NYSE Dow Jones finished today at:

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 113 points or ▲ 0.57% on Tuesday, January 24, 2017
Symbol …........Last …......Change....... ..
Dow_Jones 19,912.71 ▲ 112.86 ▲ 0.57% .
Nasdaq____ 5,600.96 ▲ 48.01 ▲ 0.86% .
S&P_500___ 2,280.07 ▲ 14.87 ▲ 0.66% .
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.06 ▲ 0.07 ▲ 2.17%

NYSE Volume 3,797,166,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,731,998,500

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

FTSE_100 7,150.34 ▼ -0.84 ▼ -0.01% .
DAX_____ 11,594.94 ▲ 49.19 ▲ 0.43% .
CAC_40__ 4,830.03 ▲ 8.62 ▲ 0.18% .

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,706.30 ▲ 38.30 ▲ 0.68% .
Shanghai_Comp 3,142.55 ▲ 5.78 ▲ 0.18% .
Taiwan_Weight 9,447.95 ▲ 23.90 ▲ 0.25% .
Nikkei_225___ 18,787.99 ▼ -103.04 ▼ -0.55% .
Hang_Seng.__ 22,949.86 ▲ 51.34 ▲ 0.22% .
Strait_Times.__ 3,041.95 ▲ 16.47 ▲ 0.54% .
NZX_50_Index_ 7,064.16 ▼ -3.69 ▼ -0.05% .

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stock-indexes-edge-higher-early-trading-oil-151317003.html

Materials, financials help lift S&P 500, Nasdaq to new highs

ALEX VEIGA

U.S. stocks posted solid gains Tuesday, propelling the Standard & Poor's 500 index and Nasdaq composite to all-time highs.

Mining and other materials sector companies rose more than the rest of the market. The sector could benefit from initiatives by the White House to streamline the permitting process for manufacturing and clear the way for pipeline construction.

Financial stocks also rose sharply. Energy companies climbed as crude oil prices closed higher. The rally also swept up stocks in U.S. homebuilders.

Health care, phone companies and other high-dividend stocks were among the biggest laggards as bond yields rose.

While several big companies reported quarterly earnings, investors focused on the latest batch of executive actions from President Donald Trump.

"The importance of this earnings season has been dimmed only because we all realize there's going to be some changes in policy," said J.J. Kinahan, TD Ameritrade's chief strategist. "Now you're trading on the edicts, or whatever they may be, that are coming out of the White House."

The Dow Jones industrial average climbed 112.86 points, or 0.6 percent, to 19,912.71. The S&P 500 index gained 14.87 points, or 0.7 percent, to 2,280.07. That's the highest close for the index since Jan. 6.

The Nasdaq added 48.01 points, or 0.9 percent, to 5,600.96. That's the highest close for the tech-heavy index since Jan. 13.

Small-company stocks outpaced the rest of the market. The Russell 2000 jumped 21.37 points, or 1.6 percent, to 1,369.21.

Trading got off to a sluggish start, with the major stock indexes hovering just above their prior-day levels. Investors bid up shares in several companies that reported better-than-expected earnings, including Kimberly-Clark, which makes Kleenex and other paper products. The company rose $4.81, or 4.1 percent, to $121.79.

Homebuilder D.R. Horton also rose after reporting strong financial results, climbing $1.90, or 6.6 percent to $30.64. DuPont jumped $3.27, or 4.5 percent, to $76.05 after reporting earnings that easily beat analysts' estimates.

But the action in Washington also held the market's interest.

Trump hosted a breakfast meeting with the heads of General Motors, Ford Motor Co. and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Prior to the meeting, Trump tweeted that he wants "new plants to be built here for cars sold here." He has warned of a "substantial border tax" on companies that move manufacturing out of the country and promised tax advantages to those that produce domestically.

"They used to call some of this jawboning," said David Winters, CEO of Wintergreen Advisers. "So, far President Trump has been encouraging companies to do what's in his vision of a successful America. There's a lot of enthusiasm, but it's really going to be what happens in the next couple of months in terms of legislation so there's clarity."

Automakers expressed optimism after the meeting. And shares in their companies rose.

GM gained 35 cents, or 1 percent, to $37, while Ford added 30 cents, or 2.4 percent, to $12.61. Fiat Chrysler rose 60 cents, or 5.8 percent, to $10.88.

Trump also signed executive actions to advance construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access oil pipelines. President Barack Obama killed the proposed Keystone XL pipeline in late 2015, which would run from Canada to U.S. refineries in the Gulf Coast, saying it would hurt American efforts to reach a global climate change deal.

The Army decided last year to explore alternate routes for the Dakota pipeline after the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and its supporters said the pipeline threatened drinking water and Native American cultural sites.

Mining company Freeport-McMoRan vaulted $1.30, or 8.3 percent, to $17.02, the biggest gainer in the S&P 500 index.

Some companies' financial results put traders in a selling mood.

Verizon slumped 4.4 percent after the phone and communications company served up earnings for the last three months of 2016 that fell short of what analysts were expecting. The company, whose deal to buy Yahoo's internet operations may be in jeopardy, also said that its roster of retail postpaid subscribers fell sharply. The stock fell the most among companies in the S&P 500, sliding $2.29 to $50.12.

Major market indexes in Europe were mixed.

Germany's DAX rose 0.4 percent, while France's CAC 40 added 0.2 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 was flat after the Supreme Court said parliament would have a right to vote on whether Britain formally exits the European Union. The ruling doesn't mean Britain will remain in the EU, but it could delay the process.

In Asia, Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 slipped 0.6 percent, while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 0.7 percent to 5,650.10. South Korea's Kospi slipped 0.01 percent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.2 percent.

Benchmark U.S. crude rose 43 cents, or 0.8 percent, to close at $53.18 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, gained 21 cents, or 0.4 percent, at $55.44 a barrel in London.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline rose a penny to $1.58 a gallon, while heating oil added 2 cents to $1.64 a gallon. Natural gas futures rose 4 cents, or 1.1 percent, to $3.28 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Bond prices fell. The 10-year Treasury yield rose to 2.46 percent from 2.40 percent late Monday.

In currency markets, the dollar rose to 113.89 yen from 113 yen the previous day. The euro fell to $1.0723 from $1.0746.

Among metals, the price of gold slid $4.80, or 0.4 percent, to $1,210.80 an ounce. Silver was little changed at $17.19 an ounce. Copper rose 6 cents, or 2.3 percent, to $2.71 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 156 points or ▲ 0.78% on Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Symbol …........Last …......Change....... ..
Dow_Jones 20,068.51 ▲ 155.80 ▲ 0.78% .
Nasdaq____ 5,656.34 ▲ 55.38 ▲ 0.99% .
S&P_500___ 2,298.37 ▲ 18.30 ▲ 0.80% .
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.11 ▲ 0.05 ▲ 1.70%

NYSE Volume 3,846,213,500
Nasdaq Volume 1,836,532,380

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

FTSE_100 7,164.43 ▲ 14.09 ▲ 0.20% .
DAX_____ 11,806.05 ▲ 211.11 ▲ 1.82% .
CAC_40__ 4,877.67 ▲ 47.64 ▲ 0.99% .

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,726.00 ▲ 19.70 ▲ 0.35% .
Shanghai_Comp 3,149.55 ▲ 7.00 ▲ 0.22% .
Taiwan_Weight 9,447.95 ▲ 23.90 ▲ 0.25% .
Nikkei_225___ 19,057.50 ▲ 269.51 ▲ 1.43% .
Hang_Seng.__ 23,049.12 ▲ 99.26 ▲ 0.43% .
Strait_Times.__ 3,039.94 ▼ -2.01 ▼ -0.07% .
NZX_50_Index_ 7,090.91 ▲ 26.75 ▲ 0.38% .

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/dow-hits-20-000-following-150618644.html

Dow Jones industrial average breaks through 20,000 milestone

Alex Veiga

The Dow Jones industrial average crossed the 20,000 mark for the first time Wednesday, the latest milestone in a record-setting drive for the stock market.

Strong earnings from Boeing and other big companies helped push the Dow past the threshold early on. U.S. stocks closed solidly higher, lifting the Standard & Poor's 500 index and Nasdaq composite to record highs of their own for the second day in a row.

Banks and other financial companies led the gainers, which included technology and industrials. Real estate, phone companies and other high-dividend stocks lagged the broader market as bond yields rose.

"It's a psychological event to get through that big hurdle, that big round number," said Jeff Kravetz, regional investment strategist at U.S. Bank's Private Client Reserve. "It's really symbolic of what's going on with investor sentiment becoming much more positive, and that's going to drive stock prices higher."

The Dow, which tracks 30 major industrial companies, gained 155.80 points, or 0.8 percent, to 20,068.51. The S&P 500 index rose 18.30 points, or 0.8 percent, to 2,298.37. The Nasdaq added 55.38 points, or 1 percent, to 5,656.34.

Small-company stocks also rose. The Russell 2000 picked up 13.23 points, or 1 percent, to 1,382.44.

The market has been marching steadily higher since bottoming out in March 2009 in the aftermath of the financial crisis. The rally continued after the election of Donald Trump as U.S. president last fall. The Dow first closed above 10,000 on March 29, 1999.

Wednesday's rally came against a backdrop of optimism on Wall Street that executive actions and policy goals announced by the Trump administration this week on trade, manufacturing and business deregulation will be good for corporate America.

"Whether it's tax reform or infrastructure spending, any of those tend to be optimistic conversations for the markets currently," said Darrell Cronk, president of Wells Fargo Investment Institute. "We have to wait and see how they play out, obviously. The danger here, if there is one, is that the market gets ahead of itself a little bit."

Most professional investors are skeptical the Dow at 20,000 will have much effect on the market. They more often look to the S&P 500 index as a benchmark, because they consider it better representation of the broad market.

"In and of itself, it is just a number," said Quincy Krosby, market strategist at Prudential Financial. "But what it does is it lifts market expectations, in essence, to continue moving higher."

If the Dow reaching 20,000 has any impact, it will likely be a psychological one. Investors have been leery of the stock market for years, unable to stomach the prospect of losing more than 50 percent of their money for a second time if another financial crisis hits.

That trepidation has caused them to pull money out of stock funds — even as the Dow made its march toward 20,000 — and depend instead on safer bond investments.

Last year, investors pulled a net $27.1 billion out of U.S. stock mutual funds and exchange-traded funds, according to Morningstar. A year earlier, they yanked $66.5 billion. Over the same time, investors plugged a total of $218.6 billion into taxable bond funds.

Anyone who resisted the urge to dump their stock investments through all the tumult of the last decade is now seeing the full benefit of a market with the Dow at 20,000.

A $10,000 investment in the largest U.S. stock mutual fund made a decade ago, before the Great Recession began, would have dropped below $5,000 by March 2009. But investors who held on even through the worries of another recession hitting, U.S. debt downgrade, the euro crisis and uncertainties over Britain's departure from the European Union would now be sitting on nearly $20,000.

This is expected to be the busiest week for corporate earnings news, with about 30 percent of the companies in the S&P 500 reporting quarterly results.

Several companies rose on results that exceeded Wall Street's expectations.

Boeing was the biggest gainer in the Dow. The aircraft manufacturer climbed $6.81, or 4.2 percent, to $167.36.

Seagate's latest quarterly snapshot drove its shares 14 percent higher, to lead all other companies in the S&P 500. The stock added $5.23 to $42.67.

Investors also bid up shares in Rockwell Automation, which rose $10.98, or 7.7 percent, to $153.01, and Logitech, which vaulted 15.5 percent. The computer gaming and accessories maker's shares added $3.90 to $29.

Some companies posted earnings that failed to impress investors.

Textron slumped 5.4 percent after the defense contractor's fourth-quarter revenue missed financial analysts' estimates. The company also announced it is buying snowmobile maker Arctic Cat in a deal valued at about $247 million. Textron was the biggest decliner in the S&P 500, sliding $2.65 to $46.73.

Mining company Freeport-McMoRan fell 3.1 percent after it served up quarterly results that missed analysts' forecasts. The stock slid 52 cents to $16.50.

Major stock indexes in Europe moved higher.

Germany's DAX rose 1.8 percent, while the CAC-40 in France gained 1 percent. The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares rose 0.2 percent.

Earlier in Asia, Tokyo's Nikkei 225 surged 1.4 percent after Japan's government said that the nation had a trade surplus in 2016, its first in six years. Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.4 percent. South Korea's Kospi rose 0.1 percent.

Energy prices mostly declined. Benchmark U.S. crude fell 43 cents to $52.75 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, slid 36 cents at $55.08 a barrel in London.

Bond prices fell. The 10-year Treasury yield rose to 2.52 percent from 2.47 percent late Tuesday.

In currency trading, the dollar fell to 113.60 yen from 113.89 on Tuesday. The euro rose to $1.0743 from $1.0723.

Among metals, the price of gold slid $13, or 1.1 percent, to $1,197.80 an ounce. Silver fell 21 cents to $16.98 an ounce. Copper was little changed at $2.71 a pound.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline fell 5 cents to $1.52 a gallon, while heating oil slid 3 cents to $1.61 a gallon. Natural gas futures rose 5 cents, or 1.6 percent, to $3.33 per 1,000 cubic feet.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 32.4 points or ▲ 0.16% on Thursday, January 26, 2017
Symbol …........Last …......Change....... ..
Dow_Jones 20,100.91 ▲ 32.40 ▲ 0.16% .
Nasdaq____ 5,655.18 ▼ -1.16 ▼ -0.02% .
S&P_500___ 2,296.68 ▼ -1.69 ▼ -0.07% .
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.09 ▼ -0.02 ▼ -0.55%

NYSE Volume 3,602,559,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,751,014,120

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

FTSE_100 7,161.49 ▼ -2.94 ▼ -0.04% .
DAX_____ 11,848.63 ▲ 42.58 ▲ 0.36% .
CAC_40__ 4,867.24 ▼ -10.43 ▼ -0.21% .

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,726.00 ▲ 19.70 ▲ 0.35% HOLIDAY
Shanghai_Comp 3,159.17 ▲ 9.61 ▲ 0.31% .
Taiwan_Weight 9,447.95 ▲ 23.90 ▲ 0.25% .
Nikkei_225___ 19,402.39 ▲ 344.89 ▲ 1.81% .
Hang_Seng.__ 23,374.17 ▲ 325.05 ▲ 1.41% .
Strait_Times.__ 3,051.78 ▲ 11.84 ▲ 0.39% .
NZX_50_Index_ 7,113.33 ▲ 22.42 ▲ 0.32% .

