NYSE Dow Jones finished today at:

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 117.86 points or ▲ 0.64% on Thursday, August 11, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,613.52 ▲ 117.86 ▲ 0.64%
Nasdaq____ 5,228.40 ▲ 23.81 ▲ 0.46%
S&P_500___ 2,185.79 ▲ 10.30 ▲ 0.47%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.29 ▲ 0.06 ▲ 2.60%

NYSE Volume 3,410,792,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,456,057,880

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,914.71 ▲ 48.29 ▲ 0.70%
DAX_____ 10,742.84 ▲ 91.95 ▲ 0.86%
CAC_40__ 4,503.95 ▲ 51.94 ▲ 1.17%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,599.40 ▼ -28.80 ▼ -0.51%
Shanghai_Comp 3,002.64 ▼ -16.11 ▼ -0.53%
Taiwan_Weight 9,131.83 ▼ -68.59 ▼ -0.75%
Nikkei_225___ 16,735.12 ▼ -29.85 ▼ -0.18% HOLIDAY
Hang_Seng.__ 22,580.55 ▲ 88.12 ▲ 0.39%
Strait_Times.__ 2,869.82 ▼ -5.75 ▼ -0.20%
NZX_50_Index_ 7,353.83 ▲ 4.22 ▲ 0.06%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/asian-shares-mixed-us-losses-064843308.html

US stock indexes close at record highs; oil up

Strong gains by energy companies and retailers helped nudge each of the major U.S. stocks indexes to a record high close Thursday, erasing mild losses from the day before.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index and Nasdaq composite had previously hit new highs last Friday. The Nasdaq also notched a record close on Tuesday.

Investors welcomed some better-than-expected quarterly results from Macy's and Kohl's, which spurred gains for several other big retail chains.

Energy stocks led the rally, getting a boost from a surge in oil prices. An industry report released Thursday projected a more even balance in the supply and demand for oil this year.

"It's been such an oversupplied market for a long period of time, to get that supply-demand closer to being in balance, or to be in balance, is a huge driver," said David Chalupnik, head of equities for Nuveen Asset Management. "That should at least support the commodity price."

The Dow Jones industrial average climbed 117.86 points, or 0.6 percent, to 18,613.52. The average is now up about 0.1 percent from its last record set July 20.

The S&P 500 index added 10.30 points, or 0.5 percent, to 2,185.79. That's a gain of 0.13 percent from its previous high last Friday. The Nasdaq composite index gained 23.81 points, or 0.5 percent, to 5,228.40. It edged up 0.1 percent from its previous high.

The latest market milestones reflect investors' improved confidence in the U.S. economy of late. Strong job growth, more stable oil prices and a crop of better-than-expected company earnings have helped lift stocks in recent weeks.

Still, overall earnings for companies in the S&P 500 are expected to be down 2.2 percent for the second quarter, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence.

"We're still looking at negative earnings growth, albeit improved, and negative revenue growth," said Tim Dreiling, regional investment director for U.S. Bank's Private Client Reserve. "In order for stocks to continue to make new highs and continue to grind higher, we're going to need to see some improvement in revenues and see some improvement in earnings in the second half of 2016."

The major stock indexes got off to a strong start early Thursday, bouncing back from slight losses a day earlier.

Traders bid up oil prices in response to the International Energy Agency's latest forecast. The agency said it expects that supply and demand for oil will be more in balance the rest of this year. It also projected that global oil demand won't grow as much as it previously expected next year, citing a weaker global economy.

Benchmark U.S. crude rose $1.78, or 4.3 percent, to close at $43.49 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, gained $1.99, or 4.3 percent, to close at $46.04 in London.

Several oil and gas companies got a boost from the rise in crude prices. Devon Energy added $1.74, or 4.4 percent, to $41.31, while Chesapeake Energy rose 23 cents, or 4.8 percent, to $5.03.

Retailers also posted strong gains after Macy's and Kohl's reported quarterly results that beat Wall Street's expectations despite continued competition from online outlets like Amazon.com. Macy's also said it plans to close about 100 stores next year as it tries to become more nimble in a competitive market.

Macy's rose $5.81, or 17.1 percent, to $39.81, while Kohl's jumped $6.15, or 16.2 percent, to $44.19.

Investors also bought up shares in several other retail chains. Nordtsrom gained $3.33, or 7.5 percent, to $47.56, while J.C. Penney rose 79 cents, or 8.6 percent, to $9.94. The chain is scheduled to release earnings early Friday.

The retailers' earnings fueled optimism for the government's latest monthly tally of retail sales Friday.

Not all companies had favorable quarterly results.

Hamburger chain Shake Shack slumped 6.2 percent after it said sales at older locations slowed down in the latest quarter. The stock shed $2.53 to $38.34.

The major stock indexes in Europe closed higher.

Germany's DAX gained 0.9 percent, while France's CAC 40 added 1.2 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.7 percent.

In Asia, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index closed 0.4 percent higher, while China's Shanghai Composite slipped 0.5 percent. South Korea's KOSPI edged up 0.2 percent. Japan's stock exchange was closed for a holiday.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -37.05 points or ▼ -0.20% on Friday, August 12, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,576.47 ▼ -37.05 ▼ -0.20%
Nasdaq____ 5,232.89 ▲ 4.50 ▲ 0.09%
S&P_500___ 2,184.05 ▼ -1.74 ▼ -0.08%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.24 ▼ -0.05 ▼ -2.19%

NYSE Volume 2,990,760,500
Nasdaq Volume 1,453,337,250

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,916.02 ▲ 1.31 ▲ 0.02%
DAX_____ 10,713.43 ▼ -29.41 ▼ -0.27%
CAC_40__ 4,500.19 ▼ -3.76 ▼ -0.08%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,626.30 ▲ 26.90 ▲ 0.48%
Shanghai_Comp 3,050.67 ▲ 48.03 ▲ 1.60%
Taiwan_Weight 9,150.39 ▲ 18.56 ▲ 0.20%
Nikkei_225___ 16,919.92 ▲ 184.80 ▲ 1.10%
Hang_Seng.__ 22,766.91 ▲ 186.36 ▲ 0.83%
Strait_Times.__ 2,867.40 ▼ -2.42 ▼ -0.08%
NZX_50_Index_ 7,363.10 ▲ 9.27 ▲ 0.13%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/asian-shares-climb-tracking-gains-us-stocks-oil-072821623.html

US stock indexes edge mostly lower; oil rises

Wall Street capped a record-setting week with a day of mostly listless trading Friday that left the three major U.S. stock indexes essentially flat.

The Dow Jones industrial average and the Standard & Poor's 500 index closed slightly lower. The Nasdaq composite eked out a tiny gain, giving the tech-heavy index its fourth record-high close in a week.

Investors mostly focused on the latest batch of company earnings from retailers and other companies, as well as new data indicating that U.S. retail sales in July were more sluggish than expected.

Materials companies fell the most. Energy stocks led the gainers as crude oil prices rose again.

While the retail sales data may have dimmed some traders' views on the economy, most of the selling was likely a reflection of some investors locking in profits while the market remains near its all-time high, said JJ Kinahan, TD Ameritrade's chief strategist.

"It's a summer Friday on a week that we were higher," Kinahan said. "It's more of a 'Why take unnecessary risks? Take some profits, go home happy.'"

The Dow fell 37.05 points, or 0.2 percent, to 18,576.47. The S&P 500 index lost 1.74 points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,184.05. The declines pulled both indexes slightly below their most-recent all-time highs set Thursday.

The Nasdaq bucked the trend, adding 4.49 points, or 0.1 percent, to 5,232.89. The Nasdaq also closed at a record high last Friday, Tuesday and Thursday. It's now up 11 percent over the past seven weeks, the longest winning streak for the index in more than four years.

So far this year, the Dow is up 6.6 percent, the S&PO 500 has gained 6.9 percent and the Nasdaq is up 4.5 percent.

Strong job growth, more stable oil prices and a crop of better-than-expected company earnings have helped lift stocks in recent weeks to record territory.

This week, investors had their eye on the health of retailers. They welcomed the latest quarterly snapshots for Macy's, Kohl's and Nordstrom, sending their shares higher earlier in the week.

Some of that continued Friday as traders cheered results from Nordstrom, J.C. Penney and Dillard's.

Nordtsrom surged 8 percent a day after the department store chain reported earnings that beat Wall Street's expectations. The company also raised its profit guidance for the year. The stock gained $3.82 to $51.38.

J.C. Penney said a pickup in sales helped trim the chain's second-quarter loss from a year earlier. The stock added 61 cents, or 6.1 percent, to $10.55. Dillard's rose 3.4 percent after the retailer posted a second-quarter profit that was larger than analysts expected. Its shares gained $2.26 to $68.67.

Even so, the government's latest retail sales figures appeared to dampen on some of that optimism.

The Commerce Department said that U.S. retail sales held steady in July from the previous month, as Americans spent less at grocery stores, clothing shops, sporting goods and electronics and appliance outlets. Those declines were offset by big increases in auto sales and on online and catalog sales.

Separately, the Labor Department said producer prices posted the biggest drop last month since September, pulled down by tumbling energy, clothing and food prices. Inflation remains modest at both producer and consumer levels.

Despite the downbeat economic data, the market spent much of the day hovering just below its all-time highs.

"It's very understandable that people are not particularly keen to rush into buying at these historically high levels," said Erik Davidson, chief investment officer at Wells Fargo Private Bank. "Add in this economic data that leans to the weaker side and it's not surprising that the market is off a little bit."

Industrial and drilling companies were among the biggest decliners.

Transocean slid the most among stocks in the S&P 500, shedding 47 cents, or 4.5 percent, to $9.90. Steel products manufacturer Nucor fell $1.66, or 3.2 percent, to $50.69, while Alcoa slipped 25 cents, or 2.4 percent, to $10.17.

Oil prices added to recent gains.

Benchmark U.S. crude was rose $1, or 2.3 percent, to close at $44.49 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, added 93 cents, or 2 percent, to close at $46.97 a barrel in London.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline added a penny to $1.37 a gallon, while heating oil rose 2 cents to $1.41 a gallon. Natural gas gained 3 cents to $2.58 per 1,000 cubic feet.

8159

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 59.58 points or ▲ 0.32% on Monday, August 15, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,636.05 ▲ 59.58 ▲ 0.32%
Nasdaq____ 5,262.02 ▲ 29.12 ▲ 0.56%
S&P_500___ 2,190.15 ▲ 6.10 ▲ 0.28%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.28 ▲ 0.04 ▲ 1.83%

NYSE Volume 3,052,156,500
Nasdaq Volume 1,482,564,120

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,941.19 ▲ 25.17 ▲ 0.36%
DAX_____ 10,739.21 ▲ 25.78 ▲ 0.24%
CAC_40__ 4,497.86 ▼ -2.33 ▼ -0.05%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,633.80 ▲ 7.50 ▲ 0.13%
Shanghai_Comp 3,125.20 ▲ 74.53 ▲ 2.44%
Taiwan_Weight 9,148.51 ▼ -1.88 ▼ -0.02%
Nikkei_225___ 16,869.56 ▼ -50.36 ▼ -0.30%
Hang_Seng.__ 22,932.51 ▲ 165.60 ▲ 0.73%
Strait_Times.__ 2,867.21 ▼ -0.19 ▼ -0.01%
NZX_50_Index_ 7,388.35 ▲ 25.25 ▲ 0.34%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/mining-chemicals-companies-lead-us-143345055.html

US stocks again rebound as miners and machinery makers rise

NEW YORK (AP) ”” U.S. stocks closed at a record high Monday behind gains for chemical and machinery companies. Energy companies rose as the price of oil continued its recent recovery.

Makers of chemicals and mining companies made the biggest gains, and machinery companies and banks followed. Investors sold government bonds and utility and phone companies. Those stocks climbed earlier in the year as investors sought safety. Stocks have seesawed between small gains and losses for more than a week as investors consider mixed reports on the health of the economy and a decline in corporate earnings. That hasn't stopped them from setting records, but it's kept investors wary.

"The market has run up in anticipation of better earnings ahead," said Brian Nick, chief investment strategist for TIAA Investments. "If those earnings don't come, we have the Wile E. Coyote moment where we're off the cliff...and we're gonna fall."

