weeks as encouraging U.S. data suggest growth is solid. On Friday, the government reported that employers added 242,000 jobs to their payrolls last month, more than had been expected.

"The market is correctly pricing in a lower chance of global recession or U.S. recession," said Brian Nick, head of tactical asset allocation at UBS Wealth Management Americas.

Investors are anxious over a policy meeting of the European Central Bank on Thursday as inflation across the 19-country eurozone has fallen back below zero. They expect further stimulus from the central bank, possibly including a cut in deposit rates further into negative territory. The Bank for International Settlements, which helps coordinate monetary policy around the world, warned on Monday of a "gathering storm" as central banks run out of room to stimulate their economies.

European markets were mostly lower, with France's CAC-40 and Britain's FTSE 100 each losing 0.3 percent. Germany's DAX dropped 0.5 percent.

Benchmark U.S. crude added $1.98, or 5.5 percent, to close at $37.90 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

The 10 biggest gainers in the S&P 500 were drillers and other energy-related companies. Murphy Oil rose $2.99, or nearly 13 percent, to $26.69.

In Asia, Tokyo's Nikkei retreated 0.6 percent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng shed 0.1 percent. Seoul's Kospi advanced 0.1 percent.

In other oil trading, Brent crude, which is used to price international oils, rose $2.12, or 5.5 percent, to $40.84 a barrel in London

U.S. government bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.90 percent from 1.87 percent on Friday. The euro rose to $1.1013 from $1.0999 and the dollar fell to 113.27 yen from 114.02 yen.

Precious and industrial metals futures ended mixed. Gold fell $6.70 to $1,264 an ounce, silver slipped six cents to $15.63 an ounce and copper rose a penny to $2.28 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -109.85 points or ▼ -0.64% on Tuesday, March 8, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,964.10 ▼ -109.85 ▼ -0.64%
Nasdaq____ 4,648.82 ▼ -59.43 ▼ -1.26%
S&P_500___ 1,979.26 ▼ -22.50 ▼ -1.12%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.64 ▼ -0.07 ▼ -2.44%

NYSE Volume 4,589,467,000
Nasdaq Volume 2,067,794,120

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,125.44 ▼ -56.96 ▼ -0.92%
DAX_____ 9,692.82 ▼ -86.11 ▼ -0.88%
CAC_40__ 4,404.02 ▼ -38.27 ▼ -0.86%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,169.50 ▼ -35.20 ▼ -0.68%
Shanghai_Comp 2,901.39 ▲ 4.05 ▲ 0.14%
Taiwan_Weight 8,664.31 ▲ 4.76 ▲ 0.05%
Nikkei_225___ 16,783.15 ▼ -128.17 ▼ -0.76%
Hang_Seng.__ 20,011.58 ▼ -148.14 ▼ -0.73%
Strait_Times.__ 2,778.77 ▼ -44.74 ▼ -1.58%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,446.72 ▲ 27.79 ▲ 0.43%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-pull-back-early-152117657.html#

Stocks pull back, breaking a winning streak for the S&P 500
Associated Press By BERNARD CONDON

NEW YORK (AP) ”” Stocks fell broadly on Tuesday as investors around the world fled risky bets on worrisome trade data out of China and a slump in the price of crude oil.

Investors dumped stocks from the start of trading, then picked up their selling near the close. Seven of the 10 industry sectors of the Standard and Poor's 500 dropped, putting an end to a five-day winning streak for that index. Treasury bonds rose sharply as investors sought safety.

Oil prices have been rising from 13-year lows in the recent weeks, but reversed course Tuesday with a nearly 4 percent drop in U.S. crude. Energy stocks were hammered. Murphy Oil plunged 15 percent and oil rig operator Transocean lost 10 percent.

A report overnight from China showing that exports and imports had dropped last month helped revive fears that a slowdown in China could hurt the slowly strengthening U.S. economy.

"Where is the global growth going to come from?" asked Mizuho Securities Chief Economist Steven Ricchiuto. "There is no acceleration in growth."

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 109.85 points, or 0.6 percent, to 16,964.10. The S&P 500 fell 22.50 points, or 1.1 percent, to 1,979.26. The Nasdaq composite gave up 59.43 points, or 1.3 percent, to 4,648.82.

After dropping sharply earlier this year, U.S. stocks have been generally climbing as data on hiring, construction spending and manufacturing suggested the U.S. might be able to buck a slowdown abroad. The S&P 500 is up 10 percent from mid-February.

But Chief Investment Officer Bill Stone of PNC Asset Management Group said investors have been worried that the climb was not sustainable given trouble overseas, and the drop in oil and Chinese trade data pushed many of them to sell.

"We're overbought," Stone said. "People are taking some profits off of the larger run-up from the low."

China's report showed exports plunged 25 percent in February from a year earlier, as weak global demand and a business shutdown during the Lunar New Year holiday combined to depress sales. Customs data also showed imports fell 14 percent.

In overseas trading, nearly every major market fell. Japan's Nikkei 225 dropped 0.8 percent and South Korea's Kospi lost 0.6 percent. In Europe, France's CAC 40, Germany's DAX and Britain's FTSE 100 each fell 0.9 percent.

Investors are looking ahead to a policy announcement from the European Central Bank on Thursday. Further stimulus moves are expected, but its unprecedented program of buying bonds and driving interest rates into negative territory has had mixed results so far.

Among U.S. stocks making big moves on Tuesday, hamburger chain Shake Shack plunged $5, or 12 percent, to $37.23 after delivering quarterly results and an outlook that disappointed investors.

Urban Outfitters jumped $4.53, or 16 percent, to $32.69. Late Monday, the retailer reported strong earnings during the holiday season.

The euro fell to $1.1002 from $1.1014. The dollar edged down to 112.61 yen from 113.27 yen.

Yields on U.S. government bonds, which move in the opposite direction of prices, fell sharply. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 1.82 percent from 1.91 percent late Monday.

Benchmark U.S. crude fell $1.40 to $36.50 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It had jumped $1.98 on Monday. Brent crude, which is used to price international oils, fell $1.19, or 3 percent, to $39.65 a barrel.

