Dow Down 203 After Yo-Yo Day

Telecoms fall after FCC OKs internet calls on smartphones

(NEWSER) - Stocks ended mixed as traders await the beginning of the third-quarter earnings season, which kicks off with Alcoa’s report later today. Telecoms fell after the FCC chair said he would allow Internet-based phone calls on smartphones. AT&T was down 3.6%, while Verizon fell 2.7%. Amid light volume, the Dow fell 6 points to 9,725, the Nasdaq gained 7, settling at 2,110, and the S&P 500 added 3 points, closing at 1,058, reports the Wall Street Journal. More»

Gains in durable goods mostly due to defense, aircraft orders

(NEWSER) - Stocks barely eked out gains today, as positive reports on housing and durable goods orders failed to excite investors, the Wall Street Journal reports. New-home sales rose 9.6% in July, beating expectations, while inventories dropped to the lowest level since April 2007. The Dow closed up 4 points at 9,544. The Nasdaq and S&P 500 were flat, closing at their opening values of 2,024 and 1,028, respectively. More»

Investors await consumer confidence, housing, GDP data

(NEWSER) - Stocks closed near to opening levels today, with the Dow just barely extending its winning streak into a fifth session, the Wall Street Journal reports. All the indices hit new highs for 2009 early, boosted by housing data, investors pulled back ahead of looming reports on consumer confidence, new home sales, and second-quarter GDP. The Dow closed up 3.32 points at 9,509.28. The Nasdaq sank 2.92 to close at 2,017.98, and the S&P 500 lost .57, closing at 1,025.56. More»

Worldwide shocks worry investors

(NEWSER) - Stocks continued to decline after drops in world markets proved to be contagious at the open, with the Dow falling the most since July 2, the Wall Street Journal reports. The worldwide stock decline had investors scrambling to Treasurys and other safe havens. Home-improvement retailer Lowe's fell 10% after reporting a 19% drop in quarterly earnings. The Dow fell 186 points to close at 9,135. The Nasdaq shed 55 points, closing at 1,931, and the S&P 500 dropped 24 points to settle at 980. More»

(NEWSER) - The Dow tumbled 175 points at the open today, following even bigger selloffs in overseas markets, the Wall Street Journal reports. The S&P and Nasdaq each fell 2.2%. Those drops followed a whopping 5.8% dive on China’s Shanghai Composite Index, a 3.1% drop for Japan’s Nikkei, and 2% falls for the UK’s FTSE and Germany’s DAX. Freefalling commodity prices drove the negativity, with multiple Chinese metal companies taking the maximum 10% hits. More»