NYSE Dow Jones finished today at:

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -41.3 points or ▼ -0.23% on Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,582.57 ▼ -41.30 ▼ -0.23%
Nasdaq____ 4,821.66 ▲ 12.79 ▲ 0.27%
S&P_500___ 2,049.80 ▼ -1.80 ▼ -0.09%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.72 ▼ -0.01 ▼ -0.40%

NYSE Volume 3,381,793,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,604,919,880

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,144.65 ▼ -39.93 ▼ -0.65%
DAX_____ 9,990.00 ▲ 41.36 ▲ 0.42%
CAC_40__ 4,431.97 ▲ 4.17 ▲ 0.09%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,230.80 ▲ 5.90 ▲ 0.11%
Shanghai_Comp 2,999.36 ▼ -19.44 ▼ -0.64%
Taiwan_Weight 8,785.68 ▼ -27.02 ▼ -0.31%
Nikkei_225___ 17,048.55 ▲ 323.74 ▲ 1.94%
Hang_Seng.__ 20,666.75 ▼ -17.40 ▼ -0.08%
Strait_Times.__ 2,880.65 ▼ -0.04 ▲ 0.00%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,664.25 ▲ 22.31 ▲ 0.34%

http://www.usnews.com/news/business...lower-travel-companies-sink-following-attacks

U.S. stock indexes close mostly lower as airlines, cruise companies and travel booking sites fall following the deadly bombings in Belgium

By ALEX VEIGA, AP Business Writer

U.S. stock indexes closed mostly lower Tuesday as airlines, cruise companies and travel booking sites fell following the deadly bombings in Belgium.

News of the attacks, which killed at least 31 people, pulled the broader market lower for much of the morning. An early afternoon rally erased some of the losses, but the rebound didn't hold.

Oil drilling companies also slumped following a downbeat forecast on drilling. Health care and technology stocks gained ground.

The last-minute slide snapped a four-day winning streak for the market. Trading was relatively light, reflecting the Easter holiday weekend. It also signaled that traders were not rattled by the potential market implications of the attack.

"This is the new investing normal now," said Chris Gaffney, president of EverBank World Markets. "You're going to have these big tragic events, so I don't think investors are really too concerned with it long-term."

The Dow Jones industrial average lost 41.30 points, or 0.2 percent, to 17,582.57. The Standard & Poor's 500 index dipped 1.80 points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,049.80. The Nasdaq composite added 12.79 points, or 0.3 percent, to 4,821.66.

The three main U.S. stock indexes headed lower early on Tuesday as traders digested the news that bombs had struck the Brussels airport and one of the city's metro stations. Belgium raised its terror alert to the highest level. Airports across Europe tightened security. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attacks.

The major European stock markets declined early on, but ultimately closed higher.

Germany's DAX rose 0.4 percent, while the CAC-40 in France edged up 0.1 percent. The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was up 0.1 percent. Belgium's BEL 20 index rose 0.2 percent.

"What happens is investors and traders go in and start to bottom-fish on sectors that have sold off," said Quincy Krosby, market strategist at Prudential Financial. "It flies in the face of the headlines and the human cost of these terrorist attacks, but the stock markets tend to turn around."

In the U.S., travel-related companies slumped and never quite recovered.

Royal Caribbean Cruises shed $2.24, or 2.9 percent, to $75.99, while Carnival lost $1.03, or 2.1 percent, to $48.75.

American Airlines Group fell 71 cents, or 1.6 percent, to $42.76, while Delta Air Lines fell 73 cents, or 1.5 percent, to $49.39.

Travel website operators Priceline Group and Expedia also fell.

Priceline slid $31.10, or 2.3 percent, to $1,319.41, while Expedia lost $1.96, or 1.8 percent, to $108.92.

"The only sector that appears to be truly suffering, naturally, is anything having to do with travel," said J.J. Kinahan, TD Ameritrade's chief strategist.

Transocean also slumped Tuesday.

The oil drilling company shed 53 cents, or 5 percent, to $10 after management said they don't expect drilling to increase any time soon. The outlook weighed on other drillers. Ensco lost 32 cents, or 2.8 percent, to $11.01, while Helmerich & Payne slid $1.12, or 1.8 percent, to $59.86.

Other stocks fared better.

Staples climbed 7.6 percent to lead all gainers in the S&P 500 index. The company recovered some of its losses from a day earlier, when a court battle over the office supply chain's proposed merger with Office Depot began. The stock added 73 cents to $10.30.

Markets in Asia were mixed.

Japan's Nikkei 225 climbed 1.9 percent, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index shed early gains, sliding 0.1 percent. South Korea's Kospi gained 0.4 percent, while Australia's S&P ASX 200 edged up 0.1 percent.

In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude slipped 7 cents to close at $41.45 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the benchmark for international oils, rose 25 cents to $41.79 a barrel in London. In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline added 4 cents, or 2.6 percent, to close at $1.50 a gallon, while heating oil rose a penny to close at $1.25 a gallon. Natural gas added 4 cents, or 1.9 percent, to close at $1.86 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Among metals, gold rose $4.40, or 0.4 percent, to $1,248.60 an ounce. Silver gained 4 cents, or 0.2 percent, to $15.89 an ounce. Copper was little changed at $2.29 a pound.

U.S. government bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.94 percent from 1.92 percent late Monday. The euro fell to $1.1216 from $1.1251, while the dollar rose to 112.33 yen from 111.86.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -79.98 points or ▼ -0.45% on Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,502.59 ▼ -79.98 ▼ -0.45%
Nasdaq____ 4,768.86 ▼ -52.80 ▼ -1.10%
S&P_500___ 2,036.71 ▼ -13.09 ▼ -0.64%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.65 ▼ -0.07 ▼ -2.57%

NYSE Volume 3,627,193,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,707,080,120

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,199.11 ▲ 6.37 ▲ 0.10%
DAX_____ 10,022.93 ▲ 32.93 ▲ 0.33%
CAC_40__ 4,423.98 ▼ -7.99 ▼ -0.18%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,204.30 ▼ -26.50 ▼ -0.51%
Shanghai_Comp 3,009.96 ▲ 10.60 ▲ 0.35%
Taiwan_Weight 8,766.09 ▼ -19.59 ▼ -0.22%
Nikkei_225___ 17,000.98 ▼ -47.57 ▼ -0.28%
Hang_Seng.__ 20,615.23 ▼ -51.52 ▼ -0.25%
Strait_Times.__ 2,881.98 ▲ 1.33 ▲ 0.05%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,664.25 ▲ 22.31 ▲ 0.34%

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/stocks-decline-broadly-early-trading-us-37867133

Stocks Slip, Led by Energy and Materials Companies
By alex veiga, ap business writer

Falling prices for oil and other commodities pulled U.S. stocks modestly lower on Wednesday, nudging the Standard & Poor's 500 index slightly into the red for the year and putting it on course to snap a five-week winning streak.

Energy and mining companies led the decline, while consumer staples and utilities stocks bucked the broader downward trend.

Disappointing earnings from several companies, including Nike, also weighed on the market. Oil slumped 4 percent.

Trading was muted ahead of Friday, when markets will be closed for the Good Friday holiday.

"It's one of the lowest volume days of the year," said Erik Davidson, chief investment officer for Wells Fargo Private Bank. "We're seeing a little bit of a sell-off, but not much."

Investors can expect similarly low trading volume on Thursday.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 79.98 points, or 0.5 percent, to 17,502.59. The S&P 500 index lost 13.09 points, or 0.6 percent, to 2,036.71. The Nasdaq composite dropped 52.80 points, or 1.1 percent, to 4,768.86.

The Dow is now up 0.5 percent for the year, while the S&P 500 is down 0.4 percent and the Nasdaq is off 4.8 percent.

Major U.S. indexes moved lower early on as falling prices for oil, natural gas, precious metals and other commodities put traders in a selling mood.

Chesapeake Energy lost 69 cents, or 14.3 percent, to $4.13, while Marathon Oil fell $1.12, or 9.9 percent, to $10.19. Southwestern Energy slid 73 cents, or 9 percent, to $7.35.

Mining companies also slumped, including Newmont Mining, which fell $2.41, or 8.8 percent, to $24.98, while Freeport-McMoRan lost $1.24, or 11.28 percent, to $9.75.

A batch of company earnings also gave investors reasons to sell.

Nike, one of the 30 stocks in the Dow, fell 3.8 percent after reporting revenue that fell far short of what analysts were expecting. The athletic apparel maker also gave a weaker-than-anticipated outlook for 2016. The stock dropped $2.46 to $62.44.

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts slid 7.1 percent after the chain reported disappointing fourth-quarter revenue and a weaker-than-expected annual profit forecast. The stock shed $1.09 to $14.29.

Software maker Red Hat also declined, losing 4.2 percent after it reported disappointing forecasts. The stock fell $3.38 to $72.33.

Most homebuilders slumped after the Commerce Department reported that new-home sales rose only 2 percent in February to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 512,000. Sales in the opening two months of 2016 are running slightly below last year's pace. Beazer Homes USA fell the most, sliding 63 cents, or 7.2 percent, to $8.07.

All told, eight of the 10 sectors in the S&P 500 index lost ground, with energy stocks sliding the most, 2.1 percent. The sector is down about 18 percent over the past 12 months. Utilities and consumer staples stocks moved higher.

Not all companies got caught up in the broad decline.

Pepco Holdings vaulted $5.69, or 26.8 percent, to $26.93 after a Washington D.C. regulator approved Pepco's $7 billion sale to rival utility Exelon. The deal will only go through if Exelon agrees to the regulator's terms, however. Exelon slipped 28 cents, or less than 1 percent, to $34.72.

European stocks were mixed following Tuesday's deadly bombings in Belgium.

Germany's DAX rose 0.3 percent, while France's CAC 40 fell 0.2 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 edged up 0.1 percent. Belgium's main index increased 0.1 percent.

In Asia, markets mostly fell moderately. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 0.3 percent. South Korea's Kospi edged 0.1 percent lower. Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.3 percent. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.5 percent.

In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude fell $1.66, or 4 percent, to close at $39.79 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the benchmark for international oils, slid $1.32, or 3.2 percent, to close at $40.47 a barrel in London.

Wholesale gasoline fell 4 cents, or 2.9 percent, to close at $1.45 a gallon, while heating oil slipped 5 cents, or 3.8 percent, to close at $1.20 a gallon. Natural gas declined 7 cents, or 3.7 percent, to close at $1.79 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Among metals, gold fell $24.60, or 2 percent, to $1,224.40 an ounce. Silver slid 61 cents, or 3.9 percent, to $15.27 an ounce. Copper lost 5 cents, or 2.4 percent, to $2.24 a pound.

Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 1.87 percent from 1.94 percent late Tuesday. The euro fell slightly to $1.1183 from $1.1216, while the dollar rose to 112.39 yen from 112.33 yen.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 13.14 points or ▲ 0.08% on Thursday, March 24, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,515.73 ▲ 13.14 ▲ 0.08%
Nasdaq____ 4,773.50 ▲ 4.64 ▲ 0.10%
S&P_500___ 2,035.94 ▼ -0.77 ▼ -0.04%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.67 ▲ 0.02 ▲ 0.87%

NYSE Volume 3,407,041,500
Nasdaq Volume 1,564,057,120

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,106.48 ▼ -92.63 ▼ -1.49%
DAX_____ 9,851.35 ▼ -171.58 ▼ -1.71%
CAC_40__ 4,329.68 ▼ -94.30 ▼ -2.13%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,151.60 ▼ -52.70 ▼ -1.01%
Shanghai_Comp 2,960.97 ▼ -48.99 ▼ -1.63%
Taiwan_Weight 8,743.38 ▼ -22.71 ▼ -0.26%
Nikkei_225___ 16,892.33 ▼ -108.65 ▼ -0.64%
Hang_Seng.__ 20,345.61 ▼ -269.62 ▼ -1.31%
Strait_Times.__ 2,847.39 ▼ -34.59 ▼ -1.20%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,662.55 ▼ -6.32 ▼ -0.09%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/energy-stocks-lead-early-decline-134243388.html#

US stocks close narrowly mixed in quiet pre-holiday trading
Associated Press By Alex Veiga, AP Business Writer

The U.S. stock market capped a week of mostly light trading Thursday with its first weekly loss since mid-February.

A slide in banks and other financial services companies pulled the market broadly lower for much of the day. By late afternoon, the Dow Jones industrial average and the Nasdaq composite recaptured losses from earlier in the day. The Standard & Poor's 500 index, a broad measure of the stock market, stayed in the red. Oil prices fell.

Trading was relatively quiet ahead of the Easter holiday weekend. U.S. markets will be closed Friday for the Good Friday holiday.

"Volume is very light today, probably the lightest that we've had in a month," said Quincy Krosby, market strategist at Prudential Financial. "That can skew markets in either direction."

The Dow rose 13.14 points, or 0.1 percent, to 17,515.73. The S&P 500 index slipped 0.77 points, or 0.04 percent, to 2,035.94. The Nasdaq added 4.64 points, or 0.1 percent, to 4,773.50.

Coming into this week the stock market had mounted a five-week string of gains that helped reverse some of Wall Street's hefty losses from the market's stumbling start to 2016.

The market's rebound gained momentum last week, when the Federal Reserve announced that it would slow the pace of interest rate increases this year, citing worries about the global economy.

But this week, some Fed bank presidents made public comments that suggested the pace of rate hikes might not be slowed after all.

One Fed official, James Bullard, president of the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank, pointed to a broadly unchanged economic outlook and said a case could be made for a possible rate hike next month if the next round of jobs data exceed official targets.