In other energy markets, wholesale gasoline fell less a penny to $1.388 a gallon, heating oil dropped 2.3 cents to $1.20 a gallon and natural gas rose 2.2 cents to $1.712 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Industrial and precious metals ended broadly lower. Gold slipped $1.10 to $1,262.90 an ounce, silver fell 24 cents to $15.39 an ounce and copper lost six cents to $2.22 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 36.26 points or ▲ 0.21% on Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,000.36 ▲ 36.26 ▲ 0.21%
Nasdaq____ 4,674.38 ▲ 25.55 ▲ 0.55%
S&P_500___ 1,989.26 ▲ 10.00 ▲ 0.51%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.68 ▲ 0.05 ▲ 1.78%

NYSE Volume 4,018,884,500
Nasdaq Volume 1,783,610,620

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,146.32 ▲ 20.88 ▲ 0.34%
DAX_____ 9,723.09 ▲ 30.27 ▲ 0.31%
CAC_40__ 4,425.65 ▲ 21.63 ▲ 0.49%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,215.70 ▲ 46.20 ▲ 0.89%
Shanghai_Comp 2,862.56 ▼ -38.83 ▼ -1.34%
Taiwan_Weight 8,634.11 ▼ -30.20 ▼ -0.35%
Nikkei_225___ 16,642.20 ▼ -140.95 ▼ -0.84%
Hang_Seng.__ 19,996.26 ▼ -15.32 ▼ -0.08%
Strait_Times.__ 2,810.43 ▲ 31.66 ▲ 1.14%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,457.26 ▲ 10.54 ▲ 0.16%

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/us-stocks-rising-earnings-impress-investors-37518020

US Stocks Post Slight Gains, Led by Oil and Gas Companies
By bernard condon, ap business writer

Stocks rose on the seventh anniversary of the bull market on Wednesday as crude oil resumed its climb from a 13-year low.

The gains were modest as investors await key policy decisions from Europe's central bank on Thursday and from the U.S. Federal Reserve next week. Energy companies rebounded from big drops the day before, gaining 1.5 percent.

The stock market has been climbing for three weeks as reports on hiring, retail spending and manufacturing suggest the U.S. economy is strengthening and that fears that a slowdown in China would tip the U.S. into recession are overblown. The Standard and Poor's 500 index is up 9 percent from its mid-February low.

"People are becoming more optimistic and markets are recovering," said Seth Masters, chief investment officer at AB Bernstein. The hope is that "monetary authorities are committed to doing what it takes and not derail it."

The Dow Jones industrial average climbed 36.26 points, or 0.2 percent, to 17,000.36. The Nasdaq composite increased 25.55 points, or 0.6 percent, to 4,674.38. The S&P 500 climbed 10 points, or 0.5 percent, to 1,989.26.

The gains were broad, with nine of 10 industry sectors of the S&P 500 rising. The jump in crude sent several energy companies soaring. Chesapeake Energy climbed 8 percent, Devon Energy rose 7 percent and Newfield Exploration rose 6 percent.

The S&P 500 has tripled since bottoming out at 676.53 exactly seven years ago during the financial crisis. Stocks have been pushed up by higher corporate earnings, though not in the past year, and by the Federal Reserve's unprecedented efforts to encourage investors to take more risk by lowering interest rates on bonds and other safer assets.

The current bull market is the third-longest of the 11 since World War II, according to research firm S&P Capital IQ.

Chief Investment Officer Krishna Memani of Oppenheimer Funds said he's optimistic the bull market will extend its run because modest economic growth means little inflation, and no need for the Federal Reserve to move too quickly to reverse its stimulus policies.

"We believe this will be one of the longest economic expansions, and thus one the longest bull markets, we have experienced," he said. "Easy money still rules."

The Federal Reserve meets next week, but most investors do not think it will raise short-term interest rates it controls from near zero. It raised them for the first time in nine years in December.

At the end of its policy meeting on Thursday, the European Central Bank is widely expected to announce more efforts to stimulate the 19-country eurozone. Possible moves include another cut in the deposit rate for funds from commercial banks to even further below zero. The hope is that will get banks to stop holding onto their money and lend more.

The ECB also could increase its bond-buying program to pump more money into the region's economy.

Among U.S. stocks making big moves Wednesday, Air Transport Services jumped $1.96, or 17 percent, to $13.73 after turning in solid results and saying it will operate an air transport network for Amazon. Pet-food company Blue Buffalo Pet Products rose $4.19, or 23 percent, $22.75 after posting strong earnings.

Chipotle Mexican Grill fell $18.06, or 3 percent, to $506.63. The restaurant chain closed a Massachusetts store after a local health board said an employee there tested positive for norovirus. The agency also found two other suspected cases. The closure follows a series of food scares that sickened customers at its restaurants around the country. The stock is down 23 percent in the past 12 months.

In Europe, Germany's DAX and Britain's FTSE 100 were each up 0.3 percent. The CAC-40 in France rose 0.5 percent. The three indexes each fell nearly 1 percent the day before.

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index lost 0.8 percent while South Korea's Kospi rose 0.3 percent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng dipped 0.1 percent.

Prices for industrial and precious metals ended mostly lower. Gold slipped $5.50 to $1,257.40 an ounce, silver fell two cents to $15.37 an ounce and copper gained one cent to $2.23 a pound.

In energy trading, a barrel of benchmark U.S. crude rose $1.79, or 5 percent, to $38.29. Brent crude, which is used to price international oils, gained $1.42, or 3.6 percent, to $41.07 a barrel. Wholesale gasoline rose 8.3 cents to $1.471 a gallon, heating oil rose 3.3 cents to $1.233 a gallon and natural gas rose four cents to $1.752 per 1,000 cubic feet.

U.S. government bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.88 percent from 1.83 percent.

The euro was flat at $1.1002. The dollar edged up to 113.36 yen from 112.61 yen.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -5.23 points or ▼ -0.03% on Thursday, March 10, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 16,995.13 ▼ -5.23 ▼ -0.03%
Nasdaq____ 4,662.16 ▼ -12.22 ▼ -0.26%
S&P_500___ 1,989.57 ▲ 0.31 ▲ 0.02%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.70 ▲ 0.02 ▲ 0.60%

NYSE Volume 4,370,369,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,929,358,000

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,036.70 ▼ -109.62 ▼ -1.78%
DAX_____ 9,498.15 ▼ -224.94 ▼ -2.31%
CAC_40__ 4,350.35 ▼ -75.30 ▼ -1.70%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,210.90 ▼ -4.80 ▼ -0.09%
Shanghai_Comp 2,804.73 ▼ -57.83 ▼ -2.02%
Taiwan_Weight 8,660.70 ▲ 26.59 ▲ 0.31%
Nikkei_225___ 16,852.35 ▲ 210.15 ▲ 1.26%
Hang_Seng.__ 19,984.42 ▼ -11.84 ▼ -0.06%
Strait_Times.__ 2,809.12 ▼ -1.31 ▼ -0.05%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,508.28 ▲ 51.02 ▲ 0.79%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-edge-higher-early-152241460.html

US stocks slip; an early gain in European markets fades
Associated Press By BERNARD CONDON

NEW YORK (AP) ”” Stocks swung between gains and losses on Thursday, then ended right back where they started.

With seconds to close, the Standard and Poor's 500 eked out a gain, finishing just 0.02 percent higher.

Stocks rose at the open of trading, echoing a surge in markets in Europe, where the central bank announced a series of moves to jolt the region's economy to faster growth. Then, as central bank chief Mario Draghi spoke at a news conference, investors started having second thoughts and stocks there sank, as did U.S. markets.

The S&P 500 edged up 0.31 points to end at 1,989.57.The Dow Jones industrial average gave up 5.23 points, less than 0.1 percent, to 16,995.13. It was up as much as 130 points earlier. The Nasdaq composite gave up 12.22 points, or 0.3 percent, to 4,662.16.