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stock-indexes-edge-higher-151655867.html

US stock indexes drift mostly lower; Dow ekes out gain

ALEX VEIGA

The Dow Jones industrial average inched further into record territory Thursday, eking out a gain while the broader U.S. market indexes drifted lower.

The Dow's gain came a day after closing above 20,000 for the first time. The Standard & Poor's 500 index and Nasdaq composite posted small losses, snapping two days of consecutive record highs.

More stocks fell than rose on the New York Stock Exchange. Financial stocks led the gainers, while health care companies lagged the most.

With about 30 percent of the companies in the S&P 500 index serving up earnings this week, the quarterly report cards continued to be a focus for investors Thursday.

"Earnings have come in strong, for sure," said Patrick Schaffer, global investment specialist, J.P. Morgan Private Bank. "The market continues to digest some of the earnings news, and obviously markets don't go up or down in a straight line."

The S&P 500 index fell 1.69 points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,296.68. The Nasdaq slid 1.16 points, or 0.02 percent, to 5,655.18. The Dow rose 32.40 points, or 0.2 percent, to 20,100.91.

Small-company stocks did worse than the rest of the market. The Russell 2000 lost 6.84 points, or 0.5 percent, to 1,375.60.

It's been a record-making week on Wall Street. The S&P 500 index and Nasdaq composite closed at all-time highs on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Dow, which tracks 30 major industrial companies, added its own milestone Wednesday after it breached the 20,000 mark for the first time.

The market is getting a boost from strong company earnings and investor optimism that the Trump administration's policies on taxes, regulation and trade will be good for business.

On Thursday, the stock indexes wavered between small gains and losses for most of the day as investors sized up the latest company earnings news.

Several companies got a boost after they reported results that exceeded Wall Street's expectations, including Sherwin-Williams. The paint and coatings company also said it expects to complete its $11.3 billion purchase of Valspar within 90 days after making a relatively small divestiture. The stock gained $21.58, or 7.6 percent, to $305.

Traders welcomed an optimistic 2017 forecast and good bookings from Royal Caribbean Cruises. The cruise operator's stock jumped $7.97, or 9.1 percent, to $95.64.

New Commerce Department data indicating sales of new U.S. homes fell 10.4 percent in December didn't weigh on PulteGroup. The homebuilder's quarterly earnings and sales beat financial analysts' estimates, lifting its shares 74 cents, or 3.6 percent, to $21.18.

United Rentals led the gainers in the S&P 500. The equipment rentals company announced it would acquire construction company NES Rentals for $965 million. United Rentals vaulted $12.80, or 11.2 percent, to $127.06.

A slump in toy sales over the holidays dampened Mattel's latest results. The toymaker was the biggest decliner in the S&P 500, sliding $5.57, or 17.7 percent, to $25.99.

Investors also were put off by McKesson's fiscal third-quarter results, which were hurt by weaker-than-expected prices. McKesson lost $12.55, or 8.3 percent, to $138.55.

Whirlpool tumbled 8.5 percent after the appliance maker said Britain's impending departure from the European Union hurt its profits. The stock fell $16.26 to $173.94.

Beyond the ongoing wave of company earnings reports, investors will be looking Friday to a key gauge of the U.S. economy's health when the Commerce Department delivers its estimate of what the nation's gross domestic product was in the final quarter of 2016.

Major stock indexes overseas were mixed Thursday.

Germany's DAX rose 0.4 percent, while the CAC-40 in France slipped 0.2 percent. The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was flat. In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 surged 1.8 percent and South Korea's Kospi gained 0.8 percent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose 1.4 percent. Markets in China, Hong Kong, South Korea and other Asian countries are about to begin holidays of varying lengths to mark the lunar new year, curtailing trading across much of the region.

Bond prices rose. The 10-year Treasury yield slid to 2.50 percent from 2.52 percent late Wednesday.

The dollar increased to 114.42 yen from 113.60 on Wednesday. The euro fell to $1.0692 from $1.0743.

Energy prices moved broadly higher.

Benchmark U.S. crude oil rose $1.03, or 2 percent, to close at $53.78 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, gained $1.16, or 2.1 percent, to close at $56.24 a barrel in London. Wholesale gasoline rose 2 cents to $1.54 a gallon, while heating oil added 3 cents to $1.64 a gallon. Natural gas futures rose 5 cents, or 1.5 percent, to $3.38 per 1,000 cubic feet.

In other commodity trading, the price of gold fell $8, or 0.7 percent, to $1,189.80 an ounce. Silver slid 13 cents to $16.85 an ounce. Copper gave up 4 cents to $2.67 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -7.1 points or ▼ -0.04% on Friday, January 27, 2017
Symbol …........Last …......Change....... ..
Dow_Jones 20,093.78 ▼ -7.13 ▼ -0.04% .
Nasdaq____ 5,660.78 ▲ 5.61 ▲ 0.10% .
S&P_500___ 2,294.69 ▼ -1.99 ▼ -0.09% .
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.06 ▼ -0.03 ▼ -1.04%

NYSE Volume 3,136,117,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,606,558,000

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

FTSE_100 7,184.49 ▲ 23.00 ▲ 0.32% .
DAX_____ 11,814.27 ▼ -34.36 ▼ -0.29% .
CAC_40__ 4,839.98 ▼ -27.26 ▼ -0.56% .

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,765.60 ▲ 39.60 ▲ 0.69% .
Shanghai_Comp 3,159.17 ▲ 9.61 ▲ 0.31% .
Taiwan_Weight 9,447.95 ▲ 23.90 ▲ 0.25% .
Nikkei_225___ 19,467.40 ▲ 65.01 ▲ 0.34% .
Hang_Seng.__ 23,360.78 ▼ -13.39 ▼ -0.06% .
Strait_Times.__ 3,064.85 ▲ 13.07 ▲ 0.43% .
NZX_50_Index_ 7,134.26 ▲ 20.93 ▲ 0.29% .

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stock-indexes-edge-lower-152641797.html

Energy companies lead US stock indexes mostly lower

ALEX VEIGA

Wall Street capped a week of milestones Friday with a day of listless trading that left U.S. stock indexes mostly lower.

Energy companies declined the most as the price of crude oil fell. Health care stocks posted the biggest gain.

Quarterly results from Microsoft, Starbucks and other big companies continued to be in focus. Bond yields fell after the government reported that the economy lost momentum in the last three months of 2016.

More stocks fell than rose on the New York Stock Exchange. This week all three major indexes set all-time highs, including the Dow Jones industrial average, which held above the 20,000 mark after crossing that threshold for the first time on Wednesday.

"We've had an OK week," said Jason Pride, director of investment strategy at Glenmede. "Having a day when you just give back a little bit is not a bad thing."

The Dow fell 7.13 points, or 0.04 percent, to 20,093.78. The Standard & Poor's 500 index slid 1.99 points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,294.69. The Nasdaq composite index rose 5.61 points, or 0.1 percent, to 5,660.78. The tiny gain was enough to set another all-time high for the Nasdaq.

Small-company stocks did worse than the rest of the market. The Russell 2000 lost 4.89 points, or 0.4 percent, to 1,370.70.

The market drifted between small gains and losses through much of the day as investors weighed company earnings and new data on the U.S. economy.

The Commerce Department said the U.S. economy grew at an annual rate of just 1.9 percent in the last three months of 2016, a slowdown from 3.5 percent in the previous quarter. For 2016, the economy grew 1.6 percent, the worst showing since 2011 and down from 2.6 percent in 2015.

A separate government report showed businesses spent more on industrial machinery, semiconductors and other big-ticket items last month, a sign U.S. manufacturers seem to be doing better after a two-year slump.

The economic snapshots sent bond prices higher. The 10-year Treasury yield fell to 2.48 percent from 2.51 percent late Thursday.

"The market right now is at sort of at a crossroads," said Tom Siomades, head of Hartford Funds Investment Consulting Group. "We hit that huge psychological barrier and busted through it when we hit (Dow) 20,000 ... but today's GDP number came in, for the most part, below expectations and brought everyone back down to earth."

Companies that posted disappointing quarterly results or outlooks for 2017 helped steer the market lower.

Starbucks slid $2.34, or 4 percent, to $56.12 a day after the coffee chain reported weak sales growth and cut its sales forecast for the year.

Chevron also turned in weaker-than-expected results. The oil company was the biggest decliner in the Dow, losing $2.76, or 2.4 percent, to $113.79.

Colgate-Palmolive tumbled 5.2 percent after its fourth-quarter sales missed analysts' estimates. The company's 2017 forecast also disappointed investors. The stock fell $3.56 to $64.68.

Companies that served up better results got a boost.

Microsoft rose 2.4 percent, making it the biggest gainer in the Dow. The software giant reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results, largely due to its focus on online services and business software rather than its legacy Windows operating system. The stock gained $1.51 to $65.78.

Wynn Resorts surged 8 percent after it reported revenue that beat Wall Street's forecasts. The stock led all the gainers in the S&P 500, climbing $7.58 to $103.08.

So far, 33.8 percent of the companies in the S&P 500 index have reported quarterly results for the last three months of 2016, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. And 40 percent of those have posted results that beat financial analysts' forecasts, the firm said.

Investors also remained focused on the latest moves by President Donald Trump. His spokesman said the administration was considering slapping a 20 percent tax on imports from Mexico to help pay for his promised border wall, in an announcement that left markets uncertain about what it means for trade.

"I don't know anyone who would think of a trade war as good thing, or tariffs," Siomades said. "When you start going down that path, then the market all of a sudden retracts and says, 'Wait a minute, we have 1.9 percent GDP growth, how are higher tariffs and restriction on trade going to make that better?'"

Benchmark U.S. crude oil fell 61 cents, or 1.1 percent, to close at $53.17 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, slid 72 cents, or 1.3 percent, to close at $55.52 a barrel in London.

Major stock indexes in Europe and Asia were mixed.

Germany's DAX fell 0.3 percent, while France's CAC 40 slid 0.6 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 gained 0.3 percent. In Asia, Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index climbed 0.3 percent, helped by the dollar's surge against the Japanese yen, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng slipped 0.1 percent.

Many Asian countries have begun holidays of varying lengths, curtailing trading across much of the region. Markets in China, South Korea and Taiwan were closed while Malaysia's was open only in the morning.

In currency trading, the dollar strengthened to 115.09 yen from 114.42 yen on Thursday. The euro rose to $1.0698 from $1.0692.

Among metals, the price of gold slipped $1.40 to $1,188.40 an ounce. Silver rose 29 cents to $17.14 an ounce. Copper added 2 cents to $2.70 a pound.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline dropped 2 cents to $1.53 a gallon, while heating oil fell 2 cents to $1.62 a gallon. Natural gas futures rose 1 cent to $3.39 per 1,000 cubic feet.

1146

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -123 points or ▼ -0.61% on Monday, January 30, 2017
Symbol …........Last …......Change....... ..
Dow_Jones 19,971.13 ▼ -122.65 ▼ -0.61% .
Nasdaq____ 5,613.71 ▼ -47.07 ▼ -0.83% .
S&P_500___ 2,280.90 ▼ -13.79 ▼ -0.60% .
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.08 ▲ 0.02 ▲ 0.59%

NYSE Volume 3,589,166,500
Nasdaq Volume 1,683,892,750

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

FTSE_100 7,118.48 ▼ -66.01 ▼ -0.92% .
DAX_____ 11,681.89 ▼ -132.38 ▼ -1.12% .
CAC_40__ 4,784.64 ▼ -55.34 ▼ -1.14% .

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,714.30 ▼ -51.30 ▼ -0.89% .
Shanghai_Comp 3,159.17 ▲ 9.61 ▲ 0.31% .
Taiwan_Weight 9,447.95 ▲ 23.90 ▲ 0.25% .
Nikkei_225___ 19,368.85 ▼ -98.55 ▼ -0.51% .
Hang_Seng.__ 23,360.78 ▼ -13.39 ▼ -0.06% .
Strait_Times.__ 3,064.85 ▲ 13.07 ▲ 0.43% .
NZX_50_Index_ 7,085.56 ▼ -48.70 ▼ -0.68% .

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-travel-ban-hits-tech-152128712.html

Drops for post-election winners drag stocks lower

MARLEY JAY

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks fell Monday as investors grew nervous following President Donald Trump imposed a travel ban on seven Muslim-majority countries. Energy companies, which have surged over the last year, took the biggest losses.

Airlines skidded after Trump's executive order led to protests and disruption at airports and concerns about travel. Big-name technology companies sagged on concerns that future administration moves will make it harder for them to hire workers.

Investors took profits as they sold shares of basic materials and industrial companies, which have rallied the November election. The VIX, a measure of Wall Street volatility, jumped, though it remains relatively low overall. Stocks in Europe lost ground as well.

Sameer Samana, strategist for Wells Fargo Investment Institute, said investors are not overly alarmed by the news of the travel ban, but aren't sure what to make of it, either.

"It's very difficult to figure out exactly what implications it has for the economy and for markets," he said.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 122.65 points, or 0.6 percent, to 19,971.13. It dropped as much as 223 points in the morning. The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 13.79 points, or 0.6 percent, to 2,280.90.

The Nasdaq composite dropped 47.07 points, or 0.8 percent, to 5,613.71 after it closed at an all-time high Friday. Small-company stocks were hit harder. The Russell 2000 index shed 18.37 points, or 1.3 percent, to 1,352.33.

Late Friday Trump suspended the U.S. refugee program for 120 days and blocked travel to the U.S. by citizens of seven countries. His order is being challenged in court. Some airports became hosting grounds for protests, and investors wondered if American tourism will be affected. American Airlines fell $2.05, or 4.4 percent, to $44.90 and United Continental lost $2.70, or 3.6 percent, to $71.72.

Domestic airlines also struggled, and so did other companies that don't necessarily have much at stake in disputes over immigration policy or global trade.

Samana said there's no specific reason that the recent moves would hurt bank profits or small domestically-focused companies, for example, and they may not cause long-term trouble for airlines. Instead, the stocks did the worst Monday are largely the ones that have done the best since the election, including energy companies, banks, and smaller companies.