The remarks drove up the value of the dollar against other major currencies, pushing down commodity prices.

It also helped point stocks lower from the get-go on Thursday, as investors fretted over the impact on U.S. exports.

"It makes the market nervous and it suggests that perhaps there's dissent at the Federal Reserve," Krosby said.
Dollar strength is whacking Europe, Asia, oil and … Play video
Dollar strength is whacking Europe, Asia, oil and gold: …

A government report indicating that orders to U.S. factories for long-lasting manufactured goods fell 2.8 percent in February didn't help.

Financial stocks took the biggest hit. The sector pared some of its early losses, but still ended the day down the most among the S&P 500 index's 10 sectors, 0.7 percent.

Prudential Financial lost $2.07, or 2.8 percent, to $70.76, while Morgan Stanley shed 34 cents, or 1.3 percent, to $24.93. Wells Fargo fell 86 cents, or 1.7 percent, to $48.90.

The decline in commodities also hurt some energy companies, including Williams Cos. The natural gas producer fell the most among stocks in the S&P 500 index, tumbling 91 cents, or 5.6 percent, to $15.35.

Several companies also moved on earnings news.

Sportsman's Warehouse sank 11.3 percent after the company released a disappointing forecast. The stock shed $1.56 to $12.23.

Others fared better.

Signet Jewelers rose 2.9 percent after the retailer posted solid quarterly results and its annual profit forecast was better than expected. The stock added $3.41 to $121.42.

KB Home also reported strong first-quarter results. The homebuilder gained 83 cents, or 6.3 percent, to $13.93. And PVH, owner of the Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger brands, rose $6.66, or 7.6 percent, to $94.29 after it reported better-than-anticipated quarterly profit and revenue.

Meanwhile, Office Depot and Staples vaulted on mounting optimism that a court will allow the office supply competitors to combine even though regulators oppose the deal. Office Depot gained 57 cents, or 9 percent, to $6.91. Staples climbed 71 cents, or 7 percent, to $10.76.

Stock markets in Europe posted sizable losses.

Germany's DAX dropped 1 percent, while France's CAC-40 fell 3 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 slid 1.3 percent. In Asia, Hong Kong's Hang Seng slid 1.3 percent. Sydney's S&P ASX 200 fell 1.1 percent, while Seoul's Kospi was off 0.5 percent. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 shed 0.6 percent.

After a period of sustained gains, oil prices closed lower again as concerns over excess supplies returned following the latest U.S. stockpiles data. Benchmark U.S. crude fell 33 cents, or 0.8 percent, to close at $39.46 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the benchmark for international oils, slipped 3 cents to $40.44 a barrel in London. Wholesale gasoline rose a penny to close at $1.47 a gallon. Heating oil slipped a penny to close at $1.20 a gallon. Natural gas added a penny to close at $1.81 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Gold fell $2.40 to $1,221.60 an ounce. Silver slid 7 cents to $15.20 an ounce. Copper lost a penny to $2.23 a pound.

Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.90 percent from 1.88 percent late Wednesday. The euro was down to $1.1177 from $1.1183, while the dollar rose to 112.81 yen from 112.39.

3913

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 19.66 points or ▲ 0.11% on Monday, March 28, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,535.39 ▲ 19.66 ▲ 0.11%
Nasdaq____ 4,766.79 ▼ -6.72 ▼ -0.14%
S&P_500___ 2,037.05 ▲ 1.11 ▲ 0.05%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.64 ▼ -0.03 ▼ -1.05%

NYSE Volume 2,797,744,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,319,041,120

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,106.48 ▼ -92.63 ▼ -1.49% Easter Monday Holiday
DAX_____ 9,851.35 ▼ -171.58 ▼ -1.71% Easter Monday Holiday
CAC_40__ 4,329.68 ▼ -94.30 ▼ -2.13% Easter Monday Holiday

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,151.60 ▼ -52.70 ▼ -1.01% Easter Monday Holiday
Shanghai_Comp 2,957.82 ▼ -21.61 ▼ -0.73%
Taiwan_Weight 8,690.45 ▼ -14.52 ▼ -0.17%
Nikkei_225___ 17,134.37 ▲ 131.62 ▲ 0.77%
Hang_Seng.__ 20,345.61 ▼ -269.62 ▼ -1.31% Easter Monday Holiday
Strait_Times.__ 2,830.29 ▼ -17.10 ▼ -0.60%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,662.55 ▼ -6.32 ▼ -0.09% Easter Monday Holiday

https://www.washingtonpost.com/busi...e1dda6-f4ac-11e5-958d-d038dac6e718_story.html

Stocks are mixed in quiet trading; consumer companies lead
By Marley Jay | AP March 28 at 4:52 PM

NEW YORK ”” Stocks got a little help from an international hotel deal and dueling superheroes Monday, but they could only wobble to a split finish in a quiet day of trading.

Hotel chains Starwood and Marriott climbed after a Chinese insurance company made another offer to buy Starwood. Media giant Time Warner rose after “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” had a super opening weekend.

Stocks flipped between small gains and losses for most of the day. Oil prices slipped and energy companies took modest losses. Mining and metals companies traded slightly higher.

Monday was the slowest trading day of 2016 for U.S. markets, and European exchanges were closed for the Easter holiday. Trading was closed in the U.S. Friday for the Good Friday holiday.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 19.66 points, or 0.1 percent, to 17,535.39. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index added 1.11 points to 2,037.05, ending a three-day losing streak.

The Nasdaq composite index lost 6.72 points, or 0.1 percent, to 4,766.79. Stocks have flagged over the last few days after a five-week rally.

The bidding for the Starwood chain may have reached an end as a group of investors led by China’s Anbang Insurance Group offered to buy the company for $15 billion. Marriott agreed to buy Starwood for $12.2 billion last year and recently raised that offer to $14.41 billion. Starwood stock added $1.62, or 2 percent, to $83.75. It’s up 19 percent in the last two weeks.

Marriott rose $2.70, or 3.9 percent, to $71.34. JMP Securities analyst Whitney Stevenson said investors expect Marriott to give up on its pursuit of Starwood.

“They were probably at the limit of what they wanted to pay,” she said. “Marriott stock is up today because the market is assuming they do not overpay and collect the $470-ish million they get from the breakup fee and walk away from this thing.”

If Anbang does buy Starwood, that will be good news for smaller hotel companies, Stevenson said. Starwood and Marriott would have been the largest hotel chain in the world, and she said they could have “crushed” smaller competitors.

Time Warner climbed after “Batman v Superman” had one of the best opening weekends ever despite negative reviews and some skepticism from fans. It grossed about $424 million worldwide, including $170 million in the U.S. That was a good sign for Time Warner’s planned series of movies based on DC Comics characters.

Time Warner rose $2.53, or 3.6 percent, to $72.54. Also making gains were Netflix, which rose $2.85, or 2.9 percent, to $101.21, and retailer Dollar Tree, which added $2.32, or 3 percent, to $80.84.

Those and other consumer stocks rose after the government said Friday that the U.S. economy grew at a faster pace in the fourth quarter. And on Monday, the Commerce Department said consumer spending continued to grow in February, although for the third straight month, it rose by only a small amount.

Consumers have saved a lot of money as gas and heating prices have plunged, said Michael Scanlon, managing director and portfolio manager for John Hancock Asset Management. But he said people aren’t sure that prices will stay low, so they haven’t ramped up their spending. That has surprised experts.

“The fact that spending is growing in line with wages is showing how much more responsible the U.S. consumer is today,” he said. But Scanlon thinks consumers will start spending more soon.

On Friday the government said the economy grew 1.4 percent in the fourth quarter, above its previous estimate of 1 percent. Consumer spending and home construction kept the economy growing.

Benchmark U.S. crude fell seven cents to $39.39 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, lost 17 cents to $40.27 a barrel in London. That weighed on energy companies. Hess lost $1.26, or 2.4 percent, to $50.84 and Devon Energy fell 63 cents, or 2.4 percent, to $25.84.

Noble Energy slumped after Israel’s Supreme Court struck down a deal that would have given Noble and other companies the right to start pumping natural gas from offshore deposits. The stock shed $2.65, or 8.2 percent, to $29.69.

Cosmetics giant Avon Products said it reached a deal with activist investors, including Barington Capital, that headed off a possible proxy fight. Avon stock rose 36 cents, or 8.4 percent, to $4.64.

Pandora Media skidded after the streaming music company announced a management shakeup. Co-founder Tim Westergren will replace Brian McAndrews as CEO. The stock tumbled $1.33, or 12.2 percent, to $9.60.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline was little changed at $1.47 a gallon. Heating oil fell 2 cents to $1.18 a gallon. Natural gas rose 4 cents, or 2.3 percent, to $1.85 per 1,000 cubic feet.

The price of gold fell $1.50 to $1,220.10 an ounce. Silver lost 1 cent to $15.19 an ounce. Copper rose 2 cents to $2.25 a pound.

Asian stocks were mostly lower. Seoul’s Kospi edged down 0.1 percent. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 gained 0.8 percent.

Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note dipped to 1.88 percent from 1.91 percent. The euro inched up to $1.1200 from $1.1177 late Thursday. The dollar rose to 113.28 yen from 112.81 yen.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 97.72 points or ▲ 0.56% on Tuesday, March 29, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,633.11 ▲ 97.72 ▲ 0.56%
Nasdaq____ 4,846.62 ▲ 79.84 ▲ 1.67%
S&P_500___ 2,055.01 ▲ 17.96 ▲ 0.88%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.61 ▼ -0.03 ▼ -1.25%

NYSE Volume 3,820,168,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,718,133,500

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,105.90 ▼ -0.58 ▼ -0.01%
DAX_____ 9,887.94 ▲ 36.59 ▲ 0.37%
CAC_40__ 4,366.67 ▲ 36.99 ▲ 0.85%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,076.20 ▼ -75.40 ▼ -1.46%
Shanghai_Comp 2,919.83 ▼ -37.99 ▼ -1.28%
Taiwan_Weight 8,617.35 ▼ -73.10 ▼ -0.84%
Nikkei_225___ 17,103.53 ▼ -30.84 ▼ -0.18%
Hang_Seng.__ 20,366.30 ▲ 20.69 ▲ 0.10%
Strait_Times.__ 2,819.08 ▼ -11.21 ▼ -0.40%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,676.33 ▲ 13.78 ▲ 0.21%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-open-lower-dragged-134547079.html#

Reassurances from Fed on interest rates send stocks higher
Associated Press By MARLEY JAY

NEW YORK, N.Y. - Stocks closed at their highest level of the year Tuesday as investors welcomed the latest signal from the Federal Reserve that it will move slowly to raise interest rates. Big names including Apple and Microsoft led technology stocks higher as the market made its biggest gain in two weeks.

Stocks rose after Yellen confirmed that the Fed isn't in a hurry to raise interest rates. The Fed made similar points just two weeks ago, but since then, some members of the Fed's decision making committee had said they thought it was time for rates to go higher. Yellen's remarks boosted all corners of the market, and the price of gold rose along with stocks. Bond prices also rose and yields sank.

"A little bit of self-doubt started to enter the trading public's mind," said Sam Stovall, U.S. equity strategist for S&P Capital IQ. "She reassured investors."

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 97.72 points, or 0.6 per cent, to 17,633.11. The Standard & Poor's 500 index gained 17.96 points, or 0.9 per cent, to 2,055.01 Aided by the gains in tech stocks and in small cap stocks, the Nasdaq composite index climbed 79.84 points, or 1.7 per cent, to 4,846.62.

Stocks were trading slightly lower before Yellen's remarks, but they moved higher after the text of her comments was released. The price of gold climbed while bond yields fell and the dollar weakened. The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note slid to 1.80 per cent from 1.89 per cent. The euro rose to $1.1295 from $1.1200. The dollar slipped to 112.75 yen from 113.28 yen. Gold rose $15.70, or 1.3 per cent, to $1,235.80 an ounce.

Apple climbed $2.51, or 2.4 per cent, to $107.70 after the FBI dropped its legal efforts to force Apple to break into the iPhone used by Syed Farook, who along with his wife killed 14 people in San Bernadino, California, in December. The FBI said it was able to hack into the phone, and asked a court to vacate an order forcing Apple to help. Apple had been fighting the government's efforts and said it will continue trying to make its products more secure.

Microsoft added $1.17, or 2.2 per cent, to $54.71. Information technology company SAIC advanced $5.33, or 11.5 per cent, to $51.88 after its fourth-quarter profit was far larger than analysts expected.

Utility and telecommunications stocks, which pay hefty dividends similar to bonds, also traded higher.

Financial stocks made only small gains and lagged the market. They are able to charge more money on lending when interest rates are higher, so the Fed's low-rate policy has hurt the sector. So has the weakening price of oil, because investors are worried that loans to energy companies won't be repaid.

Bank of America fell 20 cents, or 1.5 per cent, to $13.42 and Wells Fargo lost 65 cents, or 1.3 per cent, to $48.05.

In her remarks to the Economic Club of New York, Yellen said the Fed expects to move slowly because the U.S. economy and financial conditions have weakened over the last few months, and global pressures could harm the U.S. economy. Those concerns include the possibility of a broad economic slump, lower oil prices, and the shaky stock market.

The Fed cited similar reasons earlier this month, when it said it expected to raise rates twice this year, not four times.

Benchmark U.S. crude dropped $1.11, or 2.8 per cent, to $38.28 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, lost $1.13, or 2.8 per cent, to $39.14 a barrel in London.