The new European Central Bank moves included a cut in interest rates, cheap loans to banks and several new measures, such as targeting corporate bonds in its bond-buying program.

The interest rate paid to commercial banks to store money at the central bank was cut further into negative territory, to minus 0.4 percent from minus 0.3 percent. The aim is to get banks to remove the money and use it to make loans, but it's an unprecedented and controversial policy.

"The central bank came out all guns blazing," said Craig Erlam, senior market analyst at currency trader OANDA.

The bank's efforts also underlined the weakness of the 19-country eurozone and the desperation by monetary authorities to do something about it. The policy announcements ended up rattling investors more than reassuring them.

"The effectiveness of central bank policy has become less and less," said Ernie Cecilia, chief investment officer of Bryn Mawr Trust. "There really isn't a lot of growth to show. Europe is really struggling."

In the U.S., several companies lost ground after releasing disappointing earnings and outlooks. Canadian Solar sank 13 percent and Vail Resorts lost 4 percent.

With nearly all companies out with fourth-quarter results, earnings per share for the S&P 500 are now estimated to have fallen 4.2 percent from the same period a year earlier, according to S&P Capital IQ.

In energy trading, U.S. crude oil shed 1.2 percent after jumping 4.9 percent on Wednesday.

Tim Courtney, chief investment officer of Exencial Wealth Advisors, thinks the drop played a role in dampening the stock market's gains for the day.

"When oil falls, it conjures up images of deflation, inventories piling up and China slowing," he said. For investors to buy more stocks, "they want to see oil markets stabilize."

Among stocks making big moves, Dollar General rose $8.02, or 11 percent, to $83.23 after the company reported that its fourth quarter profit rose almost 6 percent, topping Wall Street expectations.

U.S. crude shed 45 cents to $37.84 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, which is used to price international oils, lost $1.02, or 2.5 percent, to $40.05 a barrel.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline fell 3.15 cents, or 2 percent, to $1.439 a gallon, heating oil rose 1.66 cents to $1.216 a gallon and natural gas gained 3.6 cents to $1.788 per 1,000 cubic feet.

In Europe, Germany's DAX lost 2.3 percent, France's CAC 40 fell 1.7 percent and Britain's FTSE 100 gave up 1.8 percent.

U.S government bond prices fell, pushing yields higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.93 percent from 1.88 percent the day before. In currency trading, the euro rose to $1.1207 from $1.0996 late Wednesday and the dollar fell to 112.97 yen from 113.40 yen.

Industrial and precious metals mostly rose. Gold increased $15.40 to $1,272.80 an ounce. Silver climbed 18.3 cents to $15.55 an ounce and copper slipped 1.25 cents to $2.22 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 218.18 points or ▲ 1.28% on Friday, March 11, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,213.31 ▲ 218.18 ▲ 1.28%
Nasdaq____ 4,748.47 ▲ 86.31 ▲ 1.85%
S&P_500___ 2,022.19 ▲ 32.62 ▲ 1.64%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.75 ▲ 0.05 ▲ 1.82%

NYSE Volume 4,042,787,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,759,640,620

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,139.79 ▲ 103.09 ▲ 1.71%
DAX_____ 9,831.13 ▲ 332.98 ▲ 3.51%
CAC_40__ 4,492.79 ▲ 142.44 ▲ 3.27%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,224.80 ▲ 13.90 ▲ 0.27%
Shanghai_Comp 2,810.31 ▲ 5.58 ▲ 0.20%
Taiwan_Weight 8,706.14 ▲ 45.44 ▲ 0.52%
Nikkei_225___ 16,938.87 ▲ 86.52 ▲ 0.51%
Hang_Seng.__ 20,199.60 ▲ 215.18 ▲ 1.08%
Strait_Times.__ 2,828.86 ▲ 19.74 ▲ 0.70%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,515.41 ▲ 7.13 ▲ 0.11%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-open-sharply-higher-151607988.html#

Stock market extends rally to a 4th week as energy recovers
Associated Press By Bernard Condon, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- A jump in crude oil and a rise in European markets set off a rally in U.S. stocks to cap a four-week winning streak for major indexes.

Investors bought across industries from the start of trading on Friday. Drillers, refiners and other energy companies rose sharply as the price for U.S. crude hit a high for the year. Devon Energy jumped 11 percent and Southwestern Energy gained 10 percent.

Just a month ago, investors were dumping shares amid talk of a possible U.S. recession. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell to almost a two-year low. But confidence has returned as data has suggested the U.S. economy is strengthening.

"While things aren't great, they're not the disaster we thought," said Bill Strazzullo, chief market strategist at Bell Curve Trading. "We've rallied after a horrendous start to the year."

The S&P 500 is up now nearly 11 percent from Feb. 11.

On Friday, the S&P 500 gained 32.62 points, or 1.6 percent, to 2,022.19. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 218.18 points, or 1.3 percent, to 17,213.31. The Nasdaq composite climbed 86.31 points, or 1.9 percent, to 4,748.47.

U.S. crude gained after the International Energy Agency said signs that the market has "bottomed out" have emerged. Energy companies have been shutting down rigs and laying off thousands of workers as oil prices plunged to around $30 per barrel, from well over $100 per barrel just two years ago.

U.S. crude has risen 47 percent from a 13-year low of $26.21 a month ago.

Bank stocks also rose sharply. That sector had been beaten down in recent weeks as investors worried about loans to highly leveraged energy companies going bad.

The rally has got some investors worried, though.

Chief Equity Strategist Phil Orlando of Federated Investors said the "terrific four-week run" makes him a "little nervous." Among his concerns are a steeper China slowdown, a U.S. dollar strengthening even more and hurting U.S. exports, no relief from the corporate profits drop over the last year and more surprises in the presidential election.

"Don't discount the fiscal policy uncertainty of the election," he warned.

Xavier Smith, manager of the Centre Global Select Equity Fund, said he doesn't buy the oil rally, either.

"Oil is a proxy for the overall economy, and it's not going on four cylinders anywhere," Smith said. "So why would oil be strong? It doesn't make any sense."

European markets rose sharply as investors hoped that the European Central Bank's latest blast of stimulus policies would help revive the region's economy. Germany's DAX gained 3.5 percent, France's CAC 40 advanced 3.3 percent and Britain's FTSE 100 rose 1.7 percent.

The ECB moves included three interest rate cuts, loans to banks, and the expansion of a bond-buying stimulus program. Shares in banks, which will be supported by the ECB loans, were among the biggest gainers.

Investors turn their attention to a meeting of the U.S. Federal Reserve next week. Unlike its counterparts in Europe and Japan, the Fed is looking to wind down its economic stimulus, though most investors do not expect it to tighten credit next week. The Fed raised rates for the first time in nine years in December.

Among stocks making big moves, driller Anadarko Petroleum rose $3.79, or 9 percent, to $46.29 after saying it would cut 1,000 workers, or 17 percent of its work force.

