NYSE Dow Jones finished today at:

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . .
The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 11.2 points or ▲ 0.06% on Tuesday, December 27, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change....... .. . . . .
Dow_Jones 19,945.04 ▲ 11.23 ▲ 0.06% .
Nasdaq____ 5,487.44 ▲ 24.75 ▲ 0.45% .
S&P_500___ 2,268.88 ▲ 5.09 ▲ 0.22% .
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.14 ▲ 0.02 ▲ 0.74% .
. . . . . . . . .
NYSE Volume 1,986,588,750 . . . . . . .
Nasdaq Volume 1,176,778,250 . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . .
Europe . . . . . .
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change....... ..
.
FTSE_100 7,068.17 ▲ 4.49 ▲ 0.06% Holiday
DAX_____ 11,472.24 ▲ 22.31 ▲ 0.19% .
CAC_40__ 4,848.28 ▲ 8.60 ▲ 0.18% .
. . . . . . . . .
Asia Pacific . . . . . .
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
. . .
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,675.10 ▼ -16.70 ▼ -0.29% Holiday
Shanghai_Comp 3,114.66 ▼ -7.91 ▼ -0.25% .
Taiwan_Weight 9,109.27 ▼ -1.27 ▼ -0.01% .
Nikkei_225___ 19,403.06 ▲ 6.42 ▲ 0.03% .
Hang_Seng.__ 21,574.76 ▼ -61.44 ▼ -0.28% Holiday
Strait_Times.__ 2,885.76 ▲ 14.71 ▲ 0.51% .
NZX_50_Index_ 6,873.60 ▼ -3.39 ▼ -0.05% .
. . . . . . . . .

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stock-indexes-edges-higher-151221807.html

US stocks close higher as Nasdaq hits record high, oil rises

ALEX VEIGA

A day of quiet trading on Wall Street ended Tuesday with the Dow Jones industrial average inching closer to 20,000 and a record high for the Nasdaq composite.

Materials and technology companies led U.S. stocks slightly higher overall. Energy companies also rose as the price of crude oil moved higher. Utilities and phone company stocks edged lower.

Trading was light following the long holiday weekend, with less than 1.9 billion shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange. That's the lightest full day of trading since October 2015.

"Markets are moving toward 20,000 and bond yields are up; there's a little bit of buoyancy in oil prices," said Erik Davidson, chief investment officer at Wells Fargo Private Bank. "(But) trading is very, very thin."

The Dow added 11.23 points, or 0.1 percent, to 19,945.04. The Standard & Poor's 500 index gained 5.09 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,268.88. The Nasdaq rose 24.75 points, or 0.5 percent, to 5,487.44. The tech-heavy index's previous record high was 5,483 on Dec. 20.

The three major indexes are on pace for solid gains for 2016, led by the Dow, which is up 14.5 percent. The S&P 500 is on track for an 11 percent gain, while the Nasdaq is headed for a 9.6 percent gain. Small-company stocks are up even more. The Russell 2000 is up 21 percent so far this year.

While little new major economic or company data is expected this week as 2016 winds to a close, investors did get some fresh figures on consumer confidence and home prices Tuesday.

The Conference Board said its consumer confidence index climbed to 113.7 in December, up from 109.4 in November and the highest since it reached 114 in August 2001. The latest reading is another sign consumers are confident in the aftermath of a divisive election campaign.

Meanwhile, the Standard & Poor's CoreLogic Case-Shiller national home price index rose 5.6 percent in October, as buyers bidding for scarce properties drove home prices higher.

"The tone to the data was certainly positive and speaks to underscore why we'd have a little bit of a bid to the market this afternoon," said Bill Northey, chief investment officer of the Private Client Group at U.S. Bank.

Several homebuilders posted gains following the reports on home prices and consumer confidence, which bode well for home sales. Lennar led the pack, gaining 80 cents, or 1.9 percent, to $43.36. D.R. Horton added 37 cents, or 1.3 percent, to $27.93. PulteGroup rose 24 cents, or 1.3 percent, to $18.62.

Nvidia posted the biggest gain in the S&P 500 index. The chipmaker surged $7.54, or 6.9 percent, to $117.32.

Traders also gave a boost to other technology stocks, including Fitbit. The company climbed 7.4 percent after the fitness tracker's app became the second-most downloaded in the iTunes store. The stock added 54 cents to $7.83.

Some drug companies also made big moves.

Endologix plunged 26.7 percent after the drugmaker said that the Food and Drug Administration has ordered it to cease shipping a device used to treat abdominal aortic aneurysms because of manufacturing problems. The company said the problem only affects some sizes of its AFX Endovascular AAA system and that no clinical problems have been reported. Endologix shares lost $1.92 to $5.27.

Biogen rose 1.2 percent on news that the FDA approved a treatment for spinal muscular atrophy, a rare genetic disorder. The FDA approved the drug, Spinraza, late Friday. Biogen is handling marketing for the drug, which was developed by Ionis Pharmaceuticals. Biogen shares added $3.59 to $291.12. Ionis gained $1.71, or 3.2 percent, to $55.12.

Several markets overseas closed slightly higher.

In Europe, Germany's DAX rose 0.2 percent, while the CAC 40 of France closed 0.2 percent higher. Markets in Britain were closed for Boxing Day.

Earlier in Asia, Tokyo's Nikkei 225 was nearly flat. The Kospi of South Korea rose 0.2 percent, while India's Sensex added 0.8 percent. Markets in Hong Kong and Australia were also closed.

Benchmark U.S. crude rose 88 cents, or 1.7 percent, to close at $53.90 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, gained 93 cents, or 1.7 percent, to close at $56.09 a barrel in London.

In other energy trading, natural gas futures rose 10 cents, or 2.7 percent, to $3.76 per 1,000 cubic feet. Wholesale gasoline added 3 cents to $1.65 a gallon and heating oil gained 4 cents to $1.70 a gallon.

Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.56 percent from 2.54 percent late Friday. Markets were closed Monday for the holiday.

In currency trading, the dollar rose to 117.45 yen from 117.26. The euro fell to $1.0458 from $1.0452.

Among metals, the price of gold rose $5.20 to $1,138.80 an ounce. Silver added 23 cents to $15.99 an ounce. Copper gained 4 cents to $2.52 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com . . . . . . .
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The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -111 points or ▼ -0.56% on Wednesday, December 28, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change....... .. . . . .
Dow_Jones 19,833.68 ▼ -111.36 ▼ -0.56% .
Nasdaq____ 5,438.56 ▼ -48.89 ▼ -0.89% .
S&P_500___ 2,249.92 ▼ -18.96 ▼ -0.84% .
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.08 ▼ -0.06 ▼ -1.75% .
. . . . . . . . .
NYSE Volume 2,391,648,250 . . . . . . .
Nasdaq Volume 1,268,099,250 . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . .
Europe . . . . . .
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change....... ..
.
FTSE_100 7,106.08 ▲ 37.91 ▲ 0.54% .
DAX_____ 11,474.99 ▲ 2.75 ▲ 0.02% .
CAC_40__ 4,848.01 ▼ -0.27 ▼ -0.01% .
. . . . . . . . .
Asia Pacific . . . . . .
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
. . .
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,732.40 ▲ 57.30 ▲ 1.01% .
Shanghai_Comp 3,102.24 ▼ -12.43 ▼ -0.40% .
Taiwan_Weight 9,201.40 ▲ 92.13 ▲ 1.01% .
Nikkei_225___ 19,401.72 ▼ -1.34 ▼ -0.01% .
Hang_Seng.__ 21,754.74 ▲ 179.98 ▲ 0.83% .
Strait_Times.__ 2,898.30 ▲ 12.54 ▲ 0.43% .
NZX_50_Index_ 6,875.79 ▼ -1.20 ▼ -0.02% .
. . . . . . . . .
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stock-indexes-edge-lower-151421998.html

US stock indexes fall as an afternoon slide accelerates

ALEX VEIGA

Banks led a broad slide in U.S. stocks Wednesday that more than wiped out gains from the day before.

After an early upward turn, the stock market veered into the red by midmorning, the losses accelerating as the day wore on. Basic materials companies, industrials, utilities and energy stocks were among the biggest decliners.

Trading was light ahead of the New Year's Day holiday. Two stocks fell for every one that rose on the New York Stock Exchange.

"Volume is pretty weak, so there's no aggressive selling taking place," said Bob Doll, chief equity strategist at Nuveen Asset Management. "It's more sellers locking in some better gains than they thought they were going to get this year. It's been a really good year, so letting a little go is just fine."

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 111.36 points, or 0.6 percent, to 19,833.68. The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 18.96 points, or 0.8 percent, to 2,249.92. The Nasdaq composite, which set a record high close the day before, slid 48.89 points, or 0.9 percent, to 5,438.56.

The three major indexes are on pace for a solid gain this year. The Dow is up 13.8 percent. The S&P 500 is on track for a 10 percent gain, while the Nasdaq is headed for an 8.6 percent gain. Small-company stocks are up even more. The Russell 2000 is up 19.8 percent so far this year.

In a week featuring a dearth of major economic or company data, investors got some insight into the U.S. housing market.

A report from the National Association of Realtors found that fewer Americans signed contracts to buy homes in November. The NAR said its seasonally adjusted pending home sales index fell 2.5 percent to 107.3 percent, the lowest reading since the start of this year.

The slowdown marks a reversal for the housing market, as sales growth has been solid for the past year. Homebuilder stocks closed mostly lower, with William Lyon Homes losing the most. It fell 64 cents, or 3.2 percent, to $19.33.

Nvidia was the biggest decliner in the S&P 500 index, sliding 6.9 percent after short seller Citron Research said it expects the chipmaker's shares, which have tripled in value this year, to fall substantially. The stock lost $8.07 to $109.25.

Shares in oil and natural gas drilling companies also declined.

Chesapeake Energy lost 36 cents, or 4.7 percent, to $7.23. Murphy Oil shed 78 cents, or 2.4 percent, to $32.03. Helmerich & Payne fell $1.57, or 2 percent, to $78.39.

Fred's dropped 4.8 percent on a published report indicating that the regional drugstore chain has adopted a "poison pill" to discourage an activist investor from interfering with the company's plan to buy 865 Rite Aid stores. Rite Aid has to sell the stores in order to appease anti-trust regulators and close its $9.4 billion buyout deal with Walgreens Boots Alliance. Shares in Fred's fell 95 cents to $18.68.

Qualcomm slipped 2.2 percent after antitrust regulators in South Korea fined the company $865 million, claiming the chipmaker engaged in unfair sales practices, including refusing to let competitors license patents that are essential for chipmaking. The stock lost $1.50 to $65.75.

Coach notched the biggest gain in the S&P 500 index, adding 70 cents, or 2 percent, to $35.14.

Markets overseas were mostly subdued.

In Europe, Germany's DAX and France's CAC 40 each ended essentially flat. Britain's FTSE 100 posted a record-high close of 7,106.08, a gain of 0.5 percent. In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 was flat. Australia's S&P ASX 200 gained 1 percent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index gained 0.8 percent. South Korea's Kospi dropped 0.9 percent.

Benchmark U.S. crude rose 16 cents to close at $54.06 a barrel in New York. It rose 88 cents on Tuesday. Brent crude, used to price international oils, climbed 13 cents to close at $56.22 a barrel in London. It gained 93 cents the day before.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline added 2 cents to $1.67 a gallon and heating oil held steady at $1.70 a gallon. Natural gas futures rose 17 cents, or 4.5 percent, to $3.93 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.51 percent from 2.56 percent late Tuesday.

In currency trading, the dollar fell to 117.19 yen, down from 117.45 on Tuesday. The euro fell to $1.0407 from $1.0458.

Among metals, the price of gold rose $2.10 to $1,140.90 an ounce. Silver added 5 cents to $16.04 an ounce. Copper fell 2 cents to $2.50 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -14 points or ▼ -0.07% on Thursday, December 29, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change....... ..
Dow_Jones 19,819.78 ▼ -13.90 ▼ -0.07% .
Nasdaq____ 5,432.09 ▼ -6.47 ▼ -0.12% .
S&P_500___ 2,249.26 ▼ -0.66 ▼ -0.03% .
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.08 ▲ 0.00 ▲ 0.00%

NYSE Volume 2,327,074,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,212,524,880

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change....... ..

FTSE_100 7,120.26 ▲ 14.18 ▲ 0.20% .
DAX_____ 11,451.05 ▼ -23.94 ▼ -0.21% .
CAC_40__ 4,838.47 ▼ -9.54 ▼ -0.20% .

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,746.70 ▲ 14.30 ▲ 0.25% .
Shanghai_Comp 3,096.10 ▼ -6.14 ▼ -0.20% .
Taiwan_Weight 9,153.09 ▼ -48.31 ▼ -0.53% .
Nikkei_225___ 19,145.14 ▼ -256.58 ▼ -1.32% .
Hang_Seng.__ 21,790.91 ▲ 36.17 ▲ 0.17% .
Strait_Times.__ 2,889.15 ▼ -9.15 ▼ -0.32% .
NZX_50_Index_ 6,892.28 ▲ 16.49 ▲ 0.24% .