Home building companies rose after Lennar reported strong quarterly results, selling more homes at higher prices. Its stock gained $1.48, or 3.2 per cent, to $48.18. Competitor D.R. Horton rose 90 cents, or 3 per cent, to $30.72 and PulteGroup added 39 cents, or 2.2 per cent, to $18.51.

Drugmaker Medivation fell after a group of legislators took aim at the company over the price of its prostate cancer treatment Xtandi. They urged federal agencies to cut the price of Xtandi and asked for public hearings. Xtandi is Medivation's only approved drug, and its average list price is about $129,000 a year. Sales topped $1 billion last year. Medivation stock shed $2.50, or 6.1 per cent, to $38.75.

Retailer Conn's skidded $3.84, or 24.5 per cent, to $11.81 after its quarterly profit came up short of estimates and its 2016 forecasts disappointed investors.

In other commodities trading, heating oil fell two cents to $1.16 a gallon. Natural gas rose 3 per cent to $1.90 per 1,000 cubic feet. Silver picked up 4 cents to $15.23 an ounce. Copper prices slumped 3 cents, or 1.4 per cent, to $2.21 a pound.

Overseas markets were mixed. France's CAC 40 added 0.9 per cent and Germany's DAX picked up 0.4 per cent. The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was little changed. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 lost 0.2 per cent and South Korea's Kospi added 0.6 per cent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.1 per cent.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 83.55 points or ▲ 0.47% on Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,716.66 ▲ 83.55 ▲ 0.47%
Nasdaq____ 4,869.29 ▲ 22.67 ▲ 0.47%
S&P_500___ 2,063.95 ▲ 8.94 ▲ 0.44%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.66 ▲ 0.05 ▲ 1.76%

NYSE Volume 3,588,700,500
Nasdaq Volume 1,629,511,000

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,203.17 ▲ 97.27 ▲ 1.59%
DAX_____ 10,046.61 ▲ 158.67 ▲ 1.60%
CAC_40__ 4,444.42 ▲ 77.75 ▲ 1.78%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,081.50 ▲ 5.30 ▲ 0.10%
Shanghai_Comp 3,000.65 ▲ 80.81 ▲ 2.77%
Taiwan_Weight 8,737.04 ▲ 119.69 ▲ 1.39%
Nikkei_225___ 16,878.96 ▼ -224.57 ▼ -1.31%
Hang_Seng.__ 20,803.39 ▲ 437.09 ▲ 2.15%
Strait_Times.__ 2,872.78 ▲ 53.70 ▲ 1.90%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,714.16 ▲ 37.83 ▲ 0.57%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-open-higher-building-134401453.html#

Another gain for US stocks, led by banks and tech companies
Associated Press By Marley Jay, AP Markets Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- U.S. stocks rose Wednesday as technology companies traded higher for the second day in a row and consumer companies gained steam as cruise lines rose. The beleaguered financial sector recovered some of its losses from earlier this year.

Stocks started the day sharply higher, following a jump in European markets, although they returned some of those gains as the day wore on. Oil prices followed the same pattern and finished a few cents higher. Cruise lines rose after Carnival posted strong first-quarter results, and the dollar weakened further. Stocks are up about 7 percent this month, part of a rally that has canceled out their losses from a disastrous start to the year.

"The Fed really cured a lot of global ills" by deciding to go slower in raising interest rates, said John Cannally, chief economic strategist for LPL Financial. The Federal Reserve announced that decision two weeks ago, and Fed Chair Janet Yellen emphasized it again in a speech Tuesday.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 83.55 points, or 0.5 percent, to 17,716.66. The Standard & Poor's 500 index gained 8.94 points, or 0.4 percent, to 2,063.95. The Nasdaq composite index added 22.67 points, or 0.5 percent, to 4,869.29.

Banks and insurance companies made the biggest gains. MetLife gained $2.27, or 5.3 percent, to $44.73 after the company successfully challenged its "too big to fail" designation. The Financial Stability Oversight Council had said MetLife needed greater government oversight because of its size and importance to the financial system, but the company took the council to court over that ruling. On Wednesday a judge ruled in its favor.

Fellow insurer AIG advanced $1.13, or 2.1 percent, to $54.52 and Prudential rose $1.43, or 2 percent, to $72.95. Banks also traded higher.

Apple led the gains among technology companies. Its stock rose $1.88, or 1.7 percent, to $109.56. The world's largest publicly traded company is at its highest price since mid-December. Visa gained $1.40, or 1.9 percent, to $76.78.

After two weeks of mixed trading, stocks started moving higher late Tuesday, when Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said the central bank expects to proceed slowly in raising interest rates. The market is now on pace for its best month since October, and the Dow and S&P 500 are higher for the year. In February they were each down 10 percent.

"You really had a year's worth of volatility in one quarter and we're back where we started," said Cannally. Companies will start reporting their first-quarter earnings in two weeks, and Cannally said that may determine what the market does next.

Cruise line operator Carnival got a boost after its first-quarter results were better than analysts expected, and the company raised its profit projections for the year. The stock gained $2.73, or 5.5 percent, to $52.37 and competitor Royal Caribbean Cruises jumped $4.30, or 5.7 percent, to $80.35.

Railroad operator Norfolk Southern added $1.95, or 2.4 percent, to $84.75 after it said it is open to a possible sale to Canadian Pacific, but only if Canadian Pacific offers a better price and regulators approve the structure of the deal. Norfolk Southern has rejected three offers from Canadian Pacific worth about $30 billion. Rival CSX picked up 41 cents, or 1.6 percent, to $26.30.

U.S. companies added 200,000 jobs in March, according to a survey of private employers by ADP, a payroll processing company. The survey showed companies in construction, retail and shipping continued to bring on new workers, and it suggests hiring continues in the U.S. The federal government will release its monthly jobs report Friday.

Canadian yoga-wear company Lululemon gained $6.56, or 10.7 percent, to $67.80 after it disclosed strong fourth-quarter sales.

Acadia Pharmaceuticals rose after a Food and Drug Administration panel made a positive recommendation for Acadia's drug Nuplazid, which is intended to treat psychotic delusions and behaviors that harm patients with Parkinson's disease. The stock climbed $2.20, or 9.2 percent, to $26.01.

Payroll processor Paychex lost $1.20, or 2.2 percent, to $53.29 as investors were unimpressed with its fiscal third-quarter results. The stock has climbed over the last two months and is near all-time highs.

U.S. crude rose four cents to $38.32 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the benchmark for international oil prices, rose 12 cents to $39.26 a barrel in London.

The dollar continued to weaken. The euro rose to $1.1333 from $1.1295 and the dollar fell to 112.47 yen from 112.75 yen. Bond prices slipped, returning some of Tuesday's gains. The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note rose to 1.83 percent from 1.80 percent.

France's CAC-40 climbed 1.8 percent, while Germany's DAX and the FTSE 100 in Britain each rose 1.6 percent. Asian stocks were mixed after the Asian Development Bank said economies in the region will grow at a slower pace in 2016 and 2017 because of reduced growth in China and a weak recovery in other major industrial economies. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 lost 1.3 percent as the yen continued to strengthen. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index climbed 2.1 percent. South Korea's KOSPI rose 0.4 percent.

Gold fell $8.90 to $1,226.90 an ounce. Silver slipped two cents to $15.21 an ounce, while copper fell two cents to $2.19 a pound.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline fell 2 cent to $1.44 a gallon. Heating oil was little changed at $1.16 a gallon. Natural gas climbed 2 cents to $2 per 1,000 cubic feet.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -31.57 points or ▼ -0.18% on Thursday, March 31, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,685.09 ▼ -31.57 ▼ -0.18%
Nasdaq____ 4,869.85 ▲ 0.55 ▲ 0.01%
S&P_500___ 2,059.74 ▼ -4.21 ▼ -0.20%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.62 ▼ -0.04 ▼ -1.39%

NYSE Volume 3,714,051,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,692,812,620

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,174.90 ▼ -28.27 ▼ -0.46%
DAX_____ 9,965.51 ▼ -81.10 ▼ -0.81%
CAC_40__ 4,385.06 ▼ -59.36 ▼ -1.34%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,151.80 ▲ 70.30 ▲ 1.38%
Shanghai_Comp 3,003.92 ▲ 3.27 ▲ 0.11%
Taiwan_Weight 8,744.83 ▲ 7.79 ▲ 0.09%
Nikkei_225___ 16,758.67 ▼ -120.29 ▼ -0.71%
Hang_Seng.__ 20,776.70 ▼ -26.69 ▼ -0.13%
Strait_Times.__ 2,840.90 ▼ -31.88 ▼ -1.11%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,752.42 ▲ 38.26 ▲ 0.57%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/tranquil-start-last-trading-day-142059873.html#

Stocks slip, ending a turbulent quarter on a quiet note
Associated Press By MARLEY JAY

NEW YORK (AP) ”” Stocks closed mostly lower on Thursday, with chemicals and agricultural companies taking the largest losses. The price of gold continued its long surge. Trading was quiet on the final day of a stormy first quarter that produced surprising gains.

Indexes were little changed for most of the day, then gradually slid from small gains to small losses in the afternoon. A shaky industry outlook hurt agriculture, fertilizer and farm equipment companies.

Gold prices inched higher to complete their biggest quarterly gain in almost 30 years. The Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor's 500 index, both of which were down more than 10 percent last month, finished the quarter higher.

At the start of this year, investors seemed eager to turn the page on 2015. But the market plunged as investors feared for the health of the global economy. Tobias Levkovich, chief U.S. Equity Strategist for Citi Investment Research, said investors bought traditionally defensive stocks as the market fell, including health care companies and companies that make consumer goods. Then stocks rallied, and many of those companies suffered while energy companies and others recovered.

"If you're an institutional investor you probably got way too defensive in January, you suffered on the way down and you've suffered on the way up," he said. "The market may have recovered, but a lot of people haven't, in their portfolios."

The Dow fell 31.57 points, or 0.2 percent, to 17,685.09. The S&P 500 shed 4.21 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,059.74 The Nasdaq composite index rose 0.55 points to 4,869.85.

Agricultural companies slumped following disappointing quarterly results and a shaky outlook from irrigation company Lindsay. Agricultural giant Monsanto lost $3.35, or 3.7 percent, to $87.74. Fertilizer maker Mosaic fell $1.12, or 4 percent, to $27. Equipment maker Deere shed $3.13, or 3.9 percent, to $76.99.

The price of gold rose $7.30, or 0.6 percent, to $1,234.20 an ounce. In the first quarter gold rose 16 percent, its largest gain in any quarter since 1986, going higher because of concerns about the health of the global economy, central bank policies, and, more recently, because the U.S. dollar has started to weaken after years of gains. Gold had fallen for six quarters in a row.

The price of silver rose 25 cents, or 1.7 percent, to $15.46 an ounce. Copper lost 1 cent to $2.18 a pound.

Stocks tumbled in January and early February on concerns that weak growth in several major global economies would pull the U.S. economy into recession. In early February, the Dow average and the S&P 500 index were down more than 10 percent from the start of the year. Stocks roared back in March as investors were encouraged by positive economic news in the U.S. and central bank moves around the world to stimulate economic growth.

The Dow finished the quarter up 1.5 percent and the S&P 500 made a 0.8 percent gain. The Nasdaq lost 2.8 percent.

IBM rose $3.04, or 2 percent, to $151.45 after the company said it will expand its business services division by buying Bluewolf Group, which provides cloud consulting and implementation services. IBM didn't disclose terms. Over the last few months IBM agreed to buy Truven Health Analytics to strengthen the health care capabilities of its Watson cognitive computing system, and it bought the data, technology and websites of the Weather Company, which owns the Weather Channel.

Benchmark U.S. crude rose 2 cents to $38.34 per barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, added 34 cents, or 0.9 percent, to $39.60 a barrel in London.

Electric car maker Tesla rose $2.88, or 1.3 percent, to $229.77. On Thursday the company unveiled its lower-priced Model 3 car. It costs less than half as much as Tesla's earlier cars, and is expected to have about twice as much range as other electric cars that are in a similar price category.

Watchmaker Movado lost $2.81, or 9.3 percent, to $27.53 after its profit and sales forecasts for 2016 fell short of analyst estimates.

The federal government said more Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week, but the number of applications remains very low, a sign that hiring is solid. About 276,000 people filed for those benefits, up 11,000 from the week before. The government will release March employment data on Friday.

With the first quarter over, companies will start reporting their results on April 11. Analysts expect earnings for the companies on the S&P 500 to fall more than 7 percent, according to S&P Capital IQ. The main reason is the energy sector, which is expected to post broad losses because the price of oil has plunged.

Earnings also fell in the last two quarters, but are expected to improve later this year and finish a little higher in 2016. That would be the second straight year of very slow earnings growth.

