Big Banks Rally; Dow Up 119

Investors keep an eye on upcoming jobs, stress test reports

(NEWSER) - Yesterday’s rally failed to carry stocks today, with traders nervously anticipating weekly and monthly employment reports as well as the bank stress-test results later this week, the Wall Street Journal reports. Bank of America rose 5.4%, while Wells Fargo dropped 3.3%. The Dow fell 16.09 to close at 8,410.65. The Nasdaq lost 9.44, settling at 1,754.12, and the S&P 500 dropped 3.44 to close at 903.80. More»

Rosy NYT report on Treasury 'stress tests' fuels risk appetite

(NEWSER) - Surging financial stocks spurred a broader rally today, the Wall Street Journal reports. A New York Times report that all 19 banks facing Treasury “stress tests” will pass boosted shares in a sector already buoyed by a strong Wells Fargo earnings forecast. The Dow rose 246.27 to close at a two-month high of 8,083.38. The Nasdaq gained 61.88, closing at 1,652.54, and the S&P 500 added 31.40 to settle at 856.56. More»

GDP, financial rallies treat investors well, for now

(NEWSER) - The markets saw gains today as good economic data and a rally amid financial shares gave evidence that the nation may be moving past the current slump, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow gained 52.19 points to close at 12,646.22, the Nasdaq gained 21.62 to 2,508.32, and the S&P 500 rose 7.41 to 1,398.23. More»

Dow sees triple-digit rise

(NEWSER) - Is the panic over on Wall Street? The Dow shot up around 131 points, and the S&P and Nasdaq were up 13.5 and 26.2 as of 9:39am EST. Part of the gain came from Google’s blockbuster acquisition of Motorola , which sent the latter’s stock up 60%, according to the Wall Street Journal . Traders were also watching two other major deals—Time Warner is reportedly close to an agreement to buy Insight Communications, and Bank of America sold its credit card portfolio to Toronto-Dominion Bank. More»

Energy sector leads stocks lower; financials up on BofA settlement

(NEWSER) - Energy issues pushed stocks lower today after indexes hung around opening levels and briefly wandered into positive territory. Bank of America's settlement with the SEC over its acquisition of Merrill Lynch last year boosted financials, the Wall Street Journal reports.

• The Dow fell 18.97 points to close at 10,383.38.
• The Nasdaq lost 1.84, settling at 2,242.03.
• The S&P 500 dropped 1.16 to close at 1,108.01.