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-indexes-edge-higher-151600524.html

Major US stock indexes close slightly lower; oil price slips

Alex Veiga, AP Business Writer

A day of quiet trading on Wall Street ended Thursday with major U.S. stock indexes posting slight losses for the second day in a row.

Banks and energy companies led the slide, while high-dividend stocks like utilities, real estate investment trusts and phone companies rose as bond yields fell. The price of U.S. crude oil closed lower.

Small-company stocks fared better than the rest of the market, nudging the Russell 2000 slightly higher.

Trading was light ahead of the New Year's Day holiday.

"The market is just taking a breather here," said Jeff Zipper, managing director of investments for The Private Client Reserve of U.S. Bank. "We moved so much in the month of November, there may be some profit-taking, maybe positioning for the first quarter."

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 13.90 points, or 0.1 percent, to 19,819.78. The Standard & Poor's 500 index slipped 0.66 points, or 0.03 percent, to 2,249.26 The Nasdaq composite lost 6.47 points, or 0.1 percent, to 5,432.09.

The Russell 2000, which tracks small companies, added 2.35, or 0.2 percent, at 1,363.18.

The major stock market indexes eked out small gains in early trading Thursday. But by midmorning, they drifted mostly lower and remained in the red the rest of the day.

Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.47 percent from 2.51 percent late Wednesday.

More stocks rose than fell on the New York Stock Exchange.

Sears jumped 10 percent after the struggling retailer said it had secured a new line of credit. The stock added 82 cents to $9.

Newmont Mining climbed 7.6 percent, the biggest gainer in the S&P 500 index. The stock added $2.49 to $35.27.

Investors got some favorable economic data from the Labor Department, which reported that fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, continuing a nearly two-year trend that suggests a solid job market. Weekly requests for jobless aid fell 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 265,000. Over the past year, the number of people collecting benefits has fallen almost 5 percent to 2.1 million.

Benchmark U.S. crude fell 29 cents to close at $53.77 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, slipped 8 cents to close at $56.14 a barrel in London.

Markets overseas were mixed. Germany's DAX fell 0.2 percent, while France's CAC 40 closed 0.2 percent lower. Britain's FTSE 100 ended the day with its second record-close in two days, trading 0.2 percent higher at 7,120.26 points.

British stocks have benefited from a decline in the value of the pound against other world currencies, which tends to drive up earnings for the multinationals and energy companies that dominate the index.

Earlier in Asia, Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 slipped 1.3 percent, while South Korea's Kospi inched up 0.1 percent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.2 percent.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline added a penny to $1.68 a gallon and heating oil held steady at $1.70 a gallon. Natural gas futures fell 10 cents, or 2.5 percent, to $3.80 per 1,000 cubic feet.

The price of gold rose $17.20, or 1.5 percent, to $1,158.10 an ounce. Silver added 18 cents to $16.22 an ounce. Copper fell a penny to $2.49 a pound.

In currency trading, the dollar fell to 116.65 yen from 117.19 yen late Wednesday. The euro fell to $1.0485 from $1.0407.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -57 points or ▼ -0.29% on Friday, December 30, 2016
Symbol …........Last …......Change....... ..
Dow_Jones 19,762.60 ▼ -57.18 ▼ -0.29% 0
Nasdaq____ 5,383.12 ▼ -48.97 ▼ -0.90% 0
S&P_500___ 2,238.83 ▼ -10.43 ▼ -0.46% 0
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.06 ▼ -0.02 ▼ -0.68%

NYSE Volume 2,669,794,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,452,335,880

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change....... ..

FTSE_100 7,142.83 ▲ 22.57 ▲ 0.32% 0
DAX_____ 11,481.06 ▲ 30.01 ▲ 0.26% 0
CAC_40__ 4,862.31 ▲ 23.84 ▲ 0.49% 0

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,719.10 ▼ -27.60 ▼ -0.48% 0
Shanghai_Comp 3,103.64 ▲ 7.54 ▲ 0.24% 0
Taiwan_Weight 9,253.50 ▲ 100.41 ▲ 1.10% 0
Nikkei_225___ 19,114.37 ▼ -30.77 ▼ -0.16% 0
Hang_Seng.__ 22,000.56 ▲ 209.65 ▲ 0.96% 0
Strait_Times.__ 2,880.76 ▼ -8.39 ▼ -0.29% 0
NZX_50_Index_ 6,881.22 ▼ -11.06 ▼ -0.16% 0

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-edge-lower-early-152125235.html

US stocks end modestly lower on final trading day of 2016

Alex Veiga, AP Business Writer

Investors capped a year of solid gains on Wall Street Friday in a selling mood, sending the major U.S. stock indexes modestly lower on the final trading day of 2016.

Technology and consumer-focused stocks led the broad slide, while real estate companies and banks eked out small gains. As it had been for much of the week, trading was subdued ahead of the New Year's Day holiday.

Despite riding out the last week of the year with losses, halting the Dow Jones industrial average's momentum as it neared the 20,000 mark, 2016 delivered a much better finish for stock investors than most would have anticipated.

All told, the Dow ended the year with a 13.4 percent gain, while the Nasdaq composite gained 7.5 percent.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index, the broadest measure of the stock market, gained 9.5 percent after an essentially flat finish in 2015. Including dividends, the total return was 12.5 percent as of Thursday's close.

Small-company stocks fared the best, especially since the election. The Russell 2000 index closed out 2016 with a gain of 19.5 percent.

"This was not just a market that did well, it did extremely well," said Quincy Krosby, market strategist at Prudential Financial.

The stock market weathered repeated slumps in 2016, including the worst start to any year for stocks, the second correction for the market in five months and plummeting oil prices. A steadily improving U.S. economy and job market, as well as more stable oil prices and better company earnings growth helped turn the market around. More recently, investor optimism following the Republican election sweep in November kicked off a rally that sent the market to new heights.

Some of that enthusiasm evaporated in the final week of the year, as traders seized on the quiet period between the Christmas and New Year's holidays to do some selling to lock in profits.

"So many times we look for a rally at the end of the year, particularly between Christmas and New Year's," said J.J. Kinahan, TD Ameritrade's chief strategist. "But with the incredible up move we've had since the election, people are either hesitant to buy things heading into the new year or are taking a little bit of profit."

On Friday, the Dow slid 57.18 points, or 0.3 percent, to 19,762.60. The S&P 500 index fell 10.43 points, or 0.5 percent, to 2,238.83. The Nasdaq composite gave up 48.97 points, or 0.9 percent, to 5,383.12.

The Russell 2000 lost 6.05 points, or 0.4 percent, to 1,357.13.

Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.44 percent from 2.48 percent late Thursday.

Global stocks mostly rose on the year's last day of trading.

Britain's index rallied to hit another all-time high. The FTSE 100, which was trading for only a half day, rose 0.3 percent. That left the index 14.4 percent higher over 2016.

Elsewhere in Europe, Germany's DAX rose 0.3 percent, while France's CAC 40 gained 0.5 percent. Earlier in Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 0.2 percent, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose 1 percent.

Benchmark U.S. crude fell 5 cents to close at $53.72 a barrel in New York. That translates into a 45 percent gain for the year. Brent crude, used to price international oils, slipped 3 cents to close at $56.82 a barrel in London.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline dropped 2 cents to $1.67 a gallon and heating oil held steady at $1.70 a gallon. Natural gas futures fell 7.8 cents, or 2.1 percent, to $3.72 per 1,000 cubic feet.

The price of gold fell $6.40 to $1,151.70 an ounce. Silver slid 23 cents to $15.99 an ounce. Copper rose 2 cents to $2.51 a pound.

In currency trading, the dollar strengthened to 116.78 yen from 116.65 yen late Thursday. The euro rose to $1.0531 from $1.0485.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 119 points or ▲ 0.60% on Tuesday, January 3, 2017
Symbol …........Last …......Change....... ..
Dow_Jones 19,881.76 ▲ 119.16 ▲ 0.60%
Nasdaq____ 5,429.08 ▲ 45.97 ▲ 0.85%
S&P_500___ 2,257.83 ▲ 19.00 ▲ 0.85%
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.05 ▼ -0.02 ▼ -0.52%

NYSE Volume 3,743,056,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,825,700,380

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change....... ..

FTSE_100 7,177.89 ▲ 35.06 ▲ 0.49%
DAX_____ 11,584.24 ▼ -14.09 ▼ -0.12%
CAC_40__ 4,899.33 ▲ 16.95 ▲ 0.35%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,784.60 ▲ 65.50 ▲ 1.15%
Shanghai_Comp 3,135.92 ▲ 32.28 ▲ 1.04%
Taiwan_Weight 9,272.88 ▲ 19.38 ▲ 0.21%
Nikkei_225___ 19,114.37 ▼ -30.77 ▼ -0.16% HOLIDAY
Hang_Seng.__ 22,150.40 ▲ 149.84 ▲ 0.68%
Strait_Times.__ 2,898.97 ▲ 18.21 ▲ 0.63%
NZX_50_Index_ 6,881.22 ▼ -11.06 ▼ -0.16%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-ring-2017-gains-150731388.html

Health care rises as US indexes ring in new year with gains

MARLEY JAY

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks broke a three-day losing streak Tuesday and ushered in the new year with broad gains. Health care stocks, which struggled for most of last year, climbed.

Stocks started the day with a surge as the Dow Jones industrial average rose 175 points in the first hour of trading. Bond yields jumped, which took bank stocks higher. The price of oil also rose early on, but it began slipping after 10 a.m. Investors started buying again late in the day, however, and major indexes closed with a flourish.

Energy companies, banks and technology companies made some of the largest gains and lower-risk investments like utility companies lagged the rest of the market. That's a sign investors expect stronger economic growth that will help those companies do more business.

"Corporate earnings are telling us that it's a bull market," said Karyn Cavanaugh of Voya Investment Strategies. Cavanaugh said earnings and revenues look "very good" for 2017.

The Dow Jones industrial average jumped 119.16 points, or 0.6 percent, to 19,881.76. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 19 points, or 0.8 percent, to 2,257.83. The Nasdaq composite gained 45.97 points, or 0.9 percent, to 5,429.08.

The Russell 2000 index, which tracks small-company stocks, added 8.36 points, or 0.6 percent, to 1,365.49. The Russell rose almost 20 percent last year and did far better than indexes focused on larger companies.

Drug companies helped take health care stocks higher. Merck rose $1.28, or 2.2 percent, to $60.15. Biotech giant Amgen picked up $4.52, or 3.1 percent, to $150.73 and prescription drug distributor McKesson gained $6.98, or 5 percent, to $147.43.

The S&P 500's health care index fell 4 percent last year. The S&P 500 itself rose 9.5 percent for the year and all of its other industrial sectors rose at least a small amount.

Investors have been avoiding drug company stocks because they're worried the government will intervene to reduce prices. But Cavanaugh said the stocks are appealing because they've been reporting better growth than most other industries.

"If you look at earnings and revenues, they're one of the leaders," she said.

Xerox surged $1.14, or 19.8 percent, to $6.89 after it split itself in two, a move the company announced almost a year ago. The original Xerox kept its printer and copier business. The second company will focus on business process outsourcing, providing payment processing and other services. Xerox will receive $1.8 billion in cash.

The new company, Conduent, now trades under the ticker symbol "CNDT." That stock lost $1.18, or 7.9 percent, to $13.72.

Oil prices jumped in early trading but turned around to finish lower. U.S. crude gave up $1.39, or 2.6 percent, to $52.33 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, skidded $1.35, or 2.4 percent, to $55.47 a barrel in London.

Despite that slump, energy companies traded higher. But natural gas companies dropped as natural gas futures dropped 40 cents, or 10.7 percent, to $3.33 per 1,000 cubic feet. Southwestern Energy lost 85 cents, or 7.9 percent, to $9.97 and Cabot Oil & Gas gave up $1.02, or 4.4 percent, to $22.34.

The manufacturing sector continued to recover and ended 2016 on a strong note. The Institute for Supply Management said its manufacturing index rose to 54.7 in December, its highest reading of the year. That was the fourth straight month of expansion and the ninth out of the last 10. The result was a bit stronger than analysts expected.

Graphics processor maker Nvidia couldn't break out of a recent slump. The stock more than tripled in value last year, but hit a wall in the final days of trading. The stock slid $4.73, or 4.4 percent, to $102.01. It's down 13 percent since Dec. 27, when it closed at an all-time high.

Bond prices fell slightly. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.45 percent from 2.43 percent late Friday. Yields made a much bigger move earlier in the day.

Utility companies fell Tuesday, and real estate investment trusts and companies that sell household goods rose less than the rest of the market. Those stocks are often compared to bonds because they pay large dividends, but the jump in yields Tuesday encouraged investors to look elsewhere.