Bond prices continued to rise. The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note dipped to 1.77 percent from 1.83 percent. The dollar inched up to 112.53 yen from 112.47 yen. The euro rose to $1.1387 from $1.1333.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline dipped 1 cent to $1.43 a gallon. Heating oil rose two cents, or 2 percent, to $1.18 a gallon. Natural gas fell 4 cents, or 1.9 percent, to $1.96 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Stocks in Europe retreated after Wednesday's surge. France's CAC-40 fell 1.3 percent and Germany's DAX declined 0.8 percent. In London the FTSE 100 index was off 0.5 percent. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 fell 0.7 percent and the Hang Seng in Hong Kong retreated 0.1 percent.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 107.66 points or ▲ 0.61% on Friday, April 1, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,792.75 ▲ 107.66 ▲ 0.61%
Nasdaq____ 4,914.54 ▲ 44.69 ▲ 0.92%
S&P_500___ 2,072.78 ▲ 13.04 ▲ 0.63%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.62 ▲ 0.00 ▲ 0.00%

NYSE Volume 3,749,428,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,713,044,620

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,146.05 ▼ -28.85 ▼ -0.47%
DAX_____ 9,794.64 ▼ -170.87 ▼ -1.71%
CAC_40__ 4,322.24 ▼ -62.82 ▼ -1.43%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,073.80 ▼ -78.00 ▼ -1.51%
Shanghai_Comp 3,009.53 ▲ 5.61 ▲ 0.19%
Taiwan_Weight 8,657.55 ▼ -87.28 ▼ -1.00%
Nikkei_225___ 16,164.16 ▼ -594.51 ▼ -3.55%
Hang_Seng.__ 20,498.92 ▼ -277.78 ▼ -1.34%
Strait_Times.__ 2,818.49 ▼ -22.41 ▼ -0.79%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,708.02 ▼ -44.40 ▼ -0.66%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-edge-mostly-lower-142412339.html#

US stocks jump after solid March jobs report
Associated Press By MARLEY JAY

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks climbed Friday after the government said job growth continued at a strong clip in March. Makers of consumer goods and household products rose, and health care companies rebounded. The solid employment report helped U.S. stocks stay out of a steep global decline.

Early in the day stocks tumbled along with the prices of oil and precious metals, but they recovered in the afternoon and finished at their highest levels of the day. The Labor Department's monthly jobs report showed that employers added 215,000 jobs last month, a sign the economy isn't slowing down. Energy companies took big losses. Hotel companies and airlines both tumbled.

The jobs report was a bit stronger than investors expected but was consistent with hiring over the last few years. That shows employers are confident enough to add staff even though overall economic growth has slowed down. More people also looked for work and wages edged higher.

Kate Warne, investment strategist for Edward Jones, said the report shows the U.S. economy is staying on track and growth remains steady in spite of all the stock market turmoil this year.

"That means more spending on everything from housing to McDonald's," she said. "It's one more confirmation that the worries from earlier in the year really weren't warranted."

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 107.66 points, or 0.6 percent, to 17,792.75. The Standard & Poor's 500 index added 13.04 points, or 0.6 percent, to 2,072.78. The Nasdaq composite index gained 44.69 points, or 0.9 percent, to 4,914.54. Stocks haven't made many sharp moves in recent weeks, but have drifted gradually higher.

Consumer companies rose. Procter & Gamble, which makes Pampers diapers, Tide detergent and Olay beauty products, gained $1.22, or 1.5 percent, to $83.53. Drugstore chain Walgreens rose $2.46, or 2.9 percent, to $86.70. Mondelez, the maker of Oreo cookies and Trident gum, added $1.12, or 2.8 percent, to $41.24.

Energy prices dropped as investors became more pessimistic about the fate of a proposed deal for major oil-producing nations to reduce production. That would help address a gigantic glut in global supplies, which has hurt prices. U.S. crude fell $1.55, or 4 percent, to $36.79 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the benchmark for pricing international oils, gave up $1.66, or 4.1 percent, to $38.67 a barrel in London.

Marathon Oil retreated 70 cents, or 6.3 percent, to $10.44 and Diamond Offshore Drilling lost 76 cents, or 3.5 percent, to $20.97.

In an abrupt reversal, a consortium led by Anbang Insurance Group ended its effort to buy Starwood Hotels & Resorts. The group had offered to buy Starwood for $15 billion, which surpassed a $14 billion offer from the competing Marriott chain. The consortium said it withdrew its offer because of market conditions. Starwood had accepted a $14 billion offer from Marriott but said Monday that Anbang's bid was probably better.

Starwood fell $4.05, or 4.9 percent, to $79.38 and Marriott lost $4.04, or 5.7 percent, to $67.14. Starwood and Marriott would become the biggest hotel chain in the world, and competing hotel companies also fell. Hilton shed 51 cents, or 2.3 percent, to $22.01.

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals made its biggest gain in four years after an eczema drug it is developing with Sanofi met its goals in a late-stage clinical trial. The stock surged $44.81, or 12.4 percent, to $405.25, leading a recovery in drugmaking stocks. Biotechnology companies including Amgen and Gilead Sciences also traded higher.

Tesla Motors gained $7.82, or 3.4 percent, to $237.59 after the electric car company said it received a flood of orders for Model 3, the new, lower-priced vehicle it announced on Thursday. On Twitter, CEO Elon Musk said the company has booked 198,000 orders.

Other automakers fell even though most companies reported strong monthly sales. People keep buying cars and trucks in big numbers, but discounts are jumping. So are sales to rental car companies, which bring in smaller profits. Ford lost 40 cents, or 3 percent, to $13.10 and General Motors declined 96 cents, or 3.1 percent, to $30.47.

Airlines fell after an analyst warned that companies may slash their business travel. Michael Linenberg of Deutsche Bank said U.S. corporate profits are getting squeezed, and he downgraded Delta, United Continental, American Airlines and Hawaiian. United Continental dipped $3.14, or 5.2 percent, to $56.72 and Delta fell $1.67, or 3.4 percent, to $47.01. American sank $1.49, or 3.6 percent, to $39.52.

Gold fell $12.10, or 1 percent, to $1,223.50 an ounce. Silver dropped 42 cents, or 2.7 percent, to $15.05 an ounce. Copper lost two cents to $2.16 a pound.

Retailer Urban Outfitters disclosed strong sales at its older stores, and the stock added $1.20, or 3.6 percent, to $34.29. Urban Outfitters is the best-performing stock on the S&P 500 index this year, as its value has climbed 51 percent.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline fell 5 cents, or 3 percent, to $1.40 a gallon. Heating oil slid 5 cents, or 4.5 percent, to $1.13 a gallon. Natural gas was little changed at $1.96 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Stocks overseas tumbled. Germany's DAX lost 1.7 percent and the CAC-40 in France tumbled 1.4 percent, and in Britain, the FTSE 100 lost 0.5 percent. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 sank 3.6 percent, while South Korea's Kospi fell 1.1 percent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index declined 1.3 percent. Asian markets were hit by weak economic reports from Japan. The nations' big exporters have been hit by a double whammy of a slowing Chinese economy and a rising yen.

Bond prices didn't move much. The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note held steady at 1.77 percent. The dollar fell to 111.73 yen from 112.53 yen, while the euro rose to $1.1392 from $1.1387.

4590

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -55.75 points or ▼ -0.31% on Monday, April 4, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,737.00 ▼ -55.75 ▼ -0.31%
Nasdaq____ 4,891.80 ▼ -22.75 ▼ -0.46%
S&P_500___ 2,066.13 ▼ -6.65 ▼ -0.32%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.61 ▼ -0.01 ▼ -0.34%

NYSE Volume 3,467,860,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,626,008,880

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,164.72 ▲ 18.67 ▲ 0.30%
DAX_____ 9,822.08 ▲ 27.44 ▲ 0.28%
CAC_40__ 4,345.22 ▲ 22.98 ▲ 0.53%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,070.10 ▼ -3.70 ▼ -0.07%
Shanghai_Comp 3,009.53 ▲ 5.61 ▲ 0.19%
Taiwan_Weight 8,657.55 ▼ -87.28 ▼ -1.00%
Nikkei_225___ 16,123.27 ▼ -40.89 ▼ -0.25%
Hang_Seng.__ 20,498.92 ▼ -277.78 ▼ -1.34%
Strait_Times.__ 2,836.20 ▲ 17.71 ▲ 0.63%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,743.60 ▲ 35.58 ▲ 0.53%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stock-indexes-narrowly-mixed-141225894.html

US stocks end slightly lower in quiet trading
Associated Press By KEN SWEET

NEW YORK (AP) ”” U.S. stocks fell slightly in quiet trading Monday as investors worked through several company announcements and prepared for the start of company earnings releases.

Health care companies were solidly higher. Global markets rose modestly.

The Dow Jones industrial average lost 55.75 points, or 0.3 percent, to 17,737. The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 6.65 points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,066.13 and the Nasdaq composite lost 22.75 points, or 0.5 percent, to 4,891.80.

While stocks have recovered most their losses from earlier in the year, investors remain somewhat pessimistic about the market in the near term, especially ahead of the quarterly earnings reporting season, which unofficially beings next week with results from aluminum mining company Alcoa.

Profits of companies in the S&P 500 are expected to drop 8.5 percent from a year ago, according to data from FactSet, with most of that decline coming from the oil and gas sector.

This is despite the continually positive economic reports out of the U.S., including last week's jobs numbers and manufacturing data.

"While the economic fundamentals are good, investor sentiment is still quite negative," said Samantha Azzarello, a global market strategist at J.P. Morgan Funds.

The low expectations for company earnings mean that stock values remain relatively high. Investors are paying roughly $18.63 for every dollar of earnings in the S&P 500, well above the $14 to $15 they typically pay.

"You're going to need a big improvement in companies' results for stocks to move higher," said Kristina Hooper, head of U.S. investment strategies at Allianz Global Investors.

Stocks were not as impacted by a noticeable drop in oil prices on Monday, continuing a trend that started last week. Benchmark U.S. crude fell $1.09, or 3 percent, $35.70 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, used to price international oils, lost 98 cents to $37.69 a barrel in London.

Weeks earlier, a sharp drop in oil prices could have reverberated far more greatly on the stock market. Azzarello says the breakdown in oil's influence on stocks could ultimately be a good thing.

"The market just had to work itself out," Azzarello said.

In individual company news, Virgin America jumped $16.20, or 42 percent, to $55.11 after the company agreed to be bought by Alaska Air Group. Shares of Alaska Air fell $3.09, or 4 percent, to $78.92. JetBlue, which had bid for Virgin as well, fell 92 cents, or 4.3 percent, to $20.41.

Tesla Motors rose $9.40, or 4 percent, to $246.99 after the company announced it had received 276,000 preorders for its highly anticipated Model 3, which is to be unveiled on Thursday.

Bond prices rose slightly. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 1.76 percent from 1.77 percent. The euro was mostly unchanged at $1.1397 while the dollar fell to 111.26 yen from 111.73 yen.

In other energy markets, heating oil fell 4 cents to $1.089 a gallon, wholesale gasoline futures fell 2 cents to $1.377 a gallon and natural gas rose 4 cents to $1.998 per thousand cubic feet.

In the metals markets, gold fell $4.20 to $1,219.30 an ounce, silver fell 10 cents to $14.94 an ounce and copper fell 2 cents to $2.14 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -133.68 points or ▼ -0.75% on Tuesday, April 5, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,603.32 ▼ -133.68 ▼ -0.75%
Nasdaq____ 4,843.93 ▼ -47.86 ▼ -0.98%
S&P_500___ 2,045.17 ▼ -20.96 ▼ -1.01%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.55 ▼ -0.06 ▼ -2.37%

NYSE Volume 4,155,850,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,653,990,750

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,091.23 ▼ -73.49 ▼ -1.19%
DAX_____ 9,563.36 ▼ -258.72 ▼ -2.63%
CAC_40__ 4,250.28 ▼ -94.94 ▼ -2.18%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,000.40 ▼ -69.70 ▼ -1.37%
Shanghai_Comp 3,053.07 ▲ 43.54 ▲ 1.45%
Taiwan_Weight 8,657.55 ▼ -87.28 ▼ -1.00%
Nikkei_225___ 15,732.82 ▼ -390.45 ▼ -2.42%
Hang_Seng.__ 20,177.00 ▼ -321.92 ▼ -1.57%
Strait_Times.__ 2,800.92 ▼ -34.43 ▼ -1.21%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,715.81 ▼ -27.79 ▼ -0.41%

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/stocks-open-lower-us-disney-slumps-exec-leaves-38162033

Stocks End Lower in US; Disney Slumps After Exec Leaves
By ken sweet, ap business writer
NEW YORK ”” Apr 5, 2016,

U.S. stocks fell for a second day on Tuesday, as the head of the International Monetary Fund sounded downbeat on the outlook for the world economy.

Disney fell after the company's expected successor to CEO Bob Iger announced he was leaving the company. Allergan plunged after the Treasury Department announced tax rules that would make its merger with Pfizer more difficult.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 133.68 points, or 0.8 percent, to 17,603.32. The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 20.96 points, or 1 percent, to 2,045.17 and the Nasdaq composite fell 47.86 points, or 1 percent, to 4,843.93.

Stocks opened lower and remained down all day. Investors moved into traditional areas of safety, including gold and U.S. government bonds. The market is coming off a multi-week rally that erased nearly all of its losses from earlier in the year.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 1.72 percent from 1.76 percent. Gold rose $10.30 to $1,229.60 an ounce.

After last month's big rally, investors are waiting to see how quarterly results from companies come in. Earnings season starts next week with Alcoa, the aluminum company, as well as the big banks like JPMorgan Chase.

"The market has been expected this quarter's earnings to be lousy so if earnings come in better than expected, it might provide some support to the market," said Scott Wren, senior global equity strategist at the Wells Fargo Investment Institute.

Christine Lagarde, the head of the IMF, warned in a speech that "the recovery remains too slow, too fragile." She said the world economy isn't in a crisis but that slow growth risks becoming ingrained as a "new mediocre." She noted the outlook for the next six months has weakened, suggesting the IMF may be revising its forecasts lower.

