NYSE Dow Jones finished today at:

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

Stocks dipped Thursday after a report found that more people applied for unemployment benefits last week.

The Labor Department said first-time applications for unemployment benefits rose 35,000 from the week before to 445,000. It was the highest level since October and above what economists had predicted.

"It was a disappointing number," said Kim Caughey Forrest, an analyst at Fort Pitt Capital.


The NYSE DOW NYSE DOW closed LOWER -23.54 points -0.20% on Thursday January 13
Sym .......Last .......Change..........
Dow 11,731.90 -23.54 -0.20%
Nasdaq 2,735.29 -2.04 -0.07%
S&P 500 1,283.76 -2.20 -0.17%
30-yr Bond 4.4930% -0.0230

NYSE Volume 4,778,817,000 (prior day 4,733,707,500)
Nasdaq Volume 1,934,327,000 (prior day 1,882,021,875)

Europe
Symbol... ......Last .....Change.......
FTSE 100 6,023.88 -26.84 -0.44%
DAX 7,075.11 +6.33 +0.09%
CAC 40 3,974.83 +29.76 +0.75%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... .....Last ....Change.......
ASX All Ord 4,901.50 +69.60 +1.44%
Shanghai Comp 2,827.63 +6.32 +0.22%
Taiwan We... 8,975.58 +10.58 +0.12
Nikkei 225 10,589.76 +76.96 +0.73%
Hang Seng 24,238.98 +113.37 +0.47%
Straits Times 3,255.87 +10.93 +0.34%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Stock...1.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=4&asset=&ccode=

Stocks dip after unemployment applications rise

Stocks dip after government says more people applied for unemployment benefits last week

Chip Cutter and David K. Randall, AP Business Writers, On Thursday January 13, 2011, 4:48 pm

NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks dipped Thursday after a report found that more people applied for unemployment benefits last week.

The Labor Department said first-time applications for unemployment benefits rose 35,000 from the week before to 445,000. It was the highest level since October and above what economists had predicted.

"It was a disappointing number," said Kim Caughey Forrest, an analyst at Fort Pitt Capital.

Merck & Co. fell 6.6 percent to $34.69 after announcing that clinical trials of its cardiovascular drug vorapaxar would be discontinued for some patients. Merck fell the most among the 30 stocks that make up the Dow Jones industrial average. Home Depot Inc., which gained 1.3 percent, led the index.

The Dow fell 23 points, or 0.2 percent, to 11,731.9. The Standard and Poor's 500 lost 2, or 0.2 percent, to 1,283.76. The Nasdaq composite lost 2, or 0.1 percent, to 2,735.29.

Losses were spread across the market. Seven of the 10 company groups that make up the S&P 500 fell. Materials companies had the largest move, falling 0.8 percent.

Whole Foods Market Inc. jumped 4.6 percent to $52.31 after an analyst said that the company's shares would continue to rise because its customers are willing to pay higher costs for food. The company is up nearly 80 percent over the last year.

The Labor Department also reported Thursday that wholesale prices in December rose by the largest amount in nearly a year, as a result of higher energy and food costs. Most other prices rose only slightly, suggesting inflation isn't spreading through the economy.

A decline in the dollar helped limit stock losses. The dollar lost 1.1 percent against an index of six currencies after successful bond auctions by Spain and Italy pushed the euro higher. The dollar's slide helps U.S. companies that rely on exports by making their prices more competitive overseas.

Intel Corp. reported that its income rose 48 percent last quarter, easily beating analyst estimates.

Bond prices rose, pushing their yields lower. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 3.31 percent from 3.35 percent late Wednesday. That yield is used to set interest rates on many kinds of loans including mortgages.

Four shares rose for every three that fell on the New York Stock Exchange. Volume came to 931 million shares.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

This thread is just about to hit 100,000 views!

Dow closes at its highest level since June '08, lifted by JPMorgan Chase and other banks

The Dow gained 1 percent for the week, its seventh week of gains. The last time it had a rising streak that long was in the seven weeks ended April 23, 2010.

The S&P index rose 1.7 percent over the week. The Nasdaq jumped 1.9 percent

JPMorgan Chase & Co. and other banks drove stock indexes higher Friday. The Dow Jones industrial average rose to its highest level in two and a half years.

JPMorgan rose 1 percent after reporting that its income soared 47 percent in the fourth quarter. The bank set aside less money to cover bad loans and said it expected to get permission from the Federal Reserve to raise its dividend.

Wells Fargo & Co., Bank of America Corp. and other large banks also rose on hopes that they too would be able to raise dividends. Banks slashed their dividends during the financial crisis to conserve cash. Investors have been urging banks to raise their dividends now that many of them are making money again.

The Dow Jones industrial average gained 55.48 points, or 0.5 percent, to 11,787.38. It was the highest close for the Dow since June 25, 2008.

The NYSE DOW NYSE DOW closed HIGHER +55.48 points +0.47% on Friday January 14
Sym .......Last .......Change..........
Dow 11,787.38 +55.48 +0.47%
Nasdaq 2,755.30 +20.01 +0.73%
S&P 500 1,293.24 +9.48 +0.74%
30-yr Bond 4.5310% +0.0380

NYSE Volume 5,248,402,500 (prior day 4,778,817,000)
Nasdaq Volume 2,034,477,250 (prior day 1,934,327,000)

Europe
Symbol... ......Last .....Change.......
FTSE 100 6,002.07 -21.81 -0.36%
DAX 7,075.70 +0.59 +0.01%
CAC 40 3,983.28 +8.45 +0.21%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... .....Last ....Change.......
ASX All Ord 4,908.60 +7.10 +0.14%
Shanghai Comp 2,790.68 -37.03 -1.31%
Taiwan We... 8,972.51 -3.07 -0.03%
Nikkei 225 10,499.04 -90.72 -0.86%
Hang Seng 24,283.23 +44.25 +0.18%
Straits Times 3,245.96 -9.91 -0.30%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Banks...ontent/main/1374906367//date/desc/11/s3326903

Stock indexes gain for seventh straight week

Dow closes at its highest level since June '08, lifted by JPMorgan Chase and other banks

Matthew Craft and David K. Randall, AP Business Writers, On Friday January 14, 2011, 6:00 pm

NEW YORK (AP) -- JPMorgan Chase & Co. and other banks drove stock indexes higher Friday. The Dow Jones industrial average rose to its highest level in two and a half years.

JPMorgan rose 1 percent after reporting that its income soared 47 percent in the fourth quarter. The bank set aside less money to cover bad loans and said it expected to get permission from the Federal Reserve to raise its dividend.

Wells Fargo & Co., Bank of America Corp. and other large banks also rose on hopes that they too would be able to raise dividends. Banks slashed their dividends during the financial crisis to conserve cash. Investors have been urging banks to raise their dividends now that many of them are making money again.

The Dow Jones industrial average gained 55.48 points, or 0.5 percent, to 11,787.38. It was the highest close for the Dow since June 25, 2008.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 9.48, or 0.7 percent, to 1,293.24. The Nasdaq rose 20.01, or 0.7 percent, to 2,755.30.

Gains were spread across the market. Consumer staples companies were the only one of the 10 company groups that make up the S&P 500 index to fall. Financial companies gained the most, 1.7 percent.

The Labor Department reported that consumer prices rose 0.5 percent last month, the largest increase since June 2009. However, 80 percent of the increase was due to higher gas prices, meaning that the risk of widespread inflation remains low.

"Prices of oil, corn and wheat are all way up," said Tom di Galoma, head of fixed-income trading at Guggenheim Partners in New York. "But at the end of the day, if the unemployment rate is at 9.4 percent, there's not enough demand to drive inflation higher. People just aren't spending that much."

Without food and energy costs, consumer prices increased only 0.1 percent for the second straight month. This "core" inflation rate has gained just 0.8 percent in the past year.

In a separate report, the Commerce Department said retail sales rose in December for the sixth month in a row, driven by gains in automobile and furniture sales.

Treasury prices fell slightly. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note rose to 3.32 percent from 3.30 percent late Thursday. The yield is used by lenders to set interest rates on mortgages and other loans.

The Dow gained 1 percent for the week, its seventh week of gains. The last time it had a rising streak that long was in the seven weeks ended April 23, 2010.

The S&P index rose 1.7 percent over the week. The Nasdaq jumped 1.9 percent.

Two stocks rose for every one that fell on the New York Stock Exchange. Consolidated volume came to 4.7 billion shares.

9949

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The second trading week of 2011 comes to a close as investors look forward to a three day weekend with American markets closed on Monday in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

The euro currency was under pressure on Monday as European finance ministers disagreed over how to tackle the debt crisis, while stock markets struggled on a light trading day amid worries about Chinese growth.

The euro slipped to $1.3293 as European finance ministers' meetin Brussels. All eyes are on Germany, to see if Europe's largest economy and financier will resist boosting the size of the EU bailout fund.

"Indecision on the matter of the size of the fund will continue to dominate sentiment over the coming days," said Michael Hewson of CMS Markets.

Also weighing on the euro this week will be a confidence vote Tuesday of Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen amid sharp criticism of his handling of Ireland's debt woes, which led to an expensive international rescue effort.

The NYSE DOW NYSE DOW closed Monday in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
Sym .......Last .......Change..........
Dow 11,787.38
Nasdaq 2,755.30
S&P 500 1,293.24
30-yr Bond 4.5310%

NYSE Volume 5,248,402,500
Nasdaq Volume 2,034,477,250

Europe
Symbol... ......Last .....Change.......
FTSE 100 5,985.70 -16.37 -0.27%
DAX 7,078.06 +2.36 +0.03%
CAC 40 3,975.41 -7.87 -0.20%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... .....Last ....Change.......
ASX All Ord 4,872.60 -36.00 -0.73%
Shanghai Comp 2,707.10 -84.24 -3.02%
Taiwan We... 8,925.09 -74.41 -0.83%
Nikkei 225 10,502.86 +3.82 +0.04%
Hang Seng 24,156.97 -126.26 -0.52%
Straits Times 3,238.63 -7.33 -0.23%

http://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/Euro-slips-as-EU-discusses-apf-2708348268.html?x=0

Euro slips as EU discusses bailout strategy

Euro down as EU ministers talk bailout strategy; world stocks struggle on China growth worries

Colleen Barry, AP Business Writer,
On Tuesday 18 January 2011, 4:23 EST

MILAN (AP) -- The euro currency was under pressure on Monday as European finance ministers disagreed over how to tackle the debt crisis, while stock markets struggled on a light trading day amid worries about Chinese growth.

The euro slipped to $1.3293 as European finance ministers' meetin Brussels. All eyes are on Germany, to see if Europe's largest economy and financier will resist boosting the size of the EU bailout fund.

"Indecision on the matter of the size of the fund will continue to dominate sentiment over the coming days," said Michael Hewson of CMS Markets.

Also weighing on the euro this week will be a confidence vote Tuesday of Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen amid sharp criticism of his handling of Ireland's debt woes, which led to an expensive international rescue effort.