The price of gold jumped $10.30 to $1,162 an ounce. Silver climbed 42 cents, or 2.6 percent, to $16.41 an ounce. Copper slipped 2 cents to $2.49 a pound.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline fell 5 cents, or 2.9 percent, to $1.62 a gallon. Heating oil lost 5 cents, or 3 percent, to $1.68 a gallon.

The dollar jumped to 117.68 yen from 116.78 yen. The euro slumped to $1.0410 from $1.0531.

The FTSE 100 index in Britain rose 0.5 percent to another all-time high. The French CAC 40 added 0.3 percent. Germany's DAX slipped 0.1 percent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index gained 0.7 percent and the Kospi in South Korea rose 0.9 percent. Tokyo's stock market remained closed for the New Year's holiday.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 60.4 points or ▲ 0.30% on Wednesday, January 4, 2017
Symbol …........Last …......Change....... ..
Dow_Jones 19,942.16 ▲ 60.40 ▲ 0.30% .
Nasdaq____ 5,477.00 ▲ 47.92 ▲ 0.88% .
S&P_500___ 2,270.75 ▲ 12.92 ▲ 0.57% .
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.05 ▼ 0.00 ▼ -0.07%

NYSE Volume 3,761,933,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,782,657,250

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change....... ..

FTSE_100 7,189.74 ▲ 11.85 ▲ 0.17% .
DAX_____ 11,584.31 ▲ 0.07 ▲ 0.00% .
CAC_40__ 4,899.40 ▲ 0.07 ▲ 0.00% .

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,788.20 ▲ 3.60 ▲ 0.06% .
Shanghai_Comp 3,158.79 ▲ 22.87 ▲ 0.73% .
Taiwan_Weight 9,286.96 ▲ 14.08 ▲ 0.15% .
Nikkei_225___ 19,594.16 ▲ 479.79 ▲ 2.51% .
Hang_Seng.__ 22,134.47 ▼ -15.93 ▼ -0.07% .
Strait_Times.__ 2,921.31 ▲ 22.34 ▲ 0.77% .
NZX_50_Index_ 6,974.30 ▲ 93.08 ▲ 1.35% .

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-rise-auto-makers-150849360.html

Stock indexes near records as car makers and retailers rise
By MARLEY JAY

NEW YORK
U.S. stocks climbed Wednesday as investors bought shares of companies focused on consumers, including automakers and retailers. The Standard & Poor's 500 index finished a single point below its all-time high.

General Motors and Ford jumped as car companies reported generally strong sales for the month of December. Companies that mine for metals and make chemicals and other materials climbed as the dollar receded a bit from its recent highs. Small-company stocks picked up where they left off in 2017 as the Russell 2000 index outpaced other major indexes and missed a record close by a whisker.

Investors snapped up consumer-focused stocks that haven't done much celebrating since the election, like apparel and accessories retailers and discount store chains. Urban Outfitters is down about 11 percent the election and Gap has fallen almost that much.

"They were afterthoughts in a lot of respects," said Julian Emanuel, an equity strategist for UBS. But Emanuel said he expects those stocks to rise this year because consumer confidence remains high.

The Dow Jones industrial average added 60.40 points, or 0.3 percent, to 19,942.16. The blue-chip index was held back by small losses from energy giant Exxon Mobil and insurer Travelers.

The S&P 500 jumped 12.92 points, or 0.6 percent, to 2,270.75. The Nasdaq composite rose 47.92 points, or 0.9 percent, to 5,477. The Russell 2000 outpaced the other indexes and advanced 22.46 points, or 1.6 percent, to 1,387.95.

Companies that sell clothes, jewelry, athletic gear and discount goods have fallen or lagged behind the market over the last two months. That changed a bit on Wednesday. Gap rose 72 cents, or 3.1 percent, to $24.20. Discount retailer Dollar Tree, which has slumped since late November, picked up $2, or 2.6 percent, to $79.45.

Under Armour added 81 cents, or 3.1 percent, to $26.57 and auto parts supplier Delphi Automotive gained $2.50, or 3.7 percent, to $70.04. Delphi said Wednesday it bought Movimento, an automotive software company.

General Motors said its total U.S. sales climbed 10 percent last month from a year ago and its stock rose $1.94, or 5.5 percent, to $37.09. Ford climbed 58 cents, or 4.6 percent, to $13.17. That came as U.S. vehicle sales set records for the seventh year in a row. Sales are expected to slip in 2017.

Companies that mine for metals and make basic materials rose as the dollar slipped away from recent highs.

Freeport-McMoRan climbed $1.05, or 7.6 percent, to $14.83 as the price of copper jumped. Other materials makers also rose. Chemicals maker LyondellBassell Industries added $1.91, or 2.2 percent, to $88.79 and Mosaic picked up $1.28, or 4.3 percent, to $30.81.

The dollar slipped to 117.60 yen from 117.68 yen. The euro edged up to $1.0467 from $1.0410.

Rental car company Hertz climbed $1.11, or 4.9 percent, to $23.63 after investor Gamco Asset Management increased its stake in the company to 5.1 percent. A number of other activist investors own stock in Hertz. The largest by far is billionaire Carl Icahn, who holds a 35 percent stake.

Shake Shack rose $2.77, or 7.7 percent, to $38.90. The company will be added to the S&P SmallCap 600 index after the close of trading Wednesday. When a company is added to a major stock index it typically trades higher as it's added to various portfolios. The burger chain replaced Chemours, a former unit of DuPont, which became part of the S&P 500.

Oil prices bounced back from early losses. Benchmark U.S. crude picked up 93 cents, or 1.8 percent, to $53.26 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, gained 99 cents, or 1.8 percent, to $56.46 a barrel in London. The price of natural gas fell another 1.8 percent, to $3.33 per 1,000 cubic feet, after a drop of almost 11 percent Tuesday.

Bond prices inched higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.44 percent from 2.45 percent.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline rose 2 cent to $1.65 a gallon. Heating oil edged up 2 cents to $1.69 a gallon.

Gold picked up $3.30 to $1,165.30 an ounce and silver added 14 cents to $16.55 an ounce. Copper closed up 7 cents, or 2.7 percent, at $2.56 a pound.

France's CAC 40 and the DAX in Germany both finished little changed. The FTSE 100 of Britain rose 0.2 percent to set another all-time high. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 added 2.5 percent in its first trading day of 2017. That was partly because the weak yen will help Japanese exporters like Honda. South Korea's Kospi gained nearly 0.1 percent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng dipped 0.1 percent.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -43 points or ▼ -0.21% on Thursday, January 5, 2017
Symbol …........Last …......Change....... ..
Dow_Jones 19,899.29 ▼ -42.87 ▼ -0.21% .
Nasdaq____ 5,487.94 ▲ 10.93 ▲ 0.20% .
S&P_500___ 2,269.00 ▼ -1.75 ▼ -0.08% .
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.96 ▼ -0.08 ▼ -2.73%

NYSE Volume 3,757,778,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,692,089,000

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change....... ..

FTSE_100 7,195.31 ▲ 5.57 ▲ 0.08% .
DAX_____ 11,584.94 ▲ 0.63 ▲ 0.01% .
CAC_40__ 4,900.64 ▲ 1.24 ▲ 0.03% .

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,805.10 ▲ 16.90 ▲ 0.29% .
Shanghai_Comp 3,165.41 ▲ 6.62 ▲ 0.21% .
Taiwan_Weight 9,358.14 ▲ 71.18 ▲ 0.77% .
Nikkei_225___ 19,520.69 ▼ -73.47 ▼ -0.37% .
Hang_Seng.__ 22,456.69 ▲ 322.22 ▲ 1.46% .
Strait_Times.__ 2,954.14 ▲ 32.83 ▲ 1.12% .
NZX_50_Index_ 6,975.60 ▲ 1.30 ▲ 0.02% .

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-indexes-drift-early-trade-151206636.html

US stocks mostly slip as banks fall and retailers plunge

Marley Jay, AP Markets Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks slipped Thursday as interest rates dropped and banks took sharp losses. Department stores tumbled as Macy's and Kohl's plunged following weak holiday-season reports that led the chains to cut their profit forecasts.

After a solid but uninspiring report on private hiring in December, bond prices jumped and yields fell, which sent banks down. The dollar declined. Other industries that have climbed since the election, including industrial and basic materials companies, also slipped. The Dow Jones industrial average was down as much as 131 points at midday, but the losses later eased as shares of companies that pay big dividends traded higher.

Health care and technology stocks edged higher, and the Nasdaq composite recovered from an early loss to set another all-time high.

Stocks have surged in the last two months because investors expect faster economic growth after President-elect Donald Trump takes office. Kate Warne, an investment strategist for Edward Jones, said they may be waiting for a while. She thinks Trump's proposed tax cuts and higher infrastructure spending won't affect the economy much until late this year or early 2018.

The payroll report "reinforced investors' concerns that stocks have risen too quickly without policy changes actually taking place yet," she said. Warne added that investors are also not sure if Trump's trade and immigration proposals will slow down economic growth.

The Dow Jones industrial average sank 42.87 points, or 0.2 percent, to 19,899.29. The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 1.75 points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,269. The Nasdaq composite rose 10.93 points, or 0.2 percent, to 5,487.94. The Russell 2000 index of small-company stocks surrendered 16.02 points, or 1.2 percent, to 1,371.94.

The day started with a mixed report on hiring. Payroll processing company ADP said private U.S. companies added 153,000 jobs in December. That was fewer than analysts expected and a bit less than they had in the months before. The government will release its own report on the job market on Friday.

Macy's said it will cut 10,000 jobs, and both it and Kohl's reported declines in a key sales measure for November and December. The job cuts will be part of a restructuring for Macy's that will include selling properties and continuing to close stores. Macy's, which has lost half its value over the last two years, tumbled $4.98, or 13.9 percent, to $30.86 and Kohl's slumped $9.87, or 19 percent, to $42.01. Nordstrom and J.C. Penney both sank 7 percent.

Amazon rose $23.27, or 3.1 percent, to $780.45 as investors interpreted the latest trouble for traditional stores as another sign that the online retail giant is continuing to expand at their expense.

Bond prices jumped. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.35 percent from 2.44 percent. That sent banks to steep losses, as lower bond yields mean lower interest rates and reduced profits from mortgages and other loans. Citigroup lost $1.07, or 1.7 percent, to $60.34 and Fifth Third Bancorp declined 78 cents, or 2.8 percent, to $26.64.

The dollar continued to slip below its recent 14-year highs. It fell to 115.62 yen from 117.60 yen. The euro rose to $1.0590 from $1.0467.

With the dollar skidding, the price of gold jumped $16, or 1.4 percent, to $1,181.30 an ounce. Silver gained 9 cents to $16.64 an ounce. That sent mining companies higher. Newmont Mining gained $1.61, or 4.6 percent, to $36.57 and Hecla Mining rose 26 cents, or 4.7 percent, to $5.83.

Copper prices edged down 2 cents to $2.54 a pound.

Drugmaker Alexion Pharmaceuticals jumped after the company said it won't restate any of its earnings. The company had been examining sales of its drug Soliris, but said it didn't find improper revenue recognition and that its sales were valid. Alexion did say it found weaknesses in "internal controls." The company began examining its sales practices in November, and the following month its CEO and chief financial officer left.

The stock rose $12.07, or 9.5 percent, to $139.18 Thursday.

Stanley Black & Decker rose after the company said it will buy Sears' Craftsman brand for around $900 million. In October the company agreed to buy Newell Brands' tools business for $1.95 billion. Its stock gained $1.87, or 1.6 percent, to $118.35.

Benchmark U.S. crude picked up 50 cents to $53.76 a barrel in New York. Brent crude added 43 cents to $56.89 a barrel in London.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline lost 1 cent to $1.64 a gallon. Heating oil remained at $1.69 a gallon. Natural gas rose 1 cent to $3.27 per 1,000 cubic feet.

The FTSE 100 index in Britain inched up 0.1 percent to set another all-time high. The German DAX held steady CAC-40 in France rose less than 0.1 percent. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index fell 0.4 percent and the Kospi of South Korea edged 0.2 percent lower. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose 1.5 percent.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 64.5 points or ▲ 0.32% on Friday, January 6, 2017
Symbol …........Last …......Change....... ..
Dow_Jones 19,963.80 ▲ 64.51 ▲ 0.32% .
Nasdaq____ 5,521.06 ▲ 33.12 ▲ 0.60% .
S&P_500___ 2,276.98 ▲ 7.98 ▲ 0.35% .
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.00 ▲ 0.04 ▲ 1.42%

NYSE Volume 3,307,083,500
Nasdaq Volume 1,641,391,250

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change....... ..

FTSE_100 7,210.05 ▲ 14.74 ▲ 0.20% .
DAX_____ 11,599.01 ▲ 14.07 ▲ 0.12% .
CAC_40__ 4,909.84 ▲ 9.20 ▲ 0.19% .