The Dow Jones industrial average climbed 59.58 points or 0.3 percent, to 18,636.05. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 6.10 points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,190.15. The Nasdaq composite added 29.12 points, or 0.6 percent, to 5,262.02.

Second-quarter earnings are nearly all in the books, with this week's releases from retailers Home Depot, Wal-Mart and Target among the last to appear. Corporate earnings are down once again this quarter and investors don't expect much growth in the third quarter either, but they are starting to expect improvement after that.

U.S. crude jumped $1.25, or 2.8 percent, to $45.74 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, a benchmark used to price international oils, rose $1.38, or 2.9 percent, to $48.35 a barrel in London. After a steep slide for most of June and July, the price of U.S. crude gained 6.4 percent last week.

Drilling rig operator Transocean added 53 cents, or 5.4 percent, to $10.43. National Oilwell Varco picked up $1.04, or 3.1 percent, to $34.85 and ConocoPhillips rose 81 cents, or 2 percent, to $42.18.

Chemicals company LyondellBasell Industries rose $2.16, or 2.9 percent, to $77.49 and mining and energy company Freeport-McMoRan climbed 35 cents, or 3 percent, to $12.17. Aluminum producer Alcoa gained 35 cents, or 3.4 percent, to $10.52.

Utility companies took the largest losses, as Southern Co. declined 86 cents, or 1.6 percent, to $51.49 and Consolidated Edison sank $1.88, or 2.4 percent, to $76.24. Phone companies and household goods makers also slipped.

Real estate investment trust Mid-America Apartment Communities will buy competitor Post Properties for about $3.9 billion in stock. Both companies own large numbers of rental properties, and demand for rentals has boomed in recent years because many people are being priced out of the housing market.

The deal values Post Properties at about $72.53 a share based on Friday's closing prices. The stock rose $5.86, or 9.4 percent, to $68.08 and Mid-America stock lost $5, or 4.9 percent, to $97.15.

Water treatment company Xylem announced a $1.7 billion deal for Sensus, a company that provides smart meters, network technology, and analytics used by water, electric and gas utilities. Xylem stock advanced $1.87, or 3.9 percent, to $50.32.

A survey showed that U.S. homebuilders are feeling more optimistic about the market as prices and sales of new homes rise. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index rose from last month.

In June new home sales grew by the fastest pace in eight years, aided by continuing job growth and low mortgage rates. Toll Brothers gained 89 cents, or 3.2 percent, to $28.86 and Lennar added 55 cents, or 1.2 percent, to $47.30.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline rose 3 cents to $1.40 a gallon. Heating oil gained 4 cents to $1.45 a gallon. Natural gas held steady at $2.59 per 1,000 cubic feet.

The price of gold rose $4.30 to $1,347.50 an ounce. Silver advanced 14 cents to $19.85 an ounce. Copper picked up 1 cent to $2.15 a pound.

The dollar fell to 101.25 yen from 101.27 yen and the euro rose to $1.1183 from $1.1164.

Japan's economy grew at a lower-than-forecast 0.2 percent pace in the April-June quarter, as private demand and exports remained weak. That could push the Bank of Japan to take additional steps to stimulate the national economy. The bank approved a new stimulus package earlier this month, but that wasn't enough to please investors.

Germany's DAX was up 0.2 percent and the CAC 40 of France dipped less than 0.1 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 gained 0.4 percent. Japan's Nikkei 225 edged 0.3 percent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose 0.7 percent.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -84.03 points or ▼ -0.45% on Tuesday, August 16, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,552.02 ▼ -84.03 ▼ -0.45%
Nasdaq____ 5,227.11 ▼ -34.90 ▼ -0.66%
S&P_500___ 2,178.15 ▼ -12.00 ▼ -0.55%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.30 ▲ 0.02 ▲ 0.97%

NYSE Volume 3,183,755,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,635,634,380

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,893.92 ▼ -47.27 ▼ -0.68%
DAX_____ 10,676.65 ▼ -62.56 ▼ -0.58%
CAC_40__ 4,460.44 ▼ -37.42 ▼ -0.83%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,625.70 ▼ -8.10 ▼ -0.14%
Shanghai_Comp 3,110.04 ▼ -15.16 ▼ -0.49%
Taiwan_Weight 9,110.36 ▼ -38.15 ▼ -0.42%
Nikkei_225___ 16,596.51 ▼ -273.05 ▼ -1.62%
Hang_Seng.__ 22,910.84 ▼ -21.67 ▼ -0.09%
Strait_Times.__ 2,858.80 ▼ -8.41 ▼ -0.29%
NZX_50_Index_ 7,310.67 ▼ -77.68 ▼ -1.05%

http://www.readingeagle.com/ap/arti...-investors-sell-safe-picks&template=mobileart

US stocks slip from records as investors sell safe picks
By MARLEY JAY, AP Markets Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks slid Tuesday as investors continued to sell phone company and utility shares. Energy companies rose with the price of oil, but stocks have been locked in an up-and-down pattern for more than a week.

As the dollar weakened, the price of oil rose for the fourth day in a row to sustain a recent recovery and metals prices also rose. The Labor Department said inflation remains low, as prices paid by consumers were unchanged in July. Most stocks were down, but for the second day in a row, the biggest losses went to traditionally safe investments like telecom and utility companies. Bond prices also inched lower.

The dollar has been very strong over the last few years compared to other currencies. Early this year it looked like the dollar would stay at those elevated levels because the Federal Reserve was raising interest rates while other global central banks were cutting them to stimulate their economies. John Cannally, chief economic strategist for LPL Financial, said the Fed has changed course. By leaving interest rates where they are, it has allowed the currency to weaken a bit, aiding U.S. manufacturing and energy companies and other exporters.

"The Fed is using the dollar as sort of a tool of monetary policy," he said. "The Fed wants to give China and emerging markets time to heal and get their houses in order."

The Dow Jones industrial average lost 84.03 points, or 0.5 percent, to 18,552.02. The Standard & Poor's 500 index slid 12 points, or 0.5 percent, to 2,178.15. The Nasdaq composite fell 34.90 points, or 0.7 percent, to 5,227.11. Stocks have been setting records recently, but it's been more than a week since they rose for two days in a row. The market hasn't made many big moves over the last month.

The Labor Department said prices paid by consumers were unchanged in July as gas and other energy prices kept inflation down. Core inflation, which leaves out food and fuel prices, inched up just 0.1 percent for the month. Overall, inflation is up just 0.8 percent over the last year. That's far below the 2-percent target set by the Federal Reserve, and investors concluded that means the Fed is less likely to raise interest rates soon.

The dollar fell to 100.25 yen from 101.25 yen. The euro rose to $1.1277 from $1.1183. The weakening dollar boosted energy and metals prices Tuesday. Benchmark U.S. crude added 84 cents, or 1.8 percent, to $46.58 per barrel in New York. Brent crude, a benchmark used to price international oils, rose 88 cents, or 1.8 percent, to $49.23 a barrel in London. Oil prices climbed last week after steep losses in June and July.

That aided companies like pipeline operator Kinder Morgan, which rose 48 cents, or 2.3 percent, to $21.78. Apache Corp. added $1.09, or 2.2 percent, to $50.97.

Metals prices also rose. Gold gained $9.40 to $1,456.90 an ounce. Silver added 3 cents to $19.87 an ounce. Copper edged up 2 cents to $2.17 a pound. Bond prices dipped and the yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.58 percent from 1.56 percent.

Stocks have wavered lately as investors review mixed reports about the U.S. economy as they try to get a sense of its health. On Tuesday the Federal Reserve said U.S. factories cranked out more autos, machinery and chemicals in July, which suggests manufacturers might be recovering, though growth remains little changed from a year ago and manufacturers aren't adding many jobs. Meanwhile the Commerce Department said the pace of home construction grew by the most since February.

Tea maker Hain Celestial Group delayed its quarterly report because of accounting issues and said it doesn't expect to reach its financial projections for the year. The stock tumbled $14.05, or 26.3 percent, to $39.35.

Uniform maker Cintas said it will buy G&K Services, a uniform and facility services maker, for $97.50 a share, or $1.93 billion. G&K Services advanced $14.57, or 17.7 percent, to $96.70 and Cintas stock gained $5.57, or 5.2 percent, to $112.99.

Beauty products maker Coty posted results that surpassed expectations, but said little about its purchase of Procter & Gamble's beauty business, a $15 billion deal expected to close in the next few months. Coty said it's "premature" to comment on how the combined business will do. The stock skidded $1.47, or 4.9 percent, to $28.28.

TJX, the parent of T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and other stores, traded lower after saying higher wages and the strong dollar will hurt its results in the third quarter. Its stock gave up $4.80, or 5.8 percent, to $77.97.

Dick's Sporting Goods announced better-than-expected quarterly results and raised its projections for the year. Its stock jumped $3.87, or 6.1 percent, to $58.76.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline rose 2 cents to $1.42 a gallon. Heating oil picked up 1 cent to $1.46 a gallon. Natural gas gained 3 cents to $2.62 per 1,000 cubic feet.

The CAC 40 in France shed 0.8 percent and Britain's FTSE 100 lost 0.7 percent. Germany's DAX fell 0.6 percent. Japan's Nikkei 225 slid 1.6 percent as the yen gained against the U.S. dollar. South Korea's Kospi took a 0.1-percent loss and Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was down 0.1 percent.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 21.92 points or ▲ 0.12% on Wednesday, August 17, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,573.94 ▲ 21.92 ▲ 0.12%
Nasdaq____ 5,228.66 ▲ 1.55 ▲ 0.03%
S&P_500___ 2,182.22 ▲ 4.07 ▲ 0.19%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.27 ▼ -0.02 ▼ -1.09%

NYSE Volume 3,377,591,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,681,078,120

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,859.15 ▼ -34.77 ▼ -0.50%
DAX_____ 10,538.13 ▼ -138.52 ▼ -1.30%
CAC_40__ 4,417.84 ▼ -42.60 ▼ -0.96%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,628.10 ▲ 2.40 ▲ 0.04%
Shanghai_Comp 3,109.55 ▼ -0.48 ▼ -0.02%
Taiwan_Weight 9,117.70 ▲ 7.34 ▲ 0.08%
Nikkei_225___ 16,745.64 ▲ 149.13 ▲ 0.90%
Hang_Seng.__ 22,799.78 ▼ -111.06 ▼ -0.48%
Strait_Times.__ 2,843.35 ▼ -15.45 ▼ -0.54%
NZX_50_Index_ 7,355.02 ▲ 44.35 ▲ 0.61%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-earnings-hit-retailers-161613106.html

US stocks get modest lift from Federal Reserve comments

NEW YORK (AP) -- U.S. stocks closed barely higher Wednesday as big gains for utilities balanced out losses for retailers like Lowe's, Target and Staples.

Stocks fell in morning trading as a recent slump in phone company and utility stocks continued. But the indexes reversed directions after noon as those stocks turned higher, as did banks and household goods makers. Investors scrutinized the minutes from the Federal Reserve's late July meeting and found no suggestion the central bank's in any hurry to raise interest rates.

Federal Reserve officials felt near-term risks to the U.S. economy have diminished as job growth improved in June and July. It said another boost in interest rates might be warranted before long, but investors doubt that will happen in September and they're not sure if it will happen in the months after that.

"The minutes today were not any kind of a surprise," said Scott Wren, senior global equity strategist for the Wells Fargo Investment Institute. "There's probably some relief there."

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 21.92 points, or 0.1 percent, to 18,573.94. The Standard & Poor's 500 index gained 4.07 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,182.22 after falling as much as 10 points early on. The Nasdaq composite inched up 1.55 points to 5,228.66. That left the market little changed from Tuesday and continued a persistent pattern of small moves for U.S. stocks.

Utility companies made the biggest gains, as low interest rates and bond yields make their big dividend payments more appealing. Dominion Resources jumped $1.97, or 2.6 percent, to $76.65 and Xcel Energy added 69 cents, or 1.7 percent, to $42.33.

Bond prices turned higher and the yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 1.55 percent from 1.58 percent. The dollar weakened, falling to 100.19 yen from 100.25 yen. The euro rose to $1.1290 from $1.1277. In recent days the Fed's decision to leave rates unchanged has weakened the dollar, helping exporters.