China's latest move to curb the flood of money to its economy, putting a lid on growth, continued to weigh on markets. Oil prices slipped to near $91 a barrel amid prospects for weaker demand for crude.

The FTSE 100 closed down 0.31 percent at 5,983.26. Germany's DAX was up 0.03 percent to 7,078.06, while the CAC-40 in Paris dropped 0.2 percent to 3,975.37.

Trading was light, with U.S. markets were closed for the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. Shares in Apple Inc. slid 6.21 percent in Frankfurt after news that CEO Steve Jobs was taking medical leave.

Germany's finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble insisted Monday that bolstering the Euroepan bailout fund so it can actually lend out the advertised euro750 billion ($1 trillion) -- which it currently cannot do due to technical reasons -- is as far as his country will go. Other countries had proposed to double its size.

The ministers will also debate whether to allow the fund to buy government bonds on the market, therefore giving it a more proactive approach to the crisis rather than just funding rescues once countries have no other option.

Although Europe's debt crisis eased somewhat last week with successful bond auctions, many experts still say Portugal will eventually need a bailout and governments are worried that the austerity measures needed to calm bond markets will cost them years of economic growth.

In Asia, the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index lost 3 percent to 2,706.66 and the Shenzhen Composite Index for China's smaller, second exchange sank 4.3 percent to 1,180.39.

"I'm afraid the market will remain bearish, at least for a while, as it seems there is a consensus that the only way to control current serious inflation is to sacrifice growth," said Liu Kan, an analyst at Guoyuan Securities, in Shanghai.

China on Friday ordered state-owned banks to set aside an additional 0.5 percent of deposits as reserves, effective Jan. 20. It was the seventh time in a year that the reserve rate was hiked.

China's central bank uses increases in bank reserves to help reduce the amount of cash circulating in the economy. A frenzy of lending over the past two years has helped China rebound quickly from the global crisis. But, combined with bad weather and rising global commodity prices, it has complicated efforts to cool inflation.

Japan's Nikkei 225 stock average closed up by less than 0.1 percent to 10,502.86. South Korea's Kospi was 0.4 percent lower at 2,099.85. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index slipped 0.5 percent to 24,156.97 and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.8 percent to 4,763.10.

Benchmarks in New Zealand, Singapore and Taiwan also retreated.

Markets also will be watching meetings between Chinese leader Hu Jintao and President Barack Obama in Washington this week for any signs of improvement in often testy U.S.-China relations. But analysts did not expect major breakthroughs.

"The big story this week is the visit by President Hu, and I suspect they will be all smiles and emphasize the need for cooperation -- and then they'll politely resist each other's demands," said David Cohen of Action Economics in Singapore.

The U.S. wants Beijing to move toward faster appreciation of its currency. The Chinese government intervenes in currency markets to hold down the value of the yuan against the dollar -- by as much as 40 percent, according to U.S. manufacturers. That makes Chinese products cheaper for Americans while increasing the price of U.S. goods in China.

But Beijing says relaxing currency controls too abruptly would damage the Chinese financial system, hurt its exporters and cost jobs.

"I don't think the market is holding its breath" expecting China to relent to U.S. pressure on the yuan, Cohen said.

In currencies, the dollar was down against the yen, at 82.68.

On Friday, the Dow Jones industrial average gained 50.5 percent while the broader Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 0.7 percent.

Benchmark oil for February delivery was down 49 cents at $91.05 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 14 cents to settle at $91.54 a barrel on Friday.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

Boeing Co. and Caterpillar Inc. led stocks higher on Tuesday, pushing the Dow Jones industrial average to its highest close since June 2008.

Boeing rose 3.4 percent after reporting that it expects to deliver its long-awaited 787 jet in the third quarter. Caterpillar gained 2.8 percent. The two companies contributed more than half of the Dow's 50 point rise.

Indexes swung between gains and losses earlier in the day. Apple Inc. weighed on the Nasdaq composite index after the company announced that its CEO, Steve Jobs, was taking another medical leave. Apple fell 2.2 percent to $340.65.

Banks dropped after Citigroup Inc. reported earnings that fell short of analysts' forecasts. Citigroup fell 6.4 percent. Bank of America lost 1.6 percent.

The NYSE DOW NYSE DOW closed HIGHER +50.55 +0.43% on Tuesday January 18
Sym .......Last .......Change..........
Dow 11,837.93 +50.55 +0.43%
Nasdaq 2,765.85 +10.55 +0.38%
S&P 500 1,295.02 +1.78 +0.14%
30-yr Bond 4.5610% +0.03

NYSE Volume 5,853,223,500 (prior day 5,248,402,500)
Nasdaq Volume 2,085,852,875 (prior day 2,034,477,250)

Europe
Symbol... ......Last .....Change.......
FTSE 100 6,056.43 +70.73 +1.18%
DAX 7,143.45 +65.39 +0.92%
CAC 40 4,012.68 +37.27 +0.94%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... .....Last ....Change.......
ASX All Ord 4,911.60 +39.00 +0.80%
Shanghai Comp 2,709.17 +2.51 +0.09%
Taiwan We... 8,988.00 +99.36 +1.12%
Nikkei 225 10,518.98 +16.12 +0.15%
Hang Seng 24,153.98 -2.99 -0.01%
Straits Times 3,249.58 +10.95 +0.34%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Stock...7.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=3&asset=&ccode=

Stocks shrug off bad earnings reports, Apple news

Dow notches new high since June 2008; Apple sinks after CEO Jobs takes medical leave

Chip Cutter and Matthew Craft, AP Business Writers, On Tuesday January 18, 2011, 4:44 pm EST

NEW YORK (AP) -- Boeing Co. and Caterpillar Inc. led stocks higher on Tuesday, pushing the Dow Jones industrial average to its highest close since June 2008.

Boeing rose 3.4 percent after reporting that it expects to deliver its long-awaited 787 jet in the third quarter. Caterpillar gained 2.8 percent. The two companies contributed more than half of the Dow's 50 point rise.

Indexes swung between gains and losses earlier in the day. Apple Inc. weighed on the Nasdaq composite index after the company announced that its CEO, Steve Jobs, was taking another medical leave. Apple fell 2.2 percent to $340.65.

Banks dropped after Citigroup Inc. reported earnings that fell short of analysts' forecasts. Citigroup fell 6.4 percent. Bank of America lost 1.6 percent.

Delta dropped 8.2 percent after winter storms caused its earnings to come in lower than investors had expected.

The Dow rose 50.55 points, or 0.4 percent, to close at 11,837.93. The Dow has already gained 2.2 percent this year as optimism builds about the economy. The index rose 11 percent last year, or 14 percent including dividends.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index edged up 1.78, or 0.1 percent, to close at 1,295.02. The Nasdaq rose 10.55, or 0.4 percent, to 2,765.85.

European markets rose after Greece raised $865 million in another successful bond auction. That allayed concerns about Europe's financial system, which have been a drag on U.S. markets.

Bond prices fell, pushing their yields higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 3.37 percent from 3.32 percent late Friday. U.S. markets were closed Monday for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

Rising stocks outpaced falling ones by a small margin on the New York Stock Exchange. Volume was 1.2 billion shares.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

Stocks suffered their largest one-day decline since November after financial companies reported steep drops in profits Wednesday.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. said its earnings fell 53 percent in the last quarter because of a slowdown in its trading and investment banking businesses. Northern Trust and State Street also reported lower profits.

Goldman Sachs, Bank of America Corp., JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Visa Inc. each fell by more than 2 percent.

The NYSE DOW NYSE DOW closed LOWER -12.64 -0.11% on Wednesday January 19
Sym .......Last .......Change..........
Dow 11,825.29 -12.64 -0.11%
Nasdaq 2,725.36 -40.49 -1.46%
S&P 500 1,281.92 -13.10 -1.01%
30-yr Bond 4.5260% -0.0350

NYSE Volume 5,337,242,500 (prior day 5,853,223,500)
Nasdaq Volume 2,191,839,500 (prior day 2,085,852,875)

Europe
Symbol... ......Last .....Change.......
FTSE 100 5,976.70 -79.73 -1.32%
DAX 7,082.76 -60.69 -0.85%
CAC 40 3,976.71 -35.97 -0.90%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... .....Last ....Change.......
ASX All Ord 4,944.20 +32.60 +0.66%
Shanghai Comp 2,759.26 +50.28 +1.86%
Taiwan We... 9,086.02 +63.87 +0.71%
Nikkei 225 10,557.10 +38.12 +0.36%
Hang Seng 24,419.62 +265.64 +1.10%
Straits Times 3,241.96 -7.62 -0.23%

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110119/ap_on_bi_st_ma_re/us_wall_street

Financial stocks pull market lower

Banks lead stock market lower after Goldman earnings tumble; IBM jumps after profit rises

Chip Cutter and David K. Randall, AP Business Writers, On Wednesday January 19, 2011, 4:54 pm

NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks suffered their largest one-day decline since November after financial companies reported steep drops in profits Wednesday.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. said its earnings fell 53 percent in the last quarter because of a slowdown in its trading and investment banking businesses. Northern Trust and State Street also reported lower profits.

Goldman Sachs, Bank of America Corp., JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Visa Inc. each fell by more than 2 percent.

"Banks are under pressure right now because they are not making money in places where you'd expect to see trading gains," said Quincy Krosby, a market strategist at Prudential Financial. Financial companies had rallied by more than 5 percent over the last month.

The Standard and Poor's 500 fell 13.1, or 1 percent, to 1,281.92. It was the biggest percentage drop in the benchmark index since Nov. 23. The Nasdaq composite fell 40.49, or 1.5 percent, to 2,725.36.

The Dow Jones industrial average of large companies held up better, partly due to a large gain in one of its 30 components, IBM Corp. IBM jumped $5.04 to $155.69 after reporting a big jump in earnings.

The Dow lost 12.64 points, or 0.1 percent, to 11,825.29.

Small companies fell the most. The Russell 2000 slumped 2.6 percent, its worst percentage loss since Aug. 19, 2010.

Losses were spread across the market. Each of the 10 company groups that make up the S&P 500 index lost ground.

American Express Co. fell 2.4 percent after the company said it would close a service center in North Carolina and cut 550 jobs.

Bond prices rose, sending their yields slightly lower. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 3.34 percent from 3.37 percent late Tuesday.

Four stocks fell for every one that rose on the New York Stock Exchange. Volume came to 1.1 billion shares

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

Concerns that China will take steps to slow its economic expansion sent commodities and materials stocks lower Thursday.

China reported that its economy expanded 10.3 percent in 2010. Economists expect that China's central bank will increase interest rates to slow down growth and keep inflation in check.

Demand from China has sent commodities prices surging over the past year.

"All investors and companies these days are clinging to this Chinese demand story," said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at Harris Private Bank. "And anything that could cause that to falter could have ugly implications."