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,809.00 ▲ 3.90 ▲ 0.07% .
Shanghai_Comp 3,154.32 ▼ -11.09 ▼ -0.35% .
Taiwan_Weight 9,372.22 ▲ 14.08 ▲ 0.15% .
Nikkei_225___ 19,454.33 ▼ -66.36 ▼ -0.34% .
Hang_Seng.__ 22,503.01 ▲ 46.32 ▲ 0.21% .
Strait_Times.__ 2,962.63 ▲ 8.49 ▲ 0.29% .
NZX_50_Index_ 6,970.66 ▼ -4.94 ▼ -0.07% .

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-st...--finance.html?_fsig=JmyBGdCGdDYoi.5zh6C79w--

Higher wages push stocks to records, but Dow misses 20,000
By MARLEY JAY
AP Markets Writer
NEW YORK (AP) - So close! The Dow Jones industrial average missed the 20,000 mark by a fraction of a point Friday as U.S. stock indexes rose after the government said wages jumped in December. Two other major indexes set records.

Stocks wavered between gains and losses in the morning after the December jobs report, which showed less hiring than analysts hoped to see. Bond yields rose sharply, as the continued job gains should encourage the Federal Reserve to keep raising interest rates.

Indexes turned higher as investors concluded that the rising wages will lead to more spending on technology and consumer goods. Industrial companies rose as investors hoped for greater economic growth.

Sam Stovall, a U.S. equity strategist for S&P Capital IQ, said there was good news for most industries. That's because workers are being paid more, but the report won't push the Fed to raise rates quickly in order to stave off inflation.

"Consumers are earning a bit more and as a result can spend more," he said. "But ... people are not too worried the Fed will have to slam on the brakes."

At about 12:40 p.m. the Dow peaked at 19,999.63, but later lost steam. It finished up 64.51 points, or 0.3 percent, at 19,963.80. The S&P 500 rose 7.98 points, or 0.4 percent, to 2,276.98. The Nasdaq composite jumped 33.12 points, or 0.6 percent, to 5,521.06.

The small-cap Russell 2000 index slid 4.65 points, or 0.3 percent, to 1,367.28.

Stocks finished the week with a big gain as investors remained optimistic about the U.S. economy. The S&P 500 climbed 1.7 percent. That was a marked change from last year, when the index lost 6 percent as the market got off to its worst opening week in history.

The Labor Department said U.S. employers added 156,000 jobs in December, which was solid but slightly disappointing. However the government said hourly pay jumped 2.9 percent from December 2015, the biggest monthly increase in seven years. Overall, job growth remained steady in 2016 but slowed a bit from 2015.

The biggest gains went to companies that stand to benefit from higher wages and greater spending by consumers. Among technology companies, Facebook rose $2.74, or 2.3 percent, to $123.41 and Apple gained $1.30, or 1.1 percent, to $117.91. Amazon had its second big gain in a row and added $15.54, or 2 percent, to $795.99 while travel website TripAdvisor picked up $1.57, or 3.2 percent, to $50.77.

Industrial companies, which have climbed since the presidential election two months ago, also fared well. Machinery and equipment maker Honeywell rose $1.77, or 1.5 percent, to $118.53.

Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.42 percent from 2.35 percent. Higher bond yields mean higher interest rates, which allow banks to make more money on lending. Investment banks and other financial firms did better than the rest of the market Friday afternoon. SunTrust Banks rose 63 cents, or 1.1 percent, to $55.53 and Goldman Sachs jumped $3.58, or 1.5 percent, to $244.90.

Companies that pay large dividends, including phone companies and real estate investment trusts, lagged the market as bond yields rose. Those stocks are often compared to bonds because of the steady income they provide. AT&T gave up 84 cents, or 2 percent, to $41.32 and Crown Castle International fell $1.74, or 2 percent, to $85.50.

Amgen climbed and Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals fell after a court moved to block sales of Sanofi and Regeneron's cholesterol drug Praluent. A federal jury ruled in March that Praluent infringes on two patents that belong to Amgen. Both are costly biotech drugs designed to be injected once or twice a month. Sanofi and Regeneron said they will appeal the ruling, which came from U.S. District Court in Delaware.

Amgen stock gained $3.80, or 2.5 percent, to $156.78 while Regeneron slid $22.24, or 5.8 percent, to $358.68 and Sanofi lost $1.18, or 2.8 percent, to $40.32.

The dollar rose to 117.02 yen from 115.62 yen after a dip Thursday. The euro slipped to $1.0532 from $1.0590.

U.S. crude oil rose 23 cents to close at $53.99 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, which is used to price oil sold internationally, added 21 cents to close at $57.10 a barrel in London.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline slipped less than 1 cent to $1.63 a gallon. Heating oil rose 1 cent to $1.70 a gallon. Natural gas rose 1 cent to $3.29 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Gold fell $7.90 to $1,173.40 an ounce. Silver sank 12 cents to $16.52 an ounce. Copper rose 1 cent to $2.55 a pound.

The FTSE 100 index in Britain inched up 0.2 percent. It's risen nine days in a row and is at all-time highs. Germany's DAX edged up 0.1 percent and the CAC-40 of France rose 0.2 percent. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index lost 0.3 percent while the Kospi in South Korea added 0.4 percent. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng advanced 0.2 percent.

0024

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -76 points or ▼ -0.38% on Monday, January 9, 2017
Symbol …........Last …......Change....... ..
Dow_Jones 19,887.38 ▼ -76.42 ▼ -0.38% .
Nasdaq____ 5,531.82 ▲ 10.76 ▲ 0.19% .
S&P_500___ 2,268.90 ▼ -8.08 ▼ -0.35% .
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.97 ▼ -0.04 ▼ -1.20%

NYSE Volume 3,196,890,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,782,597,500

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change....... ..

FTSE_100 7,237.77 ▲ 27.72 ▲ 0.38% .
DAX_____ 11,563.99 ▼ -35.02 ▼ -0.30% .
CAC_40__ 4,887.57 ▼ -22.27 ▼ -0.45% .

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,857.70 ▲ 48.70 ▲ 0.84% .
Shanghai_Comp 3,171.24 ▲ 16.92 ▲ 0.54% .
Taiwan_Weight 9,342.42 ▼ -29.80 ▼ -0.32% .
Nikkei_225___ 19,454.33 ▼ -66.36 ▼ -0.34% .
Hang_Seng.__ 22,558.69 ▲ 55.68 ▲ 0.25% .
Strait_Times.__ 2,981.54 ▲ 18.91 ▲ 0.64% .
NZX_50_Index_ 7,012.74 ▲ 42.08 ▲ 0.60% .

http://www.kswo.com/story/34215731/us-stocks-close-mostly-lower-as-oil-prices-slide

By ALEX VEIGA
AP Business Writer

A slide in oil and natural gas companies led U.S. stock indexes mostly lower Monday, even as the Nasdaq composite index eked out another record high.

Energy sector stocks declined the most, weighed down by lower prices for crude oil and other energy futures. Utilities and phone company stocks also fell sharply. But gains among health care and technology stocks helped lift the Nasdaq, extending a winning streak into its fifth day.

Absent major new economic data, investors mostly focused on company earnings and several corporate deals, including UnitedHealth's $2.3 billion cash-and-stock buyout of Surgical Care Affiliates.

All told, the Dow Jones industrial average fell 76.42 points, or 0.4 percent, to 19,887.38. The Standard & Poor's 500 index slid 8.08 points, or 0.4 percent, to 2,268.90. The Nasdaq rose 10.76 points, or 0.2 percent, to 5,531.82.

The market's postelection rally sputtered the last week of December. So far this year, the major stock indexes have mostly inched higher. That could change toward the end of the week, when the next big wave of company earnings news starts rolling in.

"It really gets down to earnings now," said Jim Davis, regional investment strategist at the Private Client Group at U.S. Bank. "The last few quarters, the bar has been set pretty low, basically flat earnings growth. Investors are expecting some earnings growth this year."

Disappointing quarterly earnings pulled Acuity Brands down nearly 15 percent, making it the biggest decliner in the S&P 500 on Monday. The lighting maker's results fell well short of what analysts were expecting. The stock slid $34.85 to $202.51.

Investors rewarded strong earnings from Global Payments. The electronic payment processing company climbed 7.2 percent. The stock led all the gainers in the S&P 500, adding $5.34 to $79.79.

Company deals sent some stocks higher.

Insurer UnitedHealth's bid for Surgical Care Affiliates drove the surgical care center operator's shares up $7.90, or 16.2 percent, to $56.65. UnitedHealth slipped 46 cents, or 0.3 percent, to $161.95.

VCA vaulted 28.3 percent after the pet health care company agreed to be acquired by food and drinks company Mars Inc. for around $7.7 billion. The deal also includes $1.4 billion in debt. Shares in VCA added $20.02 to $90.79.

Several oil and gas companies also racked up losses as energy futures prices fell.

Southwestern Energy fell 50 cents, or 4.9 percent, to $9.75, while Range Resources lost $1.47, or 4.3 percent, to $32.76. Devon Energy was off $2.09, or 4.3 percent, at $46.58.

U.S. benchmark crude oil fell $2.03, or 3.8 percent, to close at $51.96 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, which is used to price oil sold internationally, slid $2.16, or 3.8 percent, to close at $54.94 a barrel in London.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline lost 6 cents to $1.57 a gallon and heating oil fell 7 cents to $1.64 a gallon. Natural gas futures shed 18 cents, or 5.5 percent, to $3.10 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Markets overseas were also mixed.

In Europe, Germany's DAX fell 0.3 percent, while France's CAC 40 slid 0.5 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.4 percent. Earlier in Asia, Hong Kong's benchmark Hang Seng index rose 0.3 percent, while South Korea's Kospi slipped 0.1 percent. Markets in Japan were closed for a holiday.

Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.37 percent from 2.42 percent late Friday.

The pound fell to $1.2163 from $1.2274, its lowest level since October, amid indications the British government is inclined to opt for a full break away from the European Union's single market. The dollar fell to 116.06 yen from 117.02 yen in late trading Friday. The euro rose to $1.0577 from $1.0532.

In metals trading, the price of gold rose $11.50, or 1 percent, to $1,184.90 an ounce. Silver added 16 cents, or 1 percent, to $16.68 an ounce. Copper fell a penny to $2.54 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -32 points or ▼ -0.16% on Tuesday, January 10, 2017
Symbol …........Last …......Change....... ..
Dow_Jones 19,855.53 ▼ -31.85 ▼ -0.16% .
Nasdaq____ 5,551.82 ▲ 20.00 ▲ 0.36% .
S&P_500___ 2,268.90 ▲ 0.00 ▲ 0.00% .
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.97 ▲ 0.00 ▲ 0.07%

NYSE Volume 3,637,466,500
Nasdaq Volume 1,702,439,620

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change....... ..

FTSE_100 7,275.47 ▲ 37.70 ▲ 0.52% .
DAX_____ 11,583.30 ▲ 19.31 ▲ 0.17% .
CAC_40__ 4,888.23 ▲ 0.66 ▲ 0.01% .

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,813.00 ▼ -44.70 ▼ -0.76% .
Shanghai_Comp 3,161.67 ▼ -9.56 ▼ -0.30% .
Taiwan_Weight 9,349.64 ▲ 7.22 ▲ 0.08% .
Nikkei_225___ 19,301.44 ▼ -152.89 ▼ -0.79% .
Hang_Seng.__ 22,744.85 ▲ 186.16 ▲ 0.83% .
Strait_Times.__ 3,006.02 ▲ 24.48 ▲ 0.82% .
NZX_50_Index_ 7,037.58 ▲ 24.84 ▲ 0.35% .

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stock-indexes-edge-mostly-152552094.html

Nasdaq sets another record high on mixed day for US stocks

ALEX VEIGA

The Nasdaq composite index notched its fourth record-high close in a row Tuesday, eking out a modest gain on a day when the other major U.S. stock indexes barely budged.

After wavering between small gains and losses for much of the day, the Standard & Poor's 500 index closed unchanged, while the Dow Jones industrial average posted a slight loss. More stocks rose than fell on the New York Stock Exchange.

Consumer-focused companies, banks and health care stocks were among the biggest gainers. Real estate companies lagged the most. Energy stocks also fell following a drop in crude oil prices.

Encouraging reports on small business confidence and job openings helped keep stocks in the green early in the day. But by midafternoon the indexes began to waver.

"I do think the market stays kind of quiet until it really hits earnings season," said David Chalupnik, head of equities for Nuveen Asset Management. "The market will really start to take its direction when earnings season starts in full, and that's Friday."

The Nasdaq composite increased 20 points, or 0.4 percent, to 5,551.82. The index has closed higher the past six days in a row. The S&P 500 ended unchanged at 2,268.90. The Dow slipped 31.85 points, or 0.2 percent, to 19,855.53.

While the busiest stretch of the next corporate earnings season doesn't begin until Friday, several companies reported outlooks or preliminary results Tuesday that pleased investors.