Power company Pepco Holdings fell $2.18, or 9 percent, to $22.07 after officials for the District of Columbia where it operates rejected a proposal to salvage its troubled $6.8 billion merger with Exelon Corp. District regulators rejected the merger twice before.

U.S. crude added 66 cents, or 1.7 percent, to $38.50 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange Brent crude, which is used to price international oils, gained 34 cents, or 0.8 percent, to $40.39 a barrel. Wholesale gasoline fell 0.5 cents to $1.444 a gallon, heating oil rose 0.2 cents to $1.218 a gallon and natural gas gained 3.4 cents to $1.822 per 1,000 cubic feet.

The dollar strengthened to 113.70 yen from 113.11 yen while the euro fell to $1.1157 from $1.1196.

U.S. government bonds fell, pushing their yields higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.98 percent from 1.93 percent late Thursday

Industrial and precious metals were mixed. Gold fell $13.40 to $1,259.40 an ounce. Silver climbed 5.6 cents to $15.61 an ounce and copper rose 2.1 cents to $2.24 a pound.

2398

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

USA moved forward one hour to daylight saving time during the weekend
-- I can now post earlier!

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 15.82 points or ▲ 0.09% on Monday, March 14, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,229.13 ▲ 15.82 ▲ 0.09%
Nasdaq____ 4,750.28 ▲ 1.81 ▲ 0.04%
S&P_500___ 2,019.64 ▼ -2.55 ▼ -0.13%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.73 ▼ -0.02 ▼ -0.62%

NYSE Volume 3,466,567,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,632,899,880

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,174.57 ▲ 34.78 ▲ 0.57%
DAX_____ 9,990.26 ▲ 159.13 ▲ 1.62%
CAC_40__ 4,506.59 ▲ 13.80 ▲ 0.31%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,242.40 ▲ 17.60 ▲ 0.34%
Shanghai_Comp 2,859.50 ▲ 49.19 ▲ 1.75%
Taiwan_Weight 8,747.90 ▲ 41.76 ▲ 0.48%
Nikkei_225___ 17,233.75 ▲ 294.88 ▲ 1.74%
Hang_Seng.__ 20,435.34 ▲ 235.74 ▲ 1.17%
Strait_Times.__ 2,847.06 ▲ 18.20 ▲ 0.64%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,566.83 ▲ 51.42 ▲ 0.79%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-lower-despite-global-141009062.html

US stocks end nearly unchanged ahead of Fed meeting

US stocks ended nearly unchanged ahead of this week's Federal Reserve meeting
Associated Press By Marley Jay, AP Markets Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- U.S. stocks barely budged Monday, finishing mixed as lower oil prices pulled energy companies down while hotels and travel-related companies rose.

Trading was quiet Monday ahead of the Federal Reserve's meeting later this week, which is expected to shed some light on the possibility of a future increase in benchmark interest rates.

"Lately (the market) seems to quiet down ahead of the Fed," said BlackRock portfolio manager Peter Stournaras.

U.S. stocks missed out on a global rally that lifted stocks in Europe and Asia. The Standard & Poor's 500 fell for just the second time this month.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 15.82 points, or 0.1 percent, to 17,229.13. The S&P 500 lost 2.55 points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,019.64. The Nasdaq composite index gained 1.81 points to 4,750.28.

Starwood Hotels jumped after a consortium led by China's Anbang Insurance Group offered to buy the hotel chain for $14 billion. Last year Marriott International agreed to buy Starwood for $12.2 billion. Starwood said it will examine the new offer and its stock gained $5.51, or 7.8 percent, to $75.93.

Marriott stock rose $2.04, or 3 percent, to $70.93. It will get a $400 million payment if Starwood backs out of their agreement.

The news lifted other travel-related companies. TripAdvisor gained $2.84, or 4.5 percent, to $66.54 and Expedia rose $1.46, or 1.3 percent, to $116.39.

C. Patrick Scholes, analyst for SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, said investors in Expedia and TripAdvisor are hoping Starwood will be sold to Anbang instead of competitor Marriott. He said if Marriott and Starwood were to combine, they would have more power to negotiate lower commissions with the online travel agencies. "If there's no deal, that strength and bargaining power is taken away," he said.

Host Hotels also outperformed the market and picked up 24 cents, or 1.4 percent, to $16.87. Scholes said Anbang's offer suggests that foreign buyers are still interested in U.S. hotel companies.

Energy and materials stocks fell with the prices of oil, gas, and precious metals.

The price of oil tumbled after Iran's oil minister dismissed the idea of a freeze in production over the weekend. U.S. benchmark crude fell $1.32, or 3.4 percent, to close at $37.18 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the global benchmark, lost 86 cents, or 2.1 percent, to $39.53 a barrel in London. Southwestern Energy lost 54 cents, or 6.7 percent, to $7.46 and Chesapeake Energy gave up 32 cents, or 6.8 percent, to $4.38.

The Federal Reserve will meet Tuesday and Wednesday. Investors don't expect the Fed to raise interest rates, but they will look closely at its comments on the state of the U.S. and global economies to get clues about possible moves in the future. In December the Fed raised interest rates for the first time in almost a decade, but it left them unchanged in January.

Stocks have rallied over the last four weeks, and BlackRock's Stournaras noted that some of the most beaten-down parts of the market, including energy and mining companies, have made major contributions to that rally as economic indicators, especially in the U.S. have begun to improve. That means those stocks could tumble again if investors don't like what the Fed has to say about the economy or global growth this week, he said.

Big gainers Monday included The Fresh Market, which jumped $5.41, or 23.5 percent, to $28.39 after private equity firm Apollo Global said it will buy the grocery store chain for $1.3 billion, or $28.50 per share.

Drug developer GW Pharmaceuticals more than doubled after it reported positive results from a late-stage study of its drug Epidiolex, an experimental seizure disorder treatment derived from a marijuana extract. The stock surged $46.25, or 120 percent, to $84.71. Zynerba Pharmaceuticals, which is studying drug based on synthetic compounds derived from cannabis, climbed $12.59, or 149 percent, to $21.03.

Stocks in Europe rose after the eurozone had its biggest monthly increase in industrial production since 2009. Germany's DAX rose 1.6 percent. France's CAC 40 added 0.3 percent while Britain's FTSE 100 gained 0.6 percent.

Chinese stocks rose after the chief of the China Securities Regulatory Commission told a press conference over the weekend that it's too early to talk about winding back official support measures for the markets, according to the official Xinhua news agency. That suggests the government will continue to support Chinese equities.

Japan reported a jump in private sector machinery orders, a sign that capital spending could improve this year. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index rose 1.7 percent and South Korea's Kospi was little changed. Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 1.2 percent and the Shanghai Composite Index in mainland China gained 1.8 percent.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline fell 2 cents to $1.42 a gallon and heating oil lost 2 cents to $1.20 a gallon. Natural gas fell less than a penny to close at $1.82 per 1,000 cubic feet.

In metals trading, the price of gold fell $14.30, or 1.1 percent, to $1,245.10 an ounce. Silver fell 8.4 cents to $15.52 an ounce. Copper was little changed at $2.24 a pound.

Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note slipped to 1.96 percent from 1.98 percent. The euro declined to $1.1097 from $1.1157 late Friday. The dollar edged up to 113.80 yen from 113.70 yen.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 22.4 points or ▲ 0.13% on Tuesday, March 15, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,251.53 ▲ 22.40 ▲ 0.13%
Nasdaq____ 4,728.67 ▼ -21.61 ▼ -0.45%
S&P_500___ 2,015.93 ▼ -3.71 ▼ -0.18%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.72 ▼ -0.01 ▼ -0.33%

NYSE Volume 3,554,984,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,702,366,250

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,139.97 ▼ -34.60 ▼ -0.56%
DAX_____ 9,933.85 ▼ -56.41 ▼ -0.56%
CAC_40__ 4,472.63 ▼ -33.96 ▼ -0.75%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,168.60 ▼ -73.80 ▼ -1.41%
Shanghai_Comp 2,864.37 ▲ 4.87 ▲ 0.17%
Taiwan_Weight 8,611.18 ▼ -136.72 ▼ -1.56%
Nikkei_225___ 17,117.07 ▼ -116.68 ▼ -0.68%
Hang_Seng.__ 20,288.77 ▼ -146.57 ▼ -0.72%
Strait_Times.__ 2,839.44 ▼ -7.62 ▼ -0.27%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,577.82 ▲ 10.99 ▲ 0.17%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-fall-early-energy-141847035.html#

US stocks end mixed, lower, amid drug company rout

US stocks are slightly lower in afternoon trading as falling commodity prices again pulled energy and materials companies lower, and drugmakers are falling on concerns about prices
Associated Press By Marley Jay, AP Markets Writer

NEW YORK (AP) ”” Stocks ended mixed and mostly lower Tuesday, led by a steep decline in drug company shares as investors worried it will become harder for the companies to raise prices. Materials companies fell along with the price of precious metals.

U.S. stocks have hardly moved over the last two days, following a four-week rally that erased some big losses from earlier this year.

"People are kind of re-evaluating where we are," said James Paulsen, chief investment strategist for Wells Capital Management. "It's kind of amazing we haven't pulled back a little more."

The Dow Jones industrial average added 22.40 points, or 0.1 percent, to 17,251.53. The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 3.71 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,015.93. The Nasdaq composite index slipped 21.61 points, or 0.5 percent, to 4,728.67.

Trading has been mixed and fairly calm this week as investors wait for the Federal Reserve's Open Markets Committee remarks on interest rates and the economy on Wednesday. Investors are also awaiting Wednesdays' Consumer Price Index report, which Paulsen believes will reveal more than the Fed's statement.

"We ought to be paying attention to the Fed's boss, the economy," he said. "If the economic data gets better, the Fed will raise rates. If it doesn't get better, they won't."

Drug company stocks were not afforded any of the market's tranquility Tuesday. They were pummeled after Valeant Pharmaceuticals, which is already facing scrutiny over its business practices, said its strategy of boosting product prices is no longer viable. Every drug company in the S&P 500 fell, and big drug makers Pfizer and Merck led decliners on the Dow.

Valeant tumbled $35.53, or 51.5 percent, to $33.51 after it disclosed disappointing fourth-quarter results, cut its forecasts for 2016 and said it could default on its debt. Valeant is being investigated by the Securities and Exchange commission and Congress is questioning its practice of acquiring older drugs and raising their prices, a strategy shared by other drugmakers.

Endo International lost $9.51, or 22.6 percent, to $32.5 and Mallinckrodt fell $10.10, or 14.5 percent, to $59.51.

Drugmaker Eli Lilly fell on concerns surrounding the potential approval of a drug designed to treat dementia caused by Alzheimer's disease. The company said Tuesday it is changing the goal of a late-stage trial, and investors worried the change makes it less likely regulators will approve the drug. The stock gave up $2.67, or 3.6 percent, to $71.24.

Tech stocks made the biggest gains Tuesday, led by Apple, which rose $2.06, or 2 percent, to $104.58 after a Morgan Stanley analyst said first-quarter iPhone sales look stronger than Wall Street had expected.

Mining companies fell with metals prices. The price of gold fell $14.10, or 1.1 percent, to $1,231 an ounce. Silver sank 26 cents, or 1.7 percent, to $15.26 an ounce. Copper slipped less than 1 cent to $2.23 a pound.

Energy stocks declined as oil prices fell sharply for the second day in a row. Benchmark U.S. crude shed 84 cents, or 2.3 percent, to $36.34 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the benchmark used to price international oils, lost 79 cents, or 2 percent, to $38.74 per barrel in London.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline slipped 1 cent to $1.41 a gallon. Heating oil fell 2 cents to $1.18 a gallon. Natural gas rose 3 cents, or 1.8 percent, to $1.85 per 1,000 cubic feet.

The Bank of Japan left its monetary policy unchanged Tuesday but downgraded its assessment of conditions in the world's third-largest economy, citing risks from weaker growth in China and other emerging economies and volatility in financial markets, among other factors. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 lost 0.7 percent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng declined 0.7 percent Seoul's Kospi was off 0.1 percent and the Shanghai Composite Index gained 0.2 percent.

France's CAC-40 lost 0.8 percent and Germany's DAX shed 0.6 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 declined 0.6 percent.

Bond prices held steady and the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note remained at 1.96 percent. The euro edged up to $1.1107 from $1.1097 and the dollar slipped to 113.10 yen from 113.80 yen. The British pound fell to $1.4158 amid renewed jitters about the June popular vote on whether to remain in the 28-country European Union. The pound fell to a seven-year low last month.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 74.23 points or ▲ 0.43% on Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,325.76 ▲ 74.23 ▲ 0.43%
Nasdaq____ 4,763.97 ▲ 35.30 ▲ 0.75%
S&P_500___ 2,027.22 ▲ 11.29 ▲ 0.56%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.74 ▲ 0.01 ▲ 0.51%

NYSE Volume 4,031,337,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,786,389,250

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,175.49 ▲ 35.52 ▲ 0.58%
DAX_____ 9,983.41 ▲ 49.56 ▲ 0.50%
CAC_40__ 4,463.00 ▼ -9.63 ▼ -0.22%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,175.70 ▲ 7.10 ▲ 0.14%
Shanghai_Comp 2,870.43 ▲ 6.06 ▲ 0.21%
Taiwan_Weight 8,699.14 ▲ 87.96 ▲ 1.02%
Nikkei_225___ 16,974.45 ▼ -142.62 ▼ -0.83%
Hang_Seng.__ 20,257.70 ▼ -31.07 ▼ -0.15%
Strait_Times.__ 2,844.21 ▲ 4.77 ▲ 0.17%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,562.96 ▼ -14.86 ▼ -0.23%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stocks-mostly-higher-economic-data-143321549.html

Stocks end modestly higher after Fed holds rates steady

US stocks rose Wednesday after the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged and forecast it will raise rates more gradually than it had envisioned late last year

Associated Press By Marley Jay, AP Markets Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- U.S. stocks rose Wednesday after the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged and forecast it will raise rates more gradually than it had envisioned late last year.