The NYSE DOW NYSE DOW closed LOWER -2.49 lower -0.02% on Thursday January 20
Sym .......Last .......Change..........
Dow 11,822.80 -2.49 -0.02%
Nasdaq 2,704.29 -21.07 -0.77%
S&P 500 1,280.26 -1.66 -0.13%
30-yr Bond 4.6220% +0.0960

NYSE Volume 5,614,518,500 (prior day 5,337,242,500)
Nasdaq Volume 2,338,267,250 (prior day 2,191,839,500)

Europe
Symbol... ......Last .....Change.......
FTSE 100 5,867.91 -108.79 -1.82%
DAX 7,024.27 -58.49 -0.83%
CAC 40 3,964.84 -11.87 -0.30%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... .....Last ....Change.......
ASX All Ord 4,892.00 -52.20 -1.06%
Shanghai Comp 2,678.45 -79.64 -2.89%
Taiwan We... 9,022.17 -38.78 -0.43%
Nikkei 225 10,437.31 -119.79 -1.13%
Hang Seng 24,003.70 -415.92 -1.70%
Straits Times 3,205.48 -36.48 -1.13%

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110120/ap_on_bi_st_ma_re/us_wall_street

Materials stocks fall on fear of Chinese rate hike

By MATTHEW CRAFT and DAVID K. RANDALL, AP Business Writers

NEW YORK – Concerns that China will take steps to slow its economic expansion sent commodities and materials stocks lower Thursday.

China reported that its economy expanded 10.3 percent in 2010. Economists expect that China's central bank will increase interest rates to slow down growth and keep inflation in check.

Demand from China has sent commodities prices surging over the past year.

"All investors and companies these days are clinging to this Chinese demand story," said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at Harris Private Bank. "And anything that could cause that to falter could have ugly implications."

Oil and copper fell more than 2 percent. Silver fell 5 percent.

Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. dropped 4 percent even after the mining giant reported 60 percent higher income in the fourth quarter as a result of higher copper and gold prices. DuPont fell 1.6 percent and Dow Chemical Co. fell 2.5 percent.

The decline in commodities was tempered by slightly better news on the U.S. job market. The Labor Department reported that the number of people filing claims for unemployment benefits for the first time fell to 404,000 last week, below forecasts.

The better economic news pushed bond prices lower. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 3.43 percent from 3.34 percent late Wednesday. Yields and prices move in opposite directions.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 2.49 points, or less than 0.1 percent, to 11,822.8.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 1.66, or 0.1 percent, to 1,280.26. The technology-focused Nasdaq composite index fell 21.07, or 0.8 percent, to 2,704.29.

Materials stocks lost 1.5 percent, the most out of the 10 company groups that make up the S&P 500. Utility companies rose the most, 0.6 percent.

Morgan Stanley rose 5 percent to $29.02 after reporting that its fourth-quarter income jumped 60 percent thanks to strong investment banking revenues.

Wendy's/Arby's Group Inc. jumped 6.9 percent to $4.78 after the company said it is considering selling its struggling Arby's business and concentrating on its hamburger chain.

Two stocks fell for every one that rose on the New York Stock Exchange. Volume came to 1.2 billion shares.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

Strong profits at General Electric sent industrial stocks higher Friday.

General Electric Co. gained 7.1 percent, leading the 30 stocks that make up the Dow Jones industrial average. The conglomerate's earnings rose 52 percent on growth in equipment orders and lending.

The company's results helped send industrial companies in the Standard and Poor's 500 index up 1.2 percent. 3M Co., another industrial conglomerate, gained 1.4 percent and Textron Inc. rose 2.2 percent.

The Dow rose 49.04 points, or 0.4 percent, to close at 11,871.84.


The NYSE DOW NYSE DOW closed HIGHER +49.04 points +0.41% on Friday January 21
Sym .......Last .......Change..........
Dow 11,871.84 +49.04 +0.41%
Nasdaq 2,689.54 -14.75 -0.55%
S&P 500 1,283.35 +3.09 +0.24%
30-yr Bond 4.5740% -0.0480

NYSE Volume 5,290,853,500 (prior day 5,614,518,500)
Nasdaq Volume 1,942,311,750 (prior day 2,338,267,250)

Europe
Symbol... ......Last .....Change.......
FTSE 100 5,896.25 +28.34 +0.48%
DAX 7,062.42 +38.15 +0.54%
CAC 40 4,017.45 +52.61 +1.33%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... .....Last ....Change.......
ASX All Ord 4,860.90 -31.10 -0.64%
Shanghai Comp 2,715.95 +38.29 +1.43%
Taiwan We... 8,954.38 +26.31 +0.29%
Nikkei 225 10,274.52 -162.79 -1.56%
Hang Seng 23,876.86 -126.84 -0.53%
Straits Times 3,184.60 -20.88 -0.65%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Stocks-poised-to-rise-on-apf-2892406551.html?x=0

Strong earnings at GE help send stocks higher

Stocks edge up as General Electric and others report strong earnings; tech drops

Matthew Craft and David K. Randall, AP Business Writers, On Friday January 21, 2011, 4:34 pm EST

NEW YORK (AP) -- Strong profits at General Electric sent industrial stocks higher Friday.

General Electric Co. gained 7.1 percent, leading the 30 stocks that make up the Dow Jones industrial average. The conglomerate's earnings rose 52 percent on growth in equipment orders and lending.

The company's results helped send industrial companies in the Standard and Poor's 500 index up 1.2 percent. 3M Co., another industrial conglomerate, gained 1.4 percent and Textron Inc. rose 2.2 percent.

The Dow rose 49.04 points, or 0.4 percent, to close at 11,871.84.

Bank of America Corp. lost 2 percent, making it the weakest Dow stock. The country's largest bank reported a $1.6 billion loss in the fourth quarter after setting aside more money to buy back faulty home loans from investors.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index gained 3.09 points, or 0.2 percent, to 1,283.35.

Technology companies in the S&P 500 fell 0.3 percent, the worst of any of the 10 company groups that make up the index. Apple Inc. lost 1.8 percent and Microsoft Corp. fell 1.2 percent.

The technology-focused Nasdaq composite index slid 14.75 points, or 0.5 percent, to 2,698.54.

Chip maker Advanced Micro Devices Inc. sank 6 percent. AMD's fourth-quarter profit shrank compared with a year ago, when a big legal settlement it won from archrival chip maker Intel Corp. lifted its earnings.

Google reported a 29 percent rise in income after the market closed Thursday. The Internet search giant said that co-founder Larry Page will take over as chief executive, replacing Eric Schmidt. Google's stock fell 2.4 percent.

Bond prices rose slightly, sending their yields down to 3.41 percent from 3.43 percent late Thursday.

Rising and falling shares were about even on the New York Stock Exchange. Volume came to 1.3 billion shares.

0697

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The Dow Jones industrial average closed within 20 points of 12,000 Monday, its highest point since June 2008.

Technology stocks rose after Intel Corp. increased its dividend and said it would buy back more of its stock. The company gained 2 percent.

Materials companies rose after a report from the National Association for Business Economics showed that economists are more positive about economic growth and the job market than at any time since the start of the Great Recession in December 2007.

The NYSE DOW NYSE DOW closed HIGHER +108.68 points +0.92% on Monday January 24
Sym .......Last .......Change..........
Dow 11,980.52 +108.68 +0.92%
Nasdaq 2,717.55 +28.01 +1.04%
S&P 500 1,290.84 +7.49 +0.58%
30-yr Bond 4.5580% -0.0160

NYSE Volume 4,400,826,000 (prior day 5,290,853,500)
Nasdaq Volume 1,890,588,750 (prior day 1,942,311,750)

Europe
Symbol... ......Last .....Change.......
FTSE 100 5,943.85 +47.60 +0.81%
DAX 7,067.77 +5.35 +0.08%
CAC 40 4,033.21 +15.76 +0.39%


Asia Pacific
Symbol...... .....Last ....Change.......
ASX All Ord 4,888.10 +27.20 +0.56%
Shanghai Comp 2,696.72 -18.58 -0.68%
Taiwan We... 8,947.79 -23.68 -0.26%
Nikkei 225 10,345.11 +70.59 +0.69%
Hang Seng 23,801.78 -75.08 -0.31%
Straits Times 3,185.76 +1.16 +0.04%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Dow-average-nears-12000-as-apf-2247798565.html?x=0

Dow average nears 12,000 as tech stocks climb

Dow nears 12,000 for first time since June 2008 as tech stocks climb; Intel raises dividend

Chip Cutter and David K. Randall, AP Business Writers, On Monday January 24, 2011, 4:45 pm

NEW YORK (AP) -- The Dow Jones industrial average closed within 20 points of 12,000 Monday, its highest point since June 2008.

Technology stocks rose after Intel Corp. increased its dividend and said it would buy back more of its stock. The company gained 2 percent.

Materials companies rose after a report from the National Association for Business Economics showed that economists are more positive about economic growth and the job market than at any time since the start of the Great Recession in December 2007.

Vulcan Materials Co., Alcoa Inc. and Sealed Air Corp. each gained more than 3 percent. Alcoa, which jumped 4.1 percent, was the top-performing stock among the 30 that make up the Dow Jones industrial average.

The Dow gained 108.68 points, or 0.9 percent, to 11,980.52. The last time the average closed above 12,000 was June 19, 2008.

The broader Standard and Poor's 500 index rose 7.49, or 0.6 percent, to 1,290.84. The Nasdaq composite gained 28.01, or 1 percent, to 2,717.55.

Gains were spread across the market. Financial and health care companies were the only two of the 10 company groups that make up the S&P index to fall.

McDonald's Corp. gained 0.5 percent to $75.38 after it said it meet analyst expectations and warned that rising food costs could affect its margins this year.

J.C. Penny Co. jumped 7 percent to $32.52 after the retailer said it would close some stores and its catalog business to reduce costs.

Three stocks rose for every one that fell on the New York Stock Exchange. Volume came to 961 million shares.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

Stock indexes finished about where they started Tuesday after a round of disappointing corporate earnings and another drop in home prices. Trading was muted ahead of President Obama's State of the Union speech, in which he was expected to outline a plan to reduce the deficit.

Four of the 30 companies in the Dow Jones industrial average reported results before the market opened: DuPont, 3M Co., Verizon Communications Inc. and Johnson & Johnson.

3M lost 2 percent after the manufacturing company's income fell because of higher costs. Johnson & Johnson lost 1.8 percent after reporting a 12 percent drop in income. The maker of Tylenol and other drugs was hammered by costly recalls of its products

The NYSE DOW NYSE DOW closed LOWER -3.33 points -0.03% on Tuesday January 25
Sym .......Last .......Change..........
Dow 11,977.19 -3.33 -0.03%
Nasdaq 2,719.25 +1.70 +0.06%
S&P 500 1,291.18 +0.34 +0.03%
30-yr Bond 4.4700% -0.0880

NYSE Volume 5,189,355,000 (prior day 4,400,826,000)
Nasdaq Volume 1,956,042,375 (prior day 1,890,588,750)

Europe
Symbol... ......Last .....Change.......
FTSE 100 5,917.71 -26.14 -0.44%
DAX 7,059.01 -8.76 -0.12%
CAC 40 4,019.62 -13.59 -0.34%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... .....Last ....Change.......
ASX All Ord 4,909.00 +20.90 +0.43%
Shanghai Comp 2,677.43 -18.29 -0.68%
Taiwan We... 8,991.39 -20.31 -0.23%
Nikkei 225 10,464.42 +119.31 +1.15%
Hang Seng 23,788.83 -12.95 -0.05%
Straits Times 3,181.15 -4.61 -0.14%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Stocks-flat-as-earnings-from-apf-2934817071.html?x=0

Stocks flat as earnings from blue chips disappoint

Stocks mixed after Johnson & Johnson, 3M report disappointing earnings; home prices fall

Matthew Craft and David K. Randall, AP Business Writers, On Tuesday January 25, 2011, 5:36 pm

NEW YORK (AP) -- Stock indexes finished about where they started Tuesday after a round of disappointing corporate earnings and another drop in home prices. Trading was muted ahead of President Obama's State of the Union speech, in which he was expected to outline a plan to reduce the deficit.