Consumer companies slumped after weak results and forecasts for some major retailers. Home improvement retailer Lowe's cut its annual profit forecast after it reported a profit that was smaller than analysts expected, and sales at older stores were weak. Those sales are considered an important measurement of retailer performance. Lowe's stock fell $4.60, or 5.6 percent, to $76.88. Target also lowered its profit projections as it deals with stiff competition. Its stock lost $4.85, or 6.4 percent, to $70.63.

Office supply retailer Staples fell after disappointing analysts with its forecasts, which included further sales declines. Its stock fell 66 cents, or 7.1 percent, to $8.67. Rival Office Depot lost 26 cents, or 6.9 percent, to $3.52.

Urban Outfitters jumped after it disclosed solid second-quarter results. The company said sales at older stores improved, surprising analysts who expected a decline. The stock gained $4.71, or 15.4 percent, to $36.05. It's up 58 percent this year, wiping out a steep loss from 2015.

Barnes & Noble tumbled after the book seller said CEO Ronald Boire is leaving after less than a year in the job. The company said its board determined that Boire was not a good fit. Chairman and former CEO Leonard Riggio, who was scheduled to retire next month, will stay with the company as it seeks a new CEO.

Barnes & Noble has been cutting costs and closing stores as it copes with people doing more of their shopping online and at discount stores. Its stock sank $1.47, or 11 percent, to $11.91.

Oil prices climbed after the Energy Information Administration said U.S. crude oil inventories shrank by 2.5 million barrels last week and gas stockpiles decreased by 2.7 million barrels. The declines were larger than expected, which is generally good for oil prices. Benchmark U.S. crude added 21 cents to $46.79 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, inched up 62 cents, or 1.3 percent, to $49.85 a barrel in London.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline added 3 cents to $1.45 a gallon and heating oil rose 3 cents to $1.49 a gallon. Natural gas held steady a $2.62 per 1,000 cubic feet.

The price of gold fell $8.10 to $1,348.80 an ounce. Silver fell 23 cents, or 1.1 percent, to $19.65 an ounce. Copper gave up 2 cents to $2.15 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 23.76 points or ▲ 0.13% on Thursday, August 18, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,597.70 ▲ 23.76 ▲ 0.13%
Nasdaq____ 5,240.15 ▲ 11.49 ▲ 0.22%
S&P_500___ 2,187.02 ▲ 4.80 ▲ 0.22%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.26 ▼ -0.01 ▼ -0.62%

NYSE Volume 3,259,865,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,602,493,120

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,868.96 ▲ 9.81 ▲ 0.14%
DAX_____ 10,603.03 ▲ 65.36 ▲ 0.62%
CAC_40__ 4,437.06 ▲ 19.38 ▲ 0.44%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,607.30 ▼ -20.80 ▼ -0.37%
Shanghai_Comp 3,104.11 ▼ -5.44 ▼ -0.17%
Taiwan_Weight 9,122.50 ▲ 4.80 ▲ 0.05%
Nikkei_225___ 16,486.01 ▼ -259.63 ▼ -1.55%
Hang_Seng.__ 23,023.16 ▲ 223.38 ▲ 0.98%
Strait_Times.__ 2,836.98 ▼ -6.37 ▼ -0.22%
NZX_50_Index_ 7,385.12 ▲ 30.10 ▲ 0.41%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-wobble-energy-companies-141841613.html

US stocks edge higher as energy prices rise; dollar weakens

NEW YORK (AP) -- U.S. stocks again ticked higher Thursday as the continuing rebound in oil prices gave energy companies a lift. The gains were modest, however, as investors have been avoiding big moves. The dollar weakened further, and compared to the yen it's at its lowest in almost three years.

Stocks wobbled in the early part of the day, but energy companies were a standout as the price of U.S. oil reached its highest level since the beginning of July. The weakening dollar aided exporters including technology and chemical companies. The market turned higher in the afternoon. Phone company stocks continued to slump, as did financial firms. Stocks haven't moved much this week and haven't made many big moves over the last month.

Ryan Detrick, senior market strategist for LPL Financial, said the U.S. market tends to be calm in August and trading volume is usually low. Lower trading volume means surprising events can cause big swings for stocks, but so far, it's made this month the opposite of January and early February, when stocks tumbled and the markets were rattled.

"We had record volatility to start the year and these things do tend to revert," he said. "It's amazing how quickly things change."

The Dow Jones industrial average picked up 23.76 points, or 0.1 percent, to 18,597.70. The Standard & Poor's 500 added 4.80 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,187.02. The Nasdaq composite rose 11.49 points, or 0.2 percent, to 5,240.15.

Benchmark U.S. crude gained $1.43, or 3.1 percent, to $48.22 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, rose $1.04, or 2.1 percent, to $50.89 a barrel in London. That gave energy companies a lift, and Marathon Oil rose 98 cents, or 6.2 percent, to $16.68 while Devon Energy gained $1.45, or 3.3 percent, to $44.76.

Oil prices have rallied over the last two weeks, but they have essentially remained between $40 and $50 a barrel for the last four months. After oil traded as low as $26.21 a barrel in February, that relative stability has boosted energy company stocks.

The dollar fell to 99.98 yen, its lowest level since October 2013. The euro rose to $1.1354 from $1.1290. The dollar was worth about 120 yen at the start of the year and it's been gradually weakening. A weaker dollar is good for U.S. exporters like chemical, mining and technology companies.

On Wednesday the Federal Reserve released minutes from its latest meeting, which investors took as new confirmation the Fed is in no hurry to raise interest rates again.

Detrick cautioned that the yen sometimes gains strength when investors are nervous

Wal-Mart Stores climbed $1.37, or 1.9 percent, to $74.30. The world's largest retailer raised its annual estimates after reporting strong results for the second quarter. The company is revamping stores and has won back some customers. Wal-Mart, which has lost sales to sites like Amazon as people make more purchases online, is also buying online retailer Jet.com for $3 billion as it fights for more online shoppers.

Internet gear maker Cisco Systems reported unimpressive quarterly results and said it will lay off 5,500 employees, or about 7 percent of its staff. The company had already cut about 10,000 jobs over the last few years and it joins companies like Microsoft, Intel and HP in eliminating jobs and overhauling its product lines. Its stock lost 24 cents to $30.48.

Prison operating companies nosedived after the Justice Department said it will end or sharply reduce contracts with the companies, saying privately-run prisons have more safety and security problems than prisons run by the government. The number of people in federal prison has fallen in recent years, but 22,000 people were in private prisons at the end of last year. That's about 12 percent of all federal inmates.

Corrections Corp. stock plunged $9.65, or 35.5 percent, to $17.57 and Geo Group tumbled $12.78, or 39.6 percent, to $19.51. Both stocks hit their lowest levels in years. The two companies each get about half their revenue from contracts with the federal government. However the new policy doesn't cover private detention facilities used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and both companies operate those facilities.

Harley-Davidson stock skidded after the U.S. government said the motorcycle company made racing tuners that caused some bikes to emit higher-than-allowed amounts of some types of air pollutants. The shares dropped as much as 8 percent, although they recovered some of those losses after the Justice Department said Harley-Davidson agreed to settle the case by buying back and destroying the devices and paying $15 million. The stock lost 94 cents, or 1.7 percent, to $53.54.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -45.13 points or ▼ -0.24% on Friday, August 19, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,552.57 ▼ -45.13 ▼ -0.24%
Nasdaq____ 5,238.38 ▼ -1.77 ▼ -0.03%
S&P_500___ 2,183.87 ▼ -3.15 ▼ -0.14%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.29 ▲ 0.03 ▲ 1.15%

NYSE Volume 3,073,266,500
Nasdaq Volume 1,576,853,750

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,858.95 ▼ -10.01 ▼ -0.15%
DAX_____ 10,544.36 ▼ -58.67 ▼ -0.55%
CAC_40__ 4,400.52 ▼ -36.54 ▼ -0.82%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,625.40 ▲ 18.10 ▲ 0.32%
Shanghai_Comp 3,108.10 ▲ 3.99 ▲ 0.13%
Taiwan_Weight 9,034.27 ▼ -88.23 ▼ -0.97%
Nikkei_225___ 16,545.82 ▲ 59.81 ▲ 0.36%
Hang_Seng.__ 22,937.22 ▼ -85.94 ▼ -0.37%
Strait_Times.__ 2,844.02 ▲ 7.04 ▲ 0.25%
NZX_50_Index_ 7,405.25 ▲ 20.13 ▲ 0.27%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-skid-market-heads-142725185.html

US stocks take small losses as energy companies slide

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks took small losses Friday to end a quiet week of trading. Energy companies fell as a rally in oil prices faded and investors continue to sell the safe assets they favored earlier this year. Technology and materials companies made small gains.

Stocks were lower all day. While U.S. oil prices rose for the seventh day in a row, investors don't appear to expect further gains and they sold energy company shares. Bond prices fell and yields climbed. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped more than 100 points in early trading, but those losses shrank as technology companies and chemicals makers added to the big gains they've made in recent months.

While stocks haven't made many big moves this summer and the Standard & Poor's 500 index was flat this week, there are signs investors feel comfortable enough to take bigger risks. Karyn Cavanaugh, senior market strategist for Voya Investment Strategies, said investors recognize that the Federal Reserve and other central banks are keeping the stock market stable. So investors are putting more money into energy, materials and tech stocks instead of the companies they turned to during the market turmoil at the start of this year.

"Central banks continue to step in to absorb the risk," Cavanaugh said. "(Investors) don't need the utilities and telecoms anymore."

The Dow shed 45.13 points, or 0.2 percent, to 18,552.57. The S&P 500 fell 3.15 points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,183.87. The Nasdaq composite lost 1.77 points, or less than 0.1 percent, to 5,238.38. The Nasdaq rose for the eighth week in a row, although the gain was just 0.1 percent.

U.S. crude rose 30 cents to $48.52 a barrel in New York. U.S. oil has climbed 17 percent in its seven-day streak, but its prices has stayed between $40 and $50 a barrel for about four months, and with an enormous glut of oil on the market, it may not rise much further. Brent crude, used to price international oils, lost 1 cent to $50.88 a barrel in London.

Chevron lost $1.23, or 1.2 percent, to $102.32 and Exxon Mobil retreated $1.11, or 1.2 percent, to $87.80.

Technology companies made small gains. Applied Materials advanced after the manufacturer of chipmaking equipment disclosed new orders and a contract backlog that were much stronger than analysts had forecast. Its stock rose $1.96, or 7.1 percent, to $29.64. Security software maker Symantec added 61 cents, or 2.6 percent, to $23.72. Apple, which is trading around four-month highs, gained 28 cents to $109.36.

Bond prices are down and yields are up after hitting record lows a month ago. On Friday the yield on the 10-year Treasury note jumped to 1.58 percent from 1.54 percent. The dollar also recovered some of its recent losses and rose to 100.24 yen. The currency finished at 99.98 yen Thursday, its first time below 100 yen since October 2013. The euro dipped to $1.1324 from $1.1354.

Retailers did fairly well, and that limited the losses for consumer companies. Some of the largest gains went to Foot Locker, which reported stronger results than analysts expected. The shoe store climbed $6.81, or 11 percent, to $68.49. Nike also gained $1.69, or 3 percent, to $58.90. Discount retailer Ross Stores raised its profit projections its strong second-quarter report, and its stock rose $2.18, or 3.5 percent, to $65.06.

However beauty products maker Estee Lauder skidded after its profit forecast for the current quarter and the new fiscal year fell far short of estimates. Its stock lost $3.37, or 3.5 percent, to $91.73.

Emerson Electric agreed to buy buying Pentair's valves and controls business for $3.15 billion. Pentair acquired that business from Tyco International in 2012 as part of a larger deal between those companies and said it had $1.8 billion in revenue in 2015. Emerson stock fell $1.69, or 3.1 percent, to $52.98 and Pentair gave up 74 cents, or 1.1 percent, to $65.79.

Farm equipment maker Deere powered to its biggest gain since the end of 2008 after it posted strong results and raised its outlook for the year. The company has been cutting costs as farmers struggle with smaller profits on corn and soybeans thanks to large harvests. Deere stock added $10.38, or 13.5 percent, to $87.32.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline rose 2 cents to $1.51 a gallon. Heating oil rose 4 cents to $1.53 a gallon. Natural gas fell 9 cents to $2.58 per 1,000 cubic feet.

