Stocks Plunge on Job Numbers

Investors show caution as 2nd-quarter earnings season beings

(NEWSER) - Stocks were mixed today as investors await companies' second-quarter reports. Shares of Alcoa, which kicks off the earnings season with a report after the close, fluctuated but closed slightly higher. The Dow finished up 15 points at 8,178, reports the Wall Street Journal. The Nasdaq gained 1 point to close at 1,747, while the S&P 500 lost 1 point to settle at 880. More»

(NEWSER) - Stocks ran out of gas at the open today, as investors digested a grim jobs report. The Dow and S&P were essentially flat, the Wall Street Journal reports, while the Nasdaq inched higher, on strong earnings from Research in Motion. The BlackBerry maker posted a 26% gain in earnings and was rewarded with a more than 21% share jump. The Labor Department’s latest report showed unemployment at a 25-year-high. More»

(NEWSER) - Stocks took a dip at the open today, as investors awaited news on how the remaining $350 billion of the $700 billion bank rescue will be spent. The Dow shed 56 points, while the Nasdaq and S&P inched down 0.2% and 0.7%, respectively. GM’s shares were up 2.5% after it announced a 14% reduction in its salaried workforce. UBS announced that it was cutting 2,200 jobs, and was likewise rewarded, with shares soaring 8.6%. More»

(NEWSER) - Stocks shot up at the bell, despite a grisly nonfarm payrolls report, as investors bet on a stimulus package boost. The Dow climbed 100 points, while the S&P and Nasdaq each gained about 1.4%. Unemployment hit 7.6% after a grim January, the Labor Department announced today. But traders were more interested in the bank rescue measures Timothy Geithner is expected to disclose later. 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»