Four of the 30 companies in the Dow Jones industrial average reported results before the market opened: DuPont, 3M Co., Verizon Communications Inc. and Johnson & Johnson.

3M lost 2 percent after the manufacturing company's income fell because of higher costs. Johnson & Johnson lost 1.8 percent after reporting a 12 percent drop in income. The maker of Tylenol and other drugs was hammered by costly recalls of its products.

DuPont's income fell but still beat expectations. Its stock rose 0.3 percent. Verizon's stock gained 1.6 percent after the phone company's profits surged.

Another Dow member, American Express Co., fell 2.2 percent after reporting earnings late Monday that came in below analysts' expectations.

The Dow lost 3.33 points, or less than 0.1 percent, to 11,977.19. It had been down as many as 82 points earlier.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index inched up 0.34, or less than 0.1 percent, to 1,291.18.

The Nasdaq composite index gained 1.7 points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,719.25.

Doug Roberts, chief investment strategist for Channel Capital Research.com, said investors were looking ahead to President Barack Obama's State of the Union speech Tuesday night and a Federal Reserve meeting that concludes Wednesday. The Fed's $600 billion bond-buying plan, launched in November, was partially aimed at boosting stock prices. The S&P 500 has gained 8.9 percent in the last three months.

"As long as the Fed keeps pumping money into the economy," Roberts said, "stocks will probably keep going up."

Prices fell in 19 out of the 20 cities tracked by the Standard and Poor's / Case-Shiller home price index in November.

Treasury prices rose ahead of the President's State of the Union speech as traders hoped for news on spending curbs. That would ease worries in the bond market that the U.S. might soon run up against its borrowing limit.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 3.34 percent from 3.39 percent late Monday. Bond yields move in the opposite direction of their prices.

Three stocks rose for every two that fell on the New York Stock Exchange. Consolidated volume came to 4.6 billion shares.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The Dow Jones industrial average broke through 12,000 for the first time in two and a half years Wednesday but slipped lower in afternoon trading. The index of 30 prominent U.S. companies finished with a modest gain.

Weak profit forecasts from Boeing Co. and Xerox Corp. weighed on the market. Boeing fell 3 percent after saying its 2011 profits would be hurt by production delays. Xerox fell 8 percent after saying its profit margins were not increasing.

The Dow gained 8.25 points, or 0.1 percent, to close at 11,985.4. The last time the Dow closed above 12,000 was June 19, 2008.

The Standard and Poor's 500 index rose 5.45, or 0.4 percent, to 1,296.63. The Nasdaq composite index jumped 20.25, or 0.7 percent, to 2,739.50.

The NYSE DOW NYSE DOW closed HIGHER +8.25 points +0.07% on Wednesday January 26
Sym .......Last .......Change..........
Dow 11,985.44 +8.25 +0.07%
Nasdaq 2,739.50 +20.25 +0.74%
S&P 500 1,296.63 +5.45 +0.42%
30-yr Bond 4.5980% +0.1280

NYSE Volume 4,816,892,000 (prior day 5,189,355,000)
Nasdaq Volume 2,056,477,625 (prior day 1,956,042,375)

Europe
Symbol... ......Last .....Change.......
FTSE 100 5,977.63 +59.92 +1.01%
DAX 7,127.35 +68.34 +0.97%
CAC 40 4,049.07 +29.45 +0.73%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... .....Last ....Change.......
ASX All Ord 4,909.00 closed for Australia day holiday
Shanghai Comp 2,708.74 +31.31 +1.17%
Taiwan We... 9,055.59 +64.20 +0.71%
Nikkei 225 10,401.90 -62.52 -0.60%
Hang Seng 23,843.24 +54.41 +0.23%
Straits Times 3,220.78 +39.63 +1.25%

http://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/Dow-Jones-average-falls-after-apf-2389758825.html?x=0

Dow Jones average falls after hitting 12,000

Dow slips after rising above 12,000 for the first time since June 2008

Chip Cutter and David K. Randall, AP Business Writers, On Thursday 27 January 2011, 5:49

NEW YORK (AP) -- The Dow Jones industrial average broke through 12,000 for the first time in two and a half years Wednesday but slipped lower in afternoon trading. The index of 30 prominent U.S. companies finished with a modest gain.

Weak profit forecasts from Boeing Co. and Xerox Corp. weighed on the market. Boeing fell 3 percent after saying its 2011 profits would be hurt by production delays. Xerox fell 8 percent after saying its profit margins were not increasing.

The Dow gained 8.25 points, or 0.1 percent, to close at 11,985.4. The last time the Dow closed above 12,000 was June 19, 2008.

The Standard and Poor's 500 index rose 5.45, or 0.4 percent, to 1,296.63. The Nasdaq composite index jumped 20.25, or 0.7 percent, to 2,739.50.

Energy and materials companies gained more than 2 percent, the most among the 10 company groups that make up the S&P 500 index.

Investors were pleased with President Barack Obama's calls for lower tax rates on businesses during the State of the Union address late Tuesday, said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at Harris Private Bank.

"If he can take steps to simplify the tax codes, be it for individuals or corporations, I think it would be a lot easier to do business," Ablin said.

The Federal Reserve said Wednesday afternoon that it was not making any changes to its $600 billion bond-buying program. The plan is meant to encourage borrowing by keeping interest rates low.

The Commerce Department said new home purchases rose 17.5 percent in December compared with November. Despite the strong one-month jump, new home sales for all of 2010 fell to the lowest level on records going back 47 years.

Eastman Kodak Co. fell 18 percent. The company's income fell 95 percent on weaker revenue from its camera business and lower royalties from digital imaging.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 3.41 percent from 3.34 percent.

Two stocks rose for every one that fell on the New York Stock Exchange. Volume came to 1.2 billion shares

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

A surprise jump in applications for unemployment benefits and mixed earnings from large U.S. companies kept stocks on a short leash Thursday. Indexes ended slightly higher, with the Standard & Poor's 500 closing a half point below 1,300.

The Dow Jones industrial average traded above 12,000 for most of the day but failed to close above that level for the second day in a row. The Dow hasn't closed above 12,000 since June 19, 2008, just as the financial crisis was worsening.

Procter & Gamble Co., the maker of consumer products like Tide detergent, fell 2.9 percent, the largest drop among the 30 companies that make up the Dow Jones average. P&G said rising commodity prices are pinching its profits.

The NYSE DOW NYSE DOW closed HIGHER +4.39 points +0.04% on Thursday January 27
Sym .......Last .......Change..........
Dow 11,989.83 +4.39 +0.04%
Nasdaq 2,755.28 +15.78 +0.58%
S&P 500 1,299.54 +2.91 +0.22%
30-yr Bond 4.5590% -0.0390

NYSE Volume 4,803,934,500 (prior day 4,816,892,000)
Nasdaq Volume 2,044,080,125 (prior day 2,056,477,625)

Europe
Symbol... ......Last .....Change.......
FTSE 100 5,965.08 -4.13 -0.07%
DAX 7,155.58 +28.23 +0.40%
CAC 40 4,059.57 +10.50 +0.26%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... .....Last ....Change.......
ASX All Ord 4,907.00 -2.00 -0.04%
Shanghai Comp 2,748.69 +39.88 +1.47%
Taiwan We... 9,102.33 +46.74 +0.52%
Nikkei 225 10,478.66 +76.76 +0.74%
Hang Seng 23,779.62 -63.62 -0.27%
Straits Times 3,219.83 -0.95 -0.03%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Stock...1.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=2&asset=&ccode=

Stocks edge higher after mixed earnings reports

Stock indexes rise slightly after large companies report earnings; S&P 500 nears 1,300

David K. Randall and Matthew Craft, AP Business Writers, On Thursday January 27, 2011, 4:51 pm

NEW YORK (AP) -- A surprise jump in applications for unemployment benefits and mixed earnings from large U.S. companies kept stocks on a short leash Thursday. Indexes ended slightly higher, with the Standard & Poor's 500 closing a half point below 1,300.

The Dow Jones industrial average traded above 12,000 for most of the day but failed to close above that level for the second day in a row. The Dow hasn't closed above 12,000 since June 19, 2008, just as the financial crisis was worsening.

Procter & Gamble Co., the maker of consumer products like Tide detergent, fell 2.9 percent, the largest drop among the 30 companies that make up the Dow Jones average. P&G said rising commodity prices are pinching its profits.

AT&T Inc. fell 2 percent after saying that new wireless contracts fell to the lowest level in more than five years. Caterpillar Inc. rose 0.9 percent after its fourth-quarter profit quadrupled on strong global demand for mining and construction equipment.

The S&P 500 rose 2.91 points, or 0.2 percent, to close at 1,299.54. The last time the index closed above 1,300 was Aug. 28, 2008.

The Dow inched up 4.39 points, or 0.1 percent, to close at 11,989.83. The index broke through 12,000 Wednesday for the first time since June 2008 but slipped in the late afternoon.

The Nasdaq composite index gained 15.78, or 0.6 percent, to 2,755.28.

First-time applications for unemployment rose to 454,000 last week, the highest level since late October. Economists had expected the number to rise to 407,000. Snowstorms in some parts of the country forced companies to lay off workers, economists said.

A government-appointed panel said Thursday that the financial crisis could have been avoided if Wall Street executives and government officials had properly managed risks. The panel said that the Bush and Clinton administrations, the Federal Reserve and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner share responsibility for allowing the crisis to happen. The panel's conclusions had been leaked ahead of its formal report and were widely expected on Wall Street.

Netflix Inc. jumped 15 percent to $210. Netflix reported that its subscriber base rose above 20 million customers, after the market closed Wednesday. The stock has quadrupled over the last 12 months.

Rising stocks narrowly outpaced falling ones on the New York Stock Exchange. Volume was relatively thin at 992 million shares.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The Dow fell 166.13 points, or 1.4 percent, to close at 11,823.70. The Dow lost 0.4 percent for the week after eight straight weeks of gains.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 23.20, or 1.8 percent, to 1,276.34. All 10 company groups within the S&P index fell. The S&P fell 0.5 percent for the week.

Escalating protests in Egypt jarred world financial markets on Friday. Stocks fell while the dollar, Treasurys and gold rose as investors sought to reduce their exposure to risk.