Construction and mining company Caterpillar fell $2.20, or 2.2 percent, to $96.79 and construction and technical services company Jacobs Engineering dipped 98 cents, or 1.6 percent, to $59.38.

Construction materials company Vulcan skidded $3.63, or 2.7 percent, to $130.73 and chemicals maker DuPont dropped $1.70, or 2.2 percent, to $76.

The day's largest losses went to energy companies, which have surged over the last year as the price of oil recovered from a deep drop. Chevron retreated $1.97, or 1.7 percent, to $111.82 and ConocoPhillips fell $1.95, or 3.9 percent, to $47.48.

U.S. crude oil slid 54 cents, or 1 percent, to $52.63 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the benchmark for international oil prices, fell 29 cents to $55.23 a barrel in London.

Rite Aid plunged after Walgreens said it will cut the price it's paying to buy its rival to no more than $7 per share from $9. That came after the companies said they will sell more of Rite Aid's stores to get antitrust regulators to approve the deal. Walgreens said it may have to sell up to 1,200 Rite Aid stores, about a quarter of the company's total. Rite Aid sank $1.21, or 17.5 percent, to $5.72. Walgreens edged down 2 cents to $81.48.

Mattress maker Tempur Sealy hit a three-year low after it said retailer Mattress Firm is moving to terminate its supply contracts with the company. Tempur Sealy said Mattress Firm wanted to make big changes to supply agreements and the two sides weren't able to reach a compromise. It expects the two companies to stop doing business during the first quarter. Tempur Sealy said it made 21 percent of its net sales last year to Mattress Firm. Its stock fell $17.70, or 28 percent, to $45.49.

Fitness tracker maker Fitbit dropped $1.15, or 16 percent, to $6.06 after the company posted weak fourth-quarter sales and said it will eliminate about six percent of its jobs, or about 110 positions.

Bond prices slipped. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.49 percent from 2.48 percent.

The dollar fell to 113.67 yen from 115.09 yen. The euro dipped to $1.0695 from $1.0698.

In other energy trading, natural gas futures fell 13 cents, or 3.8 percent, to $3.23 per 1,000 cubic feet. Wholesale gasoline lost 2 cents to $1.51 a gallon. Heating oil dipped 1 cent to $1.61 a gallon.

The price of gold rose $4.80 to $1,193.20 an ounce. Silver added 2 cents to $17.15 an ounce. Copper lost 3 cents, or 1.3 percent, to $2.66 a pound.

The DAX of Germany fell 1.1 percent and the French CAC-40 also shed 1.1 percent while Britain's FTSE 100 was 0.9 percent lower. Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 0.5 percent. Other major indexes in Asia were closed for the Chinese New Year.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -107 points or ▼ -0.54% on Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Symbol …........Last …......Change....... ..
Dow_Jones 19,864.09 ▼ -107.04 ▼ -0.54% .
Nasdaq____ 5,614.79 ▲ 1.07 ▲ 0.02% .
S&P_500___ 2,278.87 ▼ -2.03 ▼ -0.09% .
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.05 ▼ -0.03 ▼ -0.84%

NYSE Volume 4,085,741,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,902,330,500

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

FTSE_100 7,099.15 ▼ -19.33 ▼ -0.27%
DAX_____ 11,535.31 ▼ -146.58 ▼ -1.25%
CAC_40__ 4,748.90 ▼ -35.74 ▼ -0.75% .

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,675.00 ▼ -39.30 ▼ -0.69% .
Shanghai_Comp 3,159.17 ▲ 9.61 ▲ 0.31% HOLIDAY
Taiwan_Weight 9,447.95 ▲ 23.90 ▲ 0.25% HOLIDAY
Nikkei_225___ 19,041.34 ▼ -327.51 ▼ -1.69% .
Hang_Seng.__ 23,360.78 ▼ -13.39 ▼ -0.06% HOLIDAY
Strait_Times.__ 3,046.80 ▼ -18.05 ▼ -0.59% .
NZX_50_Index_ 7,050.75 ▼ -34.81 ▼ -0.49% .



http://finance.yahoo.com/news/weak-...ocks-lower-second-day-151240263--finance.html

Stocks battle to a mixed finish as drugmakers rally

MARLEY JAY

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks fought their way to a mixed finish Tuesday as drugmakers rallied, which mostly canceled out losses for industrial companies. Investors shifted their money to less risky investments for the second day in a row.

For the second straight day, stocks started with substantial losses. Industrial companies, which have climbed lately, fell the most as UPS tumbled after a weak fourth-quarter report. Banks also slipped.

Investors bid up assets that are traditionally seen as less risky, including gold, government bonds, and stocks that pay big dividends. Drug companies also rallied after President Donald Trump met with industry executives and discussed ideas including faster drug approvals and lower taxes.

Jim Paulsen, chief investment strategist for Wells Capital Management, said investors are looking for safer investments because the change from Barack Obama's administration to Donald Trump's has created so many changes in government.

"More than anything right now, it's just the pace of news," he said. "It is so dramatic."

The stock market made huge gains after Trump was elected last fall, and Paulsen said it's not a surprise that investors would sell some of their holdings, take some profits, and move to lower-risk investments at some point.

The Dow Jones industrial average sank 107.04 points, or 0.5 percent, to 19,864.09 as companies like Goldman Sachs and Boeing returned some of their recent gains.

The S&P 500 lost 2.03 points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,278.87. It fell as much as 13 points early on. The S&P 500 has fallen for four days in a row. While that is its longest losing streak since before the presidential election, the losses have been small.

The Nasdaq composite gained 1.07 points to 5,614.79. The Russell 2000 index of small-company stocks rose 9.49 points, or 0.7 percent, to 1,361.82. On the New York Stock Exchange, more stocks rose than fell.

Athletic apparel maker Under Armour plunged after investors were disappointed with its fourth-quarter report, which included higher expenses. Under Armour also issued a weak full-year forecast and said its chief financial officer is leaving. The stock tumbled $7.45, or 25.7 percent, to $21.49. It dropped 30 percent last year and is now trading at its lowest price in two years.

United Parcel Service sank after the package delivery company forecast an annual profit that was far smaller than analysts expected. UPS expects to earn no more than $6.10 a share this year while FactSet says experts expected $6.15 per share. UPS gave up $7.90, or 6.8 percent, to $109.13 and FedEx fell $4.14, or 2.1 percent, to $189.11. That helped pull industrial companies lower.

Drug companies jumped after Trump said he wants less regulation on prescription drugs because that could speed up drug approvals. While Trump again said he wants to reduce drug prices, investors seemed pleased with proposals that could reduce drugmakers' costs and boost their profits, as well as with the tone of the meeting.

Just three weeks ago Trump said drugmakers were "getting away with murder" on prices.

The Nasdaq Biotech index climbed 2.8 percent. Companies that make both generic and name-brand drugs traded higher, as did prescription drug distributors.

After the market closed, Apple reported a bigger profit and greater sales than analysts expected as iPhone sales bounced back from a recent slump. The tech giant's stock rose 2.6 percent in after-hours trading.

Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.46 percent from 2.49 percent. That hurt financial stocks, as lower bond yields reduce interest rates and the profits banks make from lending.

Investors who want income also bought stocks that pay outsize dividends, including real estate investment trusts and utility companies. Shopping mall operators Simon Property Group and GGP both traded higher after their quarterly reports. Simon gained $6.03, or 3.4 percent, to $183.77 and GGP rose 88 cents, or 3.7 percent, to $24.84.

The price of gold and silver made their biggest jumps in two weeks. Gold rose $15.40, or 1.3 percent, to $1,211.40 an ounce. Silver gained 39 cents, or 2.3 percent, to $17.54 an ounce. Copper picked up 7 cents, or 2.7 percent, to $2.73 a pound. That was its largest move in three weeks.

Another day of protests against parts of Trump's agenda and challenges for some of his cabinet nominees who haven't been confirmed by Congress made investors a bit more nervous early in the day. The VIX, an index known as Wall Street's "fear gauge," jumped 9 percent around midday, but finished only 1 percent higher. It had climbed Monday.

U.S. crude oil rose 18 cents to $52.81 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the benchmark for international oil prices, added 47 cents to $55.70 a barrel in London. However energy companies continued to decline. After big gains over the last year, especially in November and early December, energy companies have done worse than the rest of the market. Exxon Mobil lost 97 cents, or 1.1 percent, to $83.89.

Natural gas companies fell as the price of that fuel fell 12 cents, or 3.6 percent, to $3.12 per 1,000 cubic feet. In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline rose 2 cents to $1.53 a gallon. Heating oil picked up 1 cent to $1.61 a gallon.

The dollar fell to 112.76 yen from 113.67 yen. The euro rose to $1.0803 from $1.0695.

Germany's DAX lost 1.3 percent and the CAC 40 of France fell 0.7 percent. The FTSE 100 index in Britain lost 0.3 percent. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 dipped 1.7 percent. The South Korean Kospi lost 0.8 percent. Markets in Hong Kong, China and Taiwan were closed for Lunar New Year holidays.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 26.9 points or ▲ 0.14% on Wednesday, February 1, 2017
Symbol …........Last …......Change....... ..
Dow_Jones 19,890.94 ▲ 26.85 ▲ 0.14% .
Nasdaq____ 5,642.65 ▲ 27.86 ▲ 0.50% .
S&P_500___ 2,279.55 ▲ 0.68 ▲ 0.03% .
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.08 ▲ 0.03 ▲ 0.98% .

NYSE Volume 3,883,369,250
Nasdaq Volume 2,228,748,250

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change....... ..
FTSE_100 7,107.65 ▲ 8.50 ▲ 0.12% .
DAX_____ 11,659.50 ▲ 124.19 ▲ 1.08% .
CAC_40__ 4,794.58 ▲ 45.68 ▲ 0.96% .

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,704.00 ▲ 29.00 ▲ 0.51% .
Shanghai_Comp 3,159.17 ▲ 9.61 ▲ 0.31% .
Taiwan_Weight 9,447.95 ▲ 23.90 ▲ 0.25% .
Nikkei_225___ 19,148.08 ▲ 106.74 ▲ 0.56% .
Hang_Seng.__ 23,318.39 ▼ -42.39 ▼ -0.18% ..
Strait_Times.__ 3,067.49 ▲ 20.69 ▲ 0.68% .
NZX_50_Index_ 7,055.50 ▲ 4.75 ▲ 0.07% .

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stock...e-climbs-better-sales-150920135--finance.html

Apple surges on iPhone sales; stock indexes wobble

Marley Jay, AP Markets Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Investors didn't react much to a strong hiring survey or the Federal Reserve's decision to leave interest rates unchanged Wednesday, and U.S. stock indexes finished pretty much where they started. Apple soared after it said iPhone sales improved in its latest quarter.

Stocks jumped in morning trading after payroll provider ADP said hiring by private employers grew stronger in January. Bond prices climbed. But the market's gains thinned, partly because investors sold shares of companies that pay big dividends as bond yields rose.

Stocks briefly turned higher after the Fed's announcement, but that also faded. The only constant was the big gain for Apple, which pushed technology companies higher.

The Federal Reserve left its key interest rate unchanged, just as investors expected. The central bank noted that the job market is getting stronger and inflation is gradually rising, but said it wants more time to monitor the economy.

That's what investors expected. Kate Warne, an investment strategist for Edward Jones, noted that the central bank just increased rates in December and the Trump administration's spending and fiscal plans still haven't been spelled out.

"They'll wait until they actually know what's going to happen," she said of the Fed.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 26.85 points, or 0.1 percent, to 19,890.94. The Standard & Poor's 500 inched up 0.68 points to 2,279.55. The Nasdaq composite, which has a high concentration of technology companies, gained 27.86 points, or 0.5 percent, to 5,642.65. The Russell 2000 index of smaller company stocks dipped 0.60 points to 1,361.23. Most stocks listed on the New York Stock Exchange fell.

Apple made its biggest one-day jump six months after its first-quarter profit and sales were better than analysts expected. The company said consumers snapped up its new iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, and that ended the first-ever slump in iPhone sales. Apple stock rose $7.44, or 6.1 percent, to $128.79. Apple was singlehandledly responsible for the Dow gain and it helped take technology stocks higher.

Investors haven't focused on company earnings recently because of the flood of political news and other factors, but Warne said results like Apple's will help the market.

"The fact that we're seeing solid earnings and they're coming in better than expected ... will help sustain stocks over time," she said.

Chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices reported a profit when analysts expected a loss, and its sales were greater than expected. Its stock climbed $1.69, or 16.3 percent, to $12.06.

The ADP jobs survey was better than expected, and the construction, manufacturing, health care and shipping industries all added jobs at a solid pace. The U.S. government will release its own monthly jobs report Friday.

Investors reacted to the hiring report by selling bonds, which are relatively safe investments that are in greater demand when the economy seems weaker. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.48 percent from 2.44 percent.

Stocks that pay large dividends traded lower as bond yields rose. Dominion Resources dropped $4.43, or 5.8 percent, to $71.85. Dominion also released a weak quarterly report.

Oil prices stayed within a small range. U.S. crude added $1.07, or 2 percent, to close at $53.88 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the benchmark for international oil prices, gained $1.22, or 2.2 percent, to $56.80 a barrel in London. U.S. oil has stayed between roughly $52 and $55 a barrel for the last two months.

The S&P 500's energy company index fell for the fifth day in a row. It's down almost 3.5 percent over that time and has sunk 7 percent since Dec. 13.

Lightweight aluminum products maker Arconic surged after its largest shareholder said the company needs new leadership. Elliott Management nominated five potential directors to Arconic's board. The company said it stands by CEO Klaus Kleinfeld and that Elliott's moves are not in the best interest of all shareholders.

Since Arconic split from Alcoa on Nov. 1, Arconic stock was almost flat and Alcoa has jumped almost 70 percent. Arconic gained $2.55, or 11.2 percent, to $25.28.

The dollar rose to 113.09 yen from 112.76 yen. The euro fell to $1.0744 from $1.0803.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline rose 3 cents, or 1.9 percent, to $1.58 a gallon. Heating oil added 4 cents, or 2.6 percent, to $1.67 a gallon. Natural gas rose 5 cents, or 1.6 percent, to $3.17 per 1,000 cubic feet.

The price of gold slipped $3.10 to $1,208.30 an ounce. Silver lost 9 cents to $17.45 an ounce. Copper fell 2 cents to $2.71 1 pound.