8629

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -23.15 points or ▼ -0.12% on Monday, August 22, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,529.42 ▼ -23.15 ▼ -0.12%
Nasdaq____ 5,244.60 ▲ 6.22 ▲ 0.12%
S&P_500___ 2,182.64 ▼ -1.23 ▼ -0.06%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.24 ▼ -0.05 ▼ -2.14%

NYSE Volume 2,767,042,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,504,529,750

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,828.54 ▼ -30.41 ▼ -0.44%
DAX_____ 10,494.35 ▼ -50.01 ▼ -0.47%
CAC_40__ 4,389.94 ▼ -10.58 ▼ -0.24%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,612.30 ▼ -13.10 ▼ -0.23%
Shanghai_Comp 3,084.81 ▼ -23.30 ▼ -0.75%
Taiwan_Weight 8,981.81 ▼ -52.46 ▼ -0.58%
Nikkei_225___ 16,598.19 ▲ 52.37 ▲ 0.32%
Hang_Seng.__ 22,997.91 ▲ 60.69 ▲ 0.26%
Strait_Times.__ 2,841.19 ▼ -2.83 ▼ -0.10%
NZX_50_Index_ 7,462.16 ▲ 56.91 ▲ 0.77%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stocks-fall-early-trading-oil-140534701.html

Stocks end mostly lower in quiet trade; oil prices decline

NEW YORK (AP) ”” Stocks closed slightly lower in quiet trading Monday after drifting most of the day between gains and losses. Energy companies fell along with the price of oil while biotechnology and drug companies rose after Pfizer announced it was buying a cancer drug maker.

Trading remained subdued, as it has been for most of the month, with many investors remaining on the sidelines until after Labor Day.

The Dow Jones industrial average lost 23.15 points, or 0.1 percent, to 18,529.42. The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 1.23 points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,182.64 and the Nasdaq composite rose 6.22 points, or 0.1 percent, to 5,244.60.

Cancer drug maker Medivation jumped $13.26, or 20 percent, to $80.42 after pharmaceutical giant Pfizer announced it would buy the company for $14 billion, or $81.50 a share. Pfizer is buying Medivation for its heavily used prostate cancer drug Xtandi, which generates roughly $2 billion in sales a year.

The Medivation deal pushed other biotechnology stocks higher as well, helping the Nasdaq do better than the S&P 500 and the Dow. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Vertex Pharmaceuticals and Alexion Pharmaceuticals all rose 3 percent or more.

Monday's trading was extremely light. Roughly 2.73 billion shares changed hands on the New York Stock Exchange, the lightest trading volume so far this year. It is typical for trading to slow in August, with many traders and investors finishing up their summer vacation plans.

Investors have had little to go on for the last couple of weeks. Second-quarter earnings reports are effectively over, and the next major piece of economic news does not come until Friday, when Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen will speak at the Fed's annual conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

While investors do not expect the central bank to raise interest rates at its September meeting, there's always the possibility that it will, as well as the increasing likelihood of a rate increase once the presidential election is finished.

"We are in the calm before it gets much busier after Labor Day," said David Lebovitz, a global market strategist with JP Morgan Funds.

Oil prices fell sharply. U.S. benchmark crude lost $1.47 to close at $47.05 a barrel and Brent crude, used to price oil internationally, declined $1.72 to close at $49.16 a barrel. The drop in energy prices dragged down energy stocks, which lost roughly 1 percent, more than the rest of the market.

U.S. government bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 1.54 percent from 1.58 percent late Friday.

In other energy commodity trading, heating oil fell 3 cents to $1.49 a gallon and wholesale gasoline fell 3 cents to $1.48 a gallon. Natural gas rose 9.5 cents to $2.679 per thousand cubic feet.

Gold fell $2.80 to $1,343.40 an ounce, silver fell 45 cents to $19 an ounce and copper fell 3 cents to $2.15 a pound.

The dollar rose to 100.29 Japanese yen from 100.24 on Friday. It rose against the euro to $1.1323 from $1.1324.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 17.88 points or ▲ 0.10% on Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,547.30 ▲ 17.88 ▲ 0.10%
Nasdaq____ 5,260.08 ▲ 15.47 ▲ 0.30%
S&P_500___ 2,186.90 ▲ 4.26 ▲ 0.20%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.24 ▲ 0.00 ▲ 0.00%

NYSE Volume 3,028,999,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,501,843,620

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,868.51 ▲ 39.97 ▲ 0.59%
DAX_____ 10,592.88 ▲ 98.53 ▲ 0.94%
CAC_40__ 4,421.45 ▲ 31.51 ▲ 0.72%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,647.10 ▲ 34.80 ▲ 0.62%
Shanghai_Comp 3,089.71 ▲ 4.90 ▲ 0.16%
Taiwan_Weight 9,030.93 ▲ 49.12 ▲ 0.55%
Nikkei_225___ 16,497.36 ▼ -100.83 ▼ -0.61%
Hang_Seng.__ 22,998.93 ▲ 1.02 ▲ 0.00%
Strait_Times.__ 2,850.43 ▲ 9.24 ▲ 0.33%
NZX_50_Index_ 7,467.33 ▲ 5.17 ▲ 0.07%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/markets-rise-following-upbeat-european-141139015.html

Modest but steady gains for US indexes; homebuilders soar

NEW YORK (AP) ”” Stocks posted modest gains on Tuesday, bringing indexes nearly back to the record levels they reached last week. Homebuilders rose sharply following a big jump in sales of new homes last month, and Best Buy soared after the electronics retailer reported a surge in profit as online sales increased.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 17.88 points, or 0.1 percent, to 18,547.30. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 4.26 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,186.90 and the Nasdaq composite rose 15.47 points, or 0.3 percent, to 5,260.08.

It was another quiet day in trading on Wall Street. Volume on the New York Stock Exchange was again below 3 billion shares, marking one of the slowest days of the year. Monday was the slowest day so far in 2016. Investors have had little in the way of economic data or company news to react to for the last couple of weeks, and many traders are on vacation in the ending days of summer.

This week's biggest event is Friday, when Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen is due to speak at an annual conference of central bankers in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The Fed is not expected to raise interest rates at its September meeting, but Yellen's comments will be dissected for clues on the likelihood and timing of a future hike.

Investors did respond positively to a survey from the 19-country eurozone that showed business activity expanded in August at a modest but steady pace. It was a sign that companies were not overly worried about Britain's decision to leave the European Union. The IHS Markit survey of purchasing managers also reached a seven-month high.

Germany's DAX closed up 0.9 percent, France's CAC-40 rose 0.7 percent and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 rose 0.6 percent.

Stocks also benefited from news that Americans stepped up their purchases of new homes in July at the fastest pace in nearly nine years. Luxury homebuilder Toll Brothers rose nearly 9 percent, while PulteGroup and Lennar rose roughly 3 percent each.

In individual companies, Best Buy jumped $6.43, or 20 percent, to $39.23 after the retailer reported results that beat analysts' estimates. Notably, Best Buy said sales in stores open at least a year rose in the latest quarter, a sign that the company's turnaround strategy is working in the face of strong competition from Amazon and other online retailers.

Drugmaker Mylan fell $2.28, or 5 percent, to $45.62, the second-biggest drop in the S&P 500, following growing outrage over the skyrocketing price increases for Mylan's EpiPen product, which is used treat people who may be suffering from a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction.

Republicans and Democrats in Congress have started asking questions about Mylan's price increases. The EpiPen, invented in the 1970s, used to be roughly $100 for two pens only a few years ago, but now costs roughly $600 for the same two pens.

Analysts at Citi said in a note Tuesday that the political pressure is likely to continue to weigh on Mylan's stock, referencing the pressure Valeant Pharmaceuticals faced over the past year when it also had to respond to political pressure over its drug pricing tactics.

U.S. government bond prices were little changed. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note held steady at 1.55 percent. The dollar slipped to 100.22 yen from 100.29 yen late Monday. The euro fell to $1.1305 from $1.1323.

Crude oil closed up 69 cents to $48.10 a barrel while Brent crude, used to price oil internationally, rose 80 cents to $49.96.

In other energy trading, heating oil rose 1.5 cents to $1.502 a gallon, wholesale gasoline rose 1.5 cents to $1.499 a gallon and natural gas rose 8 cents to $2.761 per thousand cubic feet.

In metals, gold rose $2.70 to $1,346.10 an ounce, silver rose 7 cents to $19.07 an ounce and copper fell 3 cents to $2.126 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -65.82 points or ▼ -0.35% on Wednesday, August 24, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,481.48 ▼ -65.82 ▼ -0.35%
Nasdaq____ 5,217.69 ▼ -42.38 ▼ -0.81%
S&P_500___ 2,175.44 ▼ -11.46 ▼ -0.52%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.24 ▲ 0.01 ▲ 0.31%

NYSE Volume 3,141,600,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,658,850,250

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,831.98 ▼ -36.53 ▼ -0.53%
DAX_____ 10,622.97 ▲ 30.09 ▲ 0.28%
CAC_40__ 4,435.47 ▲ 14.02 ▲ 0.32%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,653.60 ▲ 6.50 ▲ 0.12%
Shanghai_Comp 3,085.88 ▼ -3.83 ▼ -0.12%
Taiwan_Weight 9,017.38 ▼ -13.55 ▼ -0.15%
Nikkei_225___ 16,597.30 ▲ 99.94 ▲ 0.61%
Hang_Seng.__ 22,820.78 ▼ -178.15 ▼ -0.77%
Strait_Times.__ 2,869.57 ▲ 19.14 ▲ 0.67%
NZX_50_Index_ 7,410.30 ▼ -57.03 ▼ -0.76%

http://local12.com/health/health-updates/stocks-end-lower-as-health-care-companies-decline

Stocks end lower as health-care companies decline
By Ken Sweet/ AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) - Stocks closed lower on Wednesday, led by sharp declines in health-care companies as outrage over the steep price hikes for Mylan's EpiPens escalates.

Trading remains quiet overall with many investors still on vacation. It was another below-average day of trading volume on the New York Stock Exchange.

The Dow Jones industrial average lost 65.82 points, or 0.4 percent, to 18,481.48. The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 11.46 points, or 0.5 percent, to 2,175.44 and the Nasdaq composite lost 42.38 points, or 0.8 percent, to 5,217.69.

Major indexes were down slightly for most of the day, and the losses deepened as a late-day sell-off in drugmakers dragged the broader market lower. Mylan dropped $2.47, or 5.5 percent, to $43.15 after falling nearly 5 percent the day before.

Outrage over Mylan's price increases for its EpiPen product continues to grow. Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton issued a statement Wednesday calling Mylan's price increases "outrageous" and called for the company to reduce its prices for EpiPens immediately. She is the latest in a bipartisan group of politicians who have raised concerns about Mylan's pricing.

EpiPens are medical devices designed to deliver adrenaline to a patient suffering from a potentially fatal allergic reaction. Allergy sufferers often have to carry more than one because they always need to be close by in case of an emergency. Mylan, which bought the rights to the product in 2007, has raised the price from roughly $100 for two pens to roughly $600.

Other biotechnology and drugmaker stocks also fell as investors anticipated that pressure over drug pricing practices could spread to other drugmakers. Vertex Pharmaceuticals fell $4.28, or 4.2 percent, to $96.71 and Allergan fell $9.94, or 3.9 percent, to $243.77.

Metals and mining stocks also took hefty losses following disappointing results from the European mining giant Glencore. The company reported a loss and continues to sell off billions in assets to pay down its massive debt load.

Freeport-McMoRan slumped 90 cents, or 7.5 percent, to $11.08 and Newmont Mining lost $3.30, or 7.5 percent, to $39.85.

Stocks remain stuck in a narrow range, as they have over the last two weeks. Many traders are on vacation and with no economic data and very few company earnings being released, investors are hesitant to make big moves.

"Barring some unforeseen event, this will continue to be the pattern until after Labor Day," said J.J. Kinahan, chief strategist at TD Ameritrade.

Investors are awaiting a speech Friday by Fed Chair Janet Yellen at an annual conference of central bankers in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The Fed is expected to hold off on raising interest rates at its September meeting, but Yellen's comments will be dissected for clues on the likelihood and timing of a future hike.