Lagarde's comments helped cause European and Asian markets to close broadly lower. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index lost 2.4 percent, hit hard by a rise in the yen. South Korea's Kospi fell 0.8 percent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng sank 1.6 percent. In Europe, Germany's DAX fell 2.6 percent, France's CAC-40 fell 2.2 percent and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 fell 1.2 percent.

Among individual companies, Allergan fell $41, or 15 percent, to $236.55. The U.S. Treasury Department announced new tax rules to discourage what are known as corporate inversions, which is when a U.S. company mergers with a foreign company for tax purposes. Allergan was currently in the process of doing an inversion with U.S. drug giant Pfizer. Shares of Pfizer rose 64 cents, or 2.1 percent, to $31.36.

Disney fell $1.68, or 1.7 percent, to $97. The media giant said late Monday that Tom Staggs, the heir apparent to the company's current CEO, would depart. Iger said he plans to retire in 2018.

Benchmark U.S. crude edged up 19 cents to close at $35.89 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, used to price international oils, rose 18 cents to close at $37.87 a barrel in London.

The euro inched down to $1.1385 from $1.1397, while the dollar fell to 110.49 yen from 111.26 yen.

In other energy commodities, heating oil fell 1 cent to $1.075 a gallon, wholesale gasoline was unchanged at $1.378 a gallon and natural gas fell 4 cents to $1.954 per thousand cubic feet.

In other metals trading, silver rose 17 cents to $15.12 an ounce and copper fell less than 1 cent to $2.138 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 112.73 points or ▲ 0.64% on Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,716.05 ▲ 112.73 ▲ 0.64%
Nasdaq____ 4,920.72 ▲ 76.78 ▲ 1.59%
S&P_500___ 2,066.66 ▲ 21.49 ▲ 1.05%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.58 ▲ 0.03 ▲ 1.33%

NYSE Volume 3,722,657,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,688,386,000

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,161.63 ▲ 70.40 ▲ 1.16%
DAX_____ 9,624.51 ▲ 61.15 ▲ 0.64%
CAC_40__ 4,284.64 ▲ 34.36 ▲ 0.81%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,024.60 ▲ 24.20 ▲ 0.48%
Shanghai_Comp 3,050.59 ▼ -2.47 ▼ -0.08%
Taiwan_Weight 8,513.30 ▼ -144.25 ▼ -1.67%
Nikkei_225___ 15,715.36 ▼ -17.46 ▼ -0.11%
Hang_Seng.__ 20,206.67 ▲ 29.67 ▲ 0.15%
Strait_Times.__ 2,811.25 ▲ 10.33 ▲ 0.37%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,734.27 ▲ 18.46 ▲ 0.27%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-edge-mostly-higher-141440669.html

US stocks rise as health care and energy companies soar
Associated Press By MARLEY JAY

NEW YORK (AP) ”” U.S. stocks broke a two-day losing streak Wednesday as investors bought up drugmakers and other health care companies. Energy companies also jumped as the price of oil surged.

Biotech drug companies, which have been mired in a long slide, made their biggest gains in almost five years. That came after Pfizer, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, gave up on a plan to buy Botox maker Allergan for $160 billion and investors wondered if it will look elsewhere.

The gains were only enough to wipe out most of the market's losses from a day earlier. Stocks wavered in recent weeks as investors wait for quarterly earnings to start pouring in, and many are bracing for another shaky quarter.

Jack Ablin, chief investment officer of BMO Private Bank, said it's going to be another weak earnings period, and the only way stocks will trade much higher is if companies are able to give optimistic projections for the rest of the year.

"Without an improvement in earnings or a projection of earnings growth, our outlook is kind of tapped out," he said.

The Dow Jones industrial average gained 112.73 points, or 0.6 percent, to 17,716.05. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 21.49 points, or 1.1 percent, to 2,066.66. The Nasdaq composite index picked up 76.78 points, or 1.6 percent, to 4,902.72.

Pfizer and Allergan confirmed Wednesday that they are walking away from their proposed merger after the U.S. Treasury Department announced new rules that made the deal, and others like it, far less appealing. Pfizer rose $1.57, or 5 percent, to $32.93, its biggest gain since 2011.

Pfizer was ready to make one of the largest corporate deals in history for Allergan as it tried to boost its sales and cut its tax bill. Biotechnology companies, which make complex and costly drugs, climbed higher. Celgene, which makes treatments for cancer, gained $6.10, or 6 percent, to $108.22. Vertex Pharmaceuticals rose $7.15, or 8.5 percent, to $91.31.

Biotech stocks are facing pressure from legislators over the price of their drugs, and investors fear that their ability to raise prices will be impeded.

Energy companies gained ground as benchmark U.S. crude rose $1.86, or 5.2 percent, to close at $37.75 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, added $1.97, or 5.2 percent, to close at $39.84 a barrel in London. The price of oil has skidded in recent days before making small gains Tuesday.

Chevron picked up $2.17, or 2.3 percent, to $94.84 and Exxon Mobil added $1.10, or 1.3 percent, to $83.31. Hess rose $2.74, or 5.3 percent, to $54.

Oilfield services companies Halliburton and Baker Hughes also traded higher after the U.S. government sued to block them from combining. Halliburton had agreed to buy its rival for more than $34 billion in November 2014, after oil prices began to fall. Baker Hughes gained $3.47, or 8.8 percent, to $42.83. Halliburton climbed $2.04, or 5.9 percent, to $36.44.

While the pace of company earnings will climb next week, a few companies made big moves Wednesday after they disclosed their results. Constellation Brands, the owner of Corona, Negra Modelo and Pacifico beers, reported solid quarterly results and raised its profit forecasts for the year. Its stock rose $8.98, or 5.9 percent, to $160.34.

Electronic payment processing company Global Payments gained $5.71, or 8.8 percent, to $70.86 after it posted strong quarterly results.

Lighting maker Cree said its sales will fall far short of expectations because of new product delays and software problems. The company said it may take a loss in the third quarter. Its stock lost $4.24, or 14.6 percent, to $24.81.

Ablin of BMO Private Bank said he thinks companies with a long history of maintaining or raising their dividends will do the best in the weeks and months to come. Telecommunications companies pay some of the biggest dividends on the market, and they slumped Wednesday as AT&T and Verizon prepared to pay out billions of dollars in dividends.

Harley-Davidson took the biggest loss on the S&P 500, as it gave up $3.50, or 7 percent, to $46.34. Analyst John Tomlinson of ITG Investment Research said he thinks the motorcycle company lost market share over the first three months of this year, and said he thinks its retail sales in the U.S. will drop in the first quarter.

In metals trading, the price of gold fell $5.80 to $1,223.80 an ounce. Silver declined six cents to $15.05 an ounce. Copper inched up less than one cent to $2.14 a pound.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline rose two cents to $1.39 a gallon. Heating oil jumped almost seven cents to $1.14 a gallon. Natural gas fell four cents to $1.91 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Stocks in Europe also gained ground. Britain's FTSE 100 rose 1.2 percent and the CAC 40 in France added 0.8 percent. Germany's DAX rose 0.6 percent. Japan's Nikkei 225 closed 0.1 percent lower and the Hang Seng index in Hong Kong picked up 0.2 percent. South Korea's KOSPI finished 0.4 percent higher.

Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note rose to 1.76 percent from 1.72 percent. The U.S. dollar dipped to 109.62 yen from 110.49 yen. The euro rose to $1.1410 from $1.1385.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -174.09 points or ▼ -0.98% on Thursday, April 7, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,541.96 ▼ -174.09 ▼ -0.98%
Nasdaq____ 4,848.37 ▼ -72.35 ▼ -1.47%
S&P_500___ 2,041.91 ▼ -24.75 ▼ -1.20%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.52 ▼ -0.07 ▼ -2.59%

NYSE Volume 3,799,145,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,831,308,620

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,136.89 ▼ -24.74 ▼ -0.40%
DAX_____ 9,530.62 ▼ -93.89 ▼ -0.98%
CAC_40__ 4,245.91 ▼ -38.73 ▼ -0.90%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,042.30 ▲ 17.70 ▲ 0.35%
Shanghai_Comp 3,008.42 ▼ -42.17 ▼ -1.38%
Taiwan_Weight 8,490.25 ▼ -23.05 ▼ -0.27%
Nikkei_225___ 15,749.84 ▲ 34.48 ▲ 0.22%
Hang_Seng.__ 20,266.05 ▲ 59.38 ▲ 0.29%
Strait_Times.__ 2,813.59 ▲ 2.34 ▲ 0.08%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,755.23 ▲ 20.96 ▲ 0.31%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-skid-early-trading-oil-prices-slip-141600354--finance.html#

US stocks go through broad slump led by banks
Associated Press By MARLEY JAY

NEW YORK (AP) ”” U.S. stocks sunk to their biggest loss in a month and a half Thursday as banks and technology companies tumbled. Interest rates moved lower, hurting financial stocks. The dollar continued to fall compared to the Japanese yen. Stocks have fallen three out of four days this week.

Stocks sharply reversed course after their gains a day ago. Financial companies including Goldman Sachs and Citigroup took the largest losses. Technology and telecommunications companies also fell.

The market has lost momentum over the last few weeks after a furious rally that wiped out most of its losses from early 2016. Scott Wren, senior global equity strategist for Wells Fargo's Investment Institute, said stocks are rising and falling based on how investors expect the global economy to do.

"People are worried about growth today," he said. "You're not getting much more than modest economic activity."

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 174.09 points, or 1 percent, to 17,541.96. The Standard & Poor's 500 index shed 24.75 points, or 1.2 percent, to 2,041.91. The Nasdaq composite index lost 72.35 points, or 1.5 percent, to 4,848.37.

Financial companies fell sharply. Goldman Sachs slid $4.78, or 3.1 percent, to $150.41 and Citigroup lost $1.59, or 3.8 percent, to $40.27 while JPMorgan Chase dipped $1.49, or 2.5 percent, to $57.32. Wren said banks are struggling because economic growth is sluggish and interest rates remain low, which means they can't make as much money from lending.

"Interest rates aren't going to do what banks really need them to do," he said.

eBay led tech stocks lower as it fell $1.33, or 5.2 percent, to $24.10 and Apple gave up $2.42, or 2.2 percent, to $108.54. Telecommunications companies continued to struggle. Verizon fell $1.52, or 2.8 percent, to $52.

Wynn Resorts jumped $10.44, or 11.7 percent, to $99.99 after the hotel and casino company proposed a new development. Wynn said it wants to build a recreational lake and hotel behind its Wynn Las Vegas property.

U.S. government bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 1.69 percent from 1.76 percent. The dollar continued to weaken against the yen, and is now at its lowest compared to the yen in almost a year and a half. On Thursday it fell to 108.24 yen from 109.62 yen. The euro declined to $1.1377 from $1.1410.

Benchmark U.S. crude fell 49 cents, or 1.3 percent, to $37.26 per barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, dropped 41 cents to $39.43 a barrel in London.

Wholesale club operator Costco declined after the company disclosed its March sales. Its stock fell $4.74, or 3 percent, to $152.03. Retailer Ollie's Bargain Outlet Holdings traded higher after it announced solid quarterly results. The stock climbed $2.34, or 10.3 percent, to $25.04.

HanesBrands said it will buy Champion Europe. HanesBrands owns Champion and the deal gives it control of a company that owned the Champion trademark in Europe as well as the Middle East and Africa. It recently made a similar deal in Japan unit as well. The underwear, T-shirt and sock maker's stock added 77 cents, or 2.8 percent, to $27.87.

ConAgra Foods added 66 cents, or 1.5 percent, to $46.09. The maker of Chef Boyardee, Hebrew National hot dogs and other packaged foods reported third-quarter profit and sales were stronger than expected.

Used car dealership chain CarMax reported strong fourth-quarter results, but its stock lost $3.81, or 7.1 percent, to $49.48. The company said it faced a tougher sales environment in the second half of the fiscal year.

The price of gold rose $13.70 or 1.1 percent, to settle at $1,237.50 an ounce and silver gained 10 cents to $15.16 an ounce. Copper plunged seven cents, or 3.1 percent, to $2.08 a pound.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline fell 1 cent to $1.38 a gallon. Heating oil slipped 1 cent to $1.13 a gallon. Natural gas rose 11 cents, or 5.6 percent, to $2.02 per 1,000 cubic feet.

The Labor Department said applications for unemployment benefits fell slightly last week. That shows employers aren't slashing jobs even though there are signs economic growth is weak.

Germany's DAX fell 1 percent and the CAC-40 in France shed 0.9 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 lost 0.4 percent. In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 advanced 0.2 percent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 0.3 percent. In South Korea, the Kospi added 0.1 percent.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 35 points or ▲ 0.20% on Friday, April 8, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,576.96 ▲ 35.00 ▲ 0.20%
Nasdaq____ 4,850.69 ▲ 2.32 ▲ 0.05%
S&P_500___ 2,047.60 ▲ 5.69 ▲ 0.28%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.56 ▲ 0.04 ▲ 1.59%

NYSE Volume 3,356,480,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,518,630,250

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,204.41 ▲ 67.52 ▲ 1.10%
DAX_____ 9,622.26 ▲ 91.64 ▲ 0.96%
CAC_40__ 4,303.12 ▲ 57.21 ▲ 1.35%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,018.00 ▼ -24.30 ▼ -0.48%
Shanghai_Comp 2,984.96 ▼ -23.46 ▼ -0.78%
Taiwan_Weight 8,541.50 ▲ 51.25 ▲ 0.60%
Nikkei_225___ 15,821.52 ▲ 71.68 ▲ 0.46%
Hang_Seng.__ 20,370.44 ▲ 104.39 ▲ 0.52%
Strait_Times.__ 2,808.32 ▼ -5.27 ▼ -0.19%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,730.28 ▼ -24.95 ▼ -0.37%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-jump-following-another-142529904.html#

Indexes inch higher as oil prices jump, but retailers skid
Associated Press By MARLEY JAY

NEW YORK (AP) — A surge in the price of oil sent energy companies higher on Friday, but U.S. stocks got only a small boost overall as retailers suffered big losses.

tocks rose in morning trading as oil prices climbed, and the Dow Jones industrial average jumped more than 150 points early on. Retailers skidded as investors worried about reports from Gap and L Brands. Biotech drugmakers returned some of their gains from earlier in the week.