Stocks in Europe got a boost from the hiring survey and a report that said manufacturing in China grew at its fastest pace in two years in January. Heavy government spending and more lending by banks helped keep the economy steady. Germany's DAX added 1.1 percent while the CAC 40 of France rose 1 percent. The FTSE 100 index in Britain picked up 0.1 percent. Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 0.6 percent after a skid on Tuesday. The Kospi in South Korea jumped 0.6 percent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.2 percent.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -6 points or ▼ -0.03% on Thursday, February 2, 2017
Symbol …........Last …......Change....... ..
Dow_Jones 19,884.91 ▼ -6.03 ▼ -0.03% .
Nasdaq____ 5,636.20 ▼ -6.45 ▼ -0.11% .
S&P_500___ 2,280.85 ▲ 1.30 ▲ 0.06% .
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.08 ▲ 0.00 ▲ 0.06% .

NYSE Volume 3,807,674,250
Nasdaq Volume 2,075,214,250

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

FTSE_100 7,140.75 ▲ 33.10 ▲ 0.47% .
DAX_____ 11,627.95 ▼ -31.55 ▼ -0.27% .
CAC_40__ 4,794.29 ▼ -0.29 ▼ -0.01% .

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,696.40 ▼ -7.60 ▼ -0.13% .
Shanghai_Comp 3,159.17 ▲ 9.61 ▲ 0.31% .
Taiwan_Weight 9,428.97 ▼ -18.98 ▼ -0.20% .
Nikkei_225___ 18,914.58 ▼ -233.50 ▼ -1.22% .
Hang_Seng.__ 23,184.52 ▼ -133.87 ▼ -0.57% ..
Strait_Times.__ 3,044.08 ▼ -23.41 ▼ -0.76% .
NZX_50_Index_ 7,053.54 ▼ -1.96 ▼ -0.03% .

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stocks-mixed-early-trading-wall-street-152303157--finance.html

Stocks end little changed as investors digest earnings

KEN SWEET

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks ended Thursday's trading mostly unchanged, as cautious investors focus a large batch of earnings reports from U.S. companies, including Facebook and Merck.

Ryder System, a truck leasing company, fell 8 percent after reporting earnings that fell far short of what Wall Street analysts were expecting. Ralph Lauren plunged 12 percent after announcing that Stefan Larsson, who took over as CEO for Ralph Lauren less than two years ago, is leaving the company.

The Dow Jones industrial average lost 6.03 points, or less than 0.1 percent, to 19,884.91. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 1.30 points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,280.85 and the Nasdaq composite fell 6.45 points, or 0.1 percent, to 5,636.20.

After a post-election rally that pushed stocks to all-time highs and the Dow above the 20,000-point mark, investors have stepped back this week. Several actions by President Trump, from his immigration ban last weekend, to his various comments on trade, have given investors some concern about whether Trump is hurting U.S. business confidence and the economy more than he's helping.

"The overall economic and financial backdrop for the market looks quite good, but Trump's comments are spreading some uncertainty," said David Kelly, chief global strategist at J.P. Morgan Asset Management.

Some of that uncertainty could come Friday with the government's jobs report for January. For this report, the first that will be at least partially under the tenure of President Trump, economists are expecting employers created 175,000 jobs in January, and the unemployment rate remained at 4.7 percent, according to FactSet. However some recent data, including Wednesday's ADP private sector report, has given some traders hope for a jobs report over 200,000.

Along with being important to investors as an economic indicator, the report is likely to be politically fraught. President Trump has called for measuring unemployment in different ways, through non-traditional metrics like the labor participation rate or the unemployment rate that includes measurements of workers in part-time jobs who want full-time work.

Investors had a large batch of earnings and company news to work through on Thursday.

Clothing company Ralph Lauren sank $10.76, or 12 percent, to $77.61 after the company's CEO unexpectedly departed the company, after less than two years in the position. Stefan Larsson came from Old Navy and had been charged with turning around the iconic clothing brand as its founder continues step back from the company.

Facebook fell $2.39, or 1.8 percent, to $130.84 despite the company reporting results that easily exceeded analysts' expectations. The company continues to see huge growth in mobile and video advertising, which has bolstered its bottom line.

U.S. government bond prices were mostly unchanged with the yield on the 10-year Treasury note holding steady at 2.47 percent. The euro slipped to $1.0764 from $1.0774 and the dollar fell to 112.70 yen from 113.09 yen.

Benchmark U.S. crude fell 34 cents to close at $53.54 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, the benchmark for international oil prices, fell 24 cents to $56.92 a barrel in London.

In other energy commodities, heating oil lost 2 cents to $1.65 a gallon and wholesale gasoline fell 5 cents to $1.53 a gallon. Natural gas rose 2 cents to $3.19 per thousand cubic feet.

In the metals markets, gold rose $11.10 to $1,219.40 an ounce, silver fell 2 cents to $17.43 an ounce and copper fell 3 cents to $2.686 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 187 points or ▲ 0.94% on Friday, February 3, 2017
Symbol …........Last …......Change....... ..
Dow_Jones 20,071.46 ▲ 186.55 ▲ 0.94% .
Nasdaq____ 5,666.77 ▲ 30.57 ▲ 0.54% .
S&P_500___ 2,297.42 ▲ 16.57 ▲ 0.73% .
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.11 ▲ 0.03 ▲ 1.01% .

NYSE Volume 3,597,550,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,790,591,250

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change....... ..
FTSE_100 7,188.30 ▲ 47.55 ▲ 0.67% .
DAX_____ 11,651.49 ▲ 23.54 ▲ 0.20% .
CAC_40__ 4,825.42 ▲ 31.13 ▲ 0.65% .

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,672.50 ▼ -23.90 ▼ -0.42% .
Shanghai_Comp 3,140.17 ▼ -19.00 ▼ -0.60% .
Taiwan_Weight 9,455.56 ▲ 26.59 ▲ 0.28% .
Nikkei_225___ 18,918.20 ▲ 3.62 ▲ 0.02% .
Hang_Seng.__ 23,129.21 ▼ -55.31 ▼ -0.24% ..
Strait_Times.__ 3,041.94 ▼ -2.14 ▼ -0.07% .
NZX_50_Index_ 7,094.38 ▲ 40.84 ▲ 0.58% .


http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-jump-following-strong-150703585.html

Banks lead stock surge as investors hope for regulation cuts

MARLEY JAY

NEW YORK (AP) — Banks and other financial companies made big gains Friday after President Donald Trump moved to scale back regulations on the financial industry. Other stocks also rose as investors were also pleased that employers hired workers at a faster pace in January.

Financial stocks made their biggest gains since shortly after the presidential election as Trump took his first steps to reduce regulations, which could boost profits for investment firms.

The Labor Department said hiring sped up last month, a positive sign for the economy. Small-company stocks, which stand to benefit more than others from stronger economic growth, make sharp gains.

Financial companies have made huge gains since Trump's election, and his pledge to cut laws and rules that govern the industry is a major reason.

"They're going to benefit from not having all of this onerous red tape," said Karyn Cavanaugh of Voya Investment Strategies. "That's why we see the rallies every time they talk about regulation."

Cavanaugh said a reduction in regulations could also help banks lend more and speed up economic growth, which could benefit many other industries.

The Dow Jones industrial average jumped 186.55 points, or 0.9 percent, to 20,071.46. The Standard & Poor's 500 index advanced 16.57 points, or 0.7 percent, to 2,297.42. The Nasdaq composite picked up 30.57 points, or 0.5 percent, to close at a record high of 5,666.77.

The Russell 2000 index of smaller-company stocks climbed 20.41 points, or 1.5 percent, to 1,377.84. Smaller, domestically-focused companies may have more to gain than their larger peers from faster growth in the U.S. The Russell made big gains at the end of 2016 based on those hopes.

On Friday Trump directed the Treasury Secretary to look for potential changes to the Dodd-Frank law, which reshaped financial regulations after the 2008-09 financial crisis. The order does not have any immediate impact, but investors applauded its intent.

Trump also signed a memorandum that delayed an Obama-era rule that requires financial professionals who charge commissions to put their clients' interests first when giving advice on retirement investments.

JPMorgan Chase added $2.59, or 3.1 percent, to $87.18 and Goldman Sachs rose $10.54, or 4.6 percent, to $240.95. Morgan Stanley gained $2.30, or 5.5 percent, to $44.43. Smaller banks, which could find it easier to lend money if regulations are cut, also traded higher. Texas Capital Bancshares picked up $2.85, or 3.4 percent, to $86.10 and East West Bancorp rose $2.26, or 4.5 percent, to $52.72.

U.S. employers added 227,000 jobs in January, according to the Labor Department. That's more than last year's average monthly gain of 187,000. The unemployment rate ticked up to a low 4.8 percent from 4.7 percent in December as more people started looking for work. That helped smaller companies and industrial stocks, both of which would benefit from faster economic growth.

Visa said shoppers stepped up their use of debit and credit cards in the latest quarter, and the payment processing company also benefited from its acquisition of Visa Europe. Its profit and revenue were stronger than analysts expected, and Visa's stock jumped $3.78, or 4.6 percent, to $86.08.

Online retail giant Amazon traded lower as investors grew concerned about its sales. The company's fourth-quarter sales fell short of analyst estimates, and so did its forecast for revenue in the current quarter. The stock gave up $29.75, or 3.5 percent, to $810.20.

Macy's stock soared after the Wall Street Journal reported that Hudson's Bay Co., the owner of Saks Fifth Avenue, could buy the department store chain. The companies declined to comment.

Macy's jumped $1.97, or 6.4 percent, to $32.69. The stock has been trading around five-year lows. Hudson's Bay stock rose almost 4 percent in Toronto.

Biotech drugmaker Amgen disclosed a bigger profit and better sales than analysts had expected. It also reported results from a study that showed its new cholesterol drug Repatha reduced the risk of death, heart attack and stroke in patients with advanced atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. That could help boost prescriptions for the drug. Amgen jumped $7.95, or 5 percent, to $167.53.

Underwear, t-shirt and sock maker Hanesbrands announced surprisingly weak holiday sales and gave disappointing projections for the year. Its stock slumped $3.73, or 16.4 percent, to $18.98, its lowest price in almost three years.

Bond prices wobbled, then turned higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.47 percent from 2.48 percent.

Benchmark U.S. crude added 29 cents to $53.83 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, added 25 cents to $56.81 a barrel in London.

Gold inched up $1.40 to $1,220.80 an ounce. Silver added 5 cents to $17.48 an ounce. Copper lost 7 cents, or 2.6 percent, to $2.62 a pound.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline rose 2 cents to $1.55 a gallon. Heating oil picked up 1 cent to $1.67 a gallon. Natural gas dropped 12 cents, or 3.9 percent, to $3.06 per 1,000 cubic feet.

The dollar rose to 112.96 yen from 112.70 yen. The euro inched up to $1.0765 from $1.0764.

France's CAC 40 jumped 0.6 percent. The British FTSE 100 rose 0.7 percent while Germany's DAX added 0.2 percent. The Nikkei 225 in Tokyo finish almost unchanged and Seoul's Kospi added 0.1 percent. The Hang Seng in Hong Kong shed 0.2 percent.

1380

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -19 points or ▼ -0.09% on Monday, February 6, 2017
Symbol …........Last …......Change....... ..
Dow_Jones 20,052.42 ▼ -19.04 ▼ -0.09% .
Nasdaq____ 5,663.55 ▼ -3.21 ▼ -0.06% .
S&P_500___ 2,292.56 ▼ -4.86 ▼ -0.21% .
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.05 ▼ -0.07 ▼ -2.12% .

NYSE Volume 3,100,525,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,815,237,750

Europe
Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change....... ..
FTSE_100 7,172.15 ▼ -16.15 ▼ -0.22% .
DAX_____ 11,509.84 ▼ -141.65 ▼ -1.22% .
CAC_40__ 4,778.08 ▼ -47.34 ▼ -0.98% .

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,665.40 ▼ -7.10 ▼ -0.13% .
Shanghai_Comp 3,156.98 ▲ 16.81 ▲ 0.54% .
Taiwan_Weight 9,538.01 ▲ 82.45 ▲ 0.87% .
Nikkei_225___ 18,976.71 ▲ 58.51 ▲ 0.31% .
Hang_Seng.__ 23,348.24 ▲ 219.03 ▲ 0.95% ..
Strait_Times.__ 3,056.91 ▲ 14.97 ▲ 0.49% .
NZX_50_Index_ 7,094.38 ▲ 40.84 ▲ 0.58% .

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stock-indexes-edge-lower-151751499.html

US stocks close lower, snap S&P 500's 3-day winning streak

ALEX VEIG

Energy companies led U.S. stocks slightly lower Monday as the price of crude oil declined, snapping a three-day winning streak for the Standard & Poor's 500 index.

Phone company and real estate stocks were also among the big decliners. Technology and industrial companies eked out tiny gains.

Investors are continuing to focus on company earnings reports this week as they size up the health of Corporate America.

With just over half of all the companies in the S&P 500 having reported quarterly results, most have posted annual earnings growth. But that hasn't been enough to significantly move the stock market, which remains at near-record levels.

"A lot of this earnings growth we're seeing now is already priced in," said David Schiegoleit, managing director at the Private Client Reserve at U.S. Bank. "It would have to extend further in order to push markets higher."

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 19.04 points, or 0.1 percent, to 20,052.42. The S&P 500 index slid 4.86 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,292.56. The Nasdaq composite index gave up 3.21 points, or 0.1 percent, to 5,663.55. On Friday the Nasdaq closed at a record high and the S&P 500 came within a point of its own all-time high.

The major stock indexes were headed lower from the start of trading Monday. They drifted a bit early on, but remained in the red most of the day.

Disappointing results and outlooks from several companies put traders in a selling mood.

Newell Brands slid 5.7 percent after the maker of Rubbermaid, Sharpie, Elmer's Glue and other products reported disappointing sales and issued a full-year sales forecast that fell far short of analysts' estimates. The company said the strong dollar and fewer people shopping at malls hurt sales of some key products. The stock gave up $2.66 to $44.23.

Sysco fell 2.6 percent after the food distributor reported better earnings, but its revenue was weaker than expected. The stock lost $1.34 to $51.20.

Few companies got a bigger lift from earnings news than Hasbro.

