Stocks Hop, Oil Leaps

(NEWSER) - Markets ended higher today after a dismal start, buoyed by an ascendant energy sector, the Wall Street Journal reports. The seesaw comes as no surprise to one strategist: “This market is highly vulnerable to get pushed around right now. That’s a factor of light volume.” The Dow, once down 50, finished up 61.22 at 9,279.16. The S&P 500 rose 6.79 to 996.46. And the Nasdaq tacked on 13.32, to 1,969.24. More»

(NEWSER) - Yesterday’s rally segued into a regular day today as markets remained mostly flat on mixed economic data, the Wall Street Journal reports. Home sales were up, but incomes down, and an expected report on rising US oil reserves hurt energy stocks. “It's a day of consolidation after we've had a very strong run,” an analyst says. The Dow was up 33.63 to 9,320.19, the S&P rose 3.02 to 1,005.65, and NASDAQ gained 2.70 to end at 2,011.31. More»

(NEWSER) - Markets were off today on plunges in the energy and manufacturing sectors brought on by falling oil prices, the Wall Street Journal reports. A poorly received auction of T-notes also did little to inspire confidence. The world’s largest steelmaker, ArcelorMittal, slipped 7% on a larger than expected loss, and the tech sector took a hit on Microsoft’s deal with Yahoo. The Dow fell 26 to 9,070.72, the S&P shed 4.49 to end at 975.13, and Nasdaq lost 7.75 to finish at 1,967.76. More»

(NEWSER) - Markets were off today as falling oil prices put the press on the energy sector and Wall Street took a stern look at the recent rally, the Wall Street Journal reports. Though tech stocks surged, bringing NASDAQ up, oil prices were off and health care concerns tumbled. The financial sector saw gains and losses on earnings reports. The Dow was down 34.68, to 8.881.26. The S&P fell .51, to 954.07, and NASDAQ tacked on 10.18 to end at 1,926.38. More»

(NEWSER) - Markets edged up today on good unemployment claims and productivity data, the Wall Street Journal reports. But traders appear to be holding out for tomorrow’s employment report, and the rising price of oil continues to worry. “We have to hope it doesn't go to $80,” one trader said. “It was energy that definitely exacerbated things last summer.” The Dow was up 74.96 to 8,750.24. The S&P tacked on 10.70, ending at 942.26. And NASDAQ rose 24.10 to 1,850.02. More»