Illumina jumped 16.6 percent after it reported better-than-anticipated fourth quarter sales. The company also launched a new genetic sequencing system called NovaSeq. The stock led the gainers in the S&P 500, adding $23.50 to $165.04.

Alaska Air Group rose 5.2 percent after the airline, which bought Virgin America in December, reported strong monthly results. The stock gained $4.53 to $92.

Zimmer Biomet added 6.2 percent after the medical device maker projected better-than-expected fourth-quarter sales. The stock rose $6.67 to $113.67.

Other companies' outlooks put traders in a selling mood.

Ascena Retail Group slumped 10 percent after the company slashed its profit forecast, citing holiday season sales, which fell for most of its store chains, including Ann Taylor, Lane Bryant and Dressbarn. The stock lost 60 cents to $5.41.

Investors boosted shares in Pacific Continental on news the holding company for Pacific Continental Bank will be bought by Columbia Banking System for $644 million. Pacific Continental shares added $5.35, or 25.7 percent, to $26.15. Columbia shares slid $1.26, or 2.9 percent, to $42.05.

Major stock indexes in Europe notched gains, led by Britain's FTSE 100, which rose 0.5 percent, closing at a new all-time high for the ninth day in a row. Germany's DAX added 0.2 percent, while the CAC40 of France inched up 0.1 percent. In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 index dropped 0.8 percent, while the Kospi in South Korea slipped 0.2 percent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 0.8 percent.

U.S. benchmark crude oil lost $1.14, or 2.2 percent, to close at $50.82 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, which is used to price oil sold internationally, fell $1.30, or 2.4 percent, to close at $53.64 a barrel in London.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline slid 2 cents to $1.55 a gallon and heating oil fell 3 cents to $1.61 a gallon. Natural gas futures rose 18 cents, or 5.6 percent, to $3.28 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Even so, several natural gas companies closed lower. Williams Cos. was down the most among stocks in the S&P 500 index, sliding $3.43, or 10.7 percent, to $28.50. Oneok lost $1.41, or 2.5 percent, to $56.07.

Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.38 percent from 2.37 percent late Monday.

The pound held steady at $1.2163. The dollar fell to 115.73 yen from 116.06 in late trading Monday. The euro fell to $1.0560 from $1.0577.

In metals trading, the price of gold edged up 60 cents to $1,185.50 an ounce. Silver added 17 cents, or 1 percent, to $16.85 an ounce. Copper rose 7 cents to $2.61 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 98.8 points or ▲ 0.50% on Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Symbol …........Last …......Change....... ..
Dow_Jones 19,954.28 ▲ 98.75 ▲ 0.50% .
Nasdaq____ 5,563.65 ▲ 11.83 ▲ 0.21% .
S&P_500___ 2,275.32 ▲ 6.42 ▲ 0.28% .
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.96 ▼ -0.01 ▼ -0.44%

NYSE Volume 3,618,433,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,852,159,250

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change....... ..

FTSE_100 7,290.49 ▲ 15.02 ▲ 0.21% .
DAX_____ 11,646.17 ▲ 62.87 ▲ 0.54% .
CAC_40__ 4,888.71 ▲ 0.48 ▲ 0.01% .

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,823.70 ▲ 10.70 ▲ 0.18% .
Shanghai_Comp 3,136.75 ▼ -24.92 ▼ -0.79% .
Taiwan_Weight 9,345.74 ▼ -3.90 ▼ -0.04% .
Nikkei_225___ 19,364.67 ▲ 63.23 ▲ 0.33% .
Hang_Seng.__ 22,935.35 ▲ 190.50 ▲ 0.84% .
Strait_Times.__ 3,000.94 ▼ -5.08 ▼ -0.17% .
NZX_50_Index_ 7,069.59 ▲ 32.01 ▲ 0.45% .

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stock-indexes-edge-higher-early-trading-oil-151702226--finance.html

US stock indexes close higher after wavering much of the day

ALEX VEIGA

Energy companies led U.S. stocks modestly higher Wednesday, nudging the Nasdaq composite to its fifth record-high close in a row.

Rising crude oil prices gave energy companies a boost, including oil rig operator Transocean, which rose 4 percent. Traders also bid up shares in utilities.

Health care stocks fell after President-elect Donald Trump spoke about the need for the government to stem drug costs by creating new bidding procedures. Pharmaceutical company Endo International led the decliners in the Standard & Poor's 500 index, sliding 8.5 percent.

The stock market spent much of the day wavering between small gains and losses as investors sized up outlooks from several companies ahead of the latest batch of corporate earnings reports.

"The heavy load comes in the coming weeks," said Tim Dreiling, regional investment director for U.S. Bank's Private Client Reserve. "There's a little bit of a wait-and-see on what those earnings numbers look like."

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 98.75 points, or 0.5 percent, to 19,954.28. The S&P 500 index added 6.42 points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,275.32. The Nasdaq gained 11.83 points, or 0.2 percent, to 5,563.65. The index has risen every day this year.

During a press conference Wednesday morning, Trump said the government has to create new bidding procedures for the pharmaceutical industry "because they're getting away with murder." The remarks sent health care stocks broadly lower, particularly pharmaceutical companies. At one point, drugmakers and one prescription drug distributor accounted for the nine biggest losers in the S&P 500.

Endo International posted the biggest loss, tumbling $1.30 to $14.01. Perrigo slid $5.77, or 6.9 percent, to $77.88. Mallinckrodt slumped $3.31, or 6.2 percent, to $50.44.

Not all drugmakers had a bad day.

Merck rose 2.9 percent on news that the Food and Drug Administration will do a quick review of one of the company's drugs for its potential to treat a type of lung cancer. The stock added $1.71 to $61.63.

Big U.S. companies start reporting fourth-quarter earnings this week. On Friday JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo and Bank of America release their results.

"As we look into 2017, we still expect equities are going to be able to grind higher, because we still have enough of an economic push to do that," Dreiling said. "But a move up in equities is going to have to come from earnings, otherwise, these valuations ... look pretty stretched, pretty rich at these levels."

Investors had their eye Wednesday on companies that released earnings or forecasts of their upcoming quarterly results.

SuperValu slid 7.5 percent after the grocery store operator announced a weak third-quarter profit, partly because of falling food prices. The stock shed 36 cents to $4.43.

Traders bid up shares in several companies that projected strong fourth-quarter results.

Intuitive Surgical gained $15.96, or 2.4 percent, to $678.16, while medical device maker Stryker added $1.76, or 1.4 percent, to $123.66.

Quarterly outlooks from other companies failed to impress investors.

Signet Jewelers cut its profit forecast for the fourth quarter and current fiscal year, noting its sales fell 5 percent over the holidays. The stock fell $2.76, or 3.2 percent, to $84.70.

Auto parts supplier BorgWarner slid 1.6 percent after it issued a profit and sales forecast that fell short of what Wall Street was anticipating. The stock shed 65 cents to $40.12.

The major indexes in Europe were mixed.

Germany's DAX rose 0.5 percent, while France's CAC 40 was essentially flat. Britain's FTSE 100 gained 0.2 percent.

Earlier in Asia, a strong earnings forecast from Samsung Electronics helped drive gains on the South Korean stock market, where the Kospi added 1.5 percent and hit its highest close in over a year. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 0.3 percent. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 0.2 percent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.8 percent.

Benchmark U.S. crude rose $1.43, or 2.8 percent, to close at $52.25 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, which is used to price oil sold internationally, gained $1.46, or 2.7 percent, at $55.10 a barrel in London. In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline added 5 cents to $1.59 a gallon and heating oil rose 4 cents to $1.65 a gallon. Natural gas futures slipped 5 cents to $3.22 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.36 percent from 2.38 percent late Tuesday.

In currency markets, the dollar fell to 115.43 yen from 115.73 yen late Tuesday. The euro rose to $1.0576 from $1.0560. The pound, which has been declining amid concern that Britain might break off completely from the European Union's single market, gained ground on the dollar. The British currency strengthened to $1.2208 from $1.2163.

Among metals, the price of gold rose $11.10 to $1,196.60 an ounce. Silver slipped 2 cents to $16.83 an ounce. Copper was little changed at $2.61 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -63 points or ▼ -0.32% on Thursday, January 12, 2017
Symbol …........Last …......Change....... ..
Dow_Jones 19,891.00 ▼ -63.28 ▼ -0.32% .
Nasdaq____ 5,547.49 ▼ -16.16 ▼ -0.29% .
S&P_500___ 2,270.44 ▼ -4.88 ▼ -0.21% .
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.96 ▲ 0.00 ▲ 0.10%

NYSE Volume 3,453,421,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,730,142,620

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change....... ..

FTSE_100 7,292.37 ▲ 1.88 ▲ 0.03% .
DAX_____ 11,521.04 ▼ -125.13 ▼ -1.07% .
CAC_40__ 4,863.97 ▼ -24.74 ▼ -0.51% .

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,821.60 ▼ -2.10 ▼ -0.04% .
Shanghai_Comp 3,119.29 ▼ -17.46 ▼ -0.56% .
Taiwan_Weight 9,410.18 ▲ 64.44 ▲ 0.69% .
Nikkei_225___ 19,134.70 ▼ -229.97 ▼ -1.19% .
Hang_Seng.__ 22,829.02 ▼ -106.33 ▼ -0.46% .
Strait_Times.__ 2,993.00 ▼ -7.94 ▼ -0.26% .
NZX_50_Index_ 7,063.59 ▼ -6.00 ▼ -0.08% .

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stock-indexes-moved-lower-152237586.html

Financial companies lead US stocks lower; oil rises

Alex Veiga,

Banks and other financial companies led U.S. stocks modestly lower Thursday, wiping out much of the market's gains from a day earlier.

Phone companies, real estate, utilities and health care stocks eked out gains. Energy, technology and other stocks that posted big gains in the weeks after the November election lost ground. Hess slumped 4.8 percent and chipmaker Micron Technology fell 2.1 percent.

Banks, which moved sharply higher through much of the postelection rally in November and December, were hurt by a drop in bond yields, which can push down interest rates on loans, squeezing banks' profits.

"The market has been running pretty nicely this year, so this is just a little bit of a pullback, a little bit of a consolidation," said Troy Logan, managing director at Warren Financial Service. "Anything that has run well postelection has pulled back somewhat today."

The Dow Jones industrial average slid 63.28 points, or 0.3 percent, to 19,891. The average had briefly been down more than 183 points. The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 4.88 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,270.44. The Nasdaq composite snapped a seven-day winning streak that delivered five consecutive record highs. On Thursday, the index fell 16.16 points, or 0.3 percent, to 5,547.49.

The market's slide came as investors looked ahead to several weeks of companies reporting their latest quarterly results. That begins Friday, when several major banks are due to report earnings, including Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo.

The latest drop in bond yields weighed on bank stocks Thursday. The yield on the 10-year Treasury slipped to 2.36 percent from 2.37 percent late Wednesday.

Beyond that, some traders may have also been selling bank stocks to lock in the sector's recent gains ahead of Friday's earnings releases, Logan said.

"Tomorrow is the big day for a lot of the big banks," he said. "They've run up pretty nicely postelection and through this year."

PNC Financial Services Group lost $2.85, or 2.4 percent, to $117.93, while Zions Bancorporation fell 95 cents, or 2.2 percent, to $42.97. JPMorgan Chase shed 84 cents, or 1 percent, to $86.24.

Companies issuing earnings forecasts also grabbed investors' attention Thursday.

Hess slid 4.8 percent after the oil company said it will take a $3.8 billion charge in the fourth quarter. The stock fell $2.99 to $58.85.

Other companies making news also lost ground.

Mylan fell 1.4 percent on news that rival CVS slashed its price on a generic version of Adrenaclick, a lesser-known treatment similar to EpiPen, which can cost more than $600. The version that CVS will is selling costs about a sixth of the price of Mylan's EpiPen. The stock shed 51 cents to $36.77.

Fiat Chrysler tumbled 10.3 percent after the U.S. government accused the automaker of violating vehicle emission laws. The Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday that Fiat Chrysler failed to disclose software in some of its vehicles with diesel engines that allows them to emit more pollution than allowed under the Clean Air Act. Shares in Fiat slid $1.14 to $9.95.

Markets overseas were mixed.

In Europe, Germany's DAX fell 1.1 percent, while France's CAC 40 slid 0.5 percent despite new data showing eurozone industrial production jumped 1.5 percent in November. Britain's FTSE 100 was flat. In Asia, Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 dropped 1.2 percent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng dipped 0.5 percent, while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.1 percent. South Korea's Kospi bucked the trend to rise 0.6 percent.

Energy futures closed higher. Benchmark crude oil rose 76 cents, or 1.5 percent, to close at $53.01 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, which is used to price oil sold internationally, added 91 cents, or 1.7 percent, to close at $56.01 a barrel in London.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline added 2 cents to $1.61 a gallon and heating oil rose 2 cents to $1.68 a gallon. Natural gas futures gained 16 cents, or 5 percent, to $3.39 per 1,000 cubic feet.