The toymaker vaulted 14.1 percent after it posted fourth-quarter profit and sales that beat Wall Street's estimates, aided by better sales of toys marketed to girls, including Disney Princess and Frozen products. The stock led all the gainers in the S&P 500, climbing $11.68 to $94.31. Rival Mattel also got a lift, adding 10 cents to $25.92.

Tyson Foods fell 3.5 percent after the company disclosed in a quarterly filing that it has received a subpoena from the Securities and Exchange Commission as part of an antitrust probe. The stock shed $2.26 to $63.13.

News of an executive shake-up at Tiffany & Co. sent shares in the jewelry company lower.

CEO Frederic Cumenal had stepped down on Sunday amid concerns about the company's financial performance. Tiffany said it had already begun to search for a successor. Michael Kowalski, chairman of the board of directors and previous CEO of Tiffany, was tapped to serve as interim CEO. Tiffany shed $1.98, or 2.5 percent, to $78.49.

Energy futures were broadly lower, weighing on oil and gas companies.

Benchmark U.S. crude fell 82 cents, or 1.5 percent, to close at $53.01 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, lost $1.09, or 1.9 percent, to $55.72 a barrel in London.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline fell 4 cents to $1.51 a gallon, while heating oil slid 3 cents to $1.64 a gallon. Natural gas futures slipped a penny to $3.05 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Offshore drilling services company Transocean fell 43 cents, or 3.1 percent, to $13.54. Devon Energy slid $1.52, or 3.2 percent, to $45.27, while Chesapeake Energy dipped 19 cents, or 2.9 percent, to $6.38.

Major stock indexes in Europe closed lower Monday.

Germany's DAX fell 1.2 percent, while France's CAC 40 slid 1 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 edged 0.2 percent lower. Earlier in Asia, Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 added 0.3 percent, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 1.0 percent. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 lost earlier gains and inched down 0.1 percent. South Korea's Kospi gained 0.2 percent. Benchmarks were also higher in Taiwan and Singapore.

Bond prices rose. The 10-year Treasury yield fell to 2.42 percent from 2.47 percent late Friday.

The euro fell to $1.0748 from $1.0765 on Friday. The dollar slipped to 111.83 yen from 112.96 yen.

Among metals, the price of gold rose $11.30 to $1,232.10 an ounce. Silver added 21 cents to $17.69 an ounce. Copper rose 4 cents to $2.65 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 37.9 points or ▲ 0.19% on Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Symbol …........Last …......Change....... ..
Dow_Jones 20,090.29 ▲ 37.87 ▲ 0.19% .
Nasdaq____ 5,674.22 ▲ 10.66 ▲ 0.19% .
S&P_500___ 2,293.08 ▲ 0.52 ▲ 0.02% .
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.02 ▼ -0.03 ▼ -0.95% .

NYSE Volume 3,450,396,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,993,811,000

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change....... ..
FTSE_100 7,186.22 ▲ 14.07 ▲ 0.20% .
DAX_____ 11,549.44 ▲ 39.60 ▲ 0.34% .
CAC_40__ 4,754.47 ▼ -23.61 ▼ -0.49% .

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,672.60 ▲ 7.20 ▲ 0.13% .
Shanghai_Comp 3,153.09 ▼ -3.90 ▼ -0.12% .
Taiwan_Weight 9,554.56 ▲ 16.55 ▲ 0.17% .
Nikkei_225___ 18,910.78 ▼ -65.93 ▼ -0.35% .
Hang_Seng.__ 23,331.57 ▼ -16.67 ▼ -0.07% ..
Strait_Times.__ 3,071.64 ▲ 14.73 ▲ 0.48% .
NZX_50_Index_ 7,067.05 ▼ -27.33 ▼ -0.39% .

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stock-indexes-veer-higher-152029352.html

Tiny move: Nasdaq notches new high as US stocks inch higher

ALEX VEIGA

Wall Street capped a subdued day of trading Tuesday with a tiny gain and another milestone.

After spending much of the day drifting between small gains and losses, U.S. stock indexes closed slightly higher, nudging the Nasdaq composite to another high, eclipsing the record it set last Friday.

Consumer goods makers and technology companies rose. Energy companies fell along with the price of crude oil.

For the most part, investors continued to focus on the latest batch of company earnings and outlooks. But traders also have an eye on lawmakers in Washington to gauge whether expectations of business-friendly policies, which helped fuel the market rally last fall, will be fulfilled.

"Certainly earnings have been supportive, but the other thing that's been supportive is the hope that we'll get some policy stimulus," said Mike Baele, managing director at the Private Client Reserve at U.S. Bank. "Now we're waiting to see if that hope is justified or not."

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 37.87 points, or 0.2 percent, to 20,090.29. The Standard & Poor's 500 index added 0.52 points, or 0.02 percent, to 2,293.08. The Nasdaq gained 10.67 points, or 0.2 percent, to 5,674.22. The Russell 2000 index of small-company stocks fell 5.60 points, or 0.4 percent, to 1,361.06.

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

Several oil and gas companies slumped as crude prices fell. Chevron fell the most among the 30 companies in the Dow, shedding $1.59, or 1.4 percent, to $111.39. Other big energy decliners included Newfield Exploration, which slid $1.69, or 4.2 percent, to $39.02, and Murphy Oil, which gave up $1.14, or 3.9 percent, to $27.95.

Energy sector stocks were the best performers in 2016, riding a rebound in oil prices on the way to a gain of 23.7 percent. This year, though, the sector is off 5.1 percent, the second-biggest decliner behind phone companies.

"Concern over additional supply coming into the market has hit some of the energy stocks," Baele said.

Benchmark U.S. crude slid 84 cents, or 1.6 percent, to close at $52.17 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, which is used to price international oils, fell 67 cents, or 1.2 percent, to close at $55.05 a barrel in London.

Disappointing quarterly results or outlooks weighed down several stocks, including Michael Kors. The luxury retailer, which gave weak guidance for its current quarter and cut its estimates for the year, was the biggest decliner in the S&P 500 index. The stock slumped $4.46, or 10.8 percent, to $36.82.

General Motors fell 4.7 percent after the automaker said its earnings declined in the fourth quarter as costs increased. The stock gave up $1.73 to $35.10.

Sabre tumbled 10.5 percent after the travel industry technology provider issued a forecast for 2017 that fell short of Wall Street's estimates. The stock shed $2.60 to $22.21.

Traders bid up shares in companies that posted better-than-expected quarterly results, including health insurer Centene, which climbed $3.37, or 5.3 percent, to $67.

Emerson Electric gained 4.5 percent. The company, which makes process controls systems, valves and analytical instruments, also raised its estimates for the rest of the year. The stock rose $2.68 to $62.54.

More than half of the companies in the S&P 500 index have reported quarterly results so far, and more than 60 percent have posted earnings that beat financial analysts' estimates, noted Erik Davidson, chief investment officer at Wells Fargo Private Bank.

"We haven't seen a lot of earnings growth in the past several quarters, so the market is excited to see that," Davidson said.

The major stock indexes in Europe were mixed.

Germany's DAX index added 0.3 percent, while France's CAC 40 was 0.5 percent lower. The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was up 0.2 percent. Earlier in Asia, Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index lost 0.4 percent, while Sydney's S&P-ASX 200 rose 0.1 percent. Seoul's Kospi slid 0.1 percent, while India's Sensex shed 0.6 percent.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline fell 2 cents to $1.49 a gallon, while heating oil slid 1 cent to $1.62 a gallon. Natural gas futures gained 8 cents, or 2.6 percent, to $3.13 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Bond prices rose. The 10-year Treasury yield fell to 2.39 percent from 2.41 percent late Monday.

In currency trading, the dollar rose to 112.19 yen from 111.83 on Monday. The euro fell to $1.0696 from $1.0748.

Among metals, the price of gold added $4 to $1,236.10 an ounce. Silver added 6 cents to $17.76 an ounce. Copper fell 2 cents to $2.63 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed LOWER ▼ -36 points or ▼ -0.18% on Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Symbol …........Last …......Change....... ..
Dow_Jones 20,054.34 ▼ -35.95 ▼ -0.18% .
Nasdaq____ 5,682.45 ▲ 8.24 ▲ 0.15% .
S&P_500___ 2,294.67 ▲ 1.59 ▲ 0.07% .
30_Yr_Bond____ 2.96 ▼ -0.06 ▼ -1.92% .

NYSE Volume 3,604,521,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,994,444,000

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change....... ..
FTSE_100 7,188.82 ▲ 2.60 ▲ 0.04% .
DAX_____ 11,543.38 ▼ -6.06 ▼ -0.05% .
CAC_40__ 4,766.60 ▲ 12.13 ▲ 0.26% .

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,703.40 ▲ 30.80 ▲ 0.54% .
Shanghai_Comp 3,166.98 ▲ 13.89 ▲ 0.44% .
Taiwan_Weight 9,543.25 ▼ -11.31 ▼ -0.12% .
Nikkei_225___ 19,007.60 ▲ 96.82 ▲ 0.51% .
Hang_Seng.__ 23,485.13 ▲ 153.56 ▲ 0.66% ..
Strait_Times.__ 3,066.53 ▼ -5.11 ▼ -0.17% .
NZX_50_Index_ 7,066.27 ▼ -0.78 ▼ -0.01% .

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stock-indexes-move-lower-152217396.html

New Nasdaq record on mixed day for US stocks as oil rebounds

ALEX VEIGA

Utilities, real estate and other big-dividend-paying companies led U.S. stocks mostly higher Wednesday, pushing the Nasdaq composite to a new record for the second day in a row.

The gains by big-dividend-paying stocks came as bond yields fell, making those traditional safe-haven companies more attractive to investors seeking income. Banks and other financial stocks were the market's biggest laggards.

While investors have been focused in recent weeks on companies reporting their quarterly results, they are also trying to size up whether the Trump administration will deliver on expectations of business-friendly policies that helped fuel the market rally last fall.

"You're beginning to see investors hedging some of their concerns, whether it's an escalation in the debate between the White House and the judges on the (travel) ban, or concerns over the direction of the elections coming up in the Eurozone," said Quincy Krosby, market strategist at Prudential Financial. "The question really is whether or not those concerns intensify."

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 1.59 points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,294.67. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 35.95 points, or 0.2 percent, to 20,054.34. The Nasdaq added 8.24 points, or 0.2 percent, to 5,682.45. The index also closed at a record high on Tuesday and last Friday. The Russell 2000 index of small-company stocks fell 2.32 points, or 0.2 percent, to 1,358.74.

Bond prices rose. The 10-year Treasury yield fell to 2.34 percent from 2.40 percent late Tuesday. That yield is a benchmark used to set interest rates on many kinds of loans including home mortgages.

The stock indexes headed lower as trading opened Wednesday and investors weighed the latest company earnings. The market recovered some of its losses by midmorning after crude oil prices turned higher following an early slide.

Benchmark U.S. crude rose 17 cents, or 0.3 percent, to close at $52.34 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the benchmark for international oil prices, climbed 7 cents, or 0.1 percent, to close at $55.12 a barrel in London.

Investors bid up shares in companies that posted better-than-expected quarterly results and outlooks.

Strong fiscal third-quarter earnings propelled Microchip Technology 6 percent higher, making it the biggest gainer in the S&P 500. The stock climbed $4.18 to $73.80.

Myriad Genetics jumped 7.3 percent after the diagnostic test maker said sales of hereditary cancer tests have resumed rising, driving revenue to the highest level in three years. The stock gained $1.12 to $16.52.

Panera Bread's latest results and forecast helped boost the bakery chain $18.63, or 8.7 percent, to $232.90.

Botox-maker Allergan also got a lift from its quarterly report card, adding $8.56, or 3.7 percent, to $241.17.

Several companies served up earnings and forecasts that fell short of Wall Street's expectations, sending their shares lower.

Akamai Technologies tumbled 10.6 percent after the cloud services company's latest guidance disappointed investors. The stock was the biggest decliner in the S&P 500, sliding $7.57 to $63.55.

Gilead Sciences slumped 8.6 percent after the biotechnology company forecast disappointing sales of its hepatitis C drugs. The stock gave up $6.30 to $66.83.

Zillow Group slid 7.6 percent after the online real estate information company posted quarterly results that included a tally of monthly unique users that fell short of Wall Street's expectations. The stock lost $2.83 to $34.33.

More than half of the companies in the S&P 500 index have reported quarterly results so far, and roughly 60 percent have posted earnings that beat financial analysts' estimates.

Coca-Cola, Twitter and Viacom are among the big companies due to report results Thursday.

Major stock indexes in Europe were mixed.

Germany's DAX fell 0.1 percent, while France's CAC 40 rose 0.3 percent. The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was flat. Earlier in Asia, Tokyo's Nikkei 225 rebounded from early losses to rise 0.5 percent, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 0.7 percent. Sydney's S&P ASX 200 gained 0.5 percent.

In other energy futures trading, wholesale gasoline rose 7 cents, or 4.4 percent, to $1.55 a gallon, while heating oil added 1 cent to $1.64 a gallon. Natural gas futures were little changed at $3.13 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Among metals, the price of gold added $3.40 to $1,239.50 an ounce. Silver fell 5 cents to $17.71 an ounce. Copper rose 3 cents to $2.67 a pound.

The dollar fell to 112.05 yen from 112.19 yen on Tuesday. The euro weakened to $1.0687 from $1.0696.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 118 points or ▲ 0.59% on Thursday, February 9, 2017
Symbol …........Last …......Change....... ..
Dow_Jones 20,172.40 ▲ 118.06 ▲ 0.59% .
Nasdaq____ 5,715.18 ▲ 32.73 ▲ 0.58% .
S&P_500___ 2,307.87 ▲ 13.20 ▲ 0.58% .
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.01 ▲ 0.05 ▲ 1.69% .

NYSE Volume 3,676,746,500
Nasdaq Volume 1,970,747,380

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change....... ..
FTSE_100 7,229.50 ▲ 40.68 ▲ 0.57% .
DAX_____ 11,642.86 ▲ 99.48 ▲ 0.86% .
CAC_40__ 4,826.24 ▲ 59.64 ▲ 1.25% .