"The market has basically come to a standstill waiting for her," Kinahan said.

Benchmark crude oil fell $1.33 to $46.77 a barrel while Brent crude, which is used to price oil internationally, fell 91 cents to $49.05 a barrel. The drop in crude prices did not have a negative effect on energy stocks, which fell less than the rest of the market.

In other energy commodities, heating oil fell less than 1 cent to $1.496 a gallon, wholesale gasoline rose 1 cent to $1.51 a gallon and natural gas rose 3.5 cents to $2.796 per thousand cubic feet.

The yield on the benchmark U.S. 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.56 percent from 1.55 percent the day before. The dollar rose to 100.49 yen from 100.22 yen, while the euro fell to $1.1261 from $1.1305.

Precious and industrial metals futures closed lower. Gold lost $16.40 to $1,329.70 an ounce, silver fell 38 cents to $18.69 an ounce and copper gave up 4 cents to close at $2.09 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -33.07 points or ▼ -0.18% on Thursday, August 25, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,448.41 ▼ -33.07 ▼ -0.18%
Nasdaq____ 5,212.20 ▼ -5.49 ▼ -0.11%
S&P_500___ 2,172.47 ▼ -2.97 ▼ -0.14%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.26 ▲ 0.02 ▲ 0.94%

NYSE Volume 2,950,506,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,461,841,500

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,816.90 ▼ -18.88 ▼ -0.28%
DAX_____ 10,529.59 ▼ -93.38 ▼ -0.88%
CAC_40__ 4,406.25 ▼ -29.22 ▼ -0.66%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,631.40 ▼ -22.20 ▼ -0.39%
Shanghai_Comp 3,068.33 ▼ -17.55 ▼ -0.57%
Taiwan_Weight 9,115.47 ▲ 98.09 ▲ 1.09%
Nikkei_225___ 16,555.95 ▼ -41.35 ▼ -0.25%
Hang_Seng.__ 22,826.87 ▲ 6.09 ▲ 0.03%
Strait_Times.__ 2,876.93 ▲ 7.36 ▲ 0.26%
NZX_50_Index_ 7,427.28 ▲ 16.98 ▲ 0.23%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stocks-drift-between-small-gains-143541351.html

Health care sector pulls stock market lower again

NEW YORK (AP) ”” Stocks fell in light trading for a second day on Thursday as investors sifted through a mix of earnings reports.

The major indexes wavered between small gains and losses in the morning, then moved lower in the afternoon as investors dumped health care stocks. Disappointing earnings from a few retailers helped push down stocks of companies that rely on consumer spending.

The losses were modest, and both the Standard & Poor's 500 index and Dow Jones industrial average remain close to their record highs hit last week. Many investors are holding back from big bets now that the bulk of earnings reports are out and many traders are still on vacation. Only 2.9 billion shares traded hand on the New York Stock Exchange, a very low level.

"We're in an information vacuum," said Joseph Tanious, senior investment strategist at Bessemer Trust.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 33.07 points, or 0.2 percent, to 18,448.41. The S&P 500 gave up 2.97 points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,172.47. The Nasdaq composite edged down 5.49 points, or 0.1 percent, to 5,212.20.

Biotech stocks stumbled again. Celgene and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals each fell more than 1 percent as investors worry about a backlash in Washington against increases in prices that politicians say amount to price gouging. Mylan, which has been under fire for steep increases in its EpiPen anti-allergy medicine, fell 0.7 percent.

Tiffany & Co. rose the most in the S&P 500 after the luxury retailer reported a slight increase in fiscal second-quarter profits that beat analyst estimates. It rose $4.41, or 6.4 percent, to $73.28.

Results from other companies were disappointing.

The biggest loser in S&P 500 was Dollar General, which plunged $16.18, or nearly 18 percent, to $75.61 after reporting earnings and revenue that fell short of forecasts. Signet Jewelers, the second-biggest decliner, fell $12.06, or nearly 13 percent, to $83.44 after its results also missed estimates.

Overall, earnings per share for companies in the S&P 500 are expected to fall 1.8 percent in the second quarter, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. That would be the fourth quarter in a row of drops, nearly unheard of outside of a recession.

Many analysts expect earnings to surge toward the end of the year, which may explain why stocks are holding near highs. But some experts are not convinced.

"If you look at earnings, they're just not that great," said Phil Blancato, CEO of Ladenburg Thalmann Asset Management. "There isn't enough news to get people to sell and there isn't enough news to get people to buy."

In overseas trading, Germany's DAX dropped 0.9 percent, France's CAC-40 lost 0.7 and Britain's FTSE 100 fell 0.3 percent. Major markets in Asia were mostly unchanged. Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 0.2 percent.

Benchmark U.S. crude oil rose 55 cents to $47.32 a barrel. Brent crude, which is used to price oil internationally, rose 55 cents to $49.60 a barrel. Wholesale gasoline was little changed at $1.51 a gallon, heating oil rose 1 cent to $1.51 a gallon and natural gas rose 5 cents to $2.85 per 1,000 cubic feet.

U.S. government bond prices slipped. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 1.58 percent. The dollar rose to 100.57 yen from 100.49 yen, while the euro rose to $1.1281 from $1.1261.

The price of gold fell $5.10 to $1,324.60 an ounce, silver fell 7 cents to $18.62 an ounce and copper was little changed at $2.08 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -53.01 points or ▼ -0.29% on Friday, August 26, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,395.40 ▼ -53.01 ▼ -0.29%
Nasdaq____ 5,218.92 ▲ 6.71 ▲ 0.13%
S&P_500___ 2,169.04 ▼ -3.43 ▼ -0.16%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.30 ▲ 0.03 ▲ 1.41%

NYSE Volume 3,328,976,500
Nasdaq Volume 1,502,397,880

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,838.05 ▲ 21.15 ▲ 0.31%
DAX_____ 10,587.77 ▲ 58.18 ▲ 0.55%
CAC_40__ 4,441.87 ▲ 35.26 ▲ 0.80%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,607.40 ▼ -24.00 ▼ -0.43%
Shanghai_Comp 3,070.31 ▲ 1.98 ▲ 0.06%
Taiwan_Weight 9,131.72 ▲ 16.25 ▲ 0.18%
Nikkei_225___ 16,360.71 ▼ -195.24 ▼ -1.18%
Hang_Seng.__ 22,909.54 ▲ 94.59 ▲ 0.41%
Strait_Times.__ 2,857.65 ▼ -19.28 ▼ -0.67%
NZX_50_Index_ 7,391.30 ▼ -35.98 ▼ -0.48%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stocks-rising-early-trading-following-135947543.html

Stocks end mostly lower after Yellen speech

NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks ended mostly lower on Friday after Federal Reserve officials said the case has strengthened for raising interest rates above the super-low levels that have helped fuel a seven-year bull market.

Major U.S. indexes initially climbed after a speech by Fed Chair Janet Yellen that was bullish on the economy but gave no timetable for future rate increases. Then investors began to have second thoughts, wondering if an increase was possible as early as next month, and buyers turned to sellers.

By the close of trading, seven of the 10 sectors of the Standard and Poor's 500 index had fallen, led by a 2.1 percent drop in utilities. Investors frustrated with low-yielding bonds have flocked to utilities for their steady dividends, but higher rates would make those stocks less attractive.

The S&P 500 slipped 3.43 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,169.04. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 53.01 points, or 0.3 percent, to 18,395.40. The Nasdaq composite rose 6.71 points, or 0.1 percent, to 5,218.92.

In her speech in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Yellen noted that the Fed is moving toward raising interest rates in light of a solid job market and an improved outlook for the economy. But she stopped short of signaling when the next rate hike might be.

Stocks climbed as investors perceived her comments as "dovish," meaning a continuation of the easy money policies. Yields on government bonds fell.

But by the end of the day both stocks and bonds had reversed, with the yield on the 10-year Treasury note rising to 1.62 percent from 1.58 percent late Thursday.

Perhaps helping the turn of sentiment were comments on CNBC from Fed Vice Chair Stanley Fischer suggesting the central bank could raise rates twice before year's end, instead of once in December as many investors had been expecting.

Lisa Kopp, senior vice president at U.S. Bank Wealth Management, said she wasn't surprised by the selling given the "jitteriness" in the markets.

"Anything that's not going to be straight-out dovish is going to be disappointing," she said.

Yellen's speech on Friday notwithstanding, not everyone is convinced a rate hike is coming soon.

"She suggests the economy is improving, but the GDP numbers for the past three quarters are closer to 1 percent than three percent," said Bruce Bittles, chief investment strategist at R.W. Baird. "That is very anemic."

A report early in the day from the Commerce Department showed GDP, or gross domestic product, for the second quarter rose by a revised 1.1 percent, slightly lower than initially forecast.

Since exiting the recession in the summer of 2009, the U.S. economy has been growing sluggishly, making it the slowest recovery since World War II.

Among stocks making moves on Friday, Herbalife fell $1.43, or 2.3 percent, to $60.50 after news reports that that Carl Icahn, the company's biggest shareholder and defender, has been trying to unload his stake in the embattled company. After trading closed, Icahn said the reports were wrong and, in fact, he has bought more shares.

Design software company Autodesk jumped $5.17, or 8 percent, to $68.87 after reporting a small profit, beating expectations of a loss.

Earnings per share for companies in the S&P 500 index are expected to fall 1.8 percent in the second quarter, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. That would be the fourth quarter in a row of drops.

In overseas markets, Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.3 percent, Germany's DAX gained 0.6 percent and France's CAC 40 climbed 0.8 percent.

In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 1.2 percent after consumer prices fell the most in three years in July. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose 0.4 percent.

Benchmark U.S. crude oil rose 31 cents to close at $47.64 a barrel. Brent crude, used to price oil internationally, rose 25 cents to close at $49.92 a barrel.

Wholesale gasoline was little changed at $1.52 a gallon, heating oil slipped 1 cent to $1.50 a gallon and natural gas rose 2.5 cents to $2.871 per 1,000 cubic feet.

The dollar rose to 101.86 yen from 100.57 yen the previous day. The euro fell to $1.1183 from $1.1281.

Gold rose $1.30 to $1,325.90 an ounce, silver rose 13 cents to $18.75 an ounce and copper was little changed at $2.08 a pound.

9340

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 107.59 points or ▲ 0.58% on Monday, August 29, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,502.99 ▲ 107.59 ▲ 0.58%
Nasdaq____ 5,232.33 ▲ 13.41 ▲ 0.26%
S&P_500___ 2,180.38 ▲ 11.34 ▲ 0.52%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.22 ▼ -0.08 ▼ -3.48%

NYSE Volume 2,644,450,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,389,341,500

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,838.05 ▲ 21.15 ▲ 0.31% BANK HOLIDAY
DAX_____ 10,544.44 ▼ -43.33 ▼ -0.41%
CAC_40__ 4,424.25 ▼ -17.62 ▼ -0.40%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,561.50 ▼ -45.90 ▼ -0.82%
Shanghai_Comp 3,070.03 ▼ -0.28 ▼ -0.01%
Taiwan_Weight 9,110.17 ▼ -21.55 ▼ -0.24%
Nikkei_225___ 16,737.49 ▲ 376.78 ▲ 2.30%
Hang_Seng.__ 22,821.34 ▼ -88.20 ▼ -0.38%
Strait_Times.__ 2,829.43 ▼ -28.22 ▼ -0.99%
NZX_50_Index_ 7,367.26 ▼ -24.04 ▼ -0.33%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stocks-open-moderately-higher-wall-142009210.html

Banks lead gains on Wall Street on hopes for higher rates

NEW YORK (AP) — Banks led the stock market higher Monday as investors anticipate that the Federal Reserve could raise interest rates this year from their historically low levels. That could help banks recover from a long slump by making lending more profitable.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 107.59 points, or 0.6 percent, to 18,502.99. The Standard & Poor's 500 index climbed 11.34 points, or 0.5 percent, to 2,180.38. The Nasdaq composite edged up 13.41 points, or 0.3 percent, to 5,232.33.

Major U.S. banks posted solid gains as traders bet that the Fed was likely to nudge interest rates higher in December or even at its next policy meeting in September. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen told a conference last week that the case for raising rates was strengthening given improvements in the economy.