The Egyptian government's response to widespread street protests unnerved investors. The military was deployed in an effort to quell the protests and the headquarters of the ruling party was on fire. Thousands of people defied a curfew, and Internet and cell phone service has been cut off.

Earlier, riot police fired tear gas, rubber bullets and used water cannons to disperse crowds that had gathered in the largest challenge to Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak's thirty-year rule. The fall of the Tunisian government two weeks ago has raised concerns that other authoritarian governments in the Middle East could also be toppled.


The NYSE DOW NYSE DOW closed LOWER -166.13 points -1.39%
on Friday January 28
Sym .......Last .......Change..........
Dow 11,823.70 -166.13 -1.39%
Nasdaq 2,686.89 -68.39 -2.48%
S&P 500 1,276.34 -23.20 -1.79%
30-yr Bond 4.5250% -0.0340

NYSE Volume 6,390,562,500 (prior day 4,803,934,500)
Nasdaq Volume 2,044,080,125 (prior day 2,414,611,250)

Europe
Symbol... ......Last .....Change.......
FTSE 100 5,881.37 -83.71 -1.40%
DAX 7,102.80 -52.78 -0.74%
CAC 40 4,002.32 -57.25 -1.41%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... .....Last ....Change.......
ASX All Ord 4,872.50 -34.50 -0.70%
Shanghai Comp 2,752.95 +3.80 +0.14%
Taiwan We... 9,145.35 +43.02 +0.47%
Nikkei 225 10,360.34 -118.32 -1.13%
Hang Seng 23,617.02 -162.60 -0.68%
Straits Times 3,229.69 +9.86 +0.31%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/World-markets-sink-as-apf-1661945757.html?x=0

World markets sink as protests escalate in Egypt

Worsening unrest in Egypt sends stocks lower; Treasurys and dollar rise

David K. Randall and Matthew Craft, AP Business Writers, On Friday January 28, 2011, 5:04 pm EST

NEW YORK (AP) -- Escalating protests in Egypt jarred world financial markets on Friday. Stocks fell while the dollar, Treasurys and gold rose as investors sought to reduce their exposure to risk.

The Egyptian government's response to widespread street protests unnerved investors. The military was deployed in an effort to quell the protests and the headquarters of the ruling party was on fire. Thousands of people defied a curfew, and Internet and cell phone service has been cut off.

Earlier, riot police fired tear gas, rubber bullets and used water cannons to disperse crowds that had gathered in the largest challenge to Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak's thirty-year rule. The fall of the Tunisian government two weeks ago has raised concerns that other authoritarian governments in the Middle East could also be toppled.

"The safety trade is back," said Jeffrey Frankel, president of broker Stuart Frankel & Co. "Gold is up. Oil is up. Anything related to overseas is getting hit."

Prices of Treasury bonds, considered one of the safest assets, rose sharply. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note fell to 3.33 percent from 3.38 percent late Thursday. Bond yields fall when their prices rise.

The dollar rose 0.5 percent against an index of six other currencies as investors sought safety. Gold rose 1.7 percent to settle at $1,340.70 and crude oil rose 4.3 percent to $89.34 a barrel.

The Egyptian stock market isn't open on Fridays. The market's main index fell 10.5 percent Thursday.

The MSCI World Market index, the broadest measure of the world's stock markets, slumped 1.4 percent.

"Traders are watching this flare-up in the Middle East and using it as a reason to take profits," said Doug Godine, managing director at Signal Hill, an investment bank.

Of the 30 large company stocks that make up the Dow Jones industrial average, 28 fell. The two exceptions, Procter & Gamble and DuPont, were flat.

The Dow fell 166.13 points, or 1.4 percent, to close at 11,823.70. The Dow lost 0.4 percent for the week after eight straight weeks of gains.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 23.20, or 1.8 percent, to 1,276.34. All 10 company groups within the S&P index fell. The S&P fell 0.5 percent for the week.

The Nasdaq composite fell 68.39, or 2.5 percent, to 2,686.89. The index was not updated nearly an hour after the market opened due to technical problems. The Nasdaq lost 0.1 percent for the week.

Five stocks fell for every one that rose on the New York Stock Exchange. Volume was high at 1.35 billion shares.

Disappointing earnings reports also rattled investors, said Brian Wenzinger, a portfolio manager at Aronson Johnson Ortiz in Philadelphia. "Some companies like Apple are doing well, but the bulk are not being too optimistic," Wenzinger said.

Ford Motor Co sank 13 percent after its earnings fell short of Wall Street's projections. Amazon.com Inc. fell 7 percent after reporting that higher costs cut down its profit margins. Microsoft Corp. lost 4 percent after it said that the profitability of its Windows division was falling.

A lower than expected report on the U.S. economy helped lead to a market sell-off as well. The Commerce Department reported that U.S. gross domestic product grew at an annual rate of 3.2 percent between October and December. That was below the 3.5 percent that analysts had forecast.

Sara Lee Corp. fell 2.7 percent after announcing a plan to split into two companies. One, a food and retail business, will keep the Sara Lee name and also operate the Jimmy Dean and Hillshire Farms businesses. The other, which has yet to be named, will hold the current company's beverages and baked goods lines. The company had considered selling the whole business but was unable to get a satisfactory price for it.

01249

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

Energy stocks led indexes higher Monday, the first day of trading since the growing unrest in Egypt caused the largest one-day drop in the broad stock market in more than three months.

Exxon Mobil Corp. gained 2.1 percent after it reported its most profitable quarter since 2008. Massey Energy Co. jumped 9.8 percent after Alpha Natural Resources Inc. said that it would buy the coal producer in a $7.1 billion deal. Alpha Natural Resources fell 7.2 percent.

The Massey deal suggests "maybe coal isn't dead," said Kim Caughey Forrest, equity research analyst at Fort Pitt Capital Group. It also raises hopes for similar deals in the future, she said.

Concerns remained over Egypt's impact on oil prices. The country is not a major producer of oil, but it plays a key role in the industry because it controls the Suez Canal, a major route for oil tankers and cargo ships. Crude oil prices rose 3 percent to $92.19 a barrel.



The NYSE DOW NYSE DOW closed HIGHER +68.23 points +0.58% on Monday January 31
Sym .......Last .......Change..........
Dow 11,891.93 +68.23 +0.58%
Nasdaq 2,700.08 +13.19 +0.49%
S&P 500 1,286.12 +9.78 +0.77%
30-yr Bond 4.5710% +0.0460

NYSE Volume 4,909,286,000 (prior day 6,390,562,500)
Nasdaq Volume 1,991,442,875 (prior day 2,044,080,125)

Europe
Symbol... ......Last .....Change.......
FTSE 100 5,862.94 -18.43 -0.31%
DAX 7,077.48 -25.32 -0.36%
CAC 40 4,005.50 +3.18 +0.08%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... .....Last ....Change.......
ASX All Ord 4,850.00 -22.50 -0.46%
Shanghai Comp 2,789.82 +37.07 +1.35%
Taiwan We... 9,145.35 +43.02 +0.47%
Nikkei 225 10,237.92 -122.42 -1.18%
Hang Seng 23,447.34 -169.68 -0.72%
Straits Times 3,179.72 -49.97 -1.55%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Energ...3.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=1&asset=&ccode=

Energy stocks push indexes higher

Energy stocks push stocks higher after Massey deal, Exxon earnings; oil prices jump

Chip Cutter and David K. Randall, AP Business Writers, On Monday January 31, 2011, 4:47 pm

NEW YORK (AP) -- Energy stocks led indexes higher Monday, the first day of trading since the growing unrest in Egypt caused the largest one-day drop in the broad stock market in more than three months.

Exxon Mobil Corp. gained 2.1 percent after it reported its most profitable quarter since 2008. Massey Energy Co. jumped 9.8 percent after Alpha Natural Resources Inc. said that it would buy the coal producer in a $7.1 billion deal. Alpha Natural Resources fell 7.2 percent.

The Massey deal suggests "maybe coal isn't dead," said Kim Caughey Forrest, equity research analyst at Fort Pitt Capital Group. It also raises hopes for similar deals in the future, she said.

Concerns remained over Egypt's impact on oil prices. The country is not a major producer of oil, but it plays a key role in the industry because it controls the Suez Canal, a major route for oil tankers and cargo ships. Crude oil prices rose 3 percent to $92.19 a barrel.

"The market wants to work its way higher," said Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist of Standard & Poor's. "The big worry is the unknown -- the cascading effects that could occur."

The Dow Jones industrial average gained 68 points, or 0.6 percent, to close at 11,891.93. The broader Standard and Poor's 500 index rose 10, or 0.8 percent, to 1,286.12. The Nasdaq composite index gained 13, or 0.5 percent, to 2,700.08.

Nine of the 10 company groups that make up the S&P index rose. Energy companies gained 2.6 percent, the most of any group.

Bond prices fell slightly, sending their yields higher. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note rose to 3.38 percent from 3.33 percent late Friday. Bond prices rose Friday because investors sought less risky assets.

Stronger economic data in the U.S. also helped push stocks higher. The Commerce Department reported that consumers increased their spending in December by more than analysts had predicted. Spending for all of 2010 rose by the largest amount in three years.

Two stocks rose for every one that fell on the New York Stock Exchange. Volume came to 1.2 billion shares.

Stocks fell broadly Friday due to escalating protests in Egypt and disappointing earnings reports from Amazon.com Inc. and Microsoft Corp. The Dow fell 166.13 points, or 1.4 percent, to close at 11,823.70.

The S&P index on Friday fell 23.20, or 1.8 percent, to 1,276.34. That was the broad market index's largest fall since Aug. 11. The Nasdaq composite fell 68.39, or 2.5 percent, to 2,686.89.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

ALL OUR MARKET INDEXS BELOW ARE GREEN

The Dow Jones industrial average has closed above 12,000 for the first time in 2 1/2 years -- yet another sign that the economy is extending its recovery from the recession.

Another big stock market index, the Standard & Poor's 500, reached a milestone of its own Tuesday. It closed above 1,300.

Two years ago, the stock market was roadkill along the financial highway. Now one of the greatest bull markets in history is rolling along -- maybe enough to finally get the attention of average investors.

The Dow Jones industrial average closed above 12,000 for the first time in two and a half years Tuesday, putting the Great Recession even farther in the rearview mirror and erasing most of the damage it inflicted on tens of millions of retirement accounts.

A broader measure of the stock market, the Standard & Poor's 500 index, closed above 1,300 for the first time since Aug. 28, 2008. And at least one widely watched measure suggests stocks are still cheap by historical standards.

The remarkable run for stocks began on March 9, 2009. The Dow stood at 6,547, its lowest point in 12 years. Since then, in the fastest climb since the Great Depression, it has risen 84 percent thanks to surging corporate profits, the unexpected resilience of personal spending and a bond-buying intervention by the Federal Reserve that made stocks more appealing. And some of the early gains came because investors realized that stocks had fallen too far during the financial crisis.