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,717.70 ▲ 14.30 ▲ 0.25% .
Shanghai_Comp 3,183.18 ▲ 16.20 ▲ 0.51% .
Taiwan_Weight 9,590.18 ▲ 46.93 ▲ 0.49% .
Nikkei_225___ 18,907.67 ▼ -99.93 ▼ -0.53% .
Hang_Seng.__ 23,525.14 ▲ 40.01 ▲ 0.17% ..
Strait_Times.__ 3,079.96 ▲ 13.43 ▲ 0.44% .
NZX_50_Index_ 7,121.63 ▲ 55.36 ▲ 0.78% .

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stock-indexes-modestly-higher-152648744.html

Strong company earnings drive US stock indexes to new highs

ALEX VEIGA

Strong company earnings put investors in a buying mood Thursday, lifting the major U.S. stock indexes to record highs.

Banks and other financial companies led the rally as bond yields rose. Energy also notched big gains as crude oil prices rose. Utilities and materials lagged the broader market.

Traders have been focused in recent weeks on companies reporting their quarterly results as they size up Corporate America's prospects for growth. They're also keeping an eye on Washington D.C. to gauge whether the Trump administration will deliver on expectations of business-friendly policies that helped drive a market rally last fall.

"You're definitely seeing a kind of risk-on (trade) right now, with the fear of missing out overshadowing the fear of a policy mistake," said Chris Zaccarelli, chief investment officer for Cornerstone Financial. "You're seeing a recovery in corporate profits, and that's definitely giving investors some extra confidence."

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 118.06 points, or 0.6 percent, to 20,172.40. The Standard & Poor's 500 index gained 13.20 points, or 0.6 percent, to 2,307.87. The Nasdaq composite index added 32.73 points, or 0.6 percent, to 5,715.18. The Nasdaq has now set a record high three times this week, in addition to last Friday.

The Russell 2000 index of small-company stocks outpaced the rest of the market. It climbed 19.79 points, or 1.5 percent, to 1,378.53.

About 61 percent of the companies in the S&P 500 reported earnings as of Wednesday. Going by that, company earnings in the October-December quarter are up 6.7 percent from a year earlier, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence.

"The earnings season is turning out to be pretty good," said Phil Blancato, CEO of Ladenburg Thalmann Asset Management. "We're starting to see some real earnings growth."

Investors bid up shares in companies that turned in better earnings or outlooks than Wall Street was expecting, including Gannett, Kellogg and Dunkin' Brands.

Gannett, publisher of USA Today and other newspapers, added 35 cents, or 4 percent, to $9.05, while Kellogg gained $2.95, or 4 percent, to $76.44. Dunkin' Brands climbed $2.16, or 4.2 percent, to $54.13.

Traders also welcomed Viacom's latest quarterly results and the media giant's plans to turn its business around. The owner of BET, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon and the Paramount film studio rose $1.82, or 4.3 percent, at $43.89.

Yum Brands also got a lift thanks to stronger U.S. sales at its KFC and Taco Bell chains, which offset weakness at the company's Pizza Hut restaurants. Its shares gained 80 cents, or 1.2 percent, to $67.39.

Results from several companies failed to impress investors.

Twitter slumped 12.3 percent after the social media company's latest quarterly earnings, which topped analyst expectations, were overshadowed by a weak profit forecast. The stock fell $2.31 to $16.41.

Coca-Cola traded lower after its profit fell 55 percent in the most recent quarter. The stock lost 77 cents, or 1.8 percent, to $41.25.

Dun & Bradstreet tumbled 16.8 percent after the business information provider said it expects less revenue from a partnership with Salesforce this year. The stock was the biggest loser in the S&P 500, sliding $20.59 to $101.88.

The major stock indexes in Europe also notched gains Thursday.

Germany's DAX rose 0.9 percent, while France's CAC 40 gained 1.3 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 added 0.6 percent.

In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 stock index slid 0.5 percent ahead of meetings Friday between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Donald Trump. Most other regional benchmarks notched gains. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index gained 0.2 percent, while the Kospi in South Korea was almost flat. Australia's S&P ASX/200 rose 0.2 percent. Shares in Southeast Asia were mostly higher.

Benchmark U.S. crude rose 66 cents, or 1.3 percent, to close at $53 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the benchmark for international oil prices, gained 51 cents, or about 1 percent, to close at $55.63 a barrel in London.

In other energy futures trading, wholesale gasoline added 2 cents to $1.57 a gallon, while heating oil rose 1 cent to $1.64 a gallon. Natural gas futures gained 2 cents to $3.14 per 1,000 cubic feet.

The dollar rose to 113.33 yen from 112.05 on Wednesday. The euro fell to $1.0658 from $1.0687.

Bond prices fell. The 10-year Treasury yield rose to 2.39 percent from 2.34 percent late Wednesday.

In metals trading, the price of gold fell $2.70 to $1,236.80 an ounce. Silver rose 4 cents to $17.74 an ounce. Copper slid 1 cent to $2.65 a pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 97 points or ▲ 0.48% on Friday, February 10, 2017
Symbol …........Last …......Change....... ..
Dow_Jones 20,269.37 ▲ 96.97 ▲ 0.48% .
Nasdaq____ 5,734.13 ▲ 18.95 ▲ 0.33% .
S&P_500___ 2,316.10 ▲ 8.23 ▲ 0.36% .
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.01 ▲ 0.00 ▲ 0.03% .

NYSE Volume 3,474,843,750
Nasdaq Volume 2,621,281,500

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change....... ..
FTSE_100 7,258.75 ▲ 29.25 ▲ 0.40% .
DAX_____ 11,666.97 ▲ 24.11 ▲ 0.21% .
CAC_40__ 4,828.32 ▲ 2.08 ▲ 0.04% .

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,771.60 ▲ 53.90 ▲ 0.94% .
Shanghai_Comp 3,196.70 ▲ 13.52 ▲ 0.42% .
Taiwan_Weight 9,665.59 ▲ 75.41 ▲ 0.79% .
Nikkei_225___ 19,378.93 ▲ 471.26 ▲ 2.49% .
Hang_Seng.__ 23,574.98 ▲ 49.84 ▲ 0.21% ..
Strait_Times.__ 3,100.39 ▲ 20.43 ▲ 0.66% .
NZX_50_Index_ 7,104.43 ▼ -17.20 ▼ -0.24% .

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stock-indexes-extend-climb-record-heights-153810028--finance.html

US stock indexes extend climb into record heights

ALEX VEIGA

Wall Street capped a week of milestones Friday with a rally that pushed the major stock indexes to all-time highs for the second day in a row.

Small-company stocks did better than larger ones, nudging the Russell 2000 index to a record high for the first time since December.

Miners and other raw materials companies led the gainers. Rising crude oil prices also gave energy companies a big boost. Consumer goods stocks were essentially flat.

Strong company earnings and investor optimism over the Trump administration's promises of tax cuts, less government regulation and other policies helped fuel the market's gains much of the week. News that OPEC is largely adhering to a recent pact to cut crude oil production has also helped lift markets. The daily market moves have been mostly small, but big enough to push indexes to new heights.

"We had a drought for a very, very long time last year where we went almost a year and a half without hitting a new high, which was the longest time ever," said Randy Frederick, vice president of trading & derivatives at Charles Schwab. "Now we're back to what I would say is more of a typical move, where you get record highs consistently."

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 96.97 points, or 0.5 percent, to 20,269.37. The Standard & Poor's 500 index gained 8.23 points, or 0.4 percent, to 2,316.10. The Nasdaq composite index added 18.95 points, or 0.3 percent, to 5,734.13. All told, the Nasdaq closed at a record high four times this week, as well as last Friday.

The Russell 2000 picked up 10.32 points, or 0.8 percent, to 1,388.84.

Trading got off to a good start early Friday, as investors sized up the latest batch of company earnings. Some 70 percent of the companies in the S&P 500 have reported quarterly results as of Friday. About 40 percent of those turned in earnings and revenue that beat Wall Street's forecasts, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence.

Earnings are on track to mark the second-consecutive quarter of growth after a five-quarter losing streak.

Beyond earnings, investors are also eying Washington D.C. for signs the Trump administration will deliver on the promised business-friendly policy proposals that helped drive a market rally last fall, including slashing government regulations and taxes.

"The market has been pretty generous ever since the election in moving in anticipation of what might come," Frederick said. "The question is at what point does the market expect to see things actually happen versus just promises of action. That's the tricky part."

Investors bid up shares in companies that turned in better earnings or outlooks than Wall Street was expecting, including footwear company Skechers, video game publisher Activision Blizzard and real estate investment company CBRE Group.

Skechers gained $4.50, or 19.3 percent, to $27.78, while CBRE Group climbed $2.43, or 7.7 percent, to $34. Activision Blizzard was the biggest gainer in the S&P 500. The maker of "Call of Duty," ''Candy Crush" and other video games jumped $7.50, or 18.9 percent, to $47.23.

Other companies' quarterly report cards failed to impress traders.

Yelp skidded 13.6 percent after the online reviews company's revenue forecasts disappointed Wall Street. The stock slid $5.66 to $35.83.

Cerner slumped 4.4 percent after the health care information technology company lowered its earnings and revenue guidance for the year. The stock was the biggest decliner in the S&P 500. It fell $2.38 to $51.50.

Soaring copper prices gave gold and copper miner Freeport-McMoRan a lift. It rose 41 cents, or 2.7 percent, to $15.80.

Investors also welcomed Sears' huge cost-savings initiative. The troubled department store chain said Friday that it will slash at least $1 billion a year in costs by selling stores, cutting jobs or selling some of its well-known brands. The stock leaped $1.42, or 25.6 percent, to $6.96.

In deal news, Mead Johnson Nutrition Co. rose 5.6 percent after the baby formula maker agreed to be bought by British household products company Reckitt Benckiser for $90 a share, or $16.6 billion. Mead Johnson shares climbed $4.67 to $87.72.

Benchmark U.S. crude rose 86 cents, or 1.6 percent, to close at $53.86 a barrel in New York. The contract rose 66 cents on Thursday. Brent crude, the benchmark for international oil prices, gained $1.07, or 1.9 percent, to close at $56.70 a barrel in London. Natural gas futures declined 11 cents, or 3.4 percent, to $3.03 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Major stock indexes in Europe closed mostly higher.

Britain's FTSE 100 added 0.4 percent, while Germany's DAX rose 0.2 percent. France's CAC 40 was flat. Greece's stock market gained 2.5 percent as its creditors met to find a way to ease concerns about the future of its bailout program.

In Asia, investors welcomed strong January trade data from China. Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.2 percent, while South Korea's Kospi added 0.5 percent. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 jumped 1 percent. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index surged 2.5 percent as the yen weakened against the dollar, lifting shares of exporters.

Bond prices fell. The 10-year Treasury yield rose to 2.41 percent from 2.40 percent late Thursday.

The dollar strengthened to 113.41 yen, up from 113.33 yen on Thursday. The euro weakened to $1.0631 from $1.0658.

In other energy futures trading, wholesale gasoline added 2 cents to $1.59 a gallon, while heating oil rose 2 cents to $1.67 a gallon.

Among metals, the price of gold fell 70 cents to $1,234.40 an ounce. Silver rose 19 cents to $17.93 an ounce. Copper added 11 cents, or 4.3 percent, to $2.77 a pound.

1659

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 143 points or ▲ 0.70% on Monday, February 13, 2017
Symbol …........Last …......Change....... ..
Dow_Jones 20,412.16 ▲ 142.79 ▲ 0.70% .
Nasdaq____ 5,763.96 ▲ 29.83 ▲ 0.52% .
S&P_500___ 2,328.25 ▲ 12.15 ▲ 0.52% .
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.03 ▲ 0.02 ▲ 0.73% .

NYSE Volume 3,348,874,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,962,906,750

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change....... ..
FTSE_100 7,278.92 ▲ 20.17 ▲ 0.28% .
DAX_____ 11,774.43 ▲ 107.46 ▲ 0.92% .
CAC_40__ 4,888.19 ▲ 59.87 ▲ 1.24% .

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,812.90 ▲ 41.30 ▲ 0.72% .
Shanghai_Comp 3,216.84 ▲ 20.14 ▲ 0.63% .
Taiwan_Weight 9,710.32 ▲ 44.73 ▲ 0.46% .
Nikkei_225___ 19,459.15 ▲ 80.22 ▲ 0.41% .
Hang_Seng.__ 23,710.98 ▲ 136.00 ▲ 0.58% ..
Strait_Times.__ 3,111.63 ▲ 11.24 ▲ 0.36% .
NZX_50_Index_ 7,135.50 ▲ 31.07 ▲ 0.44% .


http://finance.yahoo.com/news/globa...s-indexes-hit-records-151946401--finance.html

Global stocks continue to rise, US indexes hit records again

STAN CHOE

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks around the world continued their march higher on Monday, and U.S. indexes again hit new highs.

Strong gains for Citigroup and other financial stocks helped the Standard & Poor's 500 index rise 12.15 points, or 0.5 percent, to 2,328.25. It's the third straight day the index has set a record. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 142.79, or 0.7 percent, to 20,412.16. The Nasdaq composite climbed 29.83, or 0.5 percent, to 5,763.96. Earlier in the day, markets rose across Europe and Asia.

Stocks have resumed their rally in recent days after stalling for a couple weeks. Stronger-than-expected profit reports from companies, continued improvement in the U.S. economy and expectations for business-friendly policies from Washington have helped propel the market. With no major economic reports or other big news on Monday, stocks continued to follow the path of least resistance, analysts say.

"The market's got such good momentum now that it's going to continue until something slows it down," said Randy Frederick, vice president of trading and derivatives at the Schwab Center for Financial Research. "There's really not any negative catalyst right now."

The S&P 500 has climbed five straight days and is up 8.8 percent since Donald Trump won the White House in November.

Companies whose profits are most dependent on the strength of the economy were some of Monday's biggest gainers. Financial stocks in the S&P 500 rose 1.1 percent, the biggest gain among the 11 sectors that make up the index. Industrials rose 1 percent. Roughly three stocks rose for every two that fell on the New York Stock Exchange.

The biggest stock in the S&P 500, Apple, is also at a record closing high. It rose $1.17, or 0.9 percent, to close at $133.29. The iPhone maker's performance carries extra weight for many 401(k) accounts because of its status as the biggest publicly traded company in the world. It alone accounts for about 3.5 percent of S&P 500 index fund investments.