The market had been lower before the Fed released its statement, which highlighted strength in hiring and housing, but weakness in exports and concerns over slower global economic growth. The Fed now expects to raise interest rates two times this year instead of four.

Jeremy Zirin, chief equity strategist for UBS Wealth Management Americas, said the Fed and the markets now seem to have the same view on interest rate increases, and that means the market may be a little less volatile than it has been recently. "It probably eases investors' minds that we're unlikely to see a rate hike in April, and it probably takes June off the table," he said.

Lower rates help boost economic growth by reducing borrowing costs and reducing the risk associated with expanding businesses or starting new ones. Lower rates also make stocks look more attractive to investors.

Stocks are now on track for their fifth straight week of gains and the Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor's 500 index closed at their highest levels since the first trading day of the year.

The Dow gained 74.23 points Wednesday, or 0.4 percent, to 17,325.76. The S&P 500 index rose 11.29 points, or 0.6 percent, to 2,027.22. The Nasdaq composite index rose 35.30 points, or 0.8 percent, to 4,763.97.

Oil prices rose nearly 6 percent and pushed energy shares sharply higher. Crude jumped after a group of major energy producing nations said they will hold more talks next month about a freeze in oil output levels. A deal — which is far from a sure thing — could help relieve a global glut that has depressed oil prices. In the U.S., oil inventories grew, but not as much as investors expected.

Benchmark U.S. crude rose $2.12 to $38.46 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the benchmark for international oils, rose $1.59, or 4.1 percent, to $40.33 a barrel.

Energy companies were the top-performing sector on the market. Devon Energy gained $2.13, or 8.8 percent, to $26.22 Southwestern Energy rose 67 cents, or 9.3 percent, to $7.90 and Oneok added $1.79, or 6.5 percent, to $29.51.

After the Fed's decision, bond prices rose sharply and the yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 1.91 percent from 1.97 percent. The euro jumped to $1.1217 from $1.1107 late Tuesday. The dollar fell to 112.55 yen from 113.10 yen.

Mining and materials companies and technology stocks, which would all benefit from a weaker dollar, also traded higher. Newmont Mining rose $1.18, or 4.5 percent, to $27.55 and Alcoa added 58 cents, or 6.3 percent, to $9.74. Apple edged up $1.39, or 1.3 percent, to $105.97 and Microsoft gained 76 cents, or 1.4 percent, to $54.35.

Metals prices were little changed on the day, as they closed earlier in the afternoon. Gold lost $1.20 to $1,229.80 an ounce. Silver decreased 4 cents to $15.22 an ounce. Copper was unchanged at $2.23 a pound.

Peabody Energy, the largest coal mining company in the U.S., is plunging after it said it is delaying an interest payment and may have to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The stock sank $1.82, or 45.4 percent, to $2.19.

Stocks have been rising in recent weeks on mounting evidence that the U.S. economy remains in good shape overall despite the shaky state of other major economies. That trend continued Wednesday as the Labor Department said core inflation, or inflation that leaves out energy and food prices, continued to rise. It's up 2.3 percent over the last year, its biggest 12-month gain since May of 2012. Overall inflation slipped in February because of lower gas prices and it's up just 1 percent in the last year.

The Fed has been looking closely at inflation as it considers raising interest rates. Though one of the Fed's main goals is to prevent runaway inflation, it wants to see inflation rise more than it has in recent years to be sure the economy is healthy enough to handle higher rates.

Separate reports showed construction of new homes continued to grow in February, but applications were weak again, a sign of future trouble. Meanwhile U.S. factories made more machinery, appliances and computer in February. It's the second straight monthly increase and a sign manufacturing is improving.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline rose 1 cent to $1.42 a gallon. Heating oil gained 5 cents, or 4.5 percent, to $1.23 a gallon. Natural gas rose 2 cents to $1.87 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Germany's DAX gained 0.5 percent and Britain's FTSE 100 added 0.6 percent. France's CAC 40 fell 0.2 percent. Asian stocks were also mixed, as Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 slipped 0.8 percent and South Korea's Kospi added 0.3 percent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng lost 0.2 percent to while the Shanghai Composite index rose 0.2 percent.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 155.73 points or ▲ 0.90% on Thursday, March 17, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,481.49 ▲ 155.73 ▲ 0.90%
Nasdaq____ 4,774.99 ▲ 11.02 ▲ 0.23%
S&P_500___ 2,040.59 ▲ 13.37 ▲ 0.66%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.69 ▼ -0.04 ▼ -1.54%

NYSE Volume 4,526,903,500
Nasdaq Volume 1,911,557,120

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,201.12 ▲ 25.63 ▲ 0.42%
DAX_____ 9,892.20 ▼ -91.21 ▼ -0.91%
CAC_40__ 4,442.89 ▼ -20.11 ▼ -0.45%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,226.40 ▲ 50.70 ▲ 0.98%
Shanghai_Comp 2,904.83 ▲ 34.40 ▲ 1.20%
Taiwan_Weight 8,734.54 ▲ 35.40 ▲ 0.41%
Nikkei_225___ 16,936.38 ▼ -38.07 ▼ -0.22%
Hang_Seng.__ 20,503.81 ▲ 246.11 ▲ 1.21%
Strait_Times.__ 2,880.17 ▲ 35.96 ▲ 1.26%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,573.45 ▲ 10.49 ▲ 0.16%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-muddled-early-trading-141617695.html#

Dow positive for 2016 after metals, oil boost stocks
Associated Press By MARLEY JAY

NEW YORK (AP) ”” Another surge in U.S. stocks Thursday, on the heels of a four-week rally, turned the Dow Jones industrial average positive for the year and wiped out its losses from a terrible start to 2016.

The price of gold and silver and oil jumped, boosting materials and energy companies. The dollar continued to weaken, boosting industrial companies on hopes they will be able to sell more products overseas.

The Dow Jones rose 155.73 points, or 0.9 percent, to 17,481.49. It's is now up 0.3 percent for the year, the first time it has been in the black for 2016. The Standard & Poor's 500 index gained 13.37 points, or 0.7 percent, to 2,040.59. The S&P 500 remains down 0.2 percent for the year. A little more than a month ago, the Dow and the S&P 500 were both down 10 percent for the year.

The Nasdaq composite rose 11.01 points, or 0.2 percent, to 4,774.99, but remains down close to 5 percent this year.

The price of oil also crossed a threshold, closing above $40 a barrel for the first time since early December. Benchmark U.S. crude rose $1.74, or 4.5 percent, to close at $40.20 a barrel. Brent crude, the benchmark for international oils, gained $1.21, or 3 percent, to $41.54 a barrel in London. Oil prices are now higher than they were at the end of 2015, but still far lower they have been for most of the last decade.

