Exxon Gives Markets a Boost

Record highs fuel late rally

(NEWSER) - Stocks closed up today, buoyed by surging oil and gold prices. Oil hit $97 a barrel, and gold is at a 27-year high, Bloomberg reports. Energy and metals producers, including Exxon Mobil and Newmont Mining—the world's second-largest gold-mining company—led the rally. The Dow was up 117.54 to 13,660.94, the Nasdaq 30.00 to 2,825.18, and the S&P 500 18.10 to 1,520.27. More»

It overtakes Exxon for No. 1 spot before falling back again

(NEWSER) - For the first time since 2005, ExxonMobil found itself only the second-most valuable company in world: Apple briefly took the No. 1 spot today before relinquishing it. Analysts think a more permanent changing of the guard will happen soon, however. At one point today, Apple's market capitalization reached $347.3 billion, moving it ahead of Exxon, reports Bloomberg . By the end of trading, however, Exxon had $348.3 billion to Apple's $346.7 billion. More»

(NEWSER) - Stocks jumped at the open today, with the Dow up 61 points, the Nasdaq adding 0.5%, and the S&P gaining 0.7%, powered by strong moves in its energy and basic materials sectors. That was due in part to the surge in fuel prices, with oil clearing $71 a barrel. Chevron and Exxon Mobil each rose 1%. Shares in industrial companies also climbed, with Caterpillar up 1.3%. If it holds, the Dow's move will put it in positive territory for the year. More»

Fuld not the only one hiding assets

(NEWSER) - Dick Fuld’s wife isn’t the only one getting a discount mansion. Chrysler CEO Robert Nardelli and ex-Merrill Lynch honcho Stanley O’Neal have followed Fuld’s lead, handing their multimillion-dollar homes to their spouses, according to property records obtained by the New York Post. Such deed transfers are often used to protect the house from legal action. More»

Investors see bad news everywhere in new data

(NEWSER) - Stocks dropped at the open today as a surprisingly good JPMorgan quarter struggled to offset other negative economic news, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow was off 108, despite Morgan's 4% surge, as Bank of America plummeted 15% after reports it would need more aid to close the Merrill Lynch deal. The Nasdaq was down 0.9%, the S&P 500 off 1.3%. More»