Chemical company Chemours jumped $4.01, or 14.3 percent, to $32.14 after it announced an agreement with DuPont to jointly pay $670.7 million to settle roughly 3,500 personal-injury claims related to the release of perfluorooctanoic acid from a West Virginia plant. DuPont rose 99 cents, or 1.3 percent, to $77.82.

Zeltiq Aesthetics jumped $6.53, or 13.2 percent, to $55.93 after Allergan said it would buy the company, whose CoolSculpting system helps people reduce bulges of fat. Allergan, which sells Botox, agreed to pay $56.50 per share for Zeltiq.

The only sector in the S&P 500 to fall on Monday was telecoms, which sank on worries that more pricing wars may be on the way.

Verizon unveiled an unlimited-data plan for its customers, and its stock dropped 43 cents, or 0.9 percent, to $48.55. Competitors fell more. AT&T lost 73 cents, or 1.8 percent, to $40.65, and Sprint fell 12 cents, or 1.3 percent, to $8.84.

Several events are on the schedule that could shift the market's momentum. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen will offer testimony on Capitol Hill Tuesday and Wednesday to update the Senate and House on monetary policy. Most investors expect the central bank to keep raising interest rates in 2017, though at a modest pace.

The government will also offer updates on the state of inflation, on both the consumer and the wholesale levels. Many investors expect inflation to rise due to policies proposed by President Trump and Congressional Republicans, though the bond market doesn't seem to be forecasting a runaway spike.

Treasury yields have been on an upward trend since Election Day, in part because of those expectations for higher inflation. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.43 percent Monday from 2.41 percent late Friday. Two-year and 30-year Treasury yields also notched higher.

Stocks climbed in other markets around the world. In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 index rose 0.4 percent, the Hang Seng in Hong Kong gained 0.6 percent and South Korea's Kospi index added 0.2 percent. In Europe, the French CAC 40 index jumped 1.2 percent, Germany's DAX climbed 0.9 percent and the U.K. FTSE 100 added 0.3 percent.

Benchmark U.S. crude oil fell 93 cents, or 1.7 percent, to settle at $52.93 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, fell $1.11, or 2.percent, to $55.59 a barrel.

Natural gas fell 9 cents, or 3 percent, to $2.94 per 1,000 cubic feet. Wholesale gasoline fell 5 cents, or 2.8 percent, to $1.54 a gallon and heating oil lost 4 cents, or 2.3 percent, to $1.63 a gallon.

In metals trading, gold fell $10.10 to settle at $1,225.80 an ounce. Silver lost 11 cents to $17.82 an ounce. Copper added 1.5 cents to $2.78 a pound.

The dollar rose to 113.62 Japanese yen from 113.41 yen late Friday, and the British pound rose to $1.2529 from $1.2479.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 92.3 points or ▲ 0.45% on Tuesday, February 14, 2017
Symbol …........Last …......Change....... ..
Dow_Jones 20,504.41 ▲ 92.25 ▲ 0.45% .
Nasdaq____ 5,782.57 ▲ 18.62 ▲ 0.32% .
S&P_500___ 2,337.58 ▲ 9.33 ▲ 0.40% .
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.06 ▲ 0.03 ▲ 0.92% .

NYSE Volume 3,496,713,250
Nasdaq Volume 9,586,779,000

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change....... ..
FTSE_100 7,268.56 ▼ -10.36 ▼ -0.14% .
DAX_____ 11,771.81 ▼ -2.62 ▼ -0.02% .
CAC_40__ 4,895.82 ▲ 7.63 ▲ 0.16% .

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,810.90 ▼ -2.00 ▼ -0.03% .
Shanghai_Comp 3,217.93 ▲ 1.09 ▲ 0.03% .
Taiwan_Weight 9,718.78 ▲ 8.46 ▲ 0.09% .
Nikkei_225___ 19,238.98 ▼ -220.17 ▼ -1.13% .
Hang_Seng.__ 23,703.01 ▼ -7.97 ▼ -0.03% ..
Strait_Times.__ 3,072.47 ▼ -39.16 ▼ -1.26% .
NZX_50_Index_ 7,150.89 ▲ 15.39 ▲ 0.22% .

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stock-markets-around-world-downshift-150639370.html

Jumping bank stocks push US indexes higher; bond yields rise

STAN CHOE

NEW YORK (AP) — Bank stocks jumped Tuesday on hopes that bigger profits are ahead, and U.S. indexes again pushed to record highs.

Stocks had been mostly lower when the day's trading began, but indexes reversed course after Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen told a Senate committee that the central bank could raise interest rates as soon as next month. Bond yields jumped immediately afterward and fed through to shares of banks, which can benefit from higher rates by charging more for loans.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 9.33 points, or 0.4 percent, to 2,337.58 for its sixth straight day of gains. Earlier in the day, it was down as much as 0.3 percent. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 92.25 points, or 0.5 percent, to 20,504.41. The Nasdaq composite rose 18.62, or 0.3 percent, to 5,782.57. Slightly more stocks rose on the New York Stock Exchange than fell.

Yellen's testimony on Capitol Hill was much anticipated, but she said little to alter most investors' expectations. The Fed raised interest rates in December for just the second time in a decade, and Yellen said the strengthening job market and a modest move higher in inflation should warrant continued, gradual increases in interest rates.

Waiting too long to raise rates "would be unwise" and could eventually force the Fed to raise rates rapidly to catch up, Yellen said. But she also repeated the word "gradual" to describe expectations for future increases.

"Yellen seemed to have her dancing shoes on this morning and was able to steer clear of any comments that might upset the market," said Alan Gayle, senior investment strategist and director of asset allocation at RidgeWorth Investments. "In so doing, the stock market has been able to hold onto its gains."

Stocks have been on a strong run driven by expectations for more help for businesses from Washington, an improving economy and stronger-than-expected corporate earnings. The S&P 500 is up 9.3 percent since Election Day.

A demonstration of how much optimism is feeding into markets: Small-business owners say they haven't felt this encouraged in 12 years, according to a monthly survey released by the National Federation of Independent Business on Tuesday. Optimism made a sharp turn higher following the election, and more small businesses are saying they're planning to hire.

Of course, such a high degree of excitement also leaves the possibility for disappointment if expectations aren't met.

"The underlying momentum in the economy remains positive, so that gives us a positive bias toward the equity market, but we also know that there is a lot of volatility just around the corner," Gayle said.

Yellen's testimony helped the yield on the 10-year Treasury note rise to 2.47 percent from 2.43 percent late Monday. The yield on the 2-year Treasury rose to 1.24 percent from 1.21 percent, and the 30-year Treasury yield climbed to 3.06 percent from 3.03 percent.

While higher bond yields can help banks, they can also mean less demand for stocks that pay big dividends. Utility stocks in the S&P 500, which are some of the market's highest yielders, fell 0.7 percent. It was the largest loss among the 11 sectors that make up the index. Real-estate investment trusts, which have relatively big dividend yields, were also weak.

General Motors jumped $1.72, or 4.8 percent, to $37.24 for one of the biggest gains in the S&P 500 following news that France's PSA Group, maker of Peugeot and Citroen cars, is exploring a deal to buy Opel, GM's money-losing European business.

Cynosure, which makes devices used in laser body contouring, hair removal and skin care, soared after agreeing to be bought by medical device maker Hologic. Hologic will pay $66 a share, or $1.57 billion, for Cynosure, which had about $434 million in revenue last year. Cynosure rose $14.43, or 28 percent, to $65.93 while Hologic fell 99 cents, or 2.5 percent, to $39.03.

Stocks were relatively steady across the world. In Europe, the German DAX index was virtually flat, while the French CAC 40 rose 0.2 percent and the British FTSE 100 edged down 0.1 percent. In Asia, the Hang Seng index in Hong Kong was close to flat, while the South Korean Kospi index dipped 0.2 percent and the Japanese Nikkei 225 index fell 1.1 percent.

Benchmark U.S. crude oil rose 27 cents to settle at $53.20 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, rose 38 cents to $55.97 a gallon in London.

Natural gas fell 4 cents to $2.91 per 1,000 cubic feet, heating oil rose a penny to $1.64 per gallon and wholesale gasoline was close to flat at $1.55 a gallon.

Gold fell 40 cents to settle at $1,225.40 per ounce, silver rose 7 cents to $17.89 an ounce and copper fell 5 cents to $2.74 a pound.

The dollar rose to 114.22 Japanese yen from 113.62 late Monday. The euro dipped to $1.0572 from $1.0600, and the British pound fell to $1.2465 from $1.2529.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 107 points or ▲ 0.52% on Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Symbol …........Last …......Change....... ..
Dow_Jones 20,611.86 ▲ 107.45 ▲ 0.52% .
Nasdaq____ 5,819.44 ▲ 36.87 ▲ 0.64% .
S&P_500___ 2,349.25 ▲ 11.67 ▲ 0.50% .
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.09 ▲ 0.03 ▲ 0.95% .

NYSE Volume 3,774,985,250
Nasdaq Volume 2,655,469,000

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change....... ..
FTSE_100 7,302.41 ▲ 33.85 ▲ 0.47% .
DAX_____ 11,793.93 ▲ 22.12 ▲ 0.19% .
CAC_40__ 4,924.86 ▲ 29.04 ▲ 0.59% .

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,859.10 ▲ 48.20 ▲ 0.83% .
Shanghai_Comp 3,212.99 ▼ -4.94 ▼ -0.15% .
Taiwan_Weight 9,799.76 ▲ 80.98 ▲ 0.83% .
Nikkei_225___ 19,437.98 ▲ 199.00 ▲ 1.03% .
Hang_Seng.__ 23,994.87 ▲ 291.86 ▲ 1.23% ..
Strait_Times.__ 3,088.48 ▲ 16.01 ▲ 0.52% .
NZX_50_Index_ 7,180.03 ▲ 29.14 ▲ 0.41% .

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stronger-economy-lifts-bond-yields-stocks-hold-records-150335437.html

Bond yields rise, stocks push to records as economy cruises

Stan Choe, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks and bond yields punched higher Wednesday, and U.S. indexes set records again, following more encouraging news on the U.S. economy.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 11.67 points, or 0.5 percent, to 2,349.25. It's the seventh straight gain for the index and its longest winning streak in three and a half years. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 107.45 points, or 0.5 percent, to 20,611.86. The Nasdaq composite rose 36.87, or 0.6 percent, to 5,819.44. Seven stocks rose on the New York Stock Exchange for every five that fell.

It's a striking reversal for the market from a year ago, when stocks around the world were tumbling on worries that another recession was on the way. Since then, the economy and job market have continued to improve, along with corporate profits. And the market got a jolt of adrenaline in November, when Donald Trump's surprise White House victory raised hopes for tax cuts and other business-friendly policies from Washington.

The S&P 500 is up nearly 26 percent over the last 12 months, with more than half of the gain coming since Election Day. Such a performance would rank among the best calendar years the index has had in the last three decades.

On Wednesday, reports showed that retailers had stronger sales in January than economists expected, and inflation at the consumer level was the highest in years. Consumer prices rose 2.5 percent in January from a year earlier, the highest rate since March 2012. The data give the Federal Reserve more encouragement to raise interest rates, and economists said the possibility is increasing that it may happen at the central bank's next meeting in March.

Fed Chair Janet Yellen indicated in testimony before a Congressional committee that the central bank will likely accelerate its pace of increases if the job market remains healthy and inflation keeps climbing. The Fed has raised rates just twice in the last two years, after holding rates at nearly zero from late 2008 to help lift the economy out of the Great Recession.

"What really stuck out to me in Yellen's testimony was her adding emphasis to the idea that as things currently stand, even without fiscal stimulus, it would be prudent to hike sooner rather than later," said Brian Jacobsen, chief portfolio strategist at Wells Fargo Funds Management. "So if we do see tax cuts or infrastructure spending, they may need to quicken the pace of rate hikes. The bond market has clearly gotten the message."

Treasury yields jumped as investors sold off bonds. The 10-year Treasury yield rose to 2.50 percent from 2.47 percent late Tuesday. The 30-year yield rose to 3.08 percent from 3.06 percent.

When bonds pay more in interest, it can mean less demand from income investors for stocks that pay big dividends. Utility stocks in the S&P 500, which are some of the biggest dividend payers, fell 0.4 percent.

Airline stocks cruised higher after Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway disclosed that it added to its investments in several of them.

Southwest Airlines rose $1.98, or 3.6 percent, to $57.29, United Continental rose $2.01, or 2.7 percent, to $75.75, Delta Air Lines rose $1.31, or 2.6 percent, to $51.17 and American Airlines rose 97 cents, or 2.1 percent, to $47.54.

Procter & Gamble rose $3.26, or 3.7 percent, to $91.12 after activist investor Nelson Peltz's Trian Fund Management disclosed in a regulatory filing that it owns a stake in the company.

American International Group sank to the biggest loss in the S&P 500 after reporting a larger operating loss for the fourth quarter than analysts expected. It fell $6.04, or 9 percent, to $60.85.

Fossil Group plunged $3.39, or 14.8 percent, to $19.48. The watch and accessories company gave a profit forecast for 2017 that fell well short of analysts' predictions, and it said it may lose money.

In Europe, the German DAX index rose 0.2 percent, while the French CAC 40 rose 0.6 percent and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 added 0.5 percent. In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 index rose 1 percent, Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 1.2 percent and the Kospi in South Korea gained 0.4 percent.

The dollar ticked up to 114.26 Japanese yen from 114.22 yen late Tuesday. The euro rose to $1.0591 from $1.0572, and the British pound dipped to $1.2445 from $1.2465.

Benchmark U.S. crude fell 9 cents to settle at $53.11 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, fell 22 cents to $55.75 a barrel in London. Natural gas rose 2 cents to $2.93 per 1,000 cubic feet, heating oil fell a fraction of a penny to $1.63 per gallon and wholesale gasoline was virtually flat at $1.55 per gallon.

Gold rose $7.70 to $1,233.10 per ounce, silver rose 7 cents to $17.96 per ounce and copper was virtually flat at $2.74 per pound.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 7.91 points or ▲ 0.04% on Thursday, February 16, 2017
Symbol …........Last …......Change....... ..
Dow_Jones 20,619.77 ▲ 7.91 ▲ 0.04% .
Nasdaq____ 5,814.90 ▼ -4.54 ▼ -0.08% .
S&P_500___ 2,347.22 ▼ -2.03 ▼ -0.09% .
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.05 ▼ -0.04 ▼ -1.29% .