Raising interest rates from their rock-bottom levels, where they have been since the 2008 financial crisis, could be a good thing not only for markets but for savers, said Rob Lutts, chief investment officer of Cabot Wealth Management in Salem, Mass.

"We're running out of excuses not to raise interest rates," Lutts said. "We're the wealthiest economy on the planet, and everybody who has a bank account is earning virtually zero on those balances today. There's a lot of spending power that may be released in the economy" if savers earn more on their bank accounts, Lutts said.

Wells Fargo, the nation's largest mortgage lender, rose $1.05, or 2.2 percent, to $49.56 and JPMorgan Chase gained 73 cents, or 1.1 percent, to $66.95. Banks are still one of the worst-performing sectors in the market this year. The financial sector of the S&P 500 has gained just 1.8 percent in 2016 versus a 6.7 percent increase for the broader index.

Herbalife added $2.80, or 4.6 percent, to $63.30 after Icahn said late Friday he had bought an additional 2.3 million shares in the supplements and weight-loss products company, and that he never gave an order to sell his $1 billion stake. A Wall Street Journal report earlier Friday said that the investment bank Jefferies had been looking for buyers for Icahn's position.

Overseas, France's CAC 40 lost 0.4 percent and Germany's DAX fell 0.4 percent. The London Stock Exchange was closed for a summer bank holiday. Earlier in Asia, Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 added 2.3 percent South Korea's Kospi fell 0.3 percent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng slipped 0.4 percent.

Benchmark U.S. crude oil fell 66 cents to $46.98 a barrel. Brent crude, used to price oil internationally, lost 66 cents to $49.26 a barrel. In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline fell 5 cents to $1.47 a gallon, heating oil fell 1 cent to $1.49 a gallon and natural gas fell 2 cents to $2.85 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Trading was subdued ahead of the Labor Day holiday weekend in the U.S. Very few companies are reporting earnings this week and there is scant news on the economy, apart from the Labor Department's monthly job survey coming up on Friday.

U.S. government bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 1.56 percent from 1.63 percent. The dollar rose to 101.98 yen from 101.86 yen late Friday. The euro rose to $1.1187 from $1.1183.

Precious and industrial metals futures closed mostly higher. Gold edged up $1.20 to $1,327.10 an ounce, silver gained 11 cents to $18.86 an ounce and copper edged down less than a penny to $2.08 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -48.69 points or ▼ -0.26% on Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,454.30 ▼ -48.69 ▼ -0.26%
Nasdaq____ 5,222.99 ▼ -9.34 ▼ -0.18%
S&P_500___ 2,176.12 ▼ -4.26 ▼ -0.20%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.23 ▲ 0.02 ▲ 0.81%

NYSE Volume 3,002,215,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,534,691,620

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,820.79 ▼ -17.26 ▼ -0.25%
DAX_____ 10,657.64 ▲ 113.20 ▲ 1.07%
CAC_40__ 4,457.49 ▲ 33.24 ▲ 0.75%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,573.50 ▲ 12.00 ▲ 0.22%
Shanghai_Comp 3,074.68 ▲ 4.65 ▲ 0.15%
Taiwan_Weight 9,110.56 ▲ 0.39 ▲ 0.00%
Nikkei_225___ 16,725.36 ▼ -12.13 ▼ -0.07%
Hang_Seng.__ 23,016.11 ▲ 194.77 ▲ 0.85%
Strait_Times.__ 2,828.39 ▼ -1.04 ▼ -0.04%
NZX_50_Index_ 7,387.95 ▲ 20.69 ▲ 0.28%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-st...tors-wait-jobs-report-141942440--finance.html

US stocks mostly lower as investors wait for jobs report

NEW YORK (AP) ”” Stocks fell slightly on Tuesday in another quiet day on Wall Street as hesitant investors remained on the sidelines as a slow summer winds down.

Shares of the candy company Hershey plunged after it walked away from a merger proposal, and Apple slipped after the company was hit with a large tax bill in Europe.

Investors continue to wait to see whether the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates later this year. The next key piece of data is coming on Friday with the August jobs report.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 48.69 points, or 0.3 percent, to 18,454.30. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 4.26 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,176.12 and the Nasdaq composite fell 9.34 points, or 0.2 percent, to 5,222.99.

Trading was extremely light once again, with roughly 2.95 billion shares changing hands on the New York Stock Exchange, the seventh-slowest day of the year. Monday was the slowest trading day of 2016.

Bank stocks were among the few gainers as investors continued to interpret comments from Federal Reserve Chair Yellen and Vice Chair Stanley Fisher at a conference in Wyoming last week as signs the Fed is ready to raise interest rates later this year. In her comments, Yellen said "the case for an increase (in interest rates) has strengthened in recent months."

Banks are a major beneficiary of rising interest rates since they can charge more for loans when interest rates rise.

Bank of America rose 35 cents, or 2 percent, to $16.19, Wells Fargo rose $1.06, or 2 percent, to $50.62 and Morgan Stanley rose 78 cents, or 2.5 percent, to $32.19.

Investors are waiting to see if the Labor Department's monthly jobs survey this week indicates whether the U.S. economy remains on solid footing. Economists expect employers added 182,500 jobs in August and that the unemployment rate fell slightly to 4.8 percent.

A strong jobs report would give the Federal Reserve additional ammunition to raise interest rates either at its September meeting or later this year.

"After Yellen's comments at Jackson Hole, there are some investors who think higher interest rates could hinge on this jobs report," said Scott Wren, a senior global equity strategist at the Wells Fargo Investment Institute.

In other company news, Hershey fell $12.02, or 11 percent, to $99.65 after snack food company Mondelez International said it was walking away from its proposal to buy Hershey for roughly $25 billion.

Mondelez, which makes Oreo cookies and other snack foods, initially proposed to buy the company earlier this summer, but Hershey is a notoriously difficult company to propose mergers with since the majority of the shares are controlled by a non-profit organization.

Apple fell 82 cents, or 0.8 percent, to $106 after the European Union ruled that it has to pay $14.5 billion in back taxes. Both Apple and Ireland said they would appeal the decision, which is the EU's latest and most aggressive move in its campaign to have multinationals pay a fair tax rate.

United Continental rose $4.04, or 8.6 percent, to $50.99 after the company announced it was hiring a former American Airlines executive, Scott Kirby, to become president and take over day-to-day operations.

In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude oil fell 63 cents to $46.35 a barrel. Brent crude, used to price oil internationally, fell 89 cents to $48.37 a barrel. In other energy commodities, heating oil fell 1.5 cents to $1.471 a gallon, wholesale gasoline fell 1.9 cents to $1.448 a gallon and natural gas fell 7 cents to $2.827 per thousand cubic feet.

Bond prices were mostly unchanged. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note edged up to 1.57 percent.

The dollar rose to 102.97 yen from 101.98 yen late Monday. The euro slipped to $1.1139 from $1.1187.

In metals, gold fell $10.60 to $1,316.50 an ounce, silver fell 19 cents to $18.67 an ounce and copper fell less than 1 cent to $2.077 per pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -53.42 points or ▼ -0.29% on Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,400.88 ▼ -53.42 ▼ -0.29%
Nasdaq____ 5,213.22 ▼ -9.77 ▼ -0.19%
S&P_500___ 2,170.95 ▼ -5.17 ▼ -0.24%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.23 ▲ 0.00 ▼ -0.13%

NYSE Volume 3,752,120,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,759,887,500

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,781.51 ▼ -39.28 ▼ -0.58%
DAX_____ 10,592.69 ▼ -64.95 ▼ -0.61%
CAC_40__ 4,438.22 ▼ -19.27 ▼ -0.43%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,529.40 ▼ -44.10 ▼ -0.79%
Shanghai_Comp 3,085.49 ▲ 10.81 ▲ 0.35%
Taiwan_Weight 9,068.85 ▼ -41.71 ▼ -0.46%
Nikkei_225___ 16,887.40 ▲ 162.04 ▲ 0.97%
Hang_Seng.__ 22,976.88 ▼ -39.23 ▼ -0.17%
Strait_Times.__ 2,820.59 ▼ -7.80 ▼ -0.28%
NZX_50_Index_ 7,398.83 ▲ 10.88 ▲ 0.15%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-inch-lower-despite-142439518.html

Energy companies pull US stocks lower as oil prices fall

NEW YORK (AP) ”” U.S. stocks took small losses Wednesday as energy companies fell with the price of oil and chemical and materials companies traded lower. That pulled the market lower for August, ending a five-month winning streak for stocks. The losses were very small, though, as this proved to be one of the quietest months in recent history for stocks.

Stocks traded lower all day and fell for the fifth time in the last six days. The price of oil dropped more than 3 percent after the U.S. government said crude oil stockpiles grew more than expected last week, while gasoline stockpiles didn't shrink as much as investors hoped.

The dollar gained some strength, which sent commodity prices lower, as expectations grew that the Federal Reserve could raise interest rates from their ultra-low levels as early as next month.

"The more the market believes a Fed rate hike is coming based on better economic data, the more the dollar rises," said Quincy Krosby, market strategist at Prudential Financial. "Last Friday (Fed Chair )Janet Yellen put the market on notice that she sees a rate hike in the coming months."

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 53.42 points, or 0.3 percent, to 18,400.88. The Standard & Poor's 500 index gave up 5.17 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,170.95. The Nasdaq composite dipped 9.77 points, or 0.2 percent, to 5,213.22.

Energy prices slumped after the U.S. government said crude oil stockpiles increased by 2.3 million barrels last week, a bigger gain than analysts expected. Gasoline stockpiles shrank, but not as much as investors had hoped.

U.S. crude fell $1.65, or 3.6 percent, to $44.70 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the benchmark for international oil prices, lost $1.33, or 2.7 percent, to $47.04.

That helped send oil and gas companies lower. Chevron gave up $1.12, or 1.1 percent, to $100.58 and Exxon Mobil skidded 38 cents to $87.14. Schlumberger declined $1.64, or 2 percent, to $79.

Tax preparer H&R Block posted a bigger first-quarter loss and less revenue than analysts expected. The company, which reported weak results from tax season this spring, said it is facing more competition in the tax prep industry as well as a growing number of independent tax preparers. H&R Block dropped $2.54, or 10.5 percent, to $21.66. The stock is down 35 percent this year.

Brown-Forman, the maker of liquors including Jack Daniel's whiskey and Finlandia vodka, slumped after its sales fell short of estimates. Brown-Forman said its results were hurt by weak sales in emerging markets and the strong dollar, which makes U.S. goods more expensive overseas. The stock declined $1.78, or 3.5 percent, to $48.55.

Materials companies took some of the biggest losses. Chemicals maker DuPont lost 64 cents to $69.60. Agribusiness giant Monsanto fell 94 cents to $106.50 and building materials company Martin Marietta Materials lost $5.80, or 3.1 percent, to $183.03.

The S&P 500 set records in August, but ended the month down 0.1 percent. The index also traded in one of the narrowest ranges of any month in its history as investors tried to get a feel for the Federal Reserve's plans. The biggest losses went to phone and utility companies, while concerns over drug pricing hurt health care stocks. Banks rose the most as investors gradually became more optimistic that interest rates will increase.

Bond prices slipped, sending yields slightly higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note dipped to 1.58 percent from 1.57 percent. The dollar rose to 103.44 yen from 102.97 yen. The euro rose to $1.1162 from $1.1139.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline fell 4 cents to $1.41 a gallon. Heating oil lost 6 cents to $1.41 a gallon. Natural gas rose 6 cents to $2.89 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Gold fell $5.10 to $1,311.40 an ounce. Silver rose 3 cents to $18.71 an ounce. Copper remained at $2.08 a pound.

In Brazil the Bovespa fell 1.7 percent after the country's Senate voted to remove President Dilma Rousseff from office. The move was expected, but it was a major event in a political fight that has lasted a year and is far from over.

