Banks Drive Stocks Down Early

(NEWSER) - Stocks turned south this morning, as a series of downgrades and bad news for the Sun/IBM deal spooked investors ahead of earnings season, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow dropped 92, the S&P 12. Financials sank after a veteran analyst downgraded 11 major US banks. The Nasdaq fell 33, after a downgrade from Cisco and a report that the Sun takeover deal was in jeopardy. More»

Dow dives 110 on heels of big declines overseas

(NEWSER) - US stocks fell at today’s open, tracking big declines overseas, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow was off 110 points, while the S&P and Nasdaq fell 1.2% and 0.9% respectively. Among the big losers were Bank of America, down 7%, and Citigroup, down 6.5%, as investors looked for more clarity on a federal “bad bank” plan. More»

(NEWSER) - Stocks skyrocketed at today's open, spurred by reports that the Obama administration would likely form a “bad bank” to buy up illiquid assets. The Dow jumped 110 points, and the S&P and Nasdaq gained 1.9% and 1.8% respectively. Banking stocks led the way, with Citigroup leaping 20% and Bank of America 18%. Wells Fargo threw more fuel on the bulls’ fire, maintaining its dividend despite a $2.55 billion quarterly loss. More»

(NEWSER) - Stocks headed south this morning, following worse-than-expected housing and job data. Jobless claims rose by 62,000 last week, and housing starts slid 15.5%, to their slowest pace on record. The Dow sunk 144 points, accompanied by an 18-point decline in the S&P. A strong quarter from Apple initially lifted Nasdaq futures, but news that Microsoft is slashing 5,000 jobs sent the tech-heavy index down 45 points. More»

(NEWSER) - Markets rebounded this morning, as a new round of federal aid rained down on Bank of America and Citigroup, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow rose 112 points, while the S&P and Nasdaq added 1.5% and 1.3% respectively. Bank of America posted a $1.79 billion loss, while Citi lost a stunning $8.29 billion, but shares of the banks rose 2% and 6% respectively, on news that the government would guarantee losses on $400 billion worth of assets More»