Oil prices climbed about 7 percent this week as the dollar got weaker. The price of oil has seesawed as investors hope energy producing companies will cut production. Experts aren't sure the gains will last.

"If this fizzles out in a week or so I think you could see oil prices roll over," said Steve Chiavarone, associated portfolio manager for Federated Investors.

The Dow picked up 35 points, or 0.2 percent, to 17,576.96. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 5.69 points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,047.60. The Nasdaq composite index eked out a gain of 2.32 points, or less than 0.1 percent, to 4,850.69.

Benchmark U.S. crude rose $2.46, or 6.6 percent, to $39.72 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, gained $2.51, or 6.4 percent, to $41.94 a barrel in London.

ConocoPhillips picked up 92 cents, or 2.3 percent, to $41.23 and Murphy Oil advanced $1.25, or 5.1 percent, to $25.69.

Oil prices recovered this week, and Chiavarone said that's partly because the Federal Reserve is stressing that it will raise interest rates slowly. That makes the dollar weaker, and investors think that means demand for oil will go up.

Gap said all three of its major chains saw their sales drop in March, and added that levels of product inventory are high, which could lead to bigger discounts that will hurt its profits. Meanwhile L Brands said it will restructure its Victoria's Secret brand and eliminate about 200 corporate jobs.

Gap plunged $3.83, or 13.8 percent, to $23.85 and L Brands stock lost $3.65, or 4.3 percent, to $80.50. The companies' statements and their losses hurt companies that sell everything from athletic apparel to handbags to watches to department store chains. Macy's gave up 94 cents, or 2.3 percent, to $39.68. Under Armour lost 87 cents, or 2 percent, to $43.54.

Analyst Simeon Siegel of Nomura Securities said Gap and L Brands both reported decent sales, and their problems don't suggest big trouble for retailers in general.

"Everything gets lumped in together," he said. He added that retail stocks have made big gains recently. "For the past few weeks we've had this incredible rally that really wasn't predicated on any results," he said.

Pain drug maker Depomed rose after activist investment firm Starboard Value disclosed a 9.8 percent stake in the company, making it one of Depomed's largest shareholders. Last year Horizon Pharma tried to buy Depomed for about $1.1 billion, or $33 per share, but Depomed fended off that effort and Horizon dropped it in November. Depomed's stock jumped $1.95, or 13 percent, to $16.95.

Biotech drugmakers retreated. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals lost $13.43, or 3.2 percent, to $404.94 and Biogen declined $2.21, or 0.8 percent, to $270.83. Those stocks logged their biggest gain in almost five years on Wednesday, but have suffered big losses since July.

Specialty glass maker Corning said it will buy optical components maker Alliance Fiber Optic Products for $18.50 per share, or $305 million. Alliance stock surged $2.99, or 19.3 percent, to $18.45. Corning dipped 13 cents to $20.53.

Ruby Tuesday tumbled 62 cents, or 11.9 percent, to $4.60. The restaurant chain's earnings were disappointing and it cut its forecasts. The company also said its chief financial officer will leave to take a job with another company.

The price of gold rose $6.30 to $1,242.50 an ounce. Silver gained 23 cents, or 1.5 percent, to $15.38 an ounce. Copper edged up 1 cent to $2.02 a pound.

Energy prices rallied in late February and march as investors hoped that major oil-producing nations will agree to freeze production levels in mid-April. But Chaivarone said they may be disappointed, and if a deal doesn't emerge, he thinks oil prices could fall back to around $30 a barrel.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline rose 8 cents, or 6 percent, to $1.46 a gallon. Heating oil jumped 7 cents, or 6.6 percent, to $1.20 a gallon. Natural gas slipped 3 cents to $1.99 per 1,000 cubic feet.

The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note rose to 1.72 percent from 1.69 percent. The dollar rose to 108.33 yen from 108.24 yen. The euro inched up to $1.1397 from $1.1377.

Stocks in Europe rallied. France's CAC 40 rose 1.4 percent and the FTSE 100 in Britain climbed 1.1 percent. Germany's DAX added 1 percent. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index finished 0.5 percent higher. South Korea's Kospi dipped 0.1 percent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.5 percent.

5279

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -20.55 points or ▼ -0.12% on Monday, April 11, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,556.41 ▼ -20.55 ▼ -0.12%
Nasdaq____ 4,833.40 ▼ -17.29 ▼ -0.36%
S&P_500___ 2,041.99 ▼ -5.61 ▼ -0.27%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.56 ▲ 0.01 ▲ 0.23%

NYSE Volume 3,559,505,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,496,945,250

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,200.12 ▼ -4.29 ▼ -0.07%
DAX_____ 9,682.99 ▲ 60.73 ▲ 0.63%
CAC_40__ 4,312.63 ▲ 9.51 ▲ 0.22%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,013.20 ▼ -4.80 ▼ -0.10%
Shanghai_Comp 3,033.96 ▲ 49.00 ▲ 1.64%
Taiwan_Weight 8,562.59 ▲ 21.09 ▲ 0.25%
Nikkei_225___ 15,751.13 ▼ -70.39 ▼ -0.44%
Hang_Seng.__ 20,440.81 ▲ 70.41 ▲ 0.35%
Strait_Times.__ 2,809.24 ▲ 0.92 ▲ 0.03%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,725.11 ▼ -5.17 ▼ -0.08%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stocks-rise-ahead-company-earnings-142333969.html

US stock indexes waver ahead of company earnings reports
Associated Press By KEN SWEET

NEW YORK (AP) ”” Stocks ended Monday's session mostly unchanged as investors waited for first-quarter company earnings to start rolling in. Overseas markets gained as investors hoped for more stimulus in China, the world's second-largest economy.

The Dow Jones industrial average lost 20.55 points, or 0.1 percent, to 17,556.41. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 5.61 points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,041.99 and the Nasdaq composite fell 17.29 points, or 0.4 percent, to 4,833.40.

First-quarter earnings reports got underway with results from aluminum mining giant Alcoa after the closing bell Monday. The company reported adjusted earnings of 7 cents a share, beating the loss of two cents per share that analysts had anticipated.

Later this week the nation's largest banks will start reporting their results, including JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup and Wells Fargo. Expectations are low for this earnings season. Analysts surveyed by FactSet expect a decline of 9.1 percent in earnings from a year earlier.

The decline in earnings is largely tied to the steep drop in the price of oil from a year ago, which has hammered the share prices of energy companies as well as their profits. Energy companies expected to report a loss this quarter. If energy was excluded from the S&P 500, earnings in the index would only be down 4.2 percent from a year ago.

Some investors have said they are looking to set aside this quarter's earnings results. Since many believe the price of oil has found a bottom, there is hope that earnings later this year will make up for the first quarter's expected dismal performance.

"There are signs we could see positive U.S. earnings surprises later this year, driven by a stabilization in oil prices and a halt in the U.S. dollar's rise," Richard Turnill, global chief investment strategist for BlackRock, wrote in a note to investors.

Overseas, investors were encouraged by economic data out of China, which showed inflation remains tame within the world's second-largest economy. Low inflation could provide a reason for Chinese officials to offer more monetary stimulus to keep the country's economy from slowing further. Asian and European markets closed mostly higher.

Benchmark U.S. crude oil rose 64 cents to close at $40.36 a barrel. Brent crude, the international benchmark, rose 89 cents to $42.83 a barrel in London.

In other individual companies, Hertz Global Holdings fell $1.11, or 11 percent, to $8.59 after the rental car company cut its full-year earnings forecast. The company said the car rental industry is suffering from too much capacity and competition.

Yahoo rose 41 cents, or 1 percent, to $36.48 after news reports said the U.K.'s Daily Mail was interested in purchasing the company. The Daily Mail confirmed the reports on Monday.

U.S. government bond prices were mostly unchanged. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note remained steady at 1.72 percent. The dollar edged lower 107.95 yen from 108.10 yen. The euro was slightly higher at $1.1409.

In other energy commodities, heating oil rose 1 cent to $1.215 a gallon, wholesale gasoline rose 4 cents to $1.508 a gallon and natural gas fell 8 cents to $1.912 per thousand cubic feet.

Precious and industrial metals prices closed higher. Gold climbed $14.20 to $1,258 an ounce, silver jumped 59 cents to $15.98 an ounce and copper edged up less than a penny to $2.09 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 164.84 points or ▲ 0.94% on Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,721.25 ▲ 164.84 ▲ 0.94%
Nasdaq____ 4,872.09 ▲ 38.69 ▲ 0.80%
S&P_500___ 2,061.72 ▲ 19.73 ▲ 0.97%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.61 ▲ 0.04 ▲ 1.76%

NYSE Volume 4,231,877,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,709,834,880

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,242.39 ▲ 42.27 ▲ 0.68%
DAX_____ 9,761.47 ▲ 78.48 ▲ 0.81%
CAC_40__ 4,345.91 ▲ 33.28 ▲ 0.77%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,053.70 ▲ 40.50 ▲ 0.81%
Shanghai_Comp 3,023.65 ▼ -10.31 ▼ -0.34%
Taiwan_Weight 8,531.18 ▼ -31.41 ▼ -0.37%
Nikkei_225___ 15,928.79 ▲ 177.66 ▲ 1.13%
Hang_Seng.__ 20,504.44 ▲ 63.63 ▲ 0.31%
Strait_Times.__ 2,814.65 ▲ 5.41 ▲ 0.19%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,726.01 ▲ 0.90 ▲ 0.01%

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/stocks-eke-modest-gains-focus-turns-us-earnings-38332147

US Stocks Rise Broadly, Led by Gains in the Energy Sector
By ken sweet, ap business writer
NEW YORK ”” Apr 12, 2016,

Stocks posted solid gains on Tuesday, led by energy companies after news reports said Saudi Arabia and Russia were working toward an agreement to cut oil production. Investors also worked through the initial batch of earnings from the first quarter of the year.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 164.84 points, or 0.9 percent, to 17,721.25. The Standard & Poor's 500 index climbed 19.73 points, or 1 percent, to 2,061.72 and the Nasdaq composite increased 38.69 points, or 0.8 percent, to 4,872.09.

Corporate earnings got underway on a weak note after Alcoa, the aluminum mining giant, reported a 15 percent decline in revenue late Monday. Alcoa also had a huge drop in first-quarter profit from a year earlier as aluminum prices fell. Alcoa's stock fell 26 cents, or 2.7 percent, to $9.48.

Later this week big U.S. banks will start releasing their results, including JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup and Wells Fargo. Investors will be watching the banks to see how well they've weathered the market's recent volatility and low oil prices earlier this year. Banks are often seen as a proxy for how the U.S. economy is doing.

"It's not going to be a clean earnings season for financials at all," said Peter Stournaras, a portfolio manager at BlackRock. "The banks have suffered from fears about oil loans, but those fears are overblown."

Expectations for earnings are low this quarter. Analysts surveyed by FactSet expect corporate profits to be down 9.1 percent from a year ago, hurt primarily by the steep drop in oil prices and other commodities. The entire energy sector is expected to report a loss this quarter, according to FactSet.

"Earnings will paint an important picture over the next few weeks, but the more important story is the continued improvement in the macroeconomic environment here in the U.S. and globally," said Ryan Larson, head of U.S. equity trading at RBC Global Asset Management in Chicago.

Oil prices moved sharply higher after Russian officials told Interfax, the Russian news agency, that they planned to reach a deal with Saudi Arabia to cut oil production. OPEC ministers meet this Sunday in Doha, Qatar.

Benchmark U.S. crude oil climbed $1.81, or 4.5 percent, at $42.17 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the international standard, rose $1.86 to $44.69 a barrel in London.

Energy stocks, which have been beaten down in recent months, followed the price of crude oil higher. The energy component of the S&P 500 jumped almost 3 percent.

U.S. government bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.77 percent from 1.73 percent late Monday. The euro fell to $1.1397 from $1.1412 while the dollar rose to 108.53 yen from 107.94 yen.

In other energy commodities, heating oil rose 6 cents to $1.276 a gallon, wholesale gasoline rose 3 cents to $1.534 a gallon and natural gas rose 9 cents to $2.004 per thousand cubic feet.