The DAX in Germany shed 0.6 percent and so did Britain's FTSE 100. France's CAC 40 fell 0.4 percent. Earlier, Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 1 percent as investors were cheered by a stronger dollar, which helps Japanese exporters. South Korea's Kospi lost 0.3 percent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng was down 0.2 percent.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 18.42 points or ▲ 0.10% on Thursday, September 1, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,419.30 ▲ 18.42 ▲ 0.10%
Nasdaq____ 5,227.21 ▲ 13.99 ▲ 0.27%
S&P_500___ 2,170.86 ▼ -0.09 ▲ 0.00%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.23 ▲ 0.00 ▼ -0.04%

NYSE Volume 3,386,338,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,588,433,250

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,745.97 ▼ -35.54 ▼ -0.52%
DAX_____ 10,534.31 ▼ -58.38 ▼ -0.55%
CAC_40__ 4,439.67 ▲ 1.45 ▲ 0.03%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,511.20 ▼ -18.20 ▼ -0.33%
Shanghai_Comp 3,063.31 ▼ -22.19 ▼ -0.72%
Taiwan_Weight 9,001.15 ▼ -67.70 ▼ -0.75%
Nikkei_225___ 16,926.84 ▲ 39.44 ▲ 0.23%
Hang_Seng.__ 23,162.34 ▲ 185.46 ▲ 0.81%
Strait_Times.__ 2,816.47 ▼ -4.12 ▼ -0.15%
NZX_50_Index_ 7,423.19 ▲ 24.36 ▲ 0.33%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/weak-start-september-us-stock-market-143919056--finance.html

Stocks, starting September on a quiet note, notch tiny gains

NEW YORK (AP) ”” U.S. stocks staged a late recovery Thursday and finished mostly higher, led by technology and metals companies. However energy companies continued to fall with the price of oil.

In early trading the Dow Jones industrial average lost as much as 105 points. But those losses faded around noon and stocks finished more or less back where they started. Banks and utility companies slipped, and energy companies took losses as oil prices fell for the fourth day in a row.

It has now been almost two months since the stock market has made a big move. The market recorded a tiny loss in August after an extraordinarily quiet month.

Benchmark U.S. crude is down more than 9 percent this week, but it's stayed between $40 and $50 a barrel for about five months. Lowell Yura, a portfolio manager at BMO Global Asset Management, said investors shouldn't worry about the recent decline because energy companies have had more than a year to strengthen their financial positions in response to lower oil prices. So even if oil prices fall further, it won't cause much damage to bonds or the broader stock market.

"We've had some time now for that sector to prepare for lower oil prices for longer," he said. "In the long term it's really hard to imagine a world in which low oil prices are bad for growth."

The Dow rose 18.42 points, or 0.1 percent, to 18,419.30. The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 0.09 points to 2,170.86. The Nasdaq composite gained 13.99 points, or 0.3 percent, to 5,227.21.

U.S. crude oil gave up $1.54, or 3.4 percent, to $43.16 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the benchmark for international oil prices, fell $1.44, or 3.1 percent, to $45.45 a barrel in London. Valero Energy lost $1.06, or 1.9 percent, to $54.29.

Diamond Offshore Drilling sank after the company said Brazilian oil company Petrobras is terminating a contract with it. Diamond said the contract was scheduled to end in October 2018, and that it does not believe Petrobras' actions are legal. Its shares lost $1.96, or 10.6 percent, to $16.51.

Technology companies made the biggest gains. Hewlett Packard Enterprise gained 68 cents, or 3.2 percent, to $22.16. Graphics chipmaker Nvidia said it will work with Chinese e-commerce company Baidu to develop an autonomous driving system. Nvidia picked up $1.81, or 3 percent, to $63.15 and Baidu rose $5.55, or 3.2 percent, to $176.62.

Campbell Soup fell after disappointing results from the company's fresh products unit. The company said carrot sales fell because of a premature harvest that resulted in smaller vegetables, while a recall hurt sales of its Bolthouse Farms beverages. The maker of canned soups, Pepperidge Farm cookies and V8 juices has been trying to capitalize on a growing desire for fresh foods. Its stock slid $3.81, or 6.3 percent, to $56.91.

Costco stock fell after the company reported weak sales for August. The wholesale club operator said sales at older stores were unchanged compared with last year, while analysts expected some growth. The stock gave up $5.88, or 3.6 percent, to $156.21.

Materials companies made some of the largest gains. Gold producer Newmont Mining jumped $1.19, or 3.1 percent, to $39.43 and steel maker Nucor rose 79 cents, or 1.6 percent, to $49.30.

Casino companies rose after spending on gambling in Macau rose for the first time in more than two years. The Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau said gross revenue from gambling rose 1.1 percent in August. Gambling revenue in Macau plunged 34 percent last year and it's down about 9 percent this year. Wynn Resorts rose $3.85, or 4.3 percent, to $93.17 and Las Vegas Sands gained $3.60, or 7.2 percent, to $53.81.

Cable company Charter Communications, which recently bought Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks, rose after S&P Dow Jones said the company will be added to the Standard & Poor's 500 index next week. Charter gained $11.61, or 4.5 percent, to $268.82.

U.S. manufacturing shrank in August for the first time since February as orders and output fell and factories cut jobs. However there were signs that the weak global economy won't hurt U.S. manufacturers as much. Chinese factory managers said they expect to do more business and European manufacturers reported continued growth.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 72.66 points or ▲ 0.39% on Friday, September 2, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,491.96 ▲ 72.66 ▲ 0.39%
Nasdaq____ 5,249.90 ▲ 22.69 ▲ 0.43%
S&P_500___ 2,179.98 ▲ 9.12 ▲ 0.42%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.27 ▲ 0.04 ▲ 1.84%

NYSE Volume 3,086,336,500
Nasdaq Volume 1,475,357,500

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,894.60 ▲ 148.63 ▲ 2.20%
DAX_____ 10,683.82 ▲ 149.51 ▲ 1.42%
CAC_40__ 4,542.17 ▲ 102.50 ▲ 2.31%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,470.60 ▼ -40.60 ▼ -0.74%
Shanghai_Comp 3,067.35 ▲ 4.05 ▲ 0.13%
Taiwan_Weight 8,987.55 ▼ -13.60 ▼ -0.15%
Nikkei_225___ 16,925.68 ▼ -1.16 ▼ -0.01%
Hang_Seng.__ 23,266.70 ▲ 104.36 ▲ 0.45%
Strait_Times.__ 2,803.92 ▼ -12.55 ▼ -0.45%
NZX_50_Index_ 7,426.11 ▲ 2.92 ▲ 0.04%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stocks-gain-tepid-jobs-report-stokes-hopes-low-143644681--finance.html

Stocks rise as tepid jobs report stokes hopes for low rates


NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose Friday as investors found some positive aspects in a middling employment report. Job growth slowed in August, and traders hope that will convince the Federal Reserve to wait before raising interest rates.

Stocks started the day with big gains following the Labor Department's job report. Energy companies rose more than the rest of the market as oil prices broke out of a four-day slump. The gains were broad, but the stocks that rose the most were utilities, which would stand to benefit if interest rates remain low.

Kate Warne, investment strategist for Edward Jones, said the jobs report was good but not great. That actually helped send the market higher because a very strong report could have pushed the Fed to raise interest rates as early as this month. Some investors fear that could jeopardize an uneven economic recovery.

"It falls right in the sweet spot of what the market wanted," she said. "It wasn't so strong as to make (higher interest rates) seem necessary but it wasn't so weak as to make a rate increase this year unlikely."

The Dow Jones industrial average added 72.66 points, or 0.4 percent, to 18,491.96. The Dow rose as much as 125 points in the morning. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 9.12 points, or 0.4 percent, to 2,179.98. The Nasdaq composite gained 22.69 points, or 0.4 percent, to 5,249.90.

Compared to the last few months, job gains slowed in most major industries in August and wages only rose a little. While the U.S. is on a long streak of job growth, reports over the last few months have been inconsistent. Growth was weak in April and May, but picked up in June and July and seems to have slowed again last month.

The Federal Reserve raised interest rates slightly in December and wants to gradually bring them back closer to where they were before the financial crisis of 2008. But most investors didn't expect rates to rise this month, and the jobs report appeared to confirm that.

U.S. benchmark crude oil rose $1.28, or 3 percent, to $44.44 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the benchmark for international oil prices, added $1.38, or 3 percent, to $46.83 a barrel in London. U.S. crude had fallen 9 percent over the last four days. Anadarko Petroleum added $2.95, or 5.5 percent, to $56.49 and Chevron picked up 72 cents to $100.93.

Utilities made even bigger gains. They're seen as steady investments, and their high dividends make them more appealing when bond yields are low. NextEra Energy gained $2.13, or 1.8 percent, to $123.13 and American Electric Power rose 83 cents, or 1.3 percent, to $65.24.

Household goods makers also traded higher. Colgate-Palmolive, which makes toothpastes, soaps, and pet foods, rose 62 cents to $74.89. Tyson Foods, the largest meat and poultry processing company in the world, gained 96 cents, or 1.3 percent, to $76.44. Cigarette makers also did well, as Reynolds American and Altria Group gained ground.

Carnival Corp. and Royal Caribbean Cruises both skidded. Morgan Stanley analyst Jamie Rollo said demand for cruises seems to have gotten weaker in August and bookings for late 2016 and early 2017 have slowed down. He downgraded Carnival shares to "Underweight," and the company took the biggest loss on the S&P 500. It fell $2.31, or 4.7 percent, to $46.39 while Royal Caribbean lost $2.70, or 3.7 percent, to $70.01.

Health care companies missed out on the gains as drugmakers fell. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton announced a plan Friday that's intended to give the government more power to resist increases in the price of older drugs. Mylan fell $1.95, or 4.7 percent, to $39.97 as legislators questioned the company's rebate payments to Medicare. Mylan stock has dropped 18 percent in the last two weeks as the company has been criticized for repeatedly raising the price of its EpiPen allergy injection. Elsewhere, Mallinckrodt fell $3.17, or 4.2 percent, to $72.42.

Athletic apparel maker Lululemon fell after it reported disappointing sales. Its forecast for the rest of the year also failed to inspire investors. The stock tumbled $8.09, or 10.6 percent, to $68.57.

Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note rose to 1.61 percent from 1.57 percent. The dollar rose to 103.94 yen from 103.32 yen and the euro edged down to $1.1159 from $1.1197.

9789

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

THE NYSE WAS CLOSED FOR LABOR DAY HOLIDAY ON MONDAY SEPTEMBER 5

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 72.66 points or ▲ 0.39% on Friday, September 2, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,491.96 ▲ 72.66 ▲ 0.39%
Nasdaq____ 5,249.90 ▲ 22.69 ▲ 0.43%
S&P_500___ 2,179.98 ▲ 9.12 ▲ 0.42%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.27 ▲ 0.04 ▲ 1.84%

NYSE Volume 3,089,032,500
Nasdaq Volume 1,448,273,750

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,879.42 ▼ -15.18 ▼ -0.22%
DAX_____ 10,672.22 ▼ -11.60 ▼ -0.11%
CAC_40__ 4,541.08 ▼ -1.09 ▼ -0.02%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,524.40 ▲ 53.80 ▲ 0.98%
Shanghai_Comp 3,072.10 ▲ 4.74 ▲ 0.15%
Taiwan_Weight 9,090.13 ▲ 102.58 ▲ 1.14%
Nikkei_225___ 17,037.63 ▲ 111.95 ▲ 0.66%
Hang_Seng.__ 23,649.55 ▲ 382.85 ▲ 1.65%
Strait_Times.__ 2,851.74 ▲ 47.82 ▲ 1.71%
NZX_50_Index_ 7,492.03 ▲ 65.92 ▲ 0.89%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/asian...--finance.html?_fsig=x8qNAHT0V3VrPjbAPohCGA--

US holiday keeps a lid on European markets

LONDON (AP) -- European stock markets closed a tad lower Monday following mixed economic data. Trading activity was dented by the Labor Day holiday in the U.S.

KEEPING SCORE: In Europe, Germany's DAX ended 0.1 percent lower at 10,672.22 while the CAC-40 fell 0.02 percent to 4,541.08. The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares finished the session 0.2 percent lower at 6,879.42.

BRITAIN HOLDS UP: Another survey of British economic activity provided further evidence that the British economy has held up better than many people expected following the June vote to leave the European Union. According to IHS Markit and the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply, the purchasing managers' index for Britain — a broad gauge of economic activity — jumped to 53.2 points, reversing a record fall to 47.4 in July experienced after the June 23 referendum. The index is on a 100-point scale, with figures above 50 representing growth.