In currency trading, the dollar fell to 114.63 yen from 115.43 on Wednesday. The euro rose to $1.0626 from $1.0576. The pound, which has been weakening recently amid concern that Britain might break off completely from the European Union's single market, lost ground again to the dollar. The British currency slid to $1.2163 from $1.2208.

The price of gold rose $3.20 to $1,199.80 an ounce. Silver was little changed at $16.83 an ounce. Copper rose 6 cents to $2.67 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -5.3 points or ▼ -0.03% on Friday, January 13, 2017
Symbol …........Last …......Change....... ..
Dow_Jones 19,885.73 ▼ -5.27 ▼ -0.03% .
Nasdaq____ 5,574.12 ▲ 26.63 ▲ 0.48% .
S&P_500___ 2,274.64 ▲ 4.20 ▲ 0.18% .
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.98 ▲ 0.02 ▲ 0.57%

NYSE Volume 3,067,362,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,530,400,750

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change....... ..

FTSE_100 7,337.81 ▲ 45.44 ▲ 0.62% .
DAX_____ 11,629.18 ▲ 108.14 ▲ 0.94% .
CAC_40__ 4,922.49 ▲ 58.52 ▲ 1.20% .

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,776.80 ▼ -44.80 ▼ -0.77% .
Shanghai_Comp 3,112.76 ▼ -6.52 ▼ -0.21% .
Taiwan_Weight 9,378.83 ▼ -31.35 ▼ -0.33% .
Nikkei_225___ 19,287.28 ▲ 152.58 ▲ 0.80% .
Hang_Seng.__ 22,937.38 ▲ 108.36 ▲ 0.47% .
Strait_Times.__ 3,025.07 ▲ 32.07 ▲ 1.07% .
NZX_50_Index_ 7,046.97 ▼ -16.62 ▼ -0.24% .


http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stock-indexes-head-higher-151733528.html

US stock indexes end mostly higher on solid bank earnings
Alex Veiga, Ap Business Writer

Banks led U.S. stock indexes mostly higher Friday, propelling the Nasdaq composite index to its fourth record high this week.

Investors welcomed quarterly earnings from JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Wells Fargo, all of which reported results that exceeded Wall Street's expectations. Financial stocks also benefited from an upward move in bond yields, which will lead to higher interest rates on loans.

Real estate stocks were the biggest laggard. Shares in energy companies also closed lower as crude oil prices declined. Mixed data on U.S. retail sales weighed on department store stocks.

Friday's crop of company earnings kicks off several weeks of corporate earnings reports, giving investors new insight into the health of Corporate America and the economy.

"We all thought financials would do well," said J.J. Kinahan, TD Ameritrade's chief strategist. "Now how about the other areas of the economy?

The Dow Jones industrial average slipped 5.27 points, or 0.03 percent, to 19,885.73. The average had been up by 61 points earlier in the day. The Standard & Poor's 500 index gained 4.20 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,274.64. The Nasdaq added 26.63 points, or 0.5 percent, to 5,574.12. The index has set a record-high close six times this year.

Small-company stocks rose more than the rest of the market. The Russell 2000 index jumped 10.98 points, or 0.8 percent, to 1,372.05.

The major stock indexes headed higher early on in the day, as investors reacted to earnings reports from JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Wells Fargo. The three banking giants delivered quarterly results that exceeded Wall Street's expectations, pushing their shares higher.

JPMorgan added 46 cents, or 0.5 percent, to $86.70. Bank of America rose 9 cents, or 0.4 percent, to $23.01. Wells Fargo gained 81 cents, or 1.5 percent, to $55.31.

Traders also reviewed the latest monthly snapshot of U.S. retail sales, which showed that sales rose 0.6 percent overall in December, mainly due to a pickup in online shopping and sales of autos and gasoline.

"If you back out gasoline increasing and auto sales increasing, it's not an impressive number," Kinahan said.

The retail sales report weighed down shares of several department store chains and clothing brands. By early afternoon, the market had begun to give up some of its gains.

PVH Corp., home to Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger and other clothing brands, slid $3.82, or 4.1 percent, to $89.31. Nordstrom fell 83 cents, or 1.8 percent, to $44.20. Gap shed 34 cents, or 1.4 percent, to $23.66.

Traders also had their eye on companies that issued outlooks for their upcoming earnings reports.

Pandora Media climbed 6.3 percent after the streaming music company issued a strong revenue forecast. The company also said it will cut about 7 percent of its jobs to reduce costs. The stock added 76 cents to $12.765.

HomeStreet fell 6 percent after the real estate lender forecast disappointing fourth-quarter results. It took in fewer mortgage applications as interest rates began rising. The stock slid $1.85 to $29.10.

GameStop tumbled 8.1 percent after the video game retailer said holiday revenue dropped because of discounts and weak sales of new "Call of Duty" and "Titanfall" games. The stock shed $1.99 to $22.73.

Energy prices were mixed.

Benchmark crude oil fell 64 cents, or 1.2 percent, to close at $52.37 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, which is used to price oil sold internationally, slid 56 cents, or 1 percent, to close at $55.45 a barrel in London.

The slide in crude prices helped pull down shares in energy sector stocks.

Oilfield services company Baker Hughes slid $1.50, or 2.4 percent, to $60.92, while drilling services company Transocean lost 36 cents, or 2.3 percent, to $15.48. Marathon Petroleum fell 87 cents, or 1.8 percent, to $48.38.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline was little changed at $1.61 a gallon, while heating oil slipped 2 cents to $1.65 a gallon. Natural gas futures gained 3 cents, or 1 percent, to $3.42 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Major stock indexes in Europe closed higher.

Germany's DAX rose 0.9 percent, while France's CAC 40 gained 1.2 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 added 0.6 percent.

Earlier in Asia, some markets finished lower on disappointing trade data from China. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index gained 0.5 percent. Japan's Nikkei 225 index rose 0.8 percent. South Korea's Kospi fell 0.5 percent, while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 slumped 0.8 percent.

Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.39 percent from 2.36 percent late Thursday.

In currency trading, the dollar fell to 114.42 yen from 114.63 yen on Thursday. The euro strengthened to $1.0646 from $1.0626.

The price of gold fell $3.60 to $1,196.20 an ounce. Silver slid 6 cents to $16.77 an ounce. Copper rose 2 cents to $2.69 a pound.

309

DYOR, I am not a financial advisor

 

[bigdog]

Members

10 years ago today I posted my first entry to "NYSE Dow Jones finished today at:"

Hopefully 10+ more years left in me!

John now 71

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

THE NYSE WAS CLOSED FOR MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR DAY HOLIDAY MONDAY JANUARY 16

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -5.3 points or ▼ -0.03% on Friday, January 13, 2017
Symbol …........Last …......Change....... ..
Dow_Jones 19,885.73 ▼ -5.27 ▼ -0.03% Holiday
Nasdaq____ 5,574.12 ▲ 26.63 ▲ 0.48% Holiday
S&P_500___ 2,274.64 ▲ 4.20 ▲ 0.18% Holiday
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.98 ▲ 0.02 ▲ 0.57%

NYSE Volume 3,090,624,500
Nasdaq Volume 1,607,880,880

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change....... ..

FTSE_100 7,327.13 ▼ -10.68 ▼ -0.15% .
DAX_____ 11,554.71 ▼ -74.47 ▼ -0.64% .
CAC_40__ 4,882.18 ▼ -40.31 ▼ -0.82% .

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,803.00 ▲ 26.20 ▲ 0.45% .
Shanghai_Comp 3,103.43 ▼ -9.34 ▼ -0.30% .
Taiwan_Weight 9,292.33 ▼ -86.50 ▼ -0.92% .
Nikkei_225___ 19,095.24 ▼ -192.04 ▼ -1.00% .
Hang_Seng.__ 22,718.15 ▼ -219.23 ▼ -0.96% .
Strait_Times.__ 3,013.12 ▼ -11.95 ▼ -0.40% .
NZX_50_Index_ 7,074.94 ▲ 27.97 ▲ 0.40% .

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/asian-shares-mostly-lower-amid-062030239.html

Global stocks, pound drop amid worries over Brexit

Yuri Kageyama, AP Business Writer

TOKYO (AP) -- Global stock markets and the pound fell on Monday amid worries that Britain will opt for a "hard exit" from the European Union in which it severs its access to the bloc's single market.

KEEPING SCORE: France's CAC 40 dropped 0.7 percent to 4,885 and Germany's DAX shed 0.6 percent to 11,557. Britain's FTSE 100 inched down only 0.1 percent to 7,327, as the drop in the pound tends to support the shares of the index's many multinationals that earn in dollars. The U.S. was shut for a holiday.

BREXIT WORRIES: British Prime Minister Theresa May is set to deliver a speech Tuesday outlining her vision of Britain's post-EU future, and market players expect her to indicate a "hard" approach to the nation's exit. That would mean leaving the EU single market, which guarantees no tariffs on goods and services. Her office has said she will call for a "truly global Britain" that is more open to the world when she lays out plans for negotiations with the EU.

POUND: The Brexit concerns are taking a toll on the pound. The British currency on Monday tumbled to its weakest levels since October, when it suffered a flash crash that brought it to 31-year lows against the dollar, before recovering somewhat. It was at $1.2061 on Monday compared with $1.2183 the day before.

EXPERT VIEW: Analysts at UniCredit Research say that the pound is likely to remain under pressure as it seems that May is willing to sacrifice access to the EU single market if that's needed to limit EU immigration. "As long as control over immigration remains the U.K. government's anchoring point, it is virtually impossible to envision anything other than an exit from the EU's single market," they said in a note to investors.

TAKATA'S TUMBLE: Japanese air bag maker Takata Corp.'s stock suffered after the company agreed in the U.S. last week to a guilty plea and a $1 billion fine for concealing a deadly defect in millions of air bags. Takata shares finished down 10.1 percent. Three former Takata executives were also indicted. Automakers have recalled 42 million cars equipped with 69 million Takata air bag inflators in the U.S., the largest automotive recall in U.S. history.

ASIA'S DAY: Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 lost 1.0 percent to 19,095.24. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 0.5 percent to 5,748.20. South Korea's Kospi lost 0.6 percent at 2,064.17. Hong Kong's Hang Seng slipped 1.0 percent to 22,718.15, while the Shanghai Composite dropped 0.3 percent to 3,103.43. Shares in Southeast Asia were also mostly lower.

ENERGY: Benchmark crude fell 16cents to $52.21 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It fell 1.2 percent Friday. Brent crude, which is used to price oils sold internationally, lost 9 cents to $55.36 a barrel in London.

OTHER CURRENCIES: The dollar fell to 114.03 yen from 114.58 yen. The euro fell to $1.0602 from $1.0643.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -59 points or ▼ -0.30% on Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Symbol …........Last …......Change....... ..
Dow_Jones 19,826.77 ▼ -58.96 ▼ -0.30% .
Nasdaq____ 5,538.73 ▼ -35.39 ▼ -0.63% .
S&P_500___ 2,267.89 ▼ -6.75 ▼ -0.30% .
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.93 ▼ -0.05 ▼ -1.68%

NYSE Volume 3,585,295,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,666,340,250

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change....... ..

FTSE_100 7,220.38 ▼ -106.75 ▼ -1.46% .
DAX_____ 11,540.00 ▼ -14.71 ▼ -0.13% .
CAC_40__ 4,859.69 ▼ -22.49 ▼ -0.46% .

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,754.70 ▼ -48.30 ▼ -0.83% .
Shanghai_Comp 3,108.77 ▲ 5.35 ▲ 0.17% .
Taiwan_Weight 9,354.53 ▲ 62.20 ▲ 0.67% .
Nikkei_225___ 18,813.53 ▼ -281.71 ▼ -1.48% .
Hang_Seng.__ 22,840.97 ▲ 122.82 ▲ 0.54% .
Strait_Times.__ 3,012.77 ▼ -0.35 ▼ -0.01% .
NZX_50_Index_ 7,062.96 ▼ -11.98 ▼ -0.17% .

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stock-indexes-drop-along-151612800.html

Bad day for bank stocks drags down indexes; dollar drops

STAN CHOE

NEW YORK (AP) — A bad day for bank stocks pulled the Dow Jones industrial average to its third straight loss Tuesday as many of the patterns that have propelled markets since Election Day last year snapped into reverse.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 58.96 points, or 0.3 percent, to 19,826.77, cutting into the gain it had made since Donald Trump's surprise victory in November. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 6.75, or 0.3 percent, to 2,267.89. The Nasdaq composite fell 35.39, or 0.6 percent, to 5,538.73.

The main culprit for the weakness was the financial sector, whose 2.3 percent drop was nearly triple that of any of the other 10 sectors that make up the S&P 500. The losses came even though Morgan Stanley on Tuesday morning joined the list of banks to report better-than-expected earnings for the fourth quarter.

Part of the reason for the losses was likely Tuesday's drop in bond yields. Bank stocks have often been trading in the opposite direction of bond yields, and the yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.32 percent from 2.38 percent late Friday. Yields on two-year and 30-year Treasurys also sank.

