Stocks Get Post-Holiday Bump

S&P 500, Nasdaq also rise

(NEWSER) - Markets are up, at least for now: The Dow was up more than 100 points at open, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq following suit, up about 11 and 13 points, respectively, MarketWatch reports. An upbeat report on retail sales no doubt prodded stocks upward: July sales rose a seasonally adjusted 0.5%, their biggest gain in four months. Currently the Dow is hovering in the 11,200 range. More»

(NEWSER) - Stocks slid at the open today, following yet more negative numbers from retailers and the Labor Department, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow dropped 52 points, while the S&P fell 1%. The Nasdaq dropped 1.2%, weighed down by sub-par earnings from Cisco. New jobless claims ripped past the 600,000 mark last week, marking their highest level since 1982, while every retailer save Wal-Mart reported weak same-store sales. More»

(NEWSER) - Stocks tumbled at the open today, in the wake of a retail sales report that drastically missed estimates. The Dow dove 157 points, while the Nasdaq and S&P dropped 1.5% and 2.1% respectively. Sales fell 2.7%, more than twice the 1.2% economists predicted. Nortel Networks, meanwhile, shot down 76% after reports broke that it was filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy. More»

Dow off 50 in early trading; first reports due late today

(NEWSER) - Stocks moved lower at today’s open as traders held their collective breath ahead of what’s expected to be a dismal earning season, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow was down 50 points recently, to 8,548, while the S&P and Nasdaq dipped 0.95% and 0.78% respectively. All eyes are on Alcoa, which will begin earnings season by reporting after the bell today. More»

Dow rise modest, oil rise fo' real

(NEWSER) - Stocks turned upward at the open today, as traders hunted for bargains and signs of a recovery. The Dow rose 80 points, while the S&P and Nasdaq climbed 1% and 0.9% respectively. Oil, meanwhile, jumped $1.22 to $50.03 as a dispute between Gazprom and the Ukraine threatened the supply of gas from Russia to Europe. More»