The dollar, after years of strength, has weakened in recent days, in part because of the Federal Reserve's decision to leave rates unchanged and to slow the pace of increases. Commodities are priced in dollars around the world, so a weaker dollar makes them more affordable in foreign markets and increases demand.

"When the dollar strengthens gold tends to sell off and vice versa," said James Butterfill, head of research and investment strategy at ETF Securities. Also, he said, investors aren't sure what monetary policy makers in Europe will do, and that kind of uncertainty usually sends metals prices higher.

The price of gold jumped $35.20, or 2.9 percent, to $1,265 an ounce and silver climbed 81 cents, or 5.3 percent, to $16.03 an ounce. Copper rose 6 cents, or 2.6 percent, to $2.29 a pound. Gold is at its highest price in about a year and silver and copper are around five month highs.

Mining companies and makers of chemicals, jets, farm equipment and heavy machinery all traded higher. General Electric picked up 79 cents, or 2.6 percent, to $30.96 and Boeing gained $3.13, or 2.5 percent, to $130.70. Agribusiness giant Monsanto rose $2.21, or 2.4 percent, to $92.92.

Package delivery company FedEx rose after it reported strong holiday-season sales, helped by continued growth in online shopping. FedEx also raised its projections for the year. The stock gained $17.07, or 11.8 percent, to $161.34. That was its biggest one-day gain since 1993.

Health care stocks continued to slump as a Senate committee sharply questioned executives from Turing Pharmaceuticals, which became notorious last year when it raised the price for a decades-old anti-infection drug by 5,000 percent. Investors are fearful that it will get harder for drug companies to raise their prices and boost their profits and revenues. Endo International lost $3.88, or 11.4 percent, to $30.03 and has dropped 29 percent this week. Eli Lilly gave up $3.42, or 4.7 percent, to $69.06. The Nasdaq biotech index, which includes makers of some of the mostly costly medications, has dropped almost 6 percent this week.

SeaWorld Entertainment said it will immediately stop breeding orcas after years of controversy over keeping the whales in captivity. The move will phase the animals out of its theme parks. The stock made its biggest gain since its IPO in 2013, rising $1.60, or 9.3 percent, to $18.72.

The Labor Department reported that applications for unemployment benefits rose slightly last week, but they remain at levels consistent with a healthy job market.

Bond prices have also risen, dampening their yields. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note slipped to 1.90 percent after it fell to 1.91 percent on Wednesday. The euro rose to $1.1316 from $1.1204. The dollar fell to 111.50 yen from 112.68 yen.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline picked up two cents to $1.44 a gallon and heating oil rose two cents to $1.25 a gallon. Natural gas gained seven cents, or 3.6 percent, to $1.94 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Overseas, Germany's DAX gave up 0.9 percent and the CAC-40 in France lost 0.5 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 inched up 0.4 percent. Japan's Nikkei 225 index closed 0.2 percent lower, as a weaker dollar would be bad news for Japanese exporters. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index climbed 1.2 percent. Shanghai's composite index gained 1.2 percent.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 120.81 points or ▲ 0.69% on Friday, March 18, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,602.30 ▲ 120.81 ▲ 0.69%
Nasdaq____ 4,795.65 ▲ 20.66 ▲ 0.43%
S&P_500___ 2,049.58 ▲ 8.99 ▲ 0.44%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.67 ▼ -0.02 ▼ -0.78%

NYSE Volume 6,492,781,000
Nasdaq Volume 2,827,190,750

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,189.64 ▼ -11.48 ▼ -0.19%
DAX_____ 9,950.80 ▲ 58.60 ▲ 0.59%
CAC_40__ 4,462.51 ▲ 19.62 ▲ 0.44%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,239.30 ▲ 12.90 ▲ 0.25%
Shanghai_Comp 2,955.15 ▲ 50.32 ▲ 1.73%
Taiwan_Weight 8,810.71 ▲ 76.17 ▲ 0.87%
Nikkei_225___ 16,724.81 ▼ -211.57 ▼ -1.25%
Hang_Seng.__ 20,671.63 ▲ 167.82 ▲ 0.82%
Strait_Times.__ 2,906.80 ▲ 26.63 ▲ 0.92%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,623.50 ▲ 50.05 ▲ 0.76%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-open-higher-head-141227418.html#

Market finishes 5th week of gains, turning S&P 500 positive

US stocks are rising again, setting the market up to extend its winning streak to a fifth week
Associated Press By Marley Jay, AP Markets Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Another strong gain for stocks Friday extended the market's recovery from a dismal start to the year to a fifth week in a row.

The Standard and Poor's 500 index closed up for the year for the first time. The Dow Jones industrial average turned positive Thursday. Both had been down more than 10 percent for the year a little more than a month ago.

The Dow rose 120.81 points Friday, or 0.7 percent, to 17,602.30. It is up 1 percent for the year. The S&P 500 gained 8.99 points, or 0.4 percent, to 2,049.58, and is now up 0.3 percent for 2016. The Nasdaq composite picked up 20.6 points, or 0.4 percent, to 4,795.65, though the Nasdaq remains down 4 percent for the year.

Stocks had plunged early this year as investors feared that Chinese economy, which has been the engine of global growth, was slowing faster than expected and that China's slide would be enough to pull the U.S. economy into recession.

"The market tended to focus on the negative and ignore the good" at the start of this year, said Lowell Yura, head of Multi-Asset Solutions for BMO Global Asset Management.

But over the course of the five-week rally, reports on hiring, manufacturing and construction spending showed the U.S. economy is doing fairly well. Industrial, consumer and technology stocks benefited from the more positive outlook in the U.S. Energy and materials stocks climbed as oil and precious metals prices rose.

And this week the Federal Reserve said it expects to slow the pace of interest rate increases this year. Lower rates make stocks look more attractive to investors, and they help boost economic growth by reducing borrowing costs and reducing the risk associated with starting or expanding businesses.

The biggest gainers Friday were health care stocks and banks, the worst-performing parts of the market this year. Companies that make aircraft, machinery and chemicals also rose as the dollar fell against other currencies on hopes that the weaker dollar will boost their sales outside of the U.S.

Starwood Hotels climbed $4.18, or 5.5 percent, to $80.57 after the hotel chain said it accepted a new buyout offer from a group led by Anbang Insurance Group of China. The bid is worth more than $14 billion. Competitor Marriott, which agreed to buy Starwood last year, said it is considering its options and noted it has the right to make another offer.

Columbia Pipeline Group climbed after TransCanada Corp. agreed to buy the company for $10 billion, or $25.50 per share, in an attempt to expand further into the U.S. Columbia Pipeline stock advanced $1.33, or 5.7 percent, to $24.84.

Health care stocks regained some ground after a rough week. Hospital operator Tenet Healthcare rose $1.57, or 5.9 percent, to $28.14 and prescription drug distributor McKesson gained $6.62, or 4.4 percent, to $158.31. Drug companies also ticked upward after days of losses, including Bristol-Myers Squibb, which rose $1.36, or 2.2 percent, to $62.83.

