'Difficult' Dow Ends Down 358

(NEWSER) - Stocks took a turn for the worse at the open today, heading south after yesterday’s rally. The Dow fell 67 points, while the S&P declined 0.8%. The Nasdaq fell 0.5%, but component Sun Microsystems soared 65% on news IBM might acquire it. Investors are anxiously awaiting guidance out of today's Fed meeting, even though the target rate’s unlikely to move. The consumer price index rose 0.4% last month, a bigger-than-expected jump. More»

Fed chief soothes markets; Lehman may have a buyer

(NEWSER) - Stocks rallied today amid light trading but still saw weekly losses as oil prices fell and financials rebounded, helped in part by a speech by Ben Bernanke that eased inflation fears, MarketWatch reports. The Dow surged 197.85 to 11,628.06; the Nasdaq gained 34.33, closing at 2,414.71; and the S&P 500 climbed 14.47 to 1,292.19. More»

Gray day on Street ahead of Fed's policy meeting

(NEWSER) - Stocks closed down today, giving back gains from an early rally despite a nearly $4 drop in crude oil prices as worries about economic growth and inflation persisted, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow fell 42.17 to close at 11,284.15, the Nasdaq lost 25.40 and finished at 2,285.56, and the S&P 500 shed 11.29 points to settle at 1,249.02. More»

Oil drop, Fed's confidence in growth not enough to preserve rise

(NEWSER) - The markets rallied for much of the day on news of ebbing oil prices and the Fed's decision to hold rates steady, but it fell mostly flat by the finish on nagging worries about long-term growth, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow—at one point up more than 100 points—added 4.40 points to 11,811.83. The Nasdaq climbed 32.98 points to 2,401.26, while the S&P 500 rose 7.68 points to 1,321.97. More»

Dell performance rallies tech; Commerce Department gives bad news

(NEWSER) - Stocks ended mixed after a seesaw session today, with strong performance by tech and energy shares contrasting with bad news on consumer spending and incomes, MarketWatch reports. The Dow closed down 7.90 at 12,638.32. The Nasdaq gained 14.34 to 2,522.66, while the S&P 500 ticked up 2.12, ending at 1,400.38. More»