Another reason may lie in how well bank stocks had been performing in the months earlier: Financial stocks in the S&P 500 jumped 17 percent in the two months following the election, more than any other sector in the S&P 500.

"You're seeing a day where stocks that have been strong are pulling back a little bit, and investors are putting money into some of the laggards," said Mike Barclay, senior portfolio manager for Columbia Threadneedle Investments.

Companies that sell everyday items to consumers logged the biggest gains of the day, with those in the S&P 500 up 1.3 percent. They're also the ones that have struggled the most since Election Day.

Among them was tobacco company Reynolds American. It rose $1.71, or 3.1 percent, to $57.68 after British American Tobacco said it would buy the remaining 57.8 percent of the company that it doesn't already own. British American Tobacco said it will pay $59.64 per share in cash and stock.

Utility stocks, which have also lagged the market since Election Day, did well. Those in the S&P 500 rose 1.2 percent, aided by the drop in Treasury yields. When bonds are paying less in interest, dividend-paying stocks become more attractive to income investors, and utilities have some of the largest dividend yields.

NRG Energy rose 74 cents, or 5.1 percent, to $15.34 and was one of the top-performing stocks in the S&P 500 after an investment firm run by activist investor Paul Singer disclosed an ownership stake in the power company.

The biggest gain in the S&P 500 came from Noble Energy, which rose $2.66, or 7.1 percent, to $40.05. The oil and gas company agreed to buy Clayton Williams Energy for $2.7 billion in stock and cash.

Nearly as many stocks rose on the New York Stock Exchange as fell, but the outsized losses for bank stocks were enough to drag indexes lower.

The dollar also fell against most of its rivals, including the Japanese yen, euro and Canadian dollar. Its sharpest drop came against the British pound, which rallied after British Prime Minister Theresa May gave a highly anticipated speech about her country's pending departure from the European Union. One British pound bought $1.2396 as of Tuesday afternoon, up sharply from $1.2190 late Friday.

May said in her speech that the U.K. will make a clean break from the European Union and depart its single market. She also acknowledged for the first time that Britain's Parliament will be able to vote on the final deal. Uncertainty about the pending divorce has shaken investors since June, when the U.K. voted to quit the European Union. The pound remains more than 15 percent weaker against the dollar than it was in June.

Benchmark U.S. crude oil rose 11 cents, or 0.2 percent, to $52.48 per barrel. Brent crude, used to price international oils, fell 39 cents, or 0.7 percent, to $55.47.

Natural gas fell a fraction of a penny to $3.412 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Gold rose $16.70 to $1,212.90 per ounce, up 1.4 percent. Silver rose 38 cents to $17.15 per ounce, and copper fell 1 cent to $2.63 per pound.

In Asia, markets were. Japan's Nikkei 225 index fell 1.5 percent, while South Korea's Kospi rose 0.4 percent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng index gained 0.5 percent. In Europe, the French CAC 40 fell 0.5 percent, and the German DAX fell 0.1 percent. In London, the FTSE 100 fell 1.5 percent.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -22 points or ▼ -0.11% on Wednesday, January 18, 2017
Symbol …........Last …......Change....... ..
Dow_Jones 19,804.72 ▼ -22.05 ▼ -0.11% .
Nasdaq____ 5,555.65 ▲ 16.93 ▲ 0.31% .
S&P_500___ 2,271.89 ▲ 4.00 ▲ 0.18% .
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.99 ▲ 0.06 ▲ 1.98%

NYSE Volume 3,297,896,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,591,107,620

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change....... ..

FTSE_100 7,247.61 ▲ 27.23 ▲ 0.38% .
DAX_____ 11,599.39 ▲ 59.39 ▲ 0.51% .
CAC_40__ 4,853.40 ▼ -6.29 ▼ -0.13% .

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,733.70 ▼ -21.00 ▼ -0.36% .
Shanghai_Comp 3,113.01 ▲ 4.24 ▲ 0.14% .
Taiwan_Weight 9,341.97 ▼ -12.56 ▼ -0.13% .
Nikkei_225___ 18,894.37 ▲ 80.84 ▲ 0.43% .
Hang_Seng.__ 23,098.26 ▲ 257.29 ▲ 1.13% .
Strait_Times.__ 3,000.22 ▼ -12.55 ▼ -0.42% .
NZX_50_Index_ 7,059.27 ▼ -3.69 ▼ -0.05% .

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stock-indexes-mixed-bond-151531194.html

US stock indexes stay stuck; bond yields and dollar rise

STAN CHOE

NEW YORK (AP) — The stock market hasn't been this boring in years.

The Standard & Poor's 500 remained at a near standstill Wednesday, the ninth day in a row that it has moved by less than 0.4 percent, up or down. That's its longest streak of listlessness since the summer of 2013. Other indexes were mixed.

The S&P 500 rose 4 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,271.89. The Dow Jones industrial average slipped 22.05 points, or 0.1 percent, to 19,804.72. The Nasdaq composite index added 16.93, or 0.3 percent, to 5,555.65. Slightly more stocks rose on the New York Stock Exchange than fell.

Stocks have been in a wait-and-see period in recent weeks following their torrid run since Election Day. The S&P 500 is up 6.2 percent since Donald Trump's surprise victory of the White House, driven higher by expectations for lower corporate taxes and less regulation. Trump will take the oath of office on Friday, and investors are waiting to see how much of his campaign-trail rhetoric will become government policy.

"It's natural after such a remarkable run postelection to have a bit of a flat, quiet period as investors wait for some more tangibles," said Katie Nixon, chief investment officer at Northern Trust Wealth Management. "We know directionally where Donald Trump wants to go, and with a Republican Congress he's got a higher probability of success than otherwise, but we don't have the details."

One notable area of weakness in the stock market was retail. This past holiday shopping season was weaker than many traditional retailers were expecting, and Target became the latest to cut its forecast for fourth-quarter sales and profits as a result. The discounter said that traffic levels at its stores were disappointing in November and December, and its stock fell $4.09, or 5.8 percent, to $66.85 following its announcement.

Target had the second-largest loss in the S&P 500, while Dollar Tree and other retailers weren't far behind.

The biggest loss in the S&P 500 came from specialty biopharmaceutical company Mallinckrodt, which fell $2.89, or 5.8 percent, to $46.53 after it agreed to pay $100 million to end a government investigation. Antitrust regulators and five states said Questcor, a company Mallinckrodt bought in 2014, illegally bought the rights to a drug that would have competed with its Acthar gel. The agencies said that deal gave Questcor a monopoly. Questcor raised the price of Acthar from $40 a vial in 2001 to $34,000.

On the opposite side of the S&P 500 was Fastenal, which jumped $2.81, or 5.8 percent, to $51.06 for the biggest gain in the index. The seller of nuts, bolts and other equipment reported stronger fourth-quarter earnings growth than analysts expected.

Treasury yields rose sharply. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note climbed to 2.42 percent from 2.33 percent late Tuesday. It more than made up its loss from the prior day, and continues the steady march higher that bond yields have been on since Election Day. Expectations of higher inflation, along with faster economic growth, have driven the trend.

Consumer prices last month were 2.1 percent higher than the same time a year earlier, according to a Labor Department report released Wednesday. Economists say the inflation rate is still relatively modest, but it's a clear acceleration from the very low levels of the last four years.

The "Beige Book," a survey of conditions by the Federal Reserve released Wednesday afternoon, showed that the U.S. economy grew a bit faster at the end of last year and that pricing pressures "intensified somewhat" since its last report in November.

The Federal Reserve has raised interest rates twice in the last two years, up from their record low of nearly zero. The central bank has said that it plans for a gradual rise in rates. Fed Chair Janet Yellen said in a speech on Wednesday that officials expect to raise rates "a few times a year" through 2019. But a big push higher in inflation could force the Fed's hand.

The dollar rose against many of its rivals, a day after it sank sharply against the British pound and other currencies. The dollar rose to 113.74 Japanese yen from 112.66 late Tuesday. The British pound fell to $1.2284 from $1.2396, and the euro fell to $1.0664 from $1.0709.

In Asian trading, Japan's Nikkei 225 index rose 0.4 percent, and South Korea's Kospi index dipped by 0.1 percent.

In Europe, Germany's DAX rose 0.5 percent, and the U.K. FTSE 100 rose 0.4 percent, while France's CAC 40 fell 0.1 percent.

Benchmark U.S. crude oil fell $1.40 to settle at $51.08 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, fell $1.55 to close at $53.92. Natural gas fell 11 cents to $3.302 per 1,000 cubic feet, heating oil fell 4 cents to $1.61 a gallon and wholesale gasoline fell 5 cents to $1.55 per gallon.

Gold slipped 80 cents to $1,212.10 per ounce, silver rose 13 cents to $17.27 per ounce and copper fell 9 cents to $2.62 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -72 points or ▼ -0.37% on Thursday, January 19, 2017
Symbol …........Last …......Change....... ..
Dow_Jones 19,732.40 ▼ -72.32 ▼ -0.37% .
Nasdaq____ 5,540.08 ▼ -15.57 ▼ -0.28% .
S&P_500___ 2,263.69 ▼ -8.20 ▼ -0.36% .
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.03 ▲ 0.05 ▲ 1.57%

NYSE Volume 3,153,281,500
Nasdaq Volume 1,729,029,380

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change....... ..

FTSE_100 7,208.44 ▼ -39.17 ▼ -0.54% .
DAX_____ 11,596.89 ▼ -2.50 ▼ -0.02% .
CAC_40__ 4,841.14 ▼ -12.26 ▼ -0.25% .

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,745.40 ▲ 11.70 ▲ 0.20% .
Shanghai_Comp 3,101.30 ▼ -11.71 ▼ -0.38% .
Taiwan_Weight 9,318.12 ▼ -23.85 ▼ -0.26% .
Nikkei_225___ 19,072.25 ▲ 177.88 ▲ 0.94% .
Hang_Seng.__ 23,049.96 ▼ -48.30 ▼ -0.21% .
Strait_Times.__ 3,008.22 ▲ 8.00 ▲ 0.27% .
NZX_50_Index_ 7,062.36 ▲ 3.09 ▲ 0.04% .

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stock-indexes-still-treading-water-bond-yields-152550886.html

Dow erases gain for 2017 as stocks fall, bond yields climb

STAN CHOE

NEW YORK (AP) — The Dow Jones industrial average erased its gains for 2017 on Thursday as it fell for the fifth day in a row, part of a pullback for stock indexes as Treasury yields continued their upward march.

Losses were widespread, with three stocks falling on the New York Stock Exchange for every one that rose. Utilities, real-estate investment trusts and others that pay big dividends were among the hardest hit because their payouts look less attractive when bond yields are rising. Small company stocks took outsize losses.

The Dow fell 72.23 points, or 0.4 percent, to 19,732.40, slightly lower than where it finished 2016. Still, it's not far from its record closing high of 19,974.62, set one month ago.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index slid 8.20 points, or 0.4 percent, to 2,263.69. The Nasdaq composite gave up 15.57 points, or 0.3 percent, to 5,540.08.

The Russell 2000, which tracks smaller companies, lost 12.81 points, or 0.9 percent, to 1,345.74. The Russell, which surged after the presidential election and finished last year with a gain of almost 20 percent, also turned lower for the year.

Stocks have slowed in January following an electrifying jump higher since Election Day as investors wait to see what a Donald Trump presidency will really mean for stocks. They've already seen the optimistic case, as shown in the 6-percent jump for the S&P 500 after Trump's surprise election victory, propelled by expectations for lower taxes and less regulation on businesses.

But on the possible downside, increased tariffs or trade restrictions could mean drops in profits for big U.S. companies.

"The stock market seems to be perched like a tightrope walker, balanced on the center, but there are a couple hundred-pound weights on each end of the balancing pole," said Rich Weiss, senior portfolio manager at American Century Investments.

Even with all the uncertainties, the market has remained relatively calm. The S&P 500 hasn't swung by 1 percent, either up or down, since early December. And the VIX index, which market pros use to gauge how nervous investors are, is still about 50 percent lower than where it was a year ago.

Weiss calls that "irrational complacency."

Bond yields continued their march higher after more economic reports joined the recently growing pile of encouraging data. The 10-year Treasury yield rose to 2.47 percent from 2.43 percent late Wednesday.

Yields have generally been climbing since Election Day on expectations that President-elect Donald Trump's policies will spur more inflation and economic growth.

The 10-year yield is still below its recent high of just over 2.60 percent reached in mid-December, but it's also well above the 2.09 percent level it was at a year ago. Last July it went as low as 1.36 percent.

One of Thursday's reports showed that the number of workers seeking unemployment claims fell last week to its lowest level in more than 43 years, a sign that corporate layoffs are subsiding. Another report showed that homebuilders broke ground on more new homes in December, capping a solid 2016 for the industry.