Precious and industrial metals prices closed broadly higher. Gold gained $2.90 to $1,260.90 an ounce, silver rose 25 cents to $16.22 an ounce and copper climbed six cents to $2.15 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 187.03 points or ▲ 1.06% on Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,908.28 ▲ 187.03 ▲ 1.06%
Nasdaq____ 4,947.42 ▲ 75.33 ▲ 1.55%
S&P_500___ 2,082.42 ▲ 20.70 ▲ 1.00%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.58 ▼ -0.03 ▼ -1.15%

NYSE Volume 4,167,793,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,952,155,000

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,362.89 ▲ 120.50 ▲ 1.93%
DAX_____ 10,026.10 ▲ 264.63 ▲ 2.71%
CAC_40__ 4,490.31 ▲ 144.40 ▲ 3.32%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,127.20 ▲ 73.50 ▲ 1.45%
Shanghai_Comp 3,066.64 ▲ 42.99 ▲ 1.42%
Taiwan_Weight 8,652.08 ▲ 120.90 ▲ 1.42%
Nikkei_225___ 16,381.22 ▲ 452.43 ▲ 2.84%
Hang_Seng.__ 21,158.71 ▲ 654.27 ▲ 3.19%
Strait_Times.__ 2,890.41 ▲ 75.76 ▲ 2.69%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,777.91 ▲ 51.90 ▲ 0.77%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-jump-jpmorgan-gives-banks-boost-141910144.html

US stocks jump as JPMorgan gives banks a big boost
Associated Press By MARLEY JAY

NEW YORK (AP) ”” U.S. stocks climbed again Wednesday as quarterly results from JPMorgan Chase gave banks a big lift. Economic news from China powered industrial and technology companies in the U.S. and stock exchanges overseas.

JPMorgan Chase, the largest bank in the U.S., led a rally in financial stocks after its first-quarter results came in better than analysts expected. Railroad operators and auto parts suppliers also gained ground, while consumer goods makers struggled. Gains over the last two days have brought stocks to their highest levels of 2016.

Julian Emanuel, U.S. equities and derivatives strategist for UBS, said it didn't take much to send banks, the worst-performing sector in the market this year, higher.

"Bank stocks have been so beaten up that any good news, either on better credit conditions driven by higher energy prices or news on cost-cutting, is likely to underpin those stocks," he said.

The Dow Jones industrial average jumped 187.03 points, or 1.1 percent, to 17,908.28. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 20.70 points, or 1 percent, to 2,082.42. The Nasdaq composite index advanced 75.33 points, or 1.6 percent, to 4,947.42.

JPMorgan, the largest bank in the U.S. and the first to report its earnings, said its first-quarter profit fell because of weak results in its investment banking business. Its profit and revenue were bigger than analysts expected, however, and the stock rose $2.51, or 4.2 percent, to $61.79. Bank of America picked up 52 cents, or 3.9 percent, to $13.79 and Wells Fargo rose $1.26, or 2.6 percent, to $49.03. Citigroup jumped $2.35, or 5.6 percent, to $44.25.

Banks have slumped this year because investors are worried they will take big losses on loans to energy companies, which did hurt JPMorgan's results. Low interest rates are also affecting bank stocks because they reduce the profits banks can make on loans.

Railroad operator CSX gained $1.04, or 4.2 percent, to $26.03. The company's profit fell as demand for coal got weaker and CSX hauled less freight, but expenses fell, partly because fuel costs dropped. CSX said it plans to cut more spending.

Other railroad stocks surged. Union Pacific added $2.08, or 2.6 percent, to $81.72 and Norfolk Southern rose $2.42, or 3.1 percent, to $81.14.

Industrial stocks and tech stocks rose on reports that exports from China grew 11.5 percent in March compared with a year earlier. That was the first annual gain since June, and it's a sign of life from China's slowing economy. Heavy equipment maker Caterpillar rose $3.03, or 4 percent, to $79.13 and engine maker Cummins climbed $5.90, or 5.5 percent, to $113.70.

While the long-beleaguered banking sector traded higher on Wednesday, the best-performing parts of the market so far this year, utilities and telecommunications companies, traded lower. Emanuel said that's a sign the recent rally is running out of steam.

"The market's run, in our view, too far, too fast," he said.

Consumer goods makers also fell. The Commerce Department said retail sales fell a little in March, although the Federal Reserve said overall consumer spending grew a bit in February and March. Americans have been cautious about their spending this year even though gas prices are low and jobs are growing. Tobacco company Reynolds American lost $2.11, or 4.1 percent, to $49.15 and Altria fell $1.75, or 2.7 percent, to $62.07.

Tyson Foods gave up $2.74, or 4 percent, to $65.63 and Clorox declined $2.03, or 1.6 percent, to $126.14. Campbell Soup shed $1.17, or 1.8 percent, to $62.81.

Delphi Automotive rose $4.07, or 5.6 percent, to $76.42. Two years ago the IRS argued that some of Delphi's businesses were based in the U.S. and should be taxed accordingly. Delphi said Wednesday that the agency agrees that's not the case.

Verizon Communications slipped after around 39,000 landline and cable workers walked off the job Wednesday morning. Verizon's contracts with its unions expired about eight months ago and little progress has been made in negotiations. The stock declined 65 cents, or 1.3 percent, to $51.29.

France's CAC 40 rose 3.3 percent and Germany's DAX added 2.7 percent. The FTSE 100 in Britain rose 1.9 percent. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 added 2.8 percent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 3.2 percent.

U.S. crude slipped 41 cents, or 1 percent, to $41.76 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the benchmark for international oil pricing, fell 51 cents, or 1.1 percent, to $44.18 a barrel in London.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline was little changed at $1.53 a gallon. Heating oil fell 1 cent to $1.27 a gallon. Natural gas rose 3 cents to $2.04 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note slipped to 1.76 percent from 1.78 percent. The dollar rose to 109.25 yen from 108.53 yen and the euro fell to $1.1285 from $1.1397.

Precious and industrial metals futures ended mixed. Gold lost $12.60 to $1,248.30 an ounce, silver edged up 10 cents to $16.33 an ounce and copper rose two cents to $2.17 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 18.15 points or ▲ 0.10% on Thursday, April 14, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,926.43 ▲ 18.15 ▲ 0.10%
Nasdaq____ 4,945.89 ▼ -1.53 ▼ -0.03%
S&P_500___ 2,082.78 ▲ 0.36 ▲ 0.02%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.60 ▲ 0.02 ▲ 0.74%

NYSE Volume 3,758,186,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,647,384,750

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,365.10 ▲ 2.21 ▲ 0.03%
DAX_____ 10,093.65 ▲ 67.55 ▲ 0.67%
CAC_40__ 4,511.51 ▲ 21.20 ▲ 0.47%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,187.70 ▲ 60.50 ▲ 1.18%
Shanghai_Comp 3,082.36 ▲ 15.72 ▲ 0.51%
Taiwan_Weight 8,667.71 ▲ 15.63 ▲ 0.18%
Nikkei_225___ 16,911.05 ▲ 529.83 ▲ 3.23%
Hang_Seng.__ 21,337.81 ▲ 179.10 ▲ 0.85%
Strait_Times.__ 2,913.93 ▲ 23.52 ▲ 0.81%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,823.81 ▲ 45.90 ▲ 0.68%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-dip-early-trading-142527649.html

U.S. stock indexes wobble to a mixed finish
Associated Press By MARLEY JAY

NEW YORK (AP) ”” U.S. stocks hardly budged Thursday and finished with a mix of small gains and losses. Banks and airlines rose on strong first-quarter reports, while consumer products companies struggled.

The market wavered throughout the day. Stocks are coming off two big gains in a row and are trading at their highest levels of the year.

"People are getting a bit more confident of what's going on in the market," said J.J. Kinahan, chief strategist for TD Ameritrade.

The Dow Jones industrial average added 18.15 points, or 0.1 percent, to 17,926.43. The Standard & Poor's 500 index ticked up 0.36 points to 2,082.78. The Nasdaq composite lost 1.53 points to 4,945.89.

The results from banks haven't been great so far, but investors expected even worse because of shaky loans to energy companies and low interest rates that have made lending less profitable. Kinahan said banks are benefiting from lower expenses and more people are seeking mortgage loans.

"If businesses are starting to expand a little bit, if the consumer is out there trying to buy housing, (lending) is a steady source of income for these institutions," he said. Investors feared "this was going to be an absolutely disastrous earnings season," he said.

Bank of America picked up 35 cents, or 2.5 percent, to $14.14, as its results met investor expectations. First Republic Bank jumped $2.38, or 3.5 percent, to $69.88 after the San Francisco bank reported a bigger-than-expected profit. Fifth Third Bank, another regional bank, gained 32 cents, or 1.8 percent, to $17.73.

Wells Fargo's profit fell as it set aside more money to cover its struggling portfolio of oil and gas loans, one of the chief worries investors have about the financial industry. The stock slipped 24 cents to $48.79. Bank stocks jumped Wednesday after JPMorgan Chase, the largest U.S. bank, reported results that beat expectations.

Data storage company Seagate Technology said its third-quarter profit margins and revenue will be lower than expected. The company said it's seeing lower demand for some kinds of hard disk drives. Its stock plunged $6.82, or 20.1 percent, to $27.11, by far the largest loss in the S&P 500. Competitor Western Digital fell $2.98, or 6.7 percent, to $41.82 and NetApp lost $1.06, or 4 percent, to $25.64.

Delta Air Lines' first-quarter profit jumped 27 percent, helped by low fuel costs. Delta's stock gained 45 cents to $48.49, but its competitors had even bigger gains. American Airlines rose $1.23, or 3.1 percent, to $41.17 and United added $1.15, or 2.1 percent, to $56.73. JetBlue and Southwest also rose.

Pier 1 Imports fell after the home decor company gave a shaky outlook for the first half of its fiscal year. Pier 1 said it expects pressure on its profit and sales because of marketing expenses, including a return to TV advertising, as well as price markdowns. The stock gave up 43 cents, or 5.9 percent, to $6.91.

Benchmark U.S. crude oil fell 26 cents to $41.50 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the international standard, gave up 34 cents to $43.84 a barrel in London.

Gold fell $21.80, or 1.7 percent, to $1,226.50 an ounce. Silver fell 15 cents to $16.17 an ounce. Copper was unchanged at $2.17 a pound.

Claims for unemployment benefits dropped sharply last week and reached their lowest level since 1973. They've been at low levels for a year, which indicates the job market is healthy and employers aren't letting go of workers. That suggests many companies see the recent slowdown as temporary.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline fell 2 cents to $1.51 a gallon. Heating oil dipped 1 cent to $1.25 a gallon. Natural gas fell 7 cents, or 3 percent, to $1.97 per 1,000 cubic feet.

In Europe, Germany's DAX was up 0.7 percent while the CAC-40 in France rose 0.5 percent. The FTSE 100 index in Britain held steady. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 closed 3.2 percent higher as the yen weakened slightly against the dollar. Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.8 percent and the KOSPI in South Korea climbed 1.7 percent.

Bond prices slipped. The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note rose to 1.79 percent from 1.77 percent. The euro fell to $1.1267 from $1.1283 and the dollar edged up to 109.28 yen from 109.24 yen.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -28.97 points or ▼ -0.16% on Friday, April 15, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 17,897.46 ▼ -28.97 ▼ -0.16%
Nasdaq____ 4,938.22 ▼ -7.67 ▼ -0.16%
S&P_500___ 2,080.73 ▼ -2.05 ▼ -0.10%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.56 ▼ -0.03 ▼ -1.31%

NYSE Volume 3,691,814,500
Nasdaq Volume 1,686,650,120

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,343.75 ▼ -21.35 ▼ -0.34%
DAX_____ 10,051.57 ▼ -42.08 ▼ -0.42%
CAC_40__ 4,495.17 ▼ -16.34 ▼ -0.36%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,224.10 ▲ 36.40 ▲ 0.70%
Shanghai_Comp 3,078.12 ▼ -4.24 ▼ -0.14%
Taiwan_Weight 8,700.39 ▲ 32.68 ▲ 0.38%
Nikkei_225___ 16,848.03 ▼ -63.02 ▼ -0.37%
Hang_Seng.__ 21,316.47 ▼ -21.34 ▼ -0.10%
Strait_Times.__ 2,923.94 ▲ 10.01 ▲ 0.34%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,844.74 ▲ 20.93 ▲ 0.31%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-slip-oil-prices-142937643.html#

US stocks dip with oil prices, but finish the week higher

U.S. stocks fell slightly as a dip in oil prices dragged energy companies lower, but utilities and metals and mining companies finished higher
Associated Press By Marley Jay, AP Markets Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- U.S. stocks took small losses in quiet trading Friday as energy companies sank with the price of oil, but the market finished higher for the week.

The price of oil fell 3 percent and made energy companies the worst performing sector of the market. Utility companies rose as bond yields decreased, and metals and mining companies rose as gold and silver prices edged higher.

For the week, the market was propelled higher by quarterly financial results from big banks that were less ugly than investors were bracing for. The market quieted, though, toward the end of the week.

"We're in a wait and see market," said Kate Warne, investment strategist for Edward Jones. "People are still skeptical about earnings growth in the first quarter, but there's no longer the grave concern there was a few weeks ago."

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 28.97 points Friday, or 0.2 percent, to 17,897.46. The Dow rose 1.8 percent for the week. The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 2.05 points Friday, or 0.1 percent, to 2,080.73 but finished the week up 1.6 percent. The Nasdaq composite index dipped 7.67 points, or 0.2 percent, to 4,938.22. For the week it was up 1.8 percent.

U.S. crude fell $1.14 to $40.36 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the international benchmark, lost 74 cents, or 1.7 percent, to $43.10 a barrel in London. The prices of wholesale gasoline, heating oil and natural gas also slumped.

Ministers from major oil-producing countries will meet this weekend in Qatar to discuss their production policies. The price of oil has risen in recent weeks in part on hopes that those countries will be able to strike a deal that will limit oil production and help relieve a global glut. But a deal is far from a sure thing, and oil prices have slipped in recent days.

"Many of us are skeptical about whether there will be an agreement and even more skeptical about whether that will stabilize oil prices where they are now," Warne said, because even if countries keep oil production near current levels, they'll still be producing more than necessary to meet demand.