MARKET REACTION: The pound rose modestly on the news, trading 0.1 percent higher at near seven-week highs of $1.3313. British stocks slipped as investors marked down export-oriented companies in light of the pound's move. A higher pound makes their products more expensive in international markets.

ANALYST TAKE: "The latest reading negates some of the pessimism from the July reading, which sparked fears of a substantial slowdown in business activity following the EU referendum after showing the largest decline on record," said David Cheetham, market analyst at XTB.

EUROPE SLOWING? An equivalent survey for the 19-country eurozone suggested that the region lost some economic momentum in August, largely because of a slowdown in Germany, a closely watched survey showed Monday. IHS Markit said its purchasing managers' index for the eurozone fell to a 19-month low of 52.9 points in August from 53.2 the previous month. The fall was unexpected as the initial estimate for August was 53.3 and has stoked speculation that the European Central Bank will enact a further stimulus on Thursday at its regular policy meeting. That has helped shore up stocks across the eurozone.

ENERGY: Oil prices pushed ahead amid speculation of a production freeze after the world's two largest oil producers, Russia and Saudi Arabia, agreed to act together to stabilize global oil output. It's unclear what that may entail though. Benchmark U.S. crude oil gained 70 cents to $45.14 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, while Brent crude, the benchmark for international oil prices, rose 67 cents to $47.50 a barrel.

ASIA'S DAY: Japan's Nikkei 225 added 0.7 percent to finish at 17,037.63. South Korea's Kospi gained 1.1 percent to 2,060.08. Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 1.7 percent to 23,668.40, while the Shanghai Composite edged up nearly 0.2 percent to 3,072.10. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 climbed 1.1 percent to 5,429.60.

CURRENCIES: The euro was steady at $1.1150 while the dollar fell 0.6 percent to 103.39 yen.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 46.16 points or ▲ 0.25% on Tuesday, September 6, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,538.12 ▲ 46.16 ▲ 0.25%
Nasdaq____ 5,275.91 ▲ 26.01 ▲ 0.50%
S&P_500___ 2,186.48 ▲ 6.50 ▲ 0.30%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.24 ▼ -0.03 ▼ -1.37%

NYSE Volume 3,421,643,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,754,002,750

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,826.05 ▼ -53.37 ▼ -0.78%
DAX_____ 10,687.14 ▲ 14.92 ▲ 0.14%
CAC_40__ 4,529.96 ▼ -11.12 ▼ -0.24%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,510.40 ▼ -14.00 ▼ -0.25%
Shanghai_Comp 3,090.71 ▲ 18.62 ▲ 0.61%
Taiwan_Weight 9,181.85 ▲ 91.72 ▲ 1.01%
Nikkei_225___ 17,081.98 ▲ 44.35 ▲ 0.26%
Hang_Seng.__ 23,787.68 ▲ 138.13 ▲ 0.58%
Strait_Times.__ 2,896.55 ▲ 44.81 ▲ 1.57%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-slide-weak-report-144305400.html

US stocks inch higher on hope for more oil deals

NEW YORK (AP) ”” Energy companies led U.S. stocks higher Tuesday as investors hoped higher oil prices and bigger profits are on the way.

News of two deals in the energy sector also helped send those stocks higher as traders anticipated that more consolidation could follow. Spectra Energy agreed to be acquired for $28 billion and Yates Petroleum said it would be bought for $2.3 billion.

“What’s driving the stocks today is a view that some consolidation might take some costs out and drive up profits,” said Jim McDonald, chief investment strategist for Northern Trust.

The Dow Jones industrial average gained 46.16 points, or 0.2 percent, to 18,538.12. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 6.50 points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,186.48. The Nasdaq composite added 26.01 points, or 0.5 percent, to close at 5,275.91, an all-time high.

Investors were once again getting their hopes up for an agreement among oil producing countries to reduce output and mitigate a supply glut that has knocked oil prices lower.

On Tuesday Iran’s oil minister said his country would support an effort by OPEC to stabilize the oil market. Because Iran is boosting its oil production after years of sanctions, it has opposed efforts to limit oil production.

Oil prices didn’t change much on the day. Benchmark U.S. crude oil added 39 cents to $44.83 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the benchmark for international oil prices, lost 37 cents to $47.26 a barrel in London.

The market wobbled in the morning after a survey was released showing a sharp slowdown in the U.S. service sector last month. That helped send shares of consumer companies and banks lower. It also sent prices for precious metals, bonds, and high-yielding utility and phone company stocks higher.

“Just when people think the U.S. economy is starting to regain some strength, you get hit with a report like this,” McDonald said.

The Institute for Supply Management said U.S. service companies grew at a far slower pace in August than they had in July. While service firms have expanded every month six and a half years, the ISM reported its weakest service industry reading since February 2010. New orders and hiring grew at a slower rate and exports fell. Service firms accounted for almost all of U.S. job creation last month.

Some of the biggest gains went to utility and phone companies, traditional safe-play stocks. Investors also snapped up government bonds, sending prices higher and yields lower. That echoed a pattern seen when the market was plunging early this year. AES added 61 cents, or 5 percent, to $12.84 and NextEra Energy rose $2.16, or 1.8 percent, to $125.29.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note declined to 1.53 percent from 1.61 percent late Friday. The dollar sank to 102.08 yen from 103.94 yen Friday. The euro rose to $1.1253 from $1.1159.

Metals priced jumped. Gold gained $27.30, or 2.1 percent, to $1,354 an ounce. Silver rose 77 cents, or 4 percent, to $20.14 an ounce. Copper picked up 1 cent to $2.09 a pound.

Deal talks and news spread beyond the energy sector. German health care and chemicals conglomerate Bayer raised its offer for Monsanto to $127.50 a share. The latest offer values Monsanto at around $55.8 billion. Monsanto has already rejected two bids from Bayer, and its stock remains far below the price of Bayer’s bid. It fell $1.37, or 1.3 percent, to $106.07 Tuesday.

Industrial and medical device company Danaher will buy molecular diagnostics company Cepheid for $53 per share, or about $4 billion. Cepheid climbed $18.11, or 52.6 percent, to $52.53 while Danaher dipped $1.69, or 2.1 percent, to $79.50.

Bus, truck and engine maker Navistar surged after it announced an investment from a unit of Volkswagen. The companies are also creating a joint venture that will help source parts for each of them, and they will share technology. Volkswagen Truck & Bus also name two directors to Navistar’s board, and Navistar said Tuesday that Chairman James Keyes will retire.

Navistar rose $5.72, or 40.7 percent, to $19.79, far above the $15.76 a share Volkswagen Truck & Bus is paying. Rival engine maker Cummins lost $9.22, or 7.3 percent, to $116.94.

A pair of U.S.-based 3-D printing companies traded higher after General Electric made a big bet on the industry. GE agreed to spend $1.4 billion to buy two European 3-D competitors. 3-D Systems Corp. rose 83 cents, or 5.6 percent, to $15.75 and Stratasys added 83 cents, or 3.8 percent, to $22.76. GE lost 24 cents to $31.05, which helped pull industrial stocks lower.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -11.98 points or ▼ -0.06% on Wednesday, September 7, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change.......
Dow_Jones 18,526.14 ▼ -11.98 ▼ -0.06%
Nasdaq____ 5,283.93 ▲ 8.02 ▲ 0.15%
S&P_500___ 2,186.16 ▼ -0.32 ▼ -0.01%
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.24 ▲ 0.00 ▼ -0.13%

NYSE Volume 3,298,264,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,857,298,000

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change.......
FTSE_100 6,846.58 ▲ 20.53 ▲ 0.30%
DAX_____ 10,752.98 ▲ 65.84 ▲ 0.62%
CAC_40__ 4,557.66 ▲ 27.70 ▲ 0.61%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,521.10 ▲ 10.70 ▲ 0.19%
Shanghai_Comp 3,091.93 ▲ 1.22 ▲ 0.04%
Taiwan_Weight 9,259.07 ▲ 77.22 ▲ 0.84%
Nikkei_225___ 17,012.44 ▼ -69.54 ▼ -0.41%
Hang_Seng.__ 23,741.81 ▼ -45.87 ▼ -0.19%
Strait_Times.__ 2,893.65 ▼ -2.90 ▼ -0.10%
NZX_50_Index_ 7,571.11 ▲ 67.57 ▲ 0.90%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stock-indexes-mixed-nasdaq-210535430.html

US stock indexes mixed; Nasdaq ekes out another record high

Even on a day when the major U.S. stock indexes barely budged, the market notched another milestone.

The Nasdaq composite eked out a gain, pushing the tech-heavy index to its second record-high close in a row. The Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor's 500 index drifted in the opposite direction, closing slightly in the red.

Supermarket chains and other consumer-focused companies were among the biggest decliners. Traders bid up shares in energy, technology and airline companies. Crude oil prices rose.

New figures on job openings and a report used by the Federal Reserve to gauge the health of businesses did little to move the market, which has been in a wait-and-see mode as investors gauge the likelihood of further intervention by the Fed.

"We get a favorable data point and shortly thereafter we get one that suggests we're still in a very low-growth environment," said Eric Wiegand, senior portfolio manager at the Private Client Reserve at U.S. Bank. "We're not seeing tremendous volume or tremendous conviction on either side, from either sellers or buyers."

The Dow dropped 11.98 points, or 0.1 percent, to 18,526.14. The S&P 500 index slipped 0.32 points, or 0.01 percent, to 2,186.16. The Nasdaq gained 8.02 points, or 0.2 percent, to 5,283.93.

A run of weak U.S. economic data has reduced expectations that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates again soon, which would be a potential boon for stocks. However, if the central bank opts to hold off on a rate increase, it could suggest expectations of sluggish economic growth and a dimmer outlook for corporate earnings, which is bad for stocks.

On Wednesday, investors got a mixed bag of economic news. The Fed's latest "Beige Book" survey of business conditions indicated that the economy grew at a moderate or modest pace this summer in eight of the central bank's 12 U.S. districts. The findings represent a slowdown from previous reports.

Separately, the Labor Department said job openings jumped 4 percent in July. Another government report last Friday showed that employers pulled back on hiring in August.

"The jobs report from last Friday still kind of overshadowed that," said JJ Kinahan, chief strategist at TD Ameritrade.

Shares in some supermarket operators slumped on worries about lower food prices and greater discounts. Sprouts Farmers Markets fell $3.13, or 13.7 percent, to $19.68, after the company cut its guidance, citing falling food prices and rising discounts. Whole Foods slid $1.62, or 5.3 percent, to $29.08, while Kroger lost $1.35, or 4.1 percent, to $31.32.

Dave & Buster's Entertainment fell about 3 percent after the restaurant and arcade chain reported weaker-than-anticipated sales. The company also lowered its same-store sales growth outlook for the rest of the year. The stock shed $1.34 to $44.93.

Benchmark U.S. crude oil futures rose 67 cents, or 1.5 percent, to close at $45.50 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the benchmark for international oil prices, added 72 cents, or 1.5 percent, to close at $47.98 a barrel in London.

The pickup in crude prices gave energy stocks a boost. The sector eked out the biggest gain in the S&P 500 index, rising 0.3 percent. It's up 15.5 percent this year.

Technology stocks also rose, led by digital storage drive manufacturer Western Digital. The stock jumped $5.75, or 12.1 percent, to $53.30. Rival Seagate Technology added $2.04, or 5.9 percent, to $36.51.

Apple shares moved higher as the company announced new iPhone models that are water and dust resistant. Analysts say the new iPhones could help Apple recover modestly from a recent dip in sales. The stock added 66 cents, or 0.6 percent, to $108.36.

Apple also announced that Nintendo's "Super Mario Runs" game will be available on the iPhone. That news sent U.S.-traded shares in Nintendo up $8.12, or 28.8 percent, to $36.32. Nintendo had previously resisted releasing Mario games to mobile phones.

Investors also bid up shares in several airlines. American Airlines Group rose $1.79, or 4.8 percent, to $38.75, while United Continental Holdings added $2.54, or 4.9 percent, to $53.68. Delta Air Lines rose $2.08, or 5.7 percent, to $38.90. Southwest Airlines climbed $1.73, or 4.7 percent, to $38.68.

News that Bill Ackman's investment firm Pershing Square has acquired a 9.9 percent stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill gave shares in the struggling restaurant chain a lift. The stock rose $24.38, or 5.9 percent, to $438.45.