The NYSE DOW NYSE DOW closed HIGHER +148.23 points +1.25% on Tuesday February 1
Sym .......Last .......Change..........
Dow 12,040.16 +148.23 +1.25%
Nasdaq 2,751.19 +51.11 +1.89%
S&P 500 1,307.59 +21.47 +1.67%
30-yr Bond 4.6130% +0.0420

NYSE Volume 5,423,581,500 (prior day 4,909,286,000)
Nasdaq Volume 2,293,427,000 (prior day 1,991,442,875)

Europe
Symbol... ......Last .....Change.......
FTSE 100 5,957.82 +94.88 +1.62%
DAX 7,184.27 +106.79 +1.51%
CAC 40 4,072.62 +67.12 +1.68%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... .....Last ....Change.......
ASX All Ord 4,852.00 +2.00 +0.04%
Shanghai Comp 2,799.40 +8.70 +0.31%
Taiwan We... 9,145.35 +43.02 +0.47%
Nikkei 225 10,274.50 +36.58 +0.36%
Hang Seng 23,482.95 +35.61 +0.15%
Straits Times 3,184.74 +5.02 +0.16%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Dow-over-12000-as-remarkable-apf-328784585.html?x=0

Dow over 12,000 as remarkable bull market rolls on

Dow over 12,000 for first time since before 2008 financial crisis, extending remarkable run

David K. Randall, AP Business Writer, On Tuesday February 1, 2011, 5:00 pm

NEW YORK (AP) -- Two years ago, the stock market was roadkill along the financial highway. Now one of the greatest bull markets in history is rolling along -- maybe enough to finally get the attention of average investors.

The Dow Jones industrial average closed above 12,000 for the first time in two and a half years Tuesday, putting the Great Recession even farther in the rearview mirror and erasing most of the damage it inflicted on tens of millions of retirement accounts.

A broader measure of the stock market, the Standard & Poor's 500 index, closed above 1,300 for the first time since Aug. 28, 2008. And at least one widely watched measure suggests stocks are still cheap by historical standards.

The remarkable run for stocks began on March 9, 2009. The Dow stood at 6,547, its lowest point in 12 years. Since then, in the fastest climb since the Great Depression, it has risen 84 percent thanks to surging corporate profits, the unexpected resilience of personal spending and a bond-buying intervention by the Federal Reserve that made stocks more appealing. And some of the early gains came because investors realized that stocks had fallen too far during the financial crisis.

The Dow's total return, which assumes stock dividends were reinvested, is 92 percent. Anyone who bought an S&P 500 index fund that day in March 2009 has doubled his money, assuming dividends were reinvested.

The Dow closed at 12,040.16 on Tuesday, advancing 148 points after strong corporate earnings reports and signs that the manufacturing sector had a good month in January. The S&P 500 closed at 1,307.59, up 21 points.

The rebound could bring small investors back to the stock market. They have pulled nearly $245 billion out of U.S. stock mutual funds since June 2008, the last time the Dow was at 12,000, according to the Investment Company Institute. Earlier in the decade, they typically put in $145 billion a year.

And if Americans believe in the stock market again, it could accelerate the economic recovery.

"The lack of confidence has acted as a sedative across the economy," says David Kelly, chief market strategist at J.P. Morgan Funds. "The Dow at 12,000 could boost the psychology of the American investor and be a more powerful stimulant than anything else in driving the next stage of this bull market." Investors who see their stock portfolios rising will be more likely to spend money and take risks that could boost the economy, he says.

The market has been rising without much buying by small investors. It's the professionals who have pushed stock prices higher for two years because they expected corporate profits to rise.

Businesses have been sitting on an enormous pile of cash -- the biggest as a share of their total assets since 1959. They are starting to spend a little, upgrading their computer systems and buying basic materials in order to expand -- even if they have yet to hire again in great numbers. Alcoa, the giant aluminum company, has benefited from this spending, and its stock has jumped 30 percent over the last three months. Technology stocks have led the latest push in the rally. Hewlett-Packard and IBM have each jumped by more than 10 percent over the past month.

"We are at a new stage in the economy," says Liz Ann Sonders, chief market strategist at Charles Schwab. "There is a tremendous amount of pent-up demand for business capital spending."

Stocks that typically do well in the first part of a bull market have been lagging the broad market recently. Small company stocks, which typically lead, have stalled after rising 27 percent last year. So-called consumer discretionary stocks -- hotels, restaurants, and fashion stores that rely on people spending -- tend to perform well at the start of a bull market because they tend to fall the most during downturns. Lately, they have been lagging. Consumer discretionary stocks have risen 0.5 percent this year, well behind the 4 percent gain in the S&P 500.

The stock market's gains haven't been matched elsewhere. Real estate prices in some cities are still near the lows they hit at the worst of the financial crisis. Economists expect that this year could bring record foreclosures. Some state and local governments are struggling to provide basic services, and the federal deficit is at its highest level as a percentage of GDP since the end of World War II.

And the unrest in Egypt shows that the market is still vulnerable to unforeseen events. The Dow fell 1.4 percent Friday, its largest drop in more than two months, because of concerns that the protests in Egypt could disrupt the global oil business. Egypt controls the Suez Canal, a vital route for oil tankers and cargo ships.

But the economy is in better shape now than it was the last time the Dow closed above 12,000, on June 19, 2008. That turned out to be just a third of the way through the Great Recession. The Dow had tumbled about 2,000 points from its all-time high of 14,164 in October 2007 but had much further to fall. Unemployment stood at 5.6 percent and was on its way to 10.1 percent.

Now the economy is expanding again. But jobs remain scarce, and the unemployment rate is 9.4 percent. Millions are unable to afford to invest in a stock rally passing them by.

The lack of demand from small investors is making stocks cheap by historical standards. The Dow now trades at 14.7 times the combined earnings per share for the past year of the 30 stocks that make up the Dow, well below the historical average of 17. If the Dow traded at 17 times earnings now, it would be at 13,877 -- only 287 points below its record high.

The Dow is 15 percent below its record from October 2007 and could reach a new high this year. Pulling that off would require a total gain for 2011 of about 22 percent. The Dow has risen that much or more in a year eight times since 1985, or roughly once every three years.

Small investors are starting to buy stocks again. Investors moved $2.5 billion into mutual funds that held American companies over the first three weeks in January, the largest increase since April of last year.

Large brokerage houses that manage investments are starting to see the return of individual investors. "Our clients are showing increased confidence in the economic recovery," says Morgan Stanley's chief financial officer, Ruth Porat.

If unemployment starts dropping steadily, the bull market probably has further to go. Before the 2008 financial crisis, the last time unemployment was at 9.4 percent was July 1983. By November 1985, it was at 7 percent, and the Dow stood 23 percent higher.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

Stocks ended Wednesday mixed, a day after the Dow Jones industrial average closed at its highest level in 2-1/2 years.

The Dow traded in a tight range throughout the day as investors weighed the impact of unrest in Egypt against better-than-expected news on the job market.

"The market seems to be catching its breath after that strong run Tuesday," said Alan Gayle, senior investment strategist for RidgeWorth Investments.

Traders' television screens were filled with scenes of fighting in Egypt between groups that support President Hosni Mubarak and those who are calling for his ouster. Mubarak vowed Tuesday that he will not run for president in September but did not say he would take any steps to leave office before then

The NYSE DOW NYSE DOW closed HIGHER +1.81 points +0.02% on Wednesday February 2
Sym .......Last .......Change..........
Dow 12,041.97 +1.81 +0.02%
Nasdaq 2,749.56 -1.63 -0.06%
S&P 500 1,304.03 -3.56 -0.27%
30-yr Bond 4.6400% +0.0270

NYSE Volume 4,578,443,500 (prior day 5,423,581,500)
Nasdaq Volume 2,037,314,250 (prior day 2,293,427,000)

Europe
Symbol... ......Last .....Change.......
FTSE 100 5,996.56 +38.74 +0.65%
DAX 7,183.67 -0.60 -0.01%
CAC 40 4,066.53 -6.09 -0.15%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... .....Last ....Change.......
ASX All Ord 4,897.90 +45.90 +0.95%
Shanghai Comp 2,799.40 closed feb 2
Taiwan We... 9,145.35 +43.02 +0.47%
Nikkei 225 10,457.36 +182.86 +1.78%
Hang Seng 23,908.96 +426.01 +1.81%
Straits Times 3,211.12 +26.38 +0.83%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Stock...tml?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=main&asset=&ccode=

Stocks mixed a day after Dow tops 12,000

Stocks flat, a day after Dow closes at its highest level in 2- 1/2 years

Chip Cutter and David K. Randall, AP Business Writers, On Wednesday February 2, 2011, 5:21 pm

NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks ended Wednesday mixed, a day after the Dow Jones industrial average closed at its highest level in 2-1/2 years.

The Dow traded in a tight range throughout the day as investors weighed the impact of unrest in Egypt against better-than-expected news on the job market.

"The market seems to be catching its breath after that strong run Tuesday," said Alan Gayle, senior investment strategist for RidgeWorth Investments.

Traders' television screens were filled with scenes of fighting in Egypt between groups that support President Hosni Mubarak and those who are calling for his ouster. Mubarak vowed Tuesday that he will not run for president in September but did not say he would take any steps to leave office before then.

Egypt is not a major producer of oil but controls the Suez Canal, a key shipping lane in the global oil business. Oil prices fluctuated throughout the day as traders balanced the clashes in Egypt with a report that fuel supplies were growing in the U.S. Oil settled 9 cents higher at $90.86 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

The Dow rose 1.81 points to close at 12,041.97.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 3.56 points, or 0.3 percent, to 1,304.03. Nine of its 10 company groups fell. Financial companies had the largest fall of any group, dropping 0.9 percent.

The Nasdaq composite lost 1.63 points, or less than 0.1 percent, to 2,749.56.

Early Wednesday, payroll processor ADP said that private companies added more jobs in January than analysts predicted. That's a hopeful sign for the Labor Department's monthly employment report, due out Friday. Economists expect the government to say the unemployment rate rose to 9.5 percent in January from 9.4 percent the previous month.

Time Warner Inc. rose almost 9 percent after the owner of Warner Bros., HBO and CNN said its fourth-quarter profit jumped 22 percent. The company also raised its 2011 forecasts.

Video game publisher Electronic Arts Inc. jumped 16 percent after the company also raised its profit forecast. The company was the best performer in the S&P 500.

Mattel Inc. gained 1 percent after the country's largest toy maker said its revenue rose 9 percent on strong sales of Barbie and Fisher-Price toys. Whirlpool Corp. fell 2 percent after the company said it would raise prices in response to higher costs of raw materials.

Treasury prices fell, pushing their yields higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 3.48 percent from 3.43 percent late Tuesday.

Falling shares outpaced rising ones by a small margin on the New York Stock Exchange. Volume came to 936 million shares.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

Stocks posted small gains Thursday after Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke said the central bank will stick to its efforts to spur the economy.

In a speech at the National Press Club, Bernanke said that the Fed expects the economy to improve this year and inflation to remain low despite the jump in commodity prices.