JPMorgan Chase said it will buy back another $1.88 billion in stock, while Bank of America announced an $800 million stock repurchase. Chase stock rose $1.73, or 2.9 percent, to $60.48 and Bank of America shares picked up 39 cents, or 2.9 percent, to $13.79. Financial stocks are also getting a boost from the recovery in oil prices. As energy prices tumbled, investors worried that some bank loans to energy companies wouldn't get paid back.

Bond prices have also been rising in the wake of the Fed's announcement, and on Friday the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note dipped to 1.87 percent from 1.90 percent. The euro fell to $1.1268 from $1.1316. The dollar inched up to 111.60 yen after closing at 111.50 yen Thursday.

Oil prices turned lower, though they remained sharply higher for the week. Benchmark U.S. crude lost 76 cents, or 1.9 percent, to $39.44 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the benchmark for international oils, gave up 34 cents to $41.20 a barrel in London. On Thursday U.S. crude closed over $40 per barrel for the first time since early December. The price of U.S. crude is up 50 percent since Feb. 11 on hopes that producers will cut output and relieve a global glut.

Metals prices declined after a big jump on Thursday. Gold fell $10.70 to $1,254.30 an ounce. Silver lost 22 cents, or 1.4 percent, to $15.81 an ounce. Copper dipped 1 cent to $2.28 a pound.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline fell 1 cent to $1.43 a gallon. Heating oil lost 2 cents to $1.24 a gallon. Natural gas gave up 3 cents to $1.91 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Stocks overseas were mixed. Germany's DAX rose 0.6 percent and France's CAC 40 added 0.4 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 fell 0.2 percent. Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 1.2 percent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose 0.8 percent. The Shanghai Composite index in mainland China rose 1.7 percent.

3287

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 21.57 points or ▲ 0.12% on Monday, March 21, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,623.87 ▲ 21.57 ▲ 0.12%
Nasdaq____ 4,808.87 ▲ 13.23 ▲ 0.28%
S&P_500___ 2,051.60 ▲ 2.02 ▲ 0.10%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.73 ▲ 0.06 ▲ 2.13%

NYSE Volume 3,348,756,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,616,249,000

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,184.58 ▼ -5.06 ▼ -0.08%
DAX_____ 9,948.64 ▼ -2.16 ▼ -0.02%
CAC_40__ 4,427.80 ▼ -34.71 ▼ -0.78%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,224.90 ▼ -14.40 ▼ -0.27%
Shanghai_Comp 3,018.80 ▲ 63.65 ▲ 2.15%
Taiwan_Weight 8,812.70 ▲ 1.99 ▲ 0.02%
Nikkei_225___ 16,724.81 ▼ -211.57 ▼ -1.25%
Hang_Seng.__ 20,684.15 ▲ 12.52 ▲ 0.06%
Strait_Times.__ 2,880.69 ▼ -26.11 ▼ -0.90%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,641.94 ▲ 18.44 ▲ 0.28%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stocks-drift-between-small-gains-losses-early-trade-141820706.html#

Stocks shake off an early loss and end with slight gains
Associated Press By ALEX VEIGA

Major U.S. stock indexes eked out modest gains on Monday, extending the market's winning streak into a fourth day.

Stocks wavered into the red at times before steadying in the late afternoon. The price of oil also veered lower at times, but ended higher.

Investors had their eye on the latest batch of company deal news and new data on housing that sent homebuilders broadly lower. Telecommunications services and health care stocks were among the biggest risers.

Monday's action builds on the market's five-week string of gains and suggests an improved outlook by investors since the market's rocky start to 2016. Worries about the global economy prompted the Federal Reserve to slow the pace of interest rate increases this year.

"Investors have really come to terms with the fact that recession risks are receding in the U.S., and that certainly was helped by the Fed action last week," said Mike Baele, senior portfolio manager at U.S. Bank Wealth Management. "We likely move sideways until we get some clarity on earnings."

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 21.57 points, or 0.1 percent, to 17,623.87. The Standard & Poor's 500 index added 2.02 points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,051.60. The Nasdaq composite gained 13.23 points, or 0.3 percent, to 4,808.87.

Thanks to steady gains in recent weeks, the Dow is up 1.1 percent for the year, while the S&P 500 index is up 0.4 percent. The Nasdaq is down about 4 percent.

Stocks had appeared to be headed for a down day early Monday.

Homebuilders fell broadly following a report indicating that sales of previously occupied U.S. homes sank 7.1 percent last month. The trend could weigh on homebuilders, many of which rely on buyers who must sell their home before they can purchase a newly built one. William Lyon Homes was among the biggest decliners. The stock shed 72 cents, or 4.9 percent, to $13.88.

Several companies rose on deal news.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide climbed $3.62, or 4.5 percent, to $84.19. Its proposed buyout by Marriott International, which could be contested by China's Anbang, would create the world's biggest hotel company. That likely weighed on fellow hotel operator Wyndham Worldwide, which slid $3.72, or 4.6 percent, to $77.07.

Paint maker Valspar vaulted 23.1 percent on news of its $9 billion sale to Sherwin-Williams. Shares in Valspar rose $29.39 to $103.22. Sherwin slumped $15.40, or 5.3 percent, to $273.29.

Traders also welcomed Markit's decision to combine with competitor IHS in an all-stock deal valued at more than $13 billion. Markit surged $4.02, or 13.6 percent, to $33.51.

Embattled drug company Valeant Pharmaceuticals climbed 7.4 percent as investors cheered a boardroom shake-up that includes plans to replace CEO Michael Pearson and the addition of activist investor Bill Ackman to the board. The stock, which has slid 71.5 percent this year, gained $2 to $28.98.

Oil prices also recovered after dipping earlier in the day.

Benchmark U.S. crude rose 47 cents, or 1.2 percent, to close at $39.91 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the benchmark for international oils, gained 34 cents to close at $41.54 a barrel in London.

Several energy companies slumped as natural gas lost 8 cents, or 4.1 percent, to close at $1.83 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Williams Cos. shed 80 cents, or 4.4 percent, to $17.35, while Cabot Oil & Gas slid 98 cents, or 4.3 percent, to $21.79. Natural gas transport and storage company Oneok also fell. It was down $1.13, or 3.7 percent, to $29.69.

Market action overseas was mixed.

In Europe, Germany's DAX was essentially flat, while France's CAC 40 fell 0.8 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 slipped 0.1 percent. In Asia, South Korea's benchmark Kospi index slipped 0.1 percent, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose 0.1 percent. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 dipped 0.3 percent. Markets in Japan were closed for a holiday.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline added 3 cents, or 2.2 percent, to close at $1.46 a gallon, while heating oil slipped less than a penny to close at $1.24 a gallon.

Among metals, gold dropped $10.10, or 0.8 percent, to $1,244.20 an ounce. Silver fell rose 4 cents, or 0.2 percent, to $15.85 an ounce. Copper rose a penny, or 0.4 percent, to $2.29 a pound.

U.S. government bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.92 percent from 1.88 percent late Friday. The euro fell to $1.1248 while the dollar rose to 111.84 yen.