NYSE Volume 3,651,248,750
Nasdaq Volume 1,956,234,120

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change....... ..
FTSE_100 7,277.92 ▼ -24.49 ▼ -0.34% .
DAX_____ 11,757.24 ▼ -36.69 ▼ -0.31% .
CAC_40__ 4,899.46 ▼ -25.40 ▼ -0.52% .

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,863.00 ▲ 3.90 ▲ 0.07% .
Shanghai_Comp 3,229.62 ▲ 16.63 ▲ 0.52% .
Taiwan_Weight 9,771.25 ▼ -28.51 ▼ -0.29% .
Nikkei_225___ 19,347.53 ▼ -90.45 ▼ -0.47% .
Hang_Seng.__ 24,107.70 ▲ 112.83 ▲ 0.47% ..
Strait_Times.__ 3,096.69 ▲ 8.21 ▲ 0.27% .
NZX_50_Index_ 7,099.98 ▼ -80.05 ▼ -1.11% .

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/breath-stocks-slow-down-record-152707829.html

Take a breath: Stocks slow down after a record-setting run

STAN CHOE

NEW YORK (AP) — The Standard & Poor's 500 index dipped Thursday to break a seven-day winning streak, its longest in three and a half years, though it remains a nudge away from its record high.

It was part of a pause for stock markets around the world, which have been on a torrid run thanks to an improving economy, stronger corporate earnings and hopes for more business-friendly policies from Washington. The dollar's value also dipped against rival currencies, and Treasury yields fell as bond prices rose.

The S&P 500 fell 2.03 points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,347.22. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 7.91 points, less than 0.1 percent, to set another record at 20,619.77. The Nasdaq composite dipped 4.54 points, or 0.1 percent, to 5,814.90. Four stocks fell for every three that rose on the New York Stock Exchange.

Analysts said it wasn't surprising to see stocks take a break following their long run higher.

"The market has reacted quite strongly to the Trump reflation trade, deregulation and lower-tax comments over the last couple weeks," said Nate Thooft, senior portfolio manager at Manulife Asset Management. "And on top of that we've had a pretty darn good earnings season. It just needs a little bit of a breather today."

He said he still sees stocks as better investments than bonds.

The day's largest loss within the S&P 500 came from TripAdvisor, which fell $5.78, or 11 percent, to $46.92 after reporting weaker revenue and earnings for its latest quarter than analysts forecast.

Avon Products, a direct seller of cosmetics, also plunged after reporting weaker-than-expected results. The company said the number of sales representatives, who are famous for selling its products door to door, slipped from a year earlier. The stock dropped $1.09, or 18.6 percent, to $4.77.

Most companies, though, have been reporting stronger results for the last three months of 2016 than Wall Street forecast.

Medical-waste company Stericycle jumped to the biggest gain in the S&P 500 after its earnings and revenue for the latest quarter topped analysts' estimates. The stock rose $5.96, or 7.7 percent, to $83.35.

Cisco Systems gained 78 cents, or 2.4 percent, to $33.60, and data-storage company NetApp climbed $1.63, or 4.2 percent, to $40.56 after likewise reporting larger-than-expected profits.

Handbag maker Kate Spade climbed after the company said it is considering options that could include a sale. Its stock, which traded around three-year lows in December, jumped $2.89, or 14.7 percent, to $22.56.

Treasury yields pulled back, giving back some of their increase from prior days. The 10-year Treasury yield fell to 2.45 percent from 2.50 percent late Wednesday. The two-year Treasury yield fell to 1.21 percent from 1.25 percent, and the 30-year yield fell to 3.05 percent from 3.08 percent.

Yields fell even as more encouraging reports on the economy arrived. Homebuilders broke ground on slightly more projects last month than economists expected, though activity was down from the prior month. A measure of manufacturing in the Philadelphia region suggested that growth is improving, and that figure also beat forecasts.

The reports followed two big ones on Wednesday, which showed that rising optimism among shoppers may be translating into increased spending and that inflation is on the rise. Continued signs of gains in the economy and on inflation could push the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates sooner or more quickly than investors had thought.

Stock markets around the world also slowed Thursday. In Europe, the French CAC 40 fell 0.5 percent, the German DAX index fell 0.3 percent and the U.K. FTSE 100 also slipped 0.3 percent. In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 index fell 0.5 percent, the South Korean Kospi dipped 0.1 percent and the Hang Seng in Hong Kong rose 0.5 percent.

Benchmark U.S. crude rose 25 cents to settle at $53.36 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, fell 10 cents to $55.65 a barrel. Natural gas fell 7 cents to $2.85 per 1,000 cubic feet. Heating oil was close to flat at $1.63 per gallon, and wholesale gasoline fell 2 cents to $1.52 per gallon.

Gold rose $8.50 to settle at $1,241.60 per ounce, silver rose 11 cents to $18.07 per ounce and copper fell 2 cents to $2.72 per pound.

The dollar fell to 113.21 yen from 114.26 late Wednesday. The euro rose to $1.0640 from $1.0591, and the British pound rose to $1.2490 from $1.2445.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 4.28 points or ▲ 0.02% on Friday, February 17, 2017
Symbol …........Last …......Change....... ..
Dow_Jones 20,624.05 ▲ 4.28 ▲ 0.02% .
Nasdaq____ 5,838.58 ▲ 23.68 ▲ 0.41% .
S&P_500___ 2,351.16 ▲ 3.94 ▲ 0.17% .
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.03 ▼ -0.02 ▼ -0.66% .

NYSE Volume 3,510,591,000
Nasdaq Volume 1,891,329,120

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change....... ..
FTSE_100 7,299.96 ▲ 22.04 ▲ 0.30% .
DAX_____ 11,757.02 ▼ -0.22 ▲ 0.00% .
CAC_40__ 4,867.58 ▼ -31.88 ▼ -0.65% .

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,851.00 ▼ -12.00 ▼ -0.20% .
Shanghai_Comp 3,202.08 ▼ -27.54 ▼ -0.85% .
Taiwan_Weight 9,759.76 ▼ -11.49 ▼ -0.12% .
Nikkei_225___ 19,234.62 ▼ -112.91 ▼ -0.58% .
Hang_Seng.__ 24,033.74 ▼ -73.96 ▼ -0.31% ..
Strait_Times.__ 3,107.65 ▲ 10.96 ▲ 0.35% .
NZX_50_Index_ 7,093.53 ▼ -6.45 ▼ -0.09% .

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/falling-bank-stocks-nudge-p-500-bit-further-150320607--finance.html

Stocks inch to new records; S&P 500 up 4 straight weeks

STAN CHOE

NEW YORK (AP) — Stock indexes inched ahead to record highs Friday, barely, after a late-afternoon push erased losses from earlier in the day. It caps the fourth straight week of gains for the Standard & Poor's 500 index, its longest such streak since July.

Reports through the week showed that the economy is improving and corporate profits are growing more quickly than analysts expected. The encouraging data, along with hopes for lower taxes and other business-friendly policies from Washington, pushed the S&P 500 to a 1.5 percent rise last week, its best weekly performance since the first week of January.

The S&P 500 rose 3.94 points Friday, or 0.2 percent, to 2,351.16. The Dow Jones industrial average edged up by 4.28 points, less than 0.1 percent, to 20,624.05 and also set a record. The Nasdaq rose 23.68, or 0.4 percent, to 5,838.58, its own all-time high.

Slightly more stocks fell than rose on the New York Stock Exchange.

The last two days have been lackluster for stocks, with the S&P 500 dipping on Thursday, in comparison to the strong run they had been on. That slowdown was more a result of investors looking to cash in some profits than on any fear or need to get out of the market, said JJ Kinahan, chief market strategist at TD Ameritrade.

"People don't want unnecessary risk heading into a three-day weekend," he said. "This is more about taking off risk than about aggressive selling."

U.S. markets will be closed Monday for Presidents Day.

Kinahan pointed to relative calmness in the markets for the VIX index, which measures expectations for upcoming volatility in the S&P 500, and for gold, a traditional landing spot when investors are nervous.

Kraft Heinz surged to the biggest gain in the S&P 500 after it made an offer to buy European consumer goods giant Unilever. Unilever rejected the bid, which offered 18 percent more than where Unilever's shares closed on Thursday, and called it too low.

Kraft Heinz, which is behind the Lunchables and Oscar Mayer brands, jumped $9.37, or 10.7 percent, to $96.65. U.S.-listed shares of Unilever, which sells Breyers ice cream and Dove soap, surged $5.96, or 14 percent, to $48.53.

Campbell Soup had the biggest drop in the S&P 500 after the company surprised analysts by reporting weaker revenue in its latest quarter than a year earlier. Its earnings were better than Wall Street had forecast, however. Shares fell $4.07, or 6.5 percent, to $58.48.

General Mills fell $2.31, or 3.8 percent, to $59.23 after it warned of tougher times ahead. It said weaker-than-expected U.S. sales of yogurt and soup pushed it to cut its sales and profit forecast for its fiscal year, which ends in May.

Treasury yields gave back some of the gains they made earlier in the week. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.42 percent from 2.45 percent late Thursday. The two-year yield dipped to 1.19 percent from 1.21 percent, and the 30-year Treasury yield sank to 3.02 percent from 3.05 percent.

In European stock markets, the French CAC 40 index fell 0.7 percent, Germany's DAX was virtually flat and the U.K. FTSE 100 rose 0.3 percent. In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 index fell 0.6 percent, the Hang Seng in Hong Kong fell 0.3 percent and South Korea's Kospi index slipped 0.1 percent.

The dollar fell to 112.93 Japanese yen from 113.11 yen late Thursday. The euro fell to $1.0607 from $1.0677, and the British pound fell to $1.2416 from $1.2497.

Benchmark U.S. crude oil rose 4 cents to settle at $53.40 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, fell 16 cents to close at $55.81 a barrel. Natural gas fell 2 cents to $2.83 per 1,000 cubic feet, wholesale gasoline fell nearly 1 cent to $1.52 per gallon and heating oil rose a fraction of a penny to $1.64 per gallon.

Gold fell $2.50 to settle at $1,239.10 per ounce, silver fell 4 cents to $18.03 per ounce and copper fell 1 cent to $2.71 per pound.

1834

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

U.S. markets were closed Monday for Presidents Day (George Washington's birthday)

The NYSE DOW closed HIGHER ▲ 4.28 points or ▲ 0.02% on Monday, February 20, 2017
Symbol …........Last …......Change....... ..
Dow_Jones 20,624.05 ▲ 4.28 ▲ 0.02% HOLIDAY
Nasdaq____ 5,838.58 ▲ 23.68 ▲ 0.41% HOLIDAY
S&P_500___ 2,351.16 ▲ 3.94 ▲ 0.17% HOLIDAY
30_Yr_Bond____ 3.03 ▼ -0.02 ▼ -0.66% HOLIDAY

NYSE Volume 3,516,667,750
Nasdaq Volume 2,028,696,500

Europe
Symbol... .....Last ….....Change....... ..
FTSE_100 7,299.86 ▼ -0.10 ▲ 0.00% .
DAX_____ 11,827.62 ▲ 70.60 ▲ 0.60% .
CAC_40__ 4,864.99 ▼ -2.59 ▼ -0.05% .

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... ….......Last .....Change…......
ASX_All_Ord___ 5,840.50 ▼ -10.50 ▼ -0.18% .
Shanghai_Comp 3,239.96 ▲ 37.89 ▲ 1.18% .
Taiwan_Weight 9,753.20 ▼ -26.72 ▼ -0.27% .
Nikkei_225___ 19,251.08 ▲ 16.46 ▲ 0.09% .
Hang_Seng.__ 24,146.08 ▲ 112.34 ▲ 0.47% ..
Strait_Times.__ 3,096.69 ▼ -10.96 ▼ -0.35% .
NZX_50_Index_ 7,099.50 ▲ 5.97 ▲ 0.08% .

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/asian...ings-fed-minutes-week-061039094--finance.html

World stocks mostly rise as US remains shut for holiday

Kelvin Chan, AP Business Writer

HONG KONG (AP) -- Global stocks mostly rose Monday, though Wall Street remained shut for a holiday, as investors awaited key reports this week, including economic data, corporate earnings and minutes from the Federal Reserve's last meeting.

KEEPING SCORE: In Europe, Germany's DAX gained 0.6 percent to 11,827.62 and Britain's FTSE 100 was flat at 7,299.86. France's CAC 40 shed 0.1 percent to 4,864.99. Greek bonds rose after eurozone finance ministers moved a step closer to freeing up more rescue loans for the country.

U.S. markets set record highs on Friday but remained closed for trading on Monday for Presidents' Day.

WEEK AHEAD: Markets await the Federal Reserve's release Wednesday of minutes from its January policy meeting, which might provide new insight in the U.S. central bank's views on interest rates. Last week, Fed chief Janet Yellen indicated the Fed is likely to speed up the pace of its interest rate rises if the job market remains healthy and inflation stays on track. Also due this week: a German business confidence index on Tuesday, U.S. new home sales on Friday and earnings from big companies such as British bank HSBC.

ANALYST VIEW: "The Fed minutes on Wednesday are likely to be the data highlight this week," said Kathleen Brooks, research director at City Index. However, Fed officials are "unlikely to commit to a March rate hike, especially because the Fed has worked its way into a corner where it is now dependent on the Trump administration's fiscal plans before it can change policy."

KRAFT CANCELS: Shares in consumer goods giant Unilever fell 5.2 percent after rival Kraft Heinz said it was dropping its $143 billion offer. The two companies jointly described the decision as amicable. Unilever, which has brands like Lipton, Dove and Hellman's had rejected the bid as too low and its shares had jumped 14 percent on Friday.

ASIA'S DAY: Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index edged up 0.1 percent to close at 19,251.08 and South Korea's Kospi advanced 0.2 percent to end at 2,084.39. Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 0.5 percent to 24,146.08 and the Shanghai Composite Index rose 1.2 percent to 3,239.96. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 shed 0.2 percent to 5,795.10.

ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude oil added 17 cents to $53.57 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, the international standard, rose 29 cents to $56.10 a barrel in London.

CURRENCIES: The dollar rose to 113.11 yen from 112.85 yen on Friday. The euro ticked up to $1.0619 from $1.0615.