"Chairman Bernanke basically indicated in his speech that he considers unemployment to be the bigger problem than inflation and that the Fed will continue to focus on that," said Doug Roberts, chief market strategist at Channel Capital Research.

The Federal Reserve is on track to buy $600 billion in bonds, a tactic known as quantitative easing, aimed at spurring lending and making stock ownership more attractive. Some economists had worried that the Fed could end its bond purchases earlier than anticipated.

The NYSE DOW NYSE DOW closed HIGHER +20.29 points +0.17% on Thursday February 3
Sym .......Last .......Change..........
Dow 12,062.26 +20.29 +0.17%
Nasdaq 2,753.88 +4.32 +0.16%
S&P 500 1,307.10 +3.07 +0.24%
30-yr Bond 4.6620% +0.0220

NYSE Volume 4,984,139,500 (prior day 4,578,443,500)
Nasdaq Volume 1,956,628,125 (prior day 2,037,314,250)

Europe
Symbol... ......Last .....Change.......
FTSE 100 5,983.34 -16.73 -0.28%
DAX 7,193.68 +10.01 +0.14%
CAC 40 4,036.59 -29.94 -0.74%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... .....Last ....Change.......
ASX All Ord 4,919.30 +21.40 +0.44%
Shanghai Comp 2,799.40 +8.70 +0.31%
Taiwan We... 9,145.35 +43.02 +0.47%
Nikkei 225 10,431.36 -26.00 -0.25%
Hang Seng 23,908.96 +426.01 +1.81%
Straits Times 3,211.12 +26.38 +0.83%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Berna...5.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=7&asset=&ccode=

Bernanke speech helps push stocks higher

Stocks rise on strong US economic news; Bernanke says Fed support will continue

Chip Cutter and David K. Randall, AP Business Writers, On Thursday February 3, 2011, 5:48 pm EST

NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks posted small gains Thursday after Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke said the central bank will stick to its efforts to spur the economy.

In a speech at the National Press Club, Bernanke said that the Fed expects the economy to improve this year and inflation to remain low despite the jump in commodity prices.

"Chairman Bernanke basically indicated in his speech that he considers unemployment to be the bigger problem than inflation and that the Fed will continue to focus on that," said Doug Roberts, chief market strategist at Channel Capital Research.

The Federal Reserve is on track to buy $600 billion in bonds, a tactic known as quantitative easing, aimed at spurring lending and making stock ownership more attractive. Some economists had worried that the Fed could end its bond purchases earlier than anticipated.

Stocks had fallen for the most of the day as concerns over violent protests in Egypt weighed against better-than-expected economic news in the U.S.

Clashes continued in Egypt between pro- and anti-government demonstrators, leaving some analysts worried about the stability of the Middle East and the unrest's impact on oil-rich countries throughout the region, such as Saudi Arabia.

"That's the fear," said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Avalon Partners.

But better-than-expected January sales figures sent shares in retail companies higher. Consumer-discretionary companies in the Standard and Poor's 500-stock index gained 1.2 percent after national chains reported that sales were nearly double what analysts had forecast despite heavy snowstorms in much of the nation.

Shares in the consumer-discretionary companies were the best performers among the 10 company groups that make up the S&P index. Industrials companies were the only group to fall.

Costco Wholesale Corp., Nordstrom Inc. and Gap Inc. all gained more than 4 percent.

The S&P 500 -- the benchmark for most U.S. mutual funds -- gained 3.07 points, or 0.2 percent, to close at 1,307.10. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 20.29 points, or 0.2 percent, to 12,062.26. The Nasdaq composite rose 4.32 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,753.88.

Rising shares outpaced falling ones by a small margin on the New York Stock Exchange. Consolidated trading volume came to 4.5 billion shares.

Among the positive economic reports, the Labor Department said Thursday that fewer people applied for unemployment benefits last week. A separate report showed that worker productivity in December rose by its largest amount since 2002. Economists say many employers have reached the limit in terms of how much work they can squeeze from their employees.

The Commerce Department said that factory orders rose in December, the fifth gain in six months.

Drugmaker Merck & Co. fell 2.7 percent after it issued a full-year profit forecast that was lower than analysts had expected. The company was the worst performer among the 30 stocks that make up the Dow average.

Warehouse club operator BJ's Wholesale Club Inc. rose 12 percent after it said it is considering selling itself after months of buyout speculation.

The better economic news pushed Treasury prices lower. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 3.55 percent from 3.48 percent late Wednesday. Bond prices move in the opposite direction from their yields.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The Dow gained 2.3 percent for the week. The S&P 500 rose 2.7 percent for the week and the Nasdaq 3 percent.

All three major indexes fell last week. Financial markets were jarred by swelling protests in Egypt aimed at toppling Hosni Mubarak's 30-year grip on power.

Stocks eked out modest gains on Friday after the government reported a sharp drop in the unemployment rate.

The Labor Department said the unemployment rate dropped to 9 percent in January, the lowest rate since April 2009 and a sharp fall from 9.4 percent in December. Economists had expected the rate would rise to 9.5 percent, in part because of harsh winter weather that affected much of the country.

At the same time, the government said that 36,000 new jobs were created last month, the fewest in four months. The slow job growth left some analysts doubting that the economic recovery is gathering momentum.


The NYSE DOW NYSE DOW closed HIGHER +29.89 points +0.25% on Friday February 4
Sym .......Last .......Change..........
Dow 12,092.15 +29.89 +0.25%
Nasdaq 2,769.30 +15.42 +0.56%
S&P 500 1,310.87 +3.77 +0.29%
30-yr Bond 4.7370% +0.0750

NYSE Volume 4,519,382,500 (prior day 4,984,139,500)
Nasdaq Volume 1,977,800,750 (prior day 1,956,628,125)


Europe
Symbol... ......Last .....Change.......
FTSE 100 5,997.38 +14.04 +0.23%
DAX 7,216.21 +22.53 +0.31%
CAC 40 4,047.21 +10.62 +0.26%

Asia Pacific
Symbol...... .....Last ....Change.......
ASX All Ord 4,958.80 +39.50 +0.80%
Shanghai Comp 2,799.40 +8.70 +0.31%
Taiwan We... 9,145.35 +43.02 +0.47%
Nikkei 225 10,543.52 +112.16 +1.08%
Hang Seng 23,908.96 +426.01 +1.81%
Straits Times 3,211.12 +26.38 +0.83%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Stock...tml?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=main&asset=&ccode=

Stocks shrug off mixed unemployment report

Stocks eke out gains after unemployment rate falls and job growth disappoints

David K. Randall and Matthew Craft, AP Business Writers, On Friday February 4, 2011, 5:10 pm

NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks eked out modest gains on Friday after the government reported a sharp drop in the unemployment rate.

The Labor Department said the unemployment rate dropped to 9 percent in January, the lowest rate since April 2009 and a sharp fall from 9.4 percent in December. Economists had expected the rate would rise to 9.5 percent, in part because of harsh winter weather that affected much of the country.

At the same time, the government said that 36,000 new jobs were created last month, the fewest in four months. The slow job growth left some analysts doubting that the economic recovery is gathering momentum.

"We are seeing some improvements but the disappointing jobs creation shows that the job market is not back to where we need it to be," said Ryan Detrick, senior strategist at Schaeffer's Investment Research. The lack of new jobs will likely lead the Federal Reserve to continue its efforts to boost the economy, he said.

Jim O'Sullivan, chief economist at MF Global, said some investors took a skeptical view of the report. "The information value of this report is limited because it was obviously affected by the weather," he said.

The unemployment rate fell even as the economy added few jobs because many people who are unemployed gave up hunting for work, O'Sullivan said. The Labor Department includes only those actively looking for jobs when calculating the main unemployment rate.

Bond traders, however, took the employment report as evidence of a stronger job market. They drove Treasury prices down and yields up. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note jumped to 3.64 percent, the highest yield since last May. The 10-year yield is widely used to set borrowing rates on a wide variety of loans.

Strong earnings gave some stocks a lift. Health insurer Aetna Inc. shot up 12.5 percent. The company said it will nearly quadruple its quarterly dividend payment to shareholders after its fourth-quarter profit climbed 30 percent.

JDS Uniphase Corp. soared 27 percent. The maker of telecom and cable equipment reported quarterly results that blew past analysts' expectations. Information technology companies saw the strongest gains out of the 10 industries represented in the S&P 500 index.

Tyson Foods Inc. rose almost 6 percent, after its profits increased 86 percent last quarter, in part because of rising prices for beef and pork.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 29.89 points, or 0.3 percent, to close at 12,092.15. The Dow gained 2.3 percent for the week. The average of 30 large company stocks cleared the 12,000 mark Tuesday, the first time it closed above that level since June 2008.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 3.77 points, or 0.3 percent, to 1,310.87. The Nasdaq composite gained 15.42 points, or 0.6 percent, to 2,769.30.

The S&P 500 rose 2.7 percent for the week and the Nasdaq 3 percent.

All three major indexes fell last week. Financial markets were jarred by swelling protests in Egypt aimed at toppling Hosni Mubarak's 30-year grip on power.

Falling shares and rising ones were almost evenly matched on the New York Stock Exchange. Preliminary trading volume was 920 million shares.

1792

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

Several big acquisitions and a strong earnings report from Loews Corp. pushed stocks higher Monday.

Pride International Inc. jumped 16 percent after Ensco PLC, a London-based oil rig operator, said it would buy the offshore driller for $7.3 billion.

Beckman Coulter Inc. gained 10 percent after Danaher Corp. said it plans to buy the manufacturer of medical diagnostic tests for $5.8 billion.

Loews Corp. rose 4 percent. The company, which owns Loews hotels and the property insurer CNA Financial Corp., said falling costs helped earnings rise 16 percent even as revenue slipped slightly. The results were higher than analysts were expecting and helped push financial companies higher.

The NYSE DOW NYSE DOW closed HIGHER +69.48 points +0.57% on Monday February 7
Sym .......Last .......Change..........
Dow 12,161.63 +69.48 +0.57%
Nasdaq 2,783.99 +14.69 +0.53%
S&P 500 1,319.05 +8.18 +0.62%
30-yr Bond 4.7110% -0.0260

NYSE Volume 4,390,181,000 (prior day 4,519,382,500)
Nasdaq Volume 1,782,761,625 (prior day 1,977,800,750)

Europe
Symbol... ......Last .....Change.......
FTSE 100 6,044.16 +46.78 +0.78%
DAX 7,283.62 +67.41 +0.93%
CAC 40 4,090.80 +43.59 +1.08%


Asia Pacific
Symbol...... .....Last ....Change.......
ASX All Ord 4,964.30 +5.50 +0.11%
Shanghai Comp 2,799.40 +8.70 +0.31%
Taiwan We... 9,145.35 +43.02 +0.47%
Nikkei 225 10,592.04 +48.52 +0.46%
Hang Seng 23,553.59 -355.37 -1.49%
Straits Times 3,192.18 -18.94 -0.59%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Deal-news-earnings-push-apf-3151263719.html?x=0

Deal news, earnings push stocks higher

Stocks rise with deals and earnings, led by financial companies

Matthew Craft and David K. Randall, AP Business Writers,

NEW YORK (AP) -- Several big acquisitions and a strong earnings report from Loews Corp. pushed stocks higher Monday.

