Stocks Slump on Retail Data

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»

US retail sales up 0.6% in June, but investors show caution

(NEWSER) - Stocks wavered in a narrow range today before closing with modest gains, the Wall Street Journal reports. Though Goldman Sachs posted a quarterly profit way beyond expectations and the Commerce Department reported that US retail sales rose 0.6% last month, investors’ reaction was muted. The Dow rose 28 points to close at 8,360. The Nasdaq gained 6, settling at 1,800, and the S&P 500 added 5 to close at 906. More»

(NEWSER) - Stocks sunk swiftly at the open after disappointing sales reports from retailers. The Dow tumbled 160 points, while the Nasdaq and S&P fell 1.5% and 2.1% respectively. Retail sales were down a more-than-expected 0.4% in April, from a revised-downward 1.3% drop in March. RealtyTrac also announced a 32% jump in foreclosures last month, meaning a housing rebound isn’t imminent. Ford was down 4% as it prepared to sell 300 million shares in a secondary offering. More»

Host of negative news hurts markets

(NEWSER) - Stocks tumbled at the open today, after a raft of negative news overshadowed yesterday’s big rally. The Dow fell 128 points, while the Nasdaq and S&P shed 2% and 1.8% respectively. The Dow shot up more than 500 points yesterday, but today brought a dismal quarterly report from Freddie Mac, a slashed outlook from Nokia, and a record decline in retail sales in October. More»

Market ends up 57 points, down from 185-point rally

(NEWSER) - A stock rally lost steam after oil reversed an early decline and finished up slightly at $136.74 a barrel, Marketwatch reports. Investors had earlier turned bullish on an unexpectedly strong retail report and crude prices of $131.55. The Dow ended up 57.81 points, at 12,141.58, after being up 185 points earlier. The Nasdaq climbed 10.34 points to 2,404.35, and the S&P 500 climbed 4.38 points to 1,339.87. More»