Buffett Bets Big Against Hedge Funds

Frenzy builds as Berkshire Hathaway joins S&P 500 today

(NEWSER) - Warren Buffett’s renowned Berkshire Hathaway joins the S&P 500 today, and just about everyone wants a piece of it. Millions of ordinary Americans who in the past couldn’t afford the company’s high-priced shares will now be able to get on board, either through an index fund, or by buying B shares, which underwent a 50-to-1 split so that their dollar price would be low enough to join the index. More»

It's Dow's best finish since 2008

(NEWSER) - Today's rosy jobs report did wonders for the markets. The tech-heavy Nasdaq, in fact, closed at an 11-year high, reports MarketWatch , while the Dow finished at its highest level since May 2008, notes the Wall Street Journal . The numbers:

• Dow: Up 157, 1.2%, to 12,862
• Nasdaq: Up 46, 1.6%, to 2,906
• S&P 500: Up 19, 1.5%, to 1,345

Market has its best day this month

(AP) - Encouraging signs out of Europe and a surprisingly strong report on the US housing market drove the Dow Jones industrial average up more than 330 points today. It was the best day for stocks this month. The Spanish government pulled off a successful debt auction, and gauges of business and consumer confidence in Germany rose unexpectedly. The Commerce Department, meanwhile, said builders broke ground on 685,000 new homes last month, a 9.3% jump from October. That's the highest level since April 2010. More»

Dow drops triple digits

(NEWSER) - Stocks plunged at the opening bell today, thanks to the super committee's failure to reach a deal and the ongoing debt crisis in Europe. As of 9:37am, the Dow was down 158 points, while the Nasdaq and S&P were down 40 and 19 points, respectively, as investors bet that the US would suffer yet another credit rating downgrade. More»

Bank stocks lead the way after deal in Europe

(NEWSER) - Wall Street had a banner day in the wake of the financial accord in Europe , with banks stocks leading the way:

• Dow: Up 340 (2.9%) to 12,209; (it had been up more than 400 points in the final hour)
• Nasdaq: Up 88 (3.3%) to 2,739
• S&P 500: Up 43 (3.4%) to 1,285