Pride International Inc. jumped 16 percent after Ensco PLC, a London-based oil rig operator, said it would buy the offshore driller for $7.3 billion.

Beckman Coulter Inc. gained 10 percent after Danaher Corp. said it plans to buy the manufacturer of medical diagnostic tests for $5.8 billion.

Loews Corp. rose 4 percent. The company, which owns Loews hotels and the property insurer CNA Financial Corp., said falling costs helped earnings rise 16 percent even as revenue slipped slightly. The results were higher than analysts were expecting and helped push financial companies higher.

Joseph Saluzzi, co-head of equity trading at Themis Trading, said that with no major economic reports due out this week, mergers and earnings reports will continue to drive stocks higher. Anything that can be construed as good news is likely to give investors a reason to buy stocks, he said.

"The path of least resistance right now is up," Saluzzi said. "People are beginning to assume the market is going higher. It's momentum."

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 69.48 points, or 0.6 percent, to 12,161.63. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 8.18, or 0.6 percent, to 1,319.05. The Nasdaq composite gained 14.69, or 0.5 percent, to 2,783.99.

Financial companies rose 1.5 percent, the largest gain of any of the 10 company groups that make up the S&P index.

Lorillard Inc. rose 2 percent after the company, which makes Newport and Maverick cigarettes, said it increased both sales and prices of its products.

AOL Inc. dropped 3.4 percent after saying it would buy the Huffington Post, a news and opinion website, for $315 million. Arianna Huffington, the site's co-founder and political pundit, will join AOL's management team.

Toy maker Hasbro Inc. rose 1.8 percent after reporting earnings that were lower but still beat analysts' expectations.

Bond prices fell slightly, sending their yields higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 3.65 percent from 3.64 percent late Friday.

Monday was the first day of trading since the company that owns the Nasdaq exchange admitted Saturday it had been hacked late last year. The problem did not affect any trades, the company said.

Two stocks rose for every one that fell on the New York Stock Exchange. Volume came to 880 million shares

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

The Dow Jones industrial average closed higher for the seventh consecutive day Tuesday. That's the longest series of gains for the index since July.

McDonald's Corp. was the biggest gainer of the 30 stocks in the Dow, rising 2.6 percent after reporting January sales that were higher than analysts expected.

Investors took in stride a move by China's central bank to control inflation by raising short-term interest rates.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 71.52 points, or 0.6 percent, to close at 12,233.15. The index has had only one down day in the last 10, on Jan. 28 when the protests in Egypt escalated.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 5.52, or 0.4 percent, to 1,324.57. The Nasdaq composite index rose 13.06, or 0.5 percent, to 2,797.05.

The NYSE DOW NYSE DOW closed HIGHER +71.52 points +0.59% on Tuesday February 8
Sym .......Last .......Change..........
Dow 12,233.15 +71.52 +0.59%
Nasdaq 2,797.05 +13.06 +0.47%
S&P 500 1,324.57 +5.52 +0.42%
30-yr Bond 4.7630% +0.0520

NYSE Volume 4,365,029,500 (prior day 4,390,181,000)
Nasdaq Volume 1,815,503,625 (prior day 1,782,761,625)


Europe
Symbol... ......Last .....Change.......
FTSE 100 6,091.33 +40.30 +0.67%
DAX 7,323.24 +39.62 +0.54%
CAC 40 4,108.27 +17.47 +0.43%


Asia Pacific
Symbol...... .....Last ....Change.......
ASX All Ord 4,983.10 +18.80 +0.38%
Shanghai Comp 2,799.40 +8.70 +0.31%
Taiwan We... 9,111.46 -33.89 -0.37%
Nikkei 225 10,635.98 +43.94 +0.41%
Hang Seng 23,484.30 -69.29 -0.29%
Straits Times 3,185.36 -6.82 -0.21%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Dow-c...tml?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=main&asset=&ccode=

Dow closes higher for the seventh straight day

Stocks rise, giving the Dow Jones industrial average its longest winning stretch since July

David K. Randall, AP Business Writer, On Tuesday February 8, 2011, 5:02 pm

NEW YORK (AP) -- The Dow Jones industrial average closed higher for the seventh consecutive day Tuesday. That's the longest series of gains for the index since July.

McDonald's Corp. was the biggest gainer of the 30 stocks in the Dow, rising 2.6 percent after reporting January sales that were higher than analysts expected.

Investors took in stride a move by China's central bank to control inflation by raising short-term interest rates.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 71.52 points, or 0.6 percent, to close at 12,233.15. The index has had only one down day in the last 10, on Jan. 28 when the protests in Egypt escalated.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 5.52, or 0.4 percent, to 1,324.57. The Nasdaq composite index rose 13.06, or 0.5 percent, to 2,797.05.

China raised interest rates for the third time since October in an effort to keep prices from rising too fast. The country's economic boom has resulted in higher prices, forcing some poor families to spend up to half of their incomes on food.

Many large U.S. companies have counted on spending in China for growth. Previously, interest rate hikes in China have resulted in stock losses in the U.S. because of fears that spending there would fall.

Brain Gendreau, market strategist at Financial Network, said investors are becoming less concerned about slower spending in China because they are more confident that the U.S. economy will grow on its own.

"Raising interest rates is what the Chinese need to do when they have such an overheated economy," he said.

Bond prices fell, extending a week of losses and sending their yields higher. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note rose to 3.73 percent from 3.64 percent Monday, its highest rate since last April.

The government auctioned $32 billion of three-year notes at a yield of 1.34 percent, the highest borrowing rate the government has had to pay on those notes since last May. Interest from foreign buyers was relatively weak.

Better economic news, including a drop in the unemployment rate, has led investors to sell low-yielding government bonds over the past two weeks. Some of that money is going into stocks, especially those of large corporations that pay fat dividends.

Quincy Krosby, market strategist with Prudential Financial, said the Dow average has been benefiting from a flight of money out of bonds as conservative investors seek out large, relatively stable companies such as the 30 that make up the Dow industrials.

"If you were in bonds, chances are you'll buy the large companies with strong balance sheets," Krosby said.

Walt Disney Co. rose 3.7 percent in after-hours trading. The company reported earnings after the market closed that beat expectations thanks in part to higher advertising revenue at its ESPN and ABC television networks.

Avon Products Inc. fell 3 percent to close Tuesday at $28.47 after its fourth-quarter earnings fell and missed expectations.

Three stocks rose for every two that fell on the New York Stock Exchange. Volume was relatively light at 890 million shares.

 

[bigdog]

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

Stocks closed mixed Wednesday after the head of the Federal Reserve said unemployment may remain high for several years. The Dow Jones industrial average eked out its eighth straight day of gains, extending its longest advancing streak in nearly a year.

Major indexes traded lower for much of the day after Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, told members of the House of Representatives that the economy is strengthening but that companies haven't yet stepped up hiring. Last week, the Labor Department said the unemployment rate dropped to 9 percent in January.

Bond prices rose following Bernanke's testimony, reversing a slump that had pushed yields up to their highest levels since April. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note, which moves opposite to its price, fell to 3.66 from 3.74 late Tuesday.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 6.74 points, or 0.1 percent, to 12,239.8. The Dow has had only one down day in the last 11, on Jan. 28 when the protests in Egypt escalated. It last finished with eight straight days of gains in March 2010.


The NYSE DOW NYSE DOW closed HIGHER +6.74 points +0.06% on Wednesday February 9
Sym .......Last .......Change..........
Dow 12,239.89 +6.74 +0.06%
Nasdaq 2,789.07 -7.98 -0.29%
S&P 500 1,320.88 -3.69 -0.28%
30-yr Bond 4.6950% -0.0680

NYSE Volume 4,522,888,000 (prior day 4,365,029,500)
Nasdaq Volume 1,977,093,500 (prior day 1,815,503,625)


Europe
Symbol... ......Last .....Change.......
FTSE 100 6,052.29 -39.04 -0.64%
DAX 7,320.90 -2.34 -0.03%
CAC 40 4,090.74 -17.53 -0.43%


Asia Pacific
Symbol...... .....Last ....Change.......
ASX All Ord 4,995.10 +12.00 +0.24%
Shanghai Comp 2,773.16 -25.80 -0.92%
Taiwan We... 9,006.82 -104.64 -1.15%
Nikkei 225 10,617.83 -18.15 -0.17%
Hang Seng 23,164.03 -320.27 -1.36%
Straits Times 3,150.56 -34.80 -1.09%

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Dow-e...7.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=4&asset=&ccode=

Dow ekes out 8th straight day of gains

Stocks end mixed after Bernanke says unemployment likely to remain high; Dow ekes out gain

Matthew Craft and David K. Randall, AP Business Writers, On Wednesday February 9, 2011, 5:07 pm

NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks closed mixed Wednesday after the head of the Federal Reserve said unemployment may remain high for several years. The Dow Jones industrial average eked out its eighth straight day of gains, extending its longest advancing streak in nearly a year.

Major indexes traded lower for much of the day after Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, told members of the House of Representatives that the economy is strengthening but that companies haven't yet stepped up hiring. Last week, the Labor Department said the unemployment rate dropped to 9 percent in January.

Bond prices rose following Bernanke's testimony, reversing a slump that had pushed yields up to their highest levels since April. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note, which moves opposite to its price, fell to 3.66 from 3.74 late Tuesday.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 6.74 points, or 0.1 percent, to 12,239.8. The Dow has had only one down day in the last 11, on Jan. 28 when the protests in Egypt escalated. It last finished with eight straight days of gains in March 2010.

The Standard & Poor's 500 lost 3.69 points, or 0.3 percent, to 1,320.88. It was the first down day for the index after four days of gains.

The Nasdaq composite lost 7.98, or 0.3 percent, to 2,789.07.

Two members of the Dow index reported better than expected earnings. Coca-Cola Co. said its income more than tripled last quarter, helped by the acquisition of a bottler and selling more drinks in North America. The stock rose 0.4 percent.

Walt Disney Co. jumped 5.3 percent after reporting strong earnings after the market closed Tuesday. The company beat expectations thanks to higher revenues at its ABC and ESPN networks.

Disney helped push consumer discretionary stocks in the S&P index up 0.6 percent, the largest gain of any of the 10 company groups that make up the index.

American International Group Inc. fell 3 percent after saying it expects to take a charge of $4.1 billion to build up reserves against losses for its Chartis property and casualty insurance units.

NYSE Euronext Inc., the parent company of the exchange, issued a statement confirming that it was in advanced talks with Germany's stock exchange, Deutsche Boerse, about a possible combination. The plan being discussed would create a company 60 percent owned by Deutsche Boerse shareholders with dual headquarters in Frankfurt and New York. NYSE Euronext's stock jumped 14 percent to $38.10.

Two stocks fell for every one that rose on the New York Stock Exchange. Volume came to 960 million shares.