Occidental Petroleum lost $2.17, or 2.9 percent, to $72.15. EOG Resources fell $2.10, or 2.7 percent, to $75.71.

Utility companies, the best performing group of stocks on the market this year, made the largest gains Friday. Investors are being drawn to their relatively high dividend payouts because rising bond prices are lowering the yields investors can earn from bonds. Edison International rose $1.02, or 1.5 percent, to $71.06 and NextEra Energy rose $1.28, or 1.1 percent, to $117.43.

Bond prices rose and the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note declined to 1.75 percent from 1.79 percent.

Citigroup said Friday its first quarter profit shrank 27 percent on weak results from its consumer bank and trading businesses, but the bank's net income and revenue were greater than expected. The stock fell 6 cents to $44.92, but still finished the week 11 percent higher. Bank holding company Regions Financial also reported a bigger profit and greater revenue than expected. Its stock added 26 cents, or 3.1 percent, to $8.74.

The price of gold and silver both edged upward, which gave metals and mining companies a boost. Gold gained $8.10 to $1,234.60 an ounce, while silver rose 14 cents to $16.31 an ounce. Copper lost 2 cents to $2.15 a pound. Newmont Mining added 69 cents, or 2.4 percent, to $29.37 and Freeport-McMoRan picked up 13 cents, or 1.2 percent, to $10.86.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline slipped 4 cents, or 2.9 percent, to $1.46 a gallon and heating oil decreased 2 cents, or 1.8 percent, to $1.23 a gallon. Natural gas fell 7 cents, or 3.5 percent, to $1.90 per 1,000 cubic feet.

China reported that its economy grew 6.7 percent in the first quarter of 2016. While that is the slowest pace in years, it matched analyst projections.

Germany's DAX fell 0.4 percent and the CAC-40 in France was 0.4 percent lower. The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares declined 0.3 percent. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index in Japan shed 0.4 percent, while South Korean Kospi dipped 0.1 percent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng slipped 0.1 percent.

The euro rose to $1.1288 from $1.1267 and the dollar fell to 108.70 yen from 109.28 yen.

5951

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 106.7 points or ▲ 0.60% on Monday, April 18, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,004.16 ▲ 106.70 ▲ 0.60%
Nasdaq____ 4,960.02 ▲ 21.80 ▲ 0.44%
S&P_500___ 2,094.34 ▲ 13.61 ▲ 0.65%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.59 ▲ 0.02 ▲ 0.94%

NYSE Volume 3,312,238,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,773,846,750

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,353.52 ▲ 9.77 ▲ 0.15%
DAX_____ 10,120.31 ▲ 68.74 ▲ 0.68%
CAC_40__ 4,506.84 ▲ 11.67 ▲ 0.26%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,204.90 ▼ -19.20 ▼ -0.37%
Shanghai_Comp 3,033.66 ▼ -44.46 ▼ -1.44%
Taiwan_Weight 8,666.01 ▼ -34.38 ▼ -0.40%
Nikkei_225___ 16,275.95 ▼ -572.08 ▼ -3.40%
Hang_Seng.__ 21,161.50 ▼ -154.97 ▼ -0.73%
Strait_Times.__ 2,917.75 ▼ -6.19 ▼ -0.21%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,851.20 ▲ 6.46 ▲ 0.09%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-recover-early-slump-move-higher-142514794--finance.html#

US stocks recover from an early slump and close higher
Associated Press By ALEX VEIGA

Energy companies led a broad rally in U.S. stocks Monday as investors shrugged off another slide in crude oil prices.

The gain nudged the Dow Jones industrial average slightly above the 18,000-point mark for the first time since last summer, while the Standard & Poor's 500 index rose to the highest level in a year.

The market had been headed lower early on following news that representatives from several major oil-producing nations meeting over the weekend in Doha, Qatar, failed to hammer out a deal to cut output. That sent the price of U.S. oil down 7 percent at one point before recouping much of its losses. It ended down 1.4 percent.

Beyond the volatile oil market, investors had their eye on the latest company earnings, which have been mostly encouraging so far, said Sean Lynch, co-head of global equity strategy at Wells Fargo Investment Institute.

"We're seeing broad-based gains across all the sectors," Lynch said. "The market is maybe finding some resilience here and maybe looking back on the fundamentals of the earnings season and seeing it's not so bad."

The Dow climbed 106.70 points, or 0.6 percent, to close at 18,004.16. The last time the average was above 18,000 points was on July 20.

The S&P 500 index added 13.61 points, or 0.7 percent, to 2,094.34. That's the highest level since April 14 last year.

The Nasdaq composite index gained 21.80 points, or 0.4 percent, to 4,960.02.

For the year, the Dow is up 3.3 percent, while the S&P 500 is up 2.5 percent. The Nasdaq is down about 1 percent.

The price of oil had risen in recent weeks on hopes for a deal that will limit oil production in an effort to relieve a global glut. But hopes for a meaningful production cut faded Monday when the talks over the weekend failed to deliver a deal.

Saudi Arabia said it wouldn't back a deal if Iran, which is trying to ramp up output as international sanctions are lifted, wasn't involved. Already tense relations between the two countries deteriorated in recent months over issues including the wars in Syria and Yemen, in which they are backing opposing sides.

Word of the failed talks initially pulled oil prices lower, weighing on stocks.

All told, U.S. crude fell 58 cents, or 1.4 percent, to close at $39.78 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the international benchmark, lost 19 cents, or 0.4 percent, to close at $42.91 a barrel in London.

Investors decided that expectations for an oil output deal had been very modest to begin with, said Eric Wiegand, senior portfolio manager at U.S. Bank Wealth Management.

"The Saudis, back in January, had continued to point to June as being the OPEC meeting that they were really focused on," Wiegand said. "Perhaps the expectations for something before June were misplaced."

Several energy and drilling services companies rebounded after an early morning sell-off.

Hess rose $2.67, or 4.7 percent, to $59.84, while Marathon Oil added 35 cents, or 2.7 percent, to $13.36. Baker Hughes gained $1.90, or 4.3 percent, to $45.70.

Energy companies notched the biggest gain among the sectors in the S&P 500, rising 1.6 percent. The sector is up 7.7 percent this year.

Stocks in the health care and consumer discretionary sectors also posted big gains.

Hasbro jumped 5.8 percent after reporting better results than analysts were expecting. The toy company benefited from strong sales of "Star Wars," ''Frozen" and Disney princess products. The stock added $4.77 to $87.18.

Endo International led a surge among several pharmaceutical companies. The stock also posted the biggest gain in the S&P 500, vaulting $2.16, or 8.2 percent, to $28.49. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals climbed $15.65, or 3.9 percent, to $422.38.

Major stock indexes in Europe also closed higher.

Germany's DAX rose 0.7 percent, while the CAC-40 in France edged up 0.3 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 index was up 0.2 percent.

In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 index dropped 3.4 percent as a rising yen and quake-related production halts added to investor worries. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index lost 0.7 percent. South Korea's Kospi slid 0.3 percent, while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 dipped 0.4 percent.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline fell about 2 cents to $1.44 a gallon. Heating oil was little changed at $1.24 a gallon. Natural gas rose 38 cents, or 2 percent, to $1.94 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Precious and industrial metals futures ended narrowly mixed. Gold edged up 40 cents to $1,235 an ounce, silver slipped six cents to $16.25 an ounce and copper edged up a penny to $2.16 a pound.

Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.77 percent from 1.75 late Friday. In currency markets, the dollar rose to 108.82 yen from 108.70 yen. The euro rose to $1.1314 from $1.1288.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 49.44 points or ▲ 0.27% on Tuesday, April 19, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,053.60 ▲ 49.44 ▲ 0.27%
Nasdaq____ 4,940.33 ▼ -19.69 ▼ -0.40%
S&P_500___ 2,100.80 ▲ 6.46 ▲ 0.31%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.60 ▲ 0.01 ▲ 0.35%

NYSE Volume 4,019,620,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,865,771,620

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,405.35 ▲ 51.83 ▲ 0.82%
DAX_____ 10,349.59 ▲ 229.28 ▲ 2.27%
CAC_40__ 4,566.48 ▲ 59.64 ▲ 1.32%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,254.70 ▲ 49.80 ▲ 0.96%
Shanghai_Comp 3,042.82 ▲ 9.16 ▲ 0.30%
Taiwan_Weight 8,633.72 ▼ -32.29 ▼ -0.37%
Nikkei_225___ 16,874.44 ▲ 598.49 ▲ 3.68%
Hang_Seng.__ 21,428.25 ▲ 266.75 ▲ 1.26%
Strait_Times.__ 2,951.81 ▲ 34.06 ▲ 1.17%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,873.04 ▲ 21.84 ▲ 0.32%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-move-higher-investors-142346147.html

US stock indexes close mostly higher; oil price rebounds

U.S. stocks close mostly higher, led by gains in energy, mining and financial companies
Associated Press By Alex Veiga, AP Business Writer

U.S. stocks closed mostly higher on Tuesday, led by gains in energy, mining and financial companies.

The Dow Jones industrial average and the Standard & Poor's 500 index eked out small gains. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite closed modestly lower, reflecting a slump in technology stocks, which were dragged down by Netflix and IBM.

The gains in energy and mining companies came as prices for oil, copper and other basic materials rose.

Investors were mostly focused on the latest batch of corporate earnings and on what company managers have to say about their prospects for growing profits this year.

"The market is focused on where we are going to be three months from now, five months from now," said Quincy Krosby, market strategist at Prudential Financial. "It's all about the guidance, and it's also all about what companies are doing to beat on the bottom line."

The Dow rose 49.44 points, or 0.3 percent, to 18,053.60. The S&P 500 index gained 6.46 points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,100.80. The Nasdaq fell 19.69 points, or 0.4 percent, to 4,940.33.

Expectations for earnings are low this quarter, with corporate profits for companies in the S&P 500 projected to be down 8.1 percent, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. Even excluding the beaten-down energy sector, earnings growth for the S&P 500 companies is expected to be down 3.4 percent.

All of the earnings growth this year is expected to come in the second half of 2016, noted Erin Gibbs, equity chief investment officer at S&P Global Market Intelligence.

Several companies delivered quarterly results that put investors in a buying mood Tuesday.

Johnson & Johnson gained 1.6 percent after its first-quarter earnings beat Wall Street's expectations. Higher sales of new prescription drugs and other key medicines nearly offset a big hit from the strong dollar. The stock added $1.75 to $112.68.

UnitedHealth Group added 2.1 percent after it reported strong results for the first quarter and raised its guidance for the year. The health insurer also said it would cut back on participating in Affordable Care Act health care exchanges in a bid to stem losses related to the program. The stock gained $2.69 to $130.50.

Goldman Sachs' latest results also gave the investment bank's shares a lift. Goldman's earnings beat Wall Street's estimates, even though its profit sank by 56 percent from a year earlier. The stock rose $3.63, or 2.3 percent, to $162.65.

Kansas City Southern gained 4.6 percent after the railroad operator posted larger-than-expected quarterly earnings. The stock climbed $4.55 to $96.02.

Some companies' quarterly snapshots and outlooks failed to impress traders.

Netflix slumped 13 percent, a day after the streaming video company gave a disappointing forecast for subscriber additions and reported first-quarter revenue that fell short of financial analysts' forecasts. The stock lost $14.06 to $94.34.

IBM delivered improved first-quarter earnings thanks to a big tax refund, but also had lower revenue amid weaker software sales. The stock slid $8.53, or 5.6 percent, to $144.

Illumina sank 23.2 percent after the genetic testing tools maker predicted that sales in the first quarter will be far lower than analysts expected. Illumina shares were down $41.25 at $136.88.

This week, about 100 of the companies in the S&P 500 names are due to report quarterly results.

Beyond earnings, the market pushed up prices for mining and energy companies as the price of oil, natural gas, metals and other materials rose.

Freeport-McMoRan gained 99 cents, or 9 percent, to $12.01, while Newmont Mining rose $1.45, or 4.9 percent, to $30.91.

Williams Cos. was among the energy and drilling services companies to get a boost. It jumped $1.33, or 8 percent, to $18.01, while Oneok climbed $2.23, or 6.9 percent, to $34.39. Diamond Offshore Drilling rose $1.41, or 6.3 percent, to $23.76.

Benchmark U.S. crude rose $1.30, or 3.3 percent, to close at $41.08 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the international benchmark, gained $1.12, or 2.6 percent, to close at $44.03 a barrel in London. Natural gas jumped 15 cents, or 7.6 percent, to close at $2.088 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Upbeat economic data and a rebound in oil prices lifted European markets.

Germany's DAX was up 2.3 percent, while France's CAC 40 was up 1.3 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 was up 0.8 percent. Earlier in Asia, Japan's Nikkei rallied 3.7 percent a sharp loss on Monday. South Korea's Kospi rose 0.1 percent, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index gained 1.3 percent.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline rose about 4 cents, or 3 percent, to close at $1.48 a gallon. Heating oil added 3 cents, or 2.2 percent, to close at $1.26 a gallon.

Precious and industrial metals futures ended sharply higher. Gold rose $19.30, or 1.6 percent, to $1,254.30 an ounce, silver gained 72 cents, or 4.4 percent, to $16.97 an ounce and copper rose 6 cents, or 2.7 percent, to $2.22 a pound.

Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.79 percent from 1.77 percent late Monday.

In currency markets, the yen resumed its slide with the dollar strengthening to 109.13 yen from 108.82 yen. The euro rose to $1.1377 from $1.1314.