A stronger economy could sway the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates more quickly. It has raised rates twice since 2015 after keeping them at record lows near zero since 2008.

Higher yields may also lure income investors back to bonds and away from high-dividend stocks. That hurts real-estate investment trusts and utilities, which pay some of the biggest dividends among publicly traded companies. Those sectors fell more than the rest of the market.

Banks and energy companies, which climbed following the election, also traded lower.

Industrial stocks were among the few stocks that did well as railroad operators surged. CSX led the way with a jump of $8.63, or 23.4 percent, to $45.51. That was its best day since 1980. An activist investor is reportedly teaming up with the executive who turned around Canadian Pacific Railway to target CSX. Union Pacific rose $2.47, or 2.4 percent, to $106.24 after it reported stronger fourth-quarter earnings than expected.

Netflix jumped $5.15, or 3.9 percent, to $138.41 after the video-streaming service reported higher fourth-quarter earnings than analysts expected and strong subscriber growth.

The dollar was mixed against its major rivals. It rose to 114.80 Japanese yen from 113.74 late Wednesday, and the euro dipped to $1.0659. But the British pound rose to $1.2337 from $1.2284.

Benchmark U.S. crude oil rose 29 cents to close at $51.37 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, rose 24 cents to $54.16.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline lost 1 cent to $1.53 a gallon and heating oil rose 1 cent to $1.62 a gallon. Natural gas rose 7 cents to $3.37 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Gold dropped $10.60 to settle at $1,201.50 an ounce, silver fell 27 cents to $17 an ounce and copper was virtually flat at $2.61 a pound.

The German DAX was virtually flat, the French CAC 40 fell 0.3 percent and the FTSE 100 lost 0.5 percent in London. The Japanese Nikkei 225 index rose 0.9 percent, South Korea's Kospi rose 0.1 percent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.2 percent.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 94.9 points or ▲ 0.48% on Friday, January 20, 2017
Symbol …........Last …......Change....... ..
Dow_Jones 19,827.25 ▲ 94.85 ▲ 0.48% .
Nasdaq____ 5,555.33 ▲ 15.25 ▲ 0.28% .
S&P_500___ 2,271.31 ▲ 7.62 ▲ 0.34% .
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.05 ▲ 0.01 ▲ 0.46%

NYSE Volume 3,532,168,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,644,957,880

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change....... ..

FTSE_100 7,198.44 ▼ -10.00 ▼ -0.14% .
DAX_____ 11,630.13 ▲ 33.24 ▲ 0.29% .
CAC_40__ 4,850.67 ▲ 9.53 ▲ 0.20% .

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,709.70 ▼ -35.70 ▼ -0.62% .
Shanghai_Comp 3,123.14 ▲ 21.84 ▲ 0.70% .
Taiwan_Weight 9,331.46 ▲ 13.34 ▲ 0.14% .
Nikkei_225___ 19,137.91 ▲ 65.66 ▲ 0.34% .
Hang_Seng.__ 22,885.91 ▼ -164.05 ▼ -0.71% .
Strait_Times.__ 3,011.08 ▲ 2.86 ▲ 0.10% .
NZX_50_Index_ 7,048.47 ▼ -13.89 ▼ -0.20% .

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stock-indexes-move-higher-151736086.html

Stocks edge higher, snapping a 5-day losing streak for Dow

ALEX VEIGA

Materials companies led U.S. stocks modestly higher Friday, recouping much of the market's loss from a day earlier and snapping a 5-day losing streak for the Dow Jones industrial average.

Another crop of encouraging company earnings news helped lift the market, but investors were mostly focused on events in Washington as Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States.

The major stock indexes pulled back slightly as Trump delivered remarks after taking the oath of office. Among topics of particular interest to Wall Street, the speech touched on trade and the Trump administration's intention of protecting the U.S. from "the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies, and destroying our jobs."

"The market is still embracing the Trump agenda, based on the market's reaction to the speech," said Quincy Krosby, market strategist at Prudential Financial. "Now the question the market has is, specifically, what does all of that mean in terms of trade?"

The Dow rose 94.85 points, or 0.5 percent, to 19,827.25. The Standard & Poor's 500 index gained 7.62 points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,271.31. The Nasdaq composite index added 15.25 points, or 0.3 percent, to 5,555.33.

Despite Friday's gains, the three major stock indexes ended the week lower.

Stocks have slowed in 2017 after surging for several weeks following Election Day on investor optimism that a Trump administration and Republican Congress would usher in business-friendly policies. But the possibility of increased tariffs or trade restrictions has also loomed as a potential drag in profits for big U.S. companies.

"Historically, the market has performed best in the November-April time frame," said Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA Research. "The Trump victory added a tailwind to this traditional seasonal factor."

Typically, stocks don't do well on inauguration day. Going back to 1928, the S&P has averaged a drop of 1.05 percent on inauguration days, according Bespoke Investment Group.

Beyond the presidential transition in Washington, investors pored over the latest batch of corporate earnings Friday, bidding up shares in companies that reported results that beat Wall Street's expectations.

Skyworks Solutions jumped 13 percent, the biggest gainer in the S&P 500. The stock climbed $10.21 to $88.67. Citizens Financial Group gained $1.09, or 3.1 percent, to $35.82.

Traders also drove up shares in Procter & Gamble after the consumer goods maker released a strong growth forecast. The stock added $2.75, or 3.2 percent, to $87.45.

Strong subscriber numbers helped lift AT&T, giving a boost to phone company stocks overall. AT&T added 45 cents, or 1.1 percent, to $41.45.

Some companies' earnings failed to impress the market.

General Electric slid 2.2 percent after the conglomerate reported fourth-quarter revenue that fell short of analysts' forecasts. The stock gave up 68 cents to $30.53.

Investors sold off Bristol-Myers Squibb after the drugmaker said it won't pursue accelerated regulatory approval for a two-drug lung cancer treatment. The stock was the biggest decliner in the S&P 500 index, shedding $6.26, or 11.3 percent, to $49.23.

Major stock indexes overseas were mixed Friday.

Germany's DAX rose 0.3 percent, while Britain's FTSE 100 fell 0.1 percent. France's CAC 40 added 0.2 percent. In Asia, Hong Kong's Hang Seng shed 0.7 percent after the Chinese government said the economy grew at a 6.8 percent annual rate in the last quarter, even as full-year growth increased 6.7 percent, the weakest in three decades. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index rose 0.3 percent.

Benchmark U.S. crude rose $1.05, or 2 percent, to close at $52.42 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, added $1.33, or 2.5 percent, to close at $55.49 a barrel in London.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline gained 3 cents to $1.57 a gallon and heating oil rose 3 cents to $1.65 a gallon. Natural gas slid 16 cents, or 4.9 percent, to $3.20 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Bond prices were little changed. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note held steady at 2.47 percent. Yields have been rising as investors expect inflation to increase.

In currency trading, the dollar fell to 114.31 yen from Thursday's 114.80 yen. The euro rose to $1.0707 from $1.0659. The British pound edged up to $1.2378 from $1.2337.

Gold dropped $3.40 to settle at $1,204.90 an ounce, while silver fell 3 cents to $17.03 an ounce. Copper slipped a penny to $2.63 a pound.

834

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -27 points or ▼ -0.14% on Monday, January 23, 2017
Symbol …........Last …......Change....... ..
Dow_Jones 19,799.85 ▼ -27.40 ▼ -0.14% .
Nasdaq____ 5,552.94 ▼ -2.39 ▼ -0.04% .
S&P_500___ 2,265.20 ▼ -6.11 ▼ -0.27% .
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.99 ▼ -0.06 ▼ -1.81%

NYSE Volume 3,150,200,500
Nasdaq Volume 1,573,201,620

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change....... ..

FTSE_100 7,151.18 ▼ -47.26 ▼ -0.66% .
DAX_____ 11,545.75 ▼ -84.38 ▼ -0.73% .
CAC_40__ 4,821.41 ▼ -29.26 ▼ -0.60% .

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,668.00 ▼ -41.70 ▼ -0.73% .
Shanghai_Comp 3,136.77 ▲ 13.64 ▲ 0.44% .
Taiwan_Weight 9,424.05 ▲ 92.59 ▲ 0.99% .
Nikkei_225___ 18,891.03 ▼ -246.88 ▼ -1.29% .
Hang_Seng.__ 22,898.52 ▲ 12.61 ▲ 0.06% .
Strait_Times.__ 3,025.48 ▲ 14.40 ▲ 0.48% .
NZX_50_Index_ 7,067.85 ▲ 19.38 ▲ 0.27% .

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stock-indexes-edge-lower-early-trading-oil-152819283.html

US stock indexes close slightly lower; oil prices slide

ALEX VEIGA

Energy companies led U.S. stock indexes slightly lower Monday as the price of crude oil fell.

Real estate, phone companies and other high-dividend stocks did better than the rest of the market as bond yields headed lower, making those sectors more appealing to investors seeking income.

Investors focused on the latest batch of company earnings and deal news. They also had their eye on Washington, where President Donald Trump reaffirmed plans to slash regulations on businesses and tax foreign goods entering the country.

"There was that huge rally postelection and things really were running on optimism," said Lisa Kopp, head of traditional investments at U.S. Bank Wealth Management. "What you're seeing now is people coming back to the idea that the policies aren't exactly clear ... and (Trump's) ability to actually push everything through exactly the way he wants is uncertain."

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 27.40 points, or 0.1 percent, to 19,799.85. The Standard & Poor's 500 index slid 6.11 points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,265.20. The Nasdaq composite index lost 2.39 points, or 0.04 percent, to 5,552.94. The Russell 2000, which tracks smaller companies, gave up 4.01 points, or 0.3 percent, to 1,347.84.

The major stock indexes were down slightly early Monday and veered little throughout the day as investors sized up company news and developments out of Washington.

At an early White House meeting with business leaders, Trump repeated a campaign promise to cut regulations by at least 75 percent. He also said there would be advantages to companies that make their products in the U.S., suggesting he will impose a "substantial border tax" on foreign goods entering the country.

Trump also signed a memorandum announcing the United States' intention to withdraw from the multi-nation trade agreement known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and said he would renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Companies that issued results or outlooks that fell short of Wall Street's forecasts put traders in a selling mood.

McDonald's fell 0.7 percent after the world's biggest hamburger chain reported a fourth-quarter drop in sales at established U.S. locations. The decline snapped a streak of five quarters of increases. The stock shed 88 cents to $121.38.

Halliburton slid 2.9 percent after the provider of oil and gas drilling services warned of weaker demand in markets outside North America and its revenue missed forecasts. The stock shed $1.65 to $54.80.

Corporate deal-related news also moved some stocks.

Kate Spade climbed 3.6 percent after Bloomberg News reported that the handbag maker has attracted takeover interest from Coach, Michael Kors and international companies. Kate Spade rose 64 cents to $18.40.

Sprint gained 2.8 percent following news the mobile phone carrier is buying a 33 percent stake in Tidal, the music streaming service owned by artists including Jay-Z. The stock added 25 cents to $9.18.

Aetna fell 2.7 percent after a federal judge rejected the health insurer's plan to buy rival Humana for about $34 billion. Aetna said it is reviewing the opinion and is considering an appeal. Aetna's stock dropped $3.33 to $119.20.

Meanwhile, Qualcomm fell 12.7 percent on news that Apple is suing the maker of semiconductors, one of its major suppliers, for $1 billion in a patent fight. Qualcomm was the biggest decliner among companies in the S&P 500 index, sliding $8 to $54.88.

The slide in crude prices weighed on the energy sector, which fell 1.1 percent. Oil and gas rig operator Transocean slumped 55 cents, or 3.6 percent, to $14.76.

Benchmark U.S. crude fell 47 cents, or 0.9 percent, to close at $52.75 per barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, slid 26 cents, or 0.5 percent, to close at $55.23 per barrel in London.

Major global stock markets mostly fell amid concerns that the Trump administration will pursue trade protectionism policies.

Germany's DAX slid 0.7 percent, while France's CAC-40 fell 0.6 percent. London's FTSE 100 gave up 0.7 percent.

In Asia, a report showed that China's economic growth ticked up in the final quarter of 2016, but the full-year expansion was the weakest in three decades. Hong Kong's Hang Seng was unchanged. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 fell 1.3 percent.

The 10-year Treasury yield slid to 2.40 percent from 2.47 percent late Friday. Yields had generally been climbing since Election Day on expectations that a Trump administration would spur more inflation and economic growth.

In currency markets, the dollar declined to 113 yen from 114.31 yen Friday. The euro rose to $1.0746 from $1.0707.

Among metals, the price of gold gained $10.70, or 0.9 percent, to $1,215.60 an ounce. Silver added 15 cents, or 0.9 percent, to $17.19 an ounce. Copper rose 2 cents to $2.65 a pound.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline was little changed at $1.57 a gallon, while heating oil slipped 2 cents to $1.63 a gallon. Natural gas futures rose 4 cents, or 1.2 percent, to $3.24